Need an easy way to pack some more veggies or color onto your dinner plate? Well no problem at all; I’ve got you covered! This dish uses veggie noodles (carrots and zucchinis) instead of regular noodles, providing you with just as much volume as regular pasta, but double the nutrients! Plus, it doesn’t hurt that this dish is loaded with colors. And is it just me, or do pretty meals taste ten times better?
The day I made this meal, it was a crazy busy day full of errands and appointments, and I only had a few quick breaks during the day. During one of those breaks, I whisked up the marinade for this chicken, stuck it in the fridge, and continued on with my busy day. When it came time to make dinner, I pulled the chicken out, started cooking it, and started assembling this meal.
Truthfully, I had no idea what I was going to make with this chicken. I thought about just cooking the chicken and then putting it over some spinach to make a salad, but that was too boring. So instead, I opened up my fridge, took a look at which veggies I had on hand, and started throwing something together.
Most of the time, I buy vegetables in their whole form and then cut them up myself, however the last time I was at Trader Joe’s, I purchased a box of carrot noodles (Caroodles? Coodles?). When I opened my fridge and saw that box sitting there, I decided I was going to make some sort of stir-fry dish using veggie noodles instead of regular noodles. Sometimes, all it takes is a quick peek into your fridge, and then the inspiration for dinner ideas will come flooding in! At least, that was what happened to me with this dish.
As I started sautéing all of the veggies down, my kitchen immediately started to smell absolutely heavenly, and my parents definitely noticed. They kept asking what I was making and if it was going to be done soon, so I took it as a sign that they were excited to try it out.
When it came time to dig in, I let my parents try it first to see what they thought. They were very impressed with it, and after I took my first bite, I was also pretty impressed. It had the perfect amount of balance between sweetness from the honey and saltiness from the tamari sauce, and the flavors really blended well together. Plus, I really liked the addition of cabbage and chunks of almonds (from the nut butter I used) for a little extra texture.
I added chunks of chicken to this recipe to make it a full meal, but the chicken could easily be removed or replaced with tofu to make it a vegetarian option!
The one thing I will say about this recipe is that it made a pretty big amount – enough that it lasted about 3 days for the three of us in my family. Not that I’m complaining, though, because it meant I got to eat delicious food for three days in a row!
- CHICKEN:
- 4-5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced
- 2 TBSP sesame oil
- 3 TBSP rice vinegar
- ¼ cup tamari sauce or coconut aminos*
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 TBSP fresh ginger, minced
- ZUCCHINI NOODLES:
- 2 TBSP sesame oil
- ½ of a head of green cabbage, chopped
- ¼ cup honey
- ⅓ – ½ cup almond butter (or peanut butter) **
- 2-3 medium zucchini, spiralized
- 1 (12-ounce) bag frozen spiralized carrots (or ~4 large carrots, shredded)
- 1 cup frozen broccoli
- 1 cup frozen cauliflower
- Whisk together the ingredients for the chicken marinade. Cut up the chicken into bite-sized pieces and add to the bowl. Let marinate for at least 30 minutes (up to overnight).
- When ready to cook, spiralize the zucchini and place in a bowl. Set aside.
- Add 1 TBSP of sesame oil to a large skillet and heat over medium heat. Add the chicken pieces and cook until browned, making sure to flip the pieces so all sides cook evenly.
- Once chicken is cooked and no more pink remains, add the rest of the chicken marinade.
- Add the chopped cabbage and stir until cabbage starts to cook down. Add an additional 1-2 TBSP sesame oil, cover with a lid, and allow to steam for a few minutes.
- In a small bowl, combine the honey and almond butter/peanut butter. If it is too hard to mix, microwave the mixture for a few seconds to make it easier to stir.
- Add the honey and peanut butter to the skillet and stir well. If everything seems to be sticking to the bottom of the pan, add a few splashes of water and stir well.
- Once cabbage has cooked down (~8-10 minutes), add the carrot noodles and cover with lid.
- (If they are frozen, add them to the skillet before adding the zucchini. If the carrots are completely thawed, add them at the same time as the zucchini).
- Add the zucchini noodles, stir well to combine, and then add the broccoli and cauliflower.
- Cover with lid and allow to steam for a few minutes. Once veggies are all completely thawed and cooked through, remove from heat and serve.
**I used crunchy almond butter for more texture, however smooth or creamy will work just as well.
