Whenever I get back from vacation, I have to reacquaint myself with healthy eating. I always go a bit overboard when I am traveling so I decided to jump right back in to my (mostly) Whole 30 eating. I was on the Whole 30 path before we left for Ireland and felt amazing. Four days back and I have been good about 90% of the time.
I created this pad thai recipe based on a few different ones I found while searching Pinterest. I used zucchini and carrots for the noodles and made a simple peanut sauce that is delicious. I didn't have any chicken at home when I made this and kind of regretted it. I think this dish would be perfect with chicken. Or shrimp, if you're a seafood eater.
healthy pad thai (serves about 5)
-2 zucchinis - cut into "noodles" with a cheese grater
-1 large carrot - peeled into strips
-1 medium onion - thinly sliced
-2 cups thinly sliced kale
-a few radishes - thinly sliced
-a cup or two of bean shoots
-a small handful of cilantro - chopped
-3 eggs - whisked
-1/2 cup chopped peanuts
sauce
-1/2 cup unsweetened peanut butter
-2 teaspoons red curry paste (if you don't have this or don't want to buy it, try a tiny bit of red pepper flakes for spice)
-1 tablespoon fresh ginger (or use a teaspoon ground - but fresh is SO good!)
-1 tablespoon soy sauce
-the juice from three small limes
-1/2 cup light canned coconut milk
1. Make the "noodles." I used a cheese grater for the zucchini and a peeler for the carrot. The cheese grater is a quick option - just make sure to drag the zucchini all the way down the grater top get longer pieces. Put the veggie noodles in a bowl and toss in the radishes, bean shoots, and cilantro.
2. In a large pan, saute the kale and onions until soft. Add in the whisked eggs and scramble them with the kale and onions. Once the eggs are cooked (this will happen very quickly) transfer the mixture to the veggie noodles.
3. To make the sauce, just add all of the sauce ingredients into a food processor (or blender) and process until smooth.
4. Pour the sauce over the veggies and toss to combine. Top the dish with the chopped peanuts and serve. This dish will last about two days in the refrigerator.
My GOD, this salad is amazing. I made it a week ago and ate it for lunch and dinner until it was gone. When I find something I love, I pretty much eat it non-stop. I go through phases with certain foods, eat them for a month straight, get sick of them, and switch to something else. This salad is on the current favorite food rotation.
I got the idea for this delicious salad from this recipe post and created something similar based on my favorite "thai" ingredients.
I eat kale a lot and am really starting to like it. At first I just ate it because I was supposed to, but now I love having it as a staple in my diet. If you are a kale hater, this recipe does a great job of fooling anyone into eating kale. It's sweet and peanut-ey and perfect.
thai peanut kale salad {makes about four servings}
-1 large bowl of kale, chopped thin {I used one large bunch, removed the tick stems and thinly chopped}
-1 cup of shredded carrots {I bought pre-shredded}
-1 cup of shelled edamame beans {I bought frozen and steamed them}
-Add any other veggies you love....thinly sliced bell peppers and cucumbers would be amazing. Maybe even some scallions or thinly sliced red cabbage. Note, if you up the amount of veggies by a lot, you will want to double the dressing recipe. The recipe below is really only enough for the kale, carrots, and edamame.
peanut dressing
-2 heaping spoonfuls of creamy all natural peanut butter {about 1/4 cup}
-1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
-the juice from two limes
-2 tablespoons honey
-freshly grated ginger - about a tablespoon
-1 clove of garlic, crushed
-1 1/2 tablespoon of low sodium soy sauce
1. Put your veggies in a bowl and set aside.
2. Measure out the peanut butter in a seperate small bowl and microwave for about 20 seconds, just until it's easy to stir. Whisk in the rest of the dressing ingredients and taste. If it needs more salt, throw in a dash more of soy sauce. If it is too bitter, an extra squeeze of honey.
3. Pour the dressing over the veggies and toss to coat. Eat right away or refrigerate for up to 3 days.
I have been eating this salad with my favorite Trader Joe's potstickers. It is the perfect, healthy, and quick lunch or dinner.
