Thai Chicken Zucchini Noodles

There's a lot of back story for this recipe. Let's start with the fact that I joined Weight Watchers this week.  There was a deal through work and I decided that I needed something to get back on track.  I've done the calorie counting thing before, and I've been trying to recently but pretty much falling off the wagon every day.  Weight Watchers is along the same lines, but you're in a group and they keep track of your weight every week.  I figured the addition of competition was worth the $30 to try it out for 12 weeks.

Today is day 2.  Day 1 was not good.  I stayed under my 30 points, but I was angry.  Why was my chai latte (150 calories) worth 8 points and nearly 1/3 of my daily allowance?  Why didn't the calories burned during my 4-mile run add back in so I could eat more?  By dinner time I was HANGRY.  

Day 2 wasn't much better.  Seriously who brings a double chocolate cake to an 8am staff meeting?  There's another 9 points for the 1/2 of a 1/2 of a piece I ate.  F@&%.  

With only 9 points remaining for dinner I decided it was a good night to try out my spiralizer on this zucchini recipe.  Fruits and veggies are technically free in WW.  That also makes me angry, but I wasn't about to argue. 

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons of grape seed oil
• 2 boneless, skinnless chicken breasts, cubed
• 2 tablespoons of grape seed oil (or canola oil)
• 2 zucchini, spiralized
• 1 large carrot, spiralized
• 1 red pepper, julienned
• ⅓ cup of bean sprouts (or not)
• ¼ cup of fresh cilantro, diced
• ¼ cup of green onions, diced
• sesame seeds (for garnish)

Spicy Peanut Sauce:

• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 4 tablespoons of peanut butter
• juice of 1 lime
• 3 tablespoons of soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons of fresh cilantro, diced
• ½ teaspoon of ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon of red pepper flakes

 DIRECTIONS

1. In a small bowl, whisk together garlic, peanut butter, soy sauce, lime juice, ground ginger, and red pepper flakes. Set aside. 
2. Heat a large skillet to medium high heat. Add oil and chicken.  Season with salt and pepper. Saute until cooked through.  Cut into bite sized pieces if not small enough already.
3. In the same large skillet over medium high heat, add 2 tablespoons of oil, zucchini noodles, carrot noodles, and red pepper. Flash stir fry for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.  Or a bit longer if you want your noodles more like pasta.
4. When cooked to desired tenderness add back in chicken, green onions, and spicy peanut sauce. Toss till all noodles are coated.
5. Serve and garnish with sesame seeds.

 

VERDICT

We were pretty leary about this recipe.  Ok, so I wasn't.  But my husband was.  He watched me spiralize all the vegetables and wondered what he was going to eat for dinner that would actually fill him up.  

After we finished dinner I mentioned that the sauce could also be used over rice or pasta.  His comment:  "why would you want to change a recipe that tastes so good already?"

So I guess the veggies were a hit.  9 Weight Watchers SmartPoints, and about 350 calories per serving.  And I'm no longer Hangry.

  

Credit:  Edited from Healthy Joyful Eats