Kung Pao Chicken Zoodles

*Warning: You will need a "spiralizer" (is that a word?) to make the "zoodles" (definitely a word). You could also use a peeler to make long, thin strips in a pinch! Also, I'm going to be using the term "zoodles" a lot...*

Adapted from: http://www.skinnytaste.com/2014/08/kung-pao-chicken-zoodles-for-two.html

Courtesy of: Gina’s Skinny Recipes

Made on: 01/20/2015

Yield: Enough for two

INGREDIENTS

- 2 medium zucchini, ends trimmed

- 1 chicken breast, cut into ½ inch pieces

- Salt and pepper, to taste

- ½ of a red bell pepper, diced

- 1 teaspoon sesame oil

- 2 cloves garlic, minced

- 1 teaspoon fresh ground ginger

- 2 tablespoons crushed peanuts

- 2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions

For the Sauce:

- 1 ½ reduced sodium soy sauce

- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

- 1 teaspoon hoisin sauce

- 2 ½ tablespoons water

- ½ tablespoon chili paste

- 2 teaspoons cornstarch

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, hoisin sauce, water, chili paste, and cornstarch; set aside.

2. Season chicken with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook in a deep nonstick pan or work until chicken is browned and cooked through. While the chicken is cooking, use a spiralizer to make zucchini noodles (“zoodles”). Use kitchen scissors to cut the strands into pieces that are about 8 inches long and easier to eat.

3. Once the chicken is cooked, add the sesame oil, garlic, and ginger and cook for about 30 seconds on medium heat. Add the bell pepper and sauce mixture and bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until thickened and bubbling, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in the zoodles and cook for about two minutes, until just tender and mixed with sauce. The zucchini will release moisture, so resist the urge to add liquid.

4. Divide between two bowls and top with chopped peanuts and green onions.

Adjustments I made: I was making a bunch of freezer meals, so I prepped everything but the zoodles ahead of time and froze it all together in a freezer bag. 24 hours before cooking, I put the bag in the fridge to thaw. I dumped it all in a deep pan and cooked it all together until the chicken was done. Then I added the zoodles and cooked for a couple more minutes. I added some extra sauce at the end, but that mostly made it runnier. I was trying to avoid the majority of the liquid coming from the zucchini, but I think I would have been better off just to add hoisin and/or chili paste, since those might add flavor without adding liquid.

Adjustments I would like to make: Next time, I will take the recipe author’s advice and cut the strips into more manageable pieces. This was my first foray into veggie noodles, and I thought it would be fun to leave them in long strips, but there were some really looooooooooooong strips.

Overall Satisfaction: Very good! Just like spaghetti squash, this is not like actual noodles. However, if you like eating veggies in soy sauce, you can’t go wrong with this one. The sauce had a very good flavor, and adding the zoodles right at the end kept them from getting mushy.

Would I Make it Again? Absolutely. I love the idea of using veggies in place of noodles, and I got a spiralizer for Christmas, so this will not be my last experiment in this department! I might try to crockpot this in the future, but I would make sure to keep the zoodles out until the very end.

Sorry for the blurry picture! These are the results of using my spiralizer on one zucchini. It's so cool!

Here is the finished meal. I'm so used to eating things over rice or pasta that, while cooking this, I was afraid it wouldn't be enough food. Surprisingly, it made a delicious supper and didn't leave me starving afterward!