Zoodle Pad Thai with Chicken

If I were to dream about Pad Thai (you know, just hypothetically...), I think it would look like this. A rainbow mess of veggie noodles and hot, savory steam rising from the pan.

I mentioned it in my Thai Basil Chicken Recipe, but I love when Thai food is overloaded with veggies. Zoodles are the perfect way to do that! Regular Pad Thai calls for rice noodles, and I’ve made it that way, but what I love more is this combo of zoodles with caramelized red pepper strips and bright carrots. Hello, rainbow in a skillet!

This dish is also a “throw it all in the pan” sort of meal, which is just my style. If I know we’re going to be home late, I’ll spiralize the zucchini and chop the peppers and carrots in the morning, so that in the evening all I have to do is put things in a pan before eating. First the chicken, then the carrots and peppers, and finally the zoodles—they cook virtually instantly, so you barely have to wait before digging in!

Remember to sprinkle with crushed peanuts or cashews and a drizzle of Sriracha before you take the first bite. The crunch and zing is worth it. And if you want to really flex you culinary muscles, crack and egg into the pan in the last few minutes, scrambling it a bit. 

If you like this recipe, you'll also love this Zoodle Chicken Chow Mein, with cabbage and green beans.

Zoodle Pad Thai with Chicken

Published January 18, 2018 by Caitlin Sherwood

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Serves: 4   |    Total Time: 30 minutes

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Ingredients:

• 2 medium zucchini
• 1 cup carrot, julienned
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced
• 8 ounces chicken, cubed
• 1/4 cup scallions, minced 
• 1/4 cup cilantro, minced 
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil

For sauce:
• 2 cloves garlic, minced 
• 1/4 cup tamari or soy sauce 
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup 
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 tablespoons Sriracha (your favorite brand or homemade)
• 2 tablespoon tahini 
• 1/4 cup chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce OR if you prefer, Worcestershire sauce for a more mild fish flavor

For serving:
• 1/4 cup roasted peanuts, crushed 
• 1 lime, slided in wedges

Directions:

1. First, use a Spiralizer (affiliate link) to turn the zucchini into zoodles. Set zoodles aside.
2. Heat coconut oil in a skillet or wok over medium heat. Once oil glistens, add cubed chicken, browning for about 3 minutes on each side. Check to make sure the chicken is cooked through by slicing a piece in half— meat should be white all the way through, with no visible pink. If it is cooked through, use a slotted spoon to move chicken to a plate and set aside. (If any pink is left, cook in the skillet for a few extra minutes).
3. Add julienned carrot and sliced bell pepper to skillet, sautéing until tender. Once the carrots are tender and the peppers are starting to brown on the edges, add the chicken back into the pan, along with the zoodles, minced cilantro, and scallions.
4. Make the sauce: add all ingredients for the sauce to a small jar. Secure lid on jar, and shake until all ingredients are combined.
5. Pour sauce into skillet, and use tongs to move zoodles and chicken around in the pan so that everything is coated. Allow sauce to come to a simmer, and cook for 1 minute (just long enough for the zoodles to cook. I like them al dente—soft with a tiny bit of bite left- but you can cook them another minute if you prefer them extra soft).
6. Divide amongst serving bowls and top with crushed peanuts and lime wedges.

Pesto Zoodles with Fresh Peas & Bacon

Update: I added new pictures to this post on 5/11/2018. The recipe is the same :) So yummy! 

Around this time of the year, every year, I go on a pesto rampage. Last year it was this cheesy pesto scramble and this pesto chicken salad. This year it's pesto zoodles with fresh peas and bacon. 

And it's the best thing I’ve eaten all month. 

Is there anything not to love about long, slurpy noodles coated in pesto? Crunchy bits of bacon and starchy peas? This is the best thing I’ve eaten all month, and I’m not exaggerating. 

Normally, noodles drenched in this much pesto and served with generous amounts of bacon would be quite a heavy dish, but this is where the zoodles come in: hellooooo zoodles! (Have you noticed I love zoodles yet?) Since zoodles are made of zucchini, you can smother them in pesto and toss in the bacon and still end your meal without that heavy I-just-ate-is-it-nap-time-now feeling. 

Jump into pesto season with me while it's here! 

Pesto Zoodles with Fresh Peas & Bacon

Published June 22, 2017 by Caitlin Sherwood

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Serves: 4   |    Total Time: 30 minutes

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Ingredients:

• 3 medium zucchini
• 1 teaspoon coconut oil
• 1/4 cup pesto sauce (homemade or store bought)
• 1 cup green peas (frozen or fresh)
• 8 ounces bacon, cooked and crumbled into bite sized pieces

Directions:

1. Heat 1 teaspoon coconut oil in a skillet over medium heat. When the oil glistens, add the peas, and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until bright green.
2. Spiralize the zucchini into zoodles with a Spiralizer. Pile the zucchini noodles into a skillet and place the lid on (they will cook down). Cook for 5 minutes, and then add the pesto, stirring and turning the noodles to coat them in pesto. Top with bacon, and toss everything one more time to combine.
3. Serve hot (leftovers are also good cold!)

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Zucchini Ricotta Manicotti

When you pull this casserole out of the oven, the first thing you'll see is bubbling cheese, that tempts you even when it is too hot to eat. Then, only seconds later, a hot steam that carries the smell of fresh basil and ripe tomatoes hits you. By the time the dish makes in to the counter, the sizzling begins to slow. With in a few minutes the dish sits still. It begs for you, even now when it would burn your tongue. (Maybe you sneak a bite anyways).  

By now the whole house has smelled like home cooked Italian food for 20 minutes or more, and people are beginning poke their heads into the kitchen. Is it ready? Can we eat yet? What are you up to in here? 

Cheese. Wine. More cheese in the form of ricotta. That is what you are up to. This recipe is pretty much everything. If your "everything" is ooey, gooey, and delicious, that is. And somehow folded in there is a pile of vegetables too: zucchini for noodles, spinach folded in with the ricotta, and a homemade tomato sauce that will make you proud.

This is a pile of cheesy Italian flavor you'll feel really good about eating. Despite begin literally stuffed with cheese, this recipe is light: it doesn't leave you feeling groggy the way this dish would if it was made with traditional pasta. We serve it with extra marinara sauce (I love homemade marinara sauce) and a side salad, and call it a meal. Oh--and don't forget the glass of wine! Red is perfect for this dish. 

If you're worried about the logistics of wrapping a bunch of cheese in thinly sliced zucchini, I don't blame you! But it's even easier than I originally thought it would me, so watch the video below to see how this impressive dish comes together, and you'll see you have nothing to worry about!

Music: www.bensound.com

Zucchini Ricotta Manicotti

Paleo, Primal, Grain-Free    |   Caitlin Sherwood    |    Print This Recipe

Zucchini is cut thin and rolled around ricotta as a stand in for traditional manicotti!

Serves: 4   |    Total Time: 60 minutes

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Ingredients:

• 2 medium zucchinis
• 1 egg
• 1-1/2 cup ricotta
• 1 cup grated parmesan, split in half
• 1 8-ounce package frozen spinach, thawed
• Salt & pepper


For sauce:
• 1/2 yellow onion
• 1 tablespoon avocado oil
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 14-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 1/4 cup red wine
• 2 tablespoons fresh basil, minced - plus more for garnish
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• Salt & pepper

Directions:

1. First, make the marinara sauce: heat avocado oil in a sauce pan over medium heat. Dice white onion, and mince garlic. Add both to sauce pan once oil is hot, and sauté until the onion is translucent and the garlic begins to brown. Pour wine into pot, and use a wooden spoon to scrape any brunt pieces from the bottom of the pot. Allow to simmer, then add tomatoes. Stir. Add oregano and basil, and then season with salt & pepper to taste. Remove from heat.
2. Spread 1/2 of sauce in the bottom of a 9x9 baking dish.
3. Make the ricotta filling next. Place thawed spinach in a fine mesh sieve and squeeze out any excuses water. Place in a mixing bowl, and combine with ricotta, 1/2 cup grated parmesan, egg, and a few sprinkles of salt and freshly cracked pepper. Stir until combined.
4. Preheat oven to 400°F and assemble: use a potato peeler or mandolin to slice the zucchini in long, thin strips (watch the video above to see an example). Place two zucchini strips on a flat surface so that they overlap by about 1/2 an inch. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the ricotta mixture on the short edge of the zucchini strips, and then roll up the zucchini strips around the ricotta like a roll of sushi. Place in the baking dish. Repeat until you run out of ricotta.
5. Sprinkle the remaining parmesan over the manicottis and place in oven. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until cheese is gooey, and sauce is bubbly. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with fresh basil as garnish. I also serve with extra sauce (the remaining 1/2) because I love marinara sauce!
6. Note: I find that when I get to the middle of the zucchini, it becomes hard to slice because of the seeds, so I move on to the second zucchini and reuse the middle of each zucchini later for another meal.

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