Sesame peanut chicken zoodles

This is a low carb treat PACKED with flavor and veggies inspired by the peanut chicken dishes you see at Asian noodle house restaurants. In addition to the zucchini, there’s a little cabbage, red bell pepper, fresh minced garlic & ginger, and stirred up into a spicy and nutty sugar-free sauce you won’t believe was so simple to make!

INGREDIENTS

• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 cup cabbage, shredded (red would work too, makes it more colorful)
• 1/3 cup carrot, grated
• 1/3 red bell pepper, sliced thinly
• 2 cups chicken, cooked – diced or shredded
• 1 large or 2 small zucchini, cut into spirals or julienned into matchsticks
• 1/3 cup scallions, chopped

Sauce:

• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1/4 cup smooth peanut butter (or chunky, if you don’t have any peanuts)
• 1 teaspoon chili garlic paste (I buy the Huy Fong Foods kind in a jar, it’s basically “whole” sriracha before they puree it and add sugar)
• Fresh grated ginger (I use about a tablespoon) or 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 2 tablespoons Tamari (wheat-free soy sauce) or coconut aminos
• 1/3 cup Allulose. OR – 1/2 teaspoon stevia powder, or about 20 drops stevia glycerite, or 12 drops non-glycerite liquid stevia extract
• 1 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar (unseasoned) or apple cider vinegar

Garnish (optional):

• 2 ounces chopped peanuts
• Chopped cilantro leaves

DIRECTIONS:

In a small saucepan, combine the sauce ingredients and heat on medium-low, stirring frequently until the peanut butter melts and all is well-combined.

In a wok or nonstick skillet, heat the sesame oil and garlic on medium-low heat until fragrant. Add in the cabbage, carrot, and bell pepper, and cook until slightly softened, about 3-4 minutes.

Add the chicken and zucchini, and stir occasionally, cooking about 3-5 minutes until the meat is heated through and the zucchini is slightly tender. Add in the sauce, mixing thoroughly, until all is well combined and heated through.

Top with chopped scallions, and the chopped peanuts and cilantro, if desired.

Makes 2 servings. Leftovers weren’t great, but OK.  I wouldn’t expect them to last more than 3 days in the fridge.  This dish is one of those I suspect is also excellent served cold. Heated up, not as tasty as freshly cooked and served hot.

Notes:

In my case, I cooked one large chicken breast (with rib meat) from frozen in the same pan, steaming it under a lid for a little bit until it was tender enough to cut, then I diced and seared it in the sesame oil and garlic, after which time I added in my vegetables. If you don’t have leftover chicken, this worked very well for me.

I was OUT of cilantro, so I used some dried Thai basil leaves. That, and/or chopped fresh mint will also stand in as great substitutes if you do not care for cilantro.

Love vegetables like I do? You’ll find TONS more keto and low carb vegetable recipes in my ebook, Diabetic to Ketogenic: Reclaim Your Health With Real Food