Kung Pao Chicken Zoodles for 2

Pinterest is one of those sites that can suck you in and suddenly you have found that hours have passed.  I found this recipe at skinnytaste. I did not have the hoisin sauce that the recipe called for and used the same amount of oyster sauce in its place.  It was still very good.  I will be making this again.  I am trying to curb how much pasta I eat and the spiralized zucchini give me the satisfaction of having “noodles” without the guilt!  My 12 year old son also enjoyed it, though he thought it was a little spicy.

Kung Pao Chicken Zoodles for 2

adapted from skinnytaste.com

Ingredients

• 2 medium zucchini, washed, trimmed of the edges and spiralized (cut into 6 inch strips to make it easier to eat)
• 1 tsp grapeseed oil (or canola)
• 6 oz boneless skinless chicken breast halves, trimmed of fat and cut into 1/4 inch pieces
• freshly ground pepper and sea salt (to season the chicken)
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 tsp freshly ground ginger
• 1/2 cup roasted dry peanuts
• 2 Tbsp thinly sliced scallions

For the sauce:

• 1 1/2 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp hoisin sauce (or oyster sauce)
• 2 1/2 Tbsp water
• 1/2 – 1 Tbsp Sambal Oelek Red chili paste
• 2 tsp sugar
• 2 tsp cornstarch

Instructions:

Spiralize the zucchini into noodles following the directions on the spiralizer.

Season the diced chicken with salt and pepper.  Heat a pan over medium high heat and add 1 tsp of grapeseed or canola oil. Cook the chicken stirring from time to time, until it is cooked through.  Remove the chicken to a bowl.

Combine the sauce ingredients together and stir to combine.

Add the sesame oil to the pan, reduce heat to medium, and add the garlic and ginger and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the bell peppers and cook for two more minutes. Next, add the zucchini noodles and saute for 2 minutes longer.  Add the sauce to the zucchini and toss to coat.  Add the chicken back into the stir fry.  Sprinkle with peanuts and scallions and divide into two large bowls.

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“Thai” Beef Salad Wraps

So I joined the April Health Challenge (www.meltdownchallenge.com), and in an effort to find new low calorie meals I hit one of my cookbooks in my expansive cookbook collection.  This recipe is adapted from Cooking Light.  Don’t let the “Thai” scare you off – this recipe is pretty mild in my opinion.  If you do not like much spice, leave out the red pepper flakes.  I sweetened the sauce a little, but the wrap was delicious! I cooked twice as much flank steak as the recipe called for, so I have enough to add some protein to some other salads this week. Win win!  If you want to eliminate gluten, eat it as a lettuce wrap or a steak salad!

Thai Beef Salad Wrap (really not very spicy.. not sure how Thai it is)

Yield: 6 wraps approximately 399 calories per serving

adapted from All-New Complete Cooking Light Cookbook (2006 Oxmoor House) p 444

• 1 lb flank steak, trimmed of fat
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper

Cooking spray

Vegetable Filling:

• 1 cup peeled cucumber, diced
• 1/2 cup grape tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 cup minced shallots
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh mint
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

Sauce:

• 2 (or 3) Tbsp brown sugar
• 3 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp fresh lime juice (or lemon juice works fine too)
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

Additional ingredients:

• 12 leaves red leaf lettuce
• 6 (10 inch) whole wheat flour tortillas

Instructions:

Season your flank steak with salt and pepper on both sides.  Prepare the grill with cooking spray. Grill the flank steak on high for 4 minutes each side.  Remove from grill.  Allow to rest 5 minutes, while you prep the remaining ingredients.

Combine the diced cucumber, cherry tomatoes, shallots, mint, basil and fresh cilantro in a medium sized bowl (you will add the steak to this mixture)

Prepare the sauce: Combine the 2 Tbsp of brown sugar, soy sauce, lime (or lemon) juice, crushed red pepper flakes, and mix to combine.  Taste the sauce and adjust the sugar if you desire a little sweeter sauce (I added about 1 Tbsp of additional brown sugar).

Slice the rested flank steak into thin strips, cutting against the grain.  Add the steak to the cucumber mixture. Drizzle the sauce over the steak and cucumber mixture.

In the microwave, heat up the flour tortillas between pieces of damp paper towels for about 20 seconds.

Line each tortilla with 2 leaves of lettuce.  Spoon 2/3 cup of steak mixture down the center of the tortilla and wrap like a burrito (start at the bottom folding up, then fold the sides over and secure with a toothpick if you like (or eat it immediately)

Notes: if you wish to eliminate gluten you could easily serve this on lettuce as a salad.

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Whole Wheat Pizza

I used spelt flour and whole wheat flour in this healthier version of Pizza.  I found a good recipe for the whole wheat dough on all-recipes. I was pretty happy with the results too, except that I should have cut the dough in half (and made another pizza later) it made for a very thick edge crust, but the flavors were right on.  The original recipe did not have spelt flour in it, but since I had it, I used it.  The dough turned out exactly as you would want pizza crust to be, soft and chewy on the inside and crisp on the outside.  I topped mine with crushed whole tomatoes, seasoned with oregano and pepper, and then topped it with sliced Chicken Meatballs (Adelle makes some that are amazing) and marinated artichoke hearts.  I usually will dump a whole bag of shredded cheese on a pizza, but I cut back on that as well to save on the calories.

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

adapted from all recipes

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/amazing-whole-wheat-pizza-crust/detail.aspx?src=VD_Summary

Makes dough for two pizzas

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp white sugar
• 1 1/2 cups warm water (110F)
• 1 Tbsp active dry yeast
• 1 Tbsp olive oil (or more as needed)
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup spelt flour (or whole wheat if you do not have spelt)
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• Toppings optional- adapt to your own preference:
• 1 (14 oz) can whole tomatoes, drained, break up with hands
• Adelle’s Italian Chicken Meatballs
• 1 (12 oz) jar marinated artichoke hearts
• 1 cup Italian blend shredded cheese

Instructions:

In your Kitchen Aid mixing bowl, combine the sugar, warm water,and yeast and stir with a spatula.  Allow to sit a few minutes (though I found the waiting for the yeast to activate is not really needed if your yeast if purchased recently and not past it’s expiration date).  Add the olive oil, all purpose flour, and salt to the water and start mixing the dough with a paddle attachment.  When it is combined add the remaining whole wheat flour.  Mix again with the paddle attachment until it is combined.  Switch  to a hook attachment.  I added just a little more olive oil to help the mixture come together again.  Knead with the hook attachment for about 2 to 3 minutes, or until your dough has become a rough ball.  Remove the dough from the hook, add a drizzle of olive oil to the mixing bowl and turn the dough ball to coat lightly in oil.  Cover the bowl with  plastic wrap and allow to rise for 30-45 minutes (it may take longer if your kitchen is cold).  If you want a big outside crust use the whole ball of dough for one pizza, but I will use half the dough for one pizza and freeze the remaining for another time.

Spread your pizza dough out on a pizza stone, leaving a thicker edge on the outside of the pan. I really find they cook best on a stone without having the edges burn.  Top with crushed whole canned tomatoes, sliced up chicken meatballs, marinated and drained artichoke hearts and about 1 cup of shredded cheese.

Bake at 350F for about 25-35 minutes, or until the crust is crisp and the cheese is browned.

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