Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Bacon Chicken Basil Zoodles

Yeah, that's a mouth full, right (no pun intended). Jared was skeptical when I said I wanted to try zucchini noodles ("zoodles"), so I found a recipe that had bacon. :)  Actually, I found a recipe that had bacon fat and I modified it to add the bacon and chicken.  So what is this fabulous recipe?
 
First, I julienned four zucs, coated them fairly liberally in salt, and let them "sweat" for about 30 minutes. Apparently, this helps them give up water and makes the zoodles have a better texture/consistency.
 
Then I cooked up some bacon.

Then, I browned some chicken in the bacon grease (which may or may not have set off the smoke alarm...ahem.)
 
Next, I added in some garlic and the zucchini and let it cook for 2-3 minutes. And yes, that is a Kool-Aid spoon. Don't judge.
 
Finally, I added in the chopped up bacon and some basil, tossed it all together, and voila! Zoodles!
 
I modified a recipe from The Paleo Mom, so my recipe looks like this:
 
 4 large zucchini (about 2 pounds)
 2-3 tsp Salt (to salt the zucchini)
 5 strips of bacon
 2 chicken breasts, cubed 
 2 large garlic cloves, crushed
 ½ cup chopped Walnuts
 ¼ cup chopped fresh basil

1.    Finely julienne zucchini lengthwise to create long strips of zucchini.  Toss with salt in a colander and let sit in the sink for 30 min - 1 hour.
 2.    Rinse the zucchini very, very thoroughly (have a taste to make sure it’s not salty at all).  Drain on a tea towel or paper towels to get rid of as much moisture as possible.
 3.    Cook bacon in an oversized frying pan over medium-high heat. When cooked, remove and chop. Add in chicken and brown. 
 4.    Add garlic and zucchini and sauté, stirring frequently for 2-3 minutes.
 5.    Toss in basil and walnuts and cook another 2 minutes, stirring a couple of times.
 
The results? A resounding YUM from me, Jared and Adi! And anything that gets my fussy 2 year old AND my hubby to eat this volume of veggies in one sitting is good by me!



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