Spicy Broccoli Cucumber Noodles

A long overdue Pyaari date!

Asmi and I were in the mood for cooking something light and healthy. I first made zucchini pad thai noodles over the summer, and was hooked after I learned how easy it is to swap something not super healthy (noodles) for something more fiber filled (zucchini!). I was browsing CleanFoodDirtyCity (my go-to for healthy recipe inspiration!) and found a new recipe for cucumber noodles. I was eager to use my new-ish Zyliss peeler again, and cucumber noodles seemed just as interesting as zucchini noodles!

I had most of the ingredients on hand, and the only 'time consuming' step was to peel the cucumbers.

I made the mistake of de-seeding the jalapenos for this dish. The end result was not as spicy as I had hoped, so make sure you keep your seeds in! 

Spicy Broccoli Cucumber Noodles, recipe from Clean Food Dirty City

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 1 large head broccoli 
• 2 cucumbers
• Cilantro

Dressing for the Broccoli

• 4 cloves garlic, cut in half and grated over a microplane
• 1 fresh, small jalapeno (keep the seeds!)
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 tsp. low-sodium tamari

Dressing for the Noodles

• 1/4 cup raw almond butter
• 2 tbsp. fresh lime juice
• 2 tbsp. low-sodium tamari
• 2 tbsp. water
• Dash of seasame oil 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with a silpat or foil. In the meantime, cut the broccoli into long pieces and place into a large bowl. 

I slightly adapted the original recipe on the garlic front. Instead of slicing the garlic, I grated the cloves over a microplane. I don't know what this does, but my fancy chef friend Gretchen did this with garlic for her mouth-watering carbonara, so there must be something magical about this technique! Combine the ingredients for the broccoli dressing in a separate bowl and stir together, then pour over the broccoli. Toss the broccoli by hand until it is well-coated. Place the broccoli onto the baking sheet and place it in the oven for about 15 minutes, or until it is golden brown. 

While the broccoli is roasting, combine the dressing for the noodles in a small bowl. To prepare the noodles, peel the cucumber using a julienne peeler to make the noodles. Hold one end of the cucumber firmly and peel on the same section until you hit the seeds and move to the next section. Place the noodles into a large bowl. 

Remove the broccoli from the oven and let cool slightly. Add half the broccoli to the noodles, and half of the noodle dressing, mixing to coat. Once the mixture is well-coated, add the remainder of the broccoli, noodle dressing, and top with cilantro. Serve and enjoy!