Zucchini Pad Thai

Good for yer thighs! (Hardy har, I know you saw what I did there...)

 
At first glance, it seems like the recipe would take a while to prepare, but peeling the zucchinis and getting all the ingredients together probably took less than 20 minutes. And, since it is summer, zucchinis are in their peak season! Hurry to your farmers market!

Seasame oil is so fragrant! Even my sister who doesn't like vegetables was intrigued by what was in the pan...

Zucchini Pad Thai, recipe adapted from Clean Food Dirty City

Serves 4

Ingredients

•  2-3 small zucchinis 
• 1 carrot
• 1/2 onion
• 1 garlic
• 1/2 red pepper 
• 1 scallion (some for garnish) 
• 1 tbsp. seasame oil 
• 1 tbsp almond butter
• 2 tbsp tamari
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• Generous splash of maple syrup
• 2 tsp. dijon mustard
• Red pepper flakes
• Chopped cashews for garnish

In a saute pan/skillet, heat 1 tbsp seasame oil over medium/low heat. Chop the carrots, onion, and garlic, and add them to the pan, increasing the heat to medium, and stir occasionally. 

Meanwhile, julienne the red bell pepper (also know as "matchstick"), and chop the scallion, saving some for garnish. Add the red bell peppers and scallions to the pan, stirring.

Using a vegetable peeler or a spiralizer, "spiral" your zucchinis. I used a normal peeler so my "noodles" were wider than normal.  have heard the zyliss peeler would be a great substitute to a spiralizer, I may pick one up to experiment. Add the zucchini to the pan, and stir. 

Combine the almond butter, tamari, rice vingegar, maple syrup, and mustard and stir. Add half of the sauce and some red pepper flakes to the pan, stirring to combine.

Pour into a large serving bowl and add the rest of the sauce, mixing to combine. Top with scallions and cashews for garnish.