peanut chicken zucchini noodles
This year has definetly been the spiralized vegetables craze. I see spiralized zucchini, carrots, sweet potato, just about anything you could think of. Of course I had to purchase a few spiralizers myself and see what all the hype was about. This was probably my third spiraled zucchini recipe and probably my favorite. What caught my attention was the peanut in this dish, I'm a huge fan of peanut sauce. Not only was this super delicious it was very quick to cook, only about 15 minutes on the stove top. You can prep this recipe in advance by chopping up all the veggies, cooking the chicken, and making the sauce. You can also spiralize the zucchini ahead of time and keep them in a container in the fridge. You can make this and not tell anyone that the noodles are actually zucchini, they will be shocked at how delicious they taste!
What you need:
2 Tablespoons sesame oil (you'll need more for the peanut sauce below)
2 teaspoons minced or chopped garlic
1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup thinly sliced cabbage (I use red)
1 large bell pepper, thinly sliced (I use red)
3 large zucchini, spiralized into noodles
2 large chicken breasts, cooked & shredded (about 2-3 cups)
Toppings: 1 Tablespoon sesame seeds, handful of cilantro, 1/2 cup peanuts, chopped green onion
Peanut Sauce
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup soy sauce (I use reduced sodium)*
2 Tablespoons sesame oil
2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, minced
1-2 teaspoons Sriracha or any hot chile sauce**
Heat 2 Tablespoons of sesame oil and the garlic in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the carrots, cabbage, and pepper slices. Cook for about 5 minutes until the vegetables are a little tender. (I usually begin the peanut sauce, step 2, during this time.) Once tender, add the zucchini noodles and shredded chicken to the skillet. Cook and stir for about 3 minutes until the zucchini is a little softer and chicken is warm. Turn off the stove and remove from heat. Set aside. (*If your skillet isn't quite big enough, you can do this step in batches.)
Combine all of the peanut sauce ingredients in a small saucepan over low heat. Whisk constantly until the peanut butter has melted and everything is combined. I usually use 2 teaspoons of Sriracha, but use the amount of heat you like.
Once the sauce is heated through, pour over chicken/vegetables. Toss everything around until combined. Place on a serving dish (or not!) and top with sesame seeds, cilantro, peanuts, and green onion. Serve immediately.
Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator for a few days. Reheat to your liking.
tips:
* I used tamari. its a gluten free soy sauce.
**I didn't have Sriracha on hand so I didn't add it. I found it was still very good without the spice
Recipe from: Sally's Baking Addiction
http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2016/02/22/peanut-chicken-zucchini-noodles/
