An Inspired Cook

I was cleaning out the pantry recently when I came upon my spiral cutter.  It was hidden from sight, forgotten really, until I started removing the clutter.  I’ve rarely used it but decided to put it to good use since I had it out.  There are so many recipes on pinterest that use spiral cut vegetables to choose from.  I decided on a stir fry with peanut sauce.  I was surprised at how simple and easy this meal is.  You can prep everything ahead of time and stir fry in just a few minutes.  In no time you have a great meal, loaded with veggies and flavors to satisfy even the most picky eaters.  Joe even commented that the peanut sauce was so good he didn’t mind all the veggies, which he normally would pick over.

The peanut sauce (courtesy of The Kitchn) has quite a few ingredients but it’s easy to prep ahead of time and refrigerate.  Just measure out the ingredients, place them in a jar and whisk it all together.  The sauce includes, peanut butter (smooth or chunky), lime juice, tamari sauce, rice vinegar, honey, ginger, garlic, Sambal Oelek chili paste, olive oil and sesami oil.

I chose zucchini, carrots, red pepper and bean sprouts to stir fry.  Garnish with green onion and cilantro.

I went light on the chicken but you can add more if you like.  Cut up 1 or 2 chicken breasts.  Season with salt and red pepper (I used Aleppo Pepper).

Heat a wok.  When hot, add a small drizzle of canola or peanut oil.  Stir fry the chicken for 4 – 5 minutes or until they are cooked throughout.  Remove to a warming plate and set aside.

Add another small drizzle of oil to the hot wok and add the veggies.  Use tongs to move them around the wok so that they cook evenly.  Fry for 2 – 3 minutes, then remove from the burner.  If you cook too long the veggies will be limp and soggy. Also more liquids will be extracted from the vegetables and make the peanut sauce watery.  Yes, this happened to me the first time I tried it!

Add the peanut sauce and stir the veggies around with your tongs so that they are evenly coated with the sauce.

Add the chicken back in with the veggies and garnish with green onion and cilantro.




Stir Fry Zucchini Noodles with Chicken and Peanut Sauce 

1 large Chicken Breast, cut into bite size chunks
Season with Salt and Red Pepper Flakes (I used Aleppo Pepper)
2 small zucchini, cut with a spiral cutter
1 Red Bell Pepper, julienned
1 Carrot, julienned
1/2 cup Bean Sprouts
Garnish with sliced Green Onion and chopped Cilantro
Peanut Sauce, recipe follows

Heat a wok over high heat and add a drizzle of canola or peanut oil.  When the wok begins to smoke add the seasoned chicken and fry for 4 – 5 minutes stirring every minute or so until the chicken is cooked throughout.  Remove to a warming plate.

Add a drizzle of oil to the wok and add the vegetables.  Use tongs to move the veggies around.  Stir fry the veggies 2 – 3 minutes.  Add the peanut sauce and stir to mix.  Add the chicken back to the pan and toss to combine.  Remove from pan and serve immediately.  Garnish with green onion and cilantro.

Serves 4

Peanut Sauce (adapted from The Kitchn)

2 tablespoons Lime Juice
2 tablespoons Tamari or Soy Sauce
2 teaspoons Rice Vinegar
2 teaspoons Honey
1 teaspoon Ginger, grated on a microplane grater
1 clove Garlic, grated on a microplane grater
1 teaspoon Sambal Oelek Chili Paste
1/4 cup Peanut Butter, smooth or chunky
3 tablespoons Olive Oil
2 teaspoons Sesame Oil, I used Chili Sesame Oil

Combine the lime juice, tamari, rice vinegar, honey ginger, garlic and chile paste in a large mouth jar or bowl. Whisk to combine. Add the peanut butter, olive oil and sesame oil. Whisk until you have a creamy sauce. ** If you like a spicier sauce, use chili sesame oil which will be red in color and add the flavor of red chile.