Spicy Thai Chicken And Zoodles

Oodles and Oodles of Zoodles

As a true lover of pasta I wasn’t convinced that a zucchini noodle or “zoodle” would be a satisfying substitute. Turns out I was surprised! Zucchini noodles are fun to make, gluten free, and they will likely leave you feeling as if you had a pasta experience without the guilt. Go on, we’re having seconds!

To spiralize your zucchini you’ll want to give it a little practice. There are many spiral slicers available and I recently upgraded from a hand-held spiralizer to a fancy one from KitchenAid that transformed me into a Zoodler Pro!

It’s because of this recipe that I was inspired by spiralizing, so I hope you enjoy this dish as much as I do!

Foodie Tips:

❤ I once made the peanut sauce a couple of days in advance and was convinced it tasted even better once things were able to mingle. The sauce is so good I usually double it.

❤ If you’re shy about spicy foods you can omit the red pepper flakes. I often sneak in a little extra.

❤ This dish pairs well with spring or egg rolls (shown).

Time To Prepare:

About 25 minutes.

For The Spicy Peanut Sauce:

1  |  Garlic Clove, Peeled & Smashed
½ Cup  |  Peanut Butter
1 Tablespoon  |  Lime Juice
1 Inch  |  Fresh Ginger, Diced
½ Teaspoon  |  Red Pepper Flakes
2 Tablespoons  |  Soy Sauce
1 Teaspoon  |  Light Brown Sugar
⅓ Cup  |  Water

For The Main Dish:

3-4 Tablespoons  |  Olive Oil
1 Pound  |  Chicken Tenders, Diced
2  |  Zucchini, Spiralized
1 Large  |  Carrot, Spiralized
1  |  Red Bell Pepper, Julienned
¼ Cup  |  Fresh Cilantro, Diced
¼ Cup  |  Green Onions, Diced
To Garnish  |  Toasted Sesame Seeds
To Garnish  |  Peanuts, Chopped
To Garnish  |  Juice of Lime

What To Do:

1. In a food processor or blender combine the eight spicy peanut sauce ingredients and set aside.

2. Heat a large skillet to medium-high heat. Add about 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil and the chicken tenders. Sauté each side for 3-4 minutes. Remove the chicken from the heat and let it rest until cooled. Then dice the chicken.

3. In the same large skillet over medium-high heat add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the zucchini and carrot noodles. Flash fry for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

4. Remove the noodles and place them in a large bowl along with the chicken, red pepper, fresh cilantro, green onions and spicy peanut sauce. Toss until the noodles are well coated.

5. Serve garnished with toasted sesame seeds, more chopped peanuts, and a squeeze of lime juice.

Enjoy this dish!

~ Joe Paul Reider

Home Style Austin Founder
Austin Realtor®
Keller Williams Realty

Email: JoePaul@KW.com
Mobile: 512-222-3302
Web: JoePaulReider.KW.com

Cowboy Bark Recipe

Chocolate Lover?

If you’re a fan of Trader Joe’s Cowboy Bark like I am, you’ll likely love this recipe. Who doesn’t want to take their taste buds on a flavor adventure with dark chocolate, nuts, heath bars and a hint of sea salt?

This recipe just has 7 ingredients – I refer to them as the “Magnificent 7” and after the chocolate is nice and gooey the kids can help decorate these treats … fun for the whole family!

Cowboy Bark is great for gift-giving! I make it for friends and clients … and soon my parents (if they find this post).

Foodie Tips:

• The chocolate mix is the most important part of this recipe and you can customize it to your personal taste; you can use 100% of the same dark chocolate or a mixture of your own liking. I used a 12 ounce bag of Hershey’s Special Dark Mildly Sweet Chocolate Chips, 4 ounces of Nestle Toll House Milk Chocolate Morsels and a Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Lover’s Chocolate Bar that the folks at TJ gave us just for checking-in on Foursquare. Sweet!
• You can top your bark with a few of your own special ingredients – we like dried cranberries, pistachios, cashews and of course Texas pecans, the Mother of all nuts.

Ingredients: 

18-20 ounces  |  Chocolate, Melted Warm (see foodie tip above)
1 Cup  |  Mini Pretzels, Broken Into Pieces (Rold Gold or Synder’s work well)
¼ Cup |  Lightly Salted Peanuts, Coarsely Chopped
¼ Cup | Lightly Salted Almonds, Coarsely Chopped
¼ Cup |  Heath Bars, Coarsely Chopped
8-10  |  Chocolate Oreo Cookies, Cut Into Bite-Size Pieces
A Sprinkling |  Gray Sea Salt, To Taste

Directions: 

1. Line a 10″ x 15″ baking tray with a piece of parchment paper and set aside.

2. Ready all of the ingredients above – except the chocolate – so that once the chocolate is melted you can move swift, like the wind.

3. Place your chocolate mixture into a microwave-safe bowl and heat in 15-30 second increments, stirring with a rubber spatula between cycles, until the chocolate is smooth. Do not boil!

4. Pour your chocolate mixture onto your readied baking tray and spread the chocolate evenly with a wooden spoon or large knife. You don’t need to spread to the corners; just keep the chocolate in one continuous “blob.” Perfection isn’t a requirement here.

5. Sprinkle your ingredients on top of the chocolate and top with a sprinkling of sea salt. Lightly press your toppings into the chocolate to ensure a friendly bonding.

6. Transfer your readied tray into your fridge for 30-60 minutes, until everything has “set.” With a blunt knife press into the chocolate – it should break into delightful chunks.

Yields: 20 or more servings, depending on the size of your bark cuttings.

~ Joe Paul Reider

Home Style Austin Founder
Austin Realtor®
Keller Williams Realty, Inc.

Email: JoePaul@KW.com
Mobile: 512-222-3302
Web: JoePaul.KWRealty.com

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