Zucchini Noodles with Avocado Sauce

Zucchini takes the place of pasta in this light and healthy dish! The flavors of the creamy avocado on the cold, crisp, zucchini "noodles" are the perfect combination to help you feel satisfied without weighing you down. I made this dish for about two months straight during my dietetic internship. It was easy and quick to prepare, and kept me going all day at the hospital. Plus it is delicious!

I used to use a vegetable peeler to make my zucchini "noodles" and they looked more like pappardelle (a thick ribbon-like pasta). I got a Paderno Spiralizer for Christmas so I've been using that instead- I love it! No worries if you don't have one. A vegetable peeler will do the job.

There are two ways I make my avocado sauce. The first uses nutritional yeast. Nutritional yeast is a deactivated yeast that is yellow in color. It adds a cheesy, nutty flavor to the sauce, and is a great source of vitamin B12.You can find nutritional yeast in the natural section of your grocery store, or buy it in bulk at Whole Foods. I also order mine from Vitacost. The second version is more basic with a more pronounced avocado flavor.

This tastes best after it has sat in the fridge a few hours, but it's still delicious when I eat it right away. 

After using my spiralizer:

         

Served this dish with Beyond Meat Chicken Strips and roasted paprika butternut squash:

Zucchini Noodles with Cheesy Avocado Sauce

Ingredients:

1 medium zucchini
1/3 ripe avocado
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
1 1/2 tablespoons water
Salt
Pepper
Garlic powder
Fresh basil, parsley, or cilantro (optional)

Directions:

1. Peel zucchini into thin ribbons or use a spiralizer to make zucchini "noodles". Sprinkle with a little salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
2. Place the avocado, nutritional yeast and water in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Toss sauce with the zucchini noodles. Top with fresh herbs (if desired).

Zucchini Noodles with Avocado Sauce

Ingredients:

1 medium zucchini
1/3 ripe avocado
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
1-2 tablespoons water
Salt
Pepper
Garlic powder
Fresh basil, parsley, or cilantro (optional)

Directions:

1. Peel zucchini into thin ribbons or use a spiralizer to make zucchini "noodles". Sprinkle with a little salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
2. Place the avocado, Greek yogurt, water, salt, pepper, and garlic powder in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Toss sauce with the zucchini noodles. Top with fresh herbs (if desired).

Beyond Meat: Chicken-Free Strips

I was so pumped for my Whole Foods and Trader Joe's shopping spree today. I love having a fully stocked fridge with all my go-to foods : ). Whole Foods is the only grocery store that sells some of my favorite vegetarian including Soy Boy Baked Tofu, Soy Boy Tempeh, and Seitan. Trader Joe's carries my favorite "chicken-less" strips. HOWEVER, I was SO excited to find a new product at Whole Foods by a brand called "Beyond Meat". I am always skeptical when I see new meat analog products. They are usually very processed, high in sodium, and many of them often have a high carbohydrate content.  I expected to be disappointed upon reading the package label, but as soon as I did, I knew I had just discovered something wonderful. Here's the scoop:

Beyond Meat Chicken-Free Strips are 100% vegan, gluten free, NON-GMO :), cholesterol free, dairy free, and ABX and hormone free. The protein comes from soy and peas. A generous serving size of seven strips provides 120 calories, 4.5 grams of fat, 18 grams of protein, 5 g of carbohydrates, and 3 grams of fiber! They contain 40 mg LESS sodium than Trader Joe's version, and 210 mg LESS sodium than Morningstar's.

I'm also impressed with the ingredients in this product. You won't see other chicken-less strips with such an impressive list! I got this from the company's website:

Soy and pea protein isolates: Protein isolates are used in foods like baby formula to provide the highest amount of clean plant protein possible.

Amaranth: Amaranth is an ancient grain originally used by the Mayans and Inca. It is gluten-free.

Vegan chicken flavor: Our proprietary chicken flavor is plant-based and plain tasty. It contains no added MSG or gluten and is 100% vegan.

Soy and carrot fiber: These fibers are GMO-free.

Expeller-pressed canola oil: This is the cleanest form of canola oil. It’s free of saturated fat and extracted without chemicals.

Dipotassium phosphate: Dipotassium phosphate is a common source of potassium.

Titanium dioxide: Our food-grade titanium dioxide is a naturally-occurring mineral.

Sodium alginate: Sodium alginate is derived from brown algae.

Calcium sulfate: This food-grade ingredient is a naturally-occurring mineral.

And the taste? I couldn't wait to try them and added them to my salad as soon as I got home. Not only are the strips visually appealing, but the texture and taste was totally on point! Not "fake" tasting or salty like other chicken-free products I've tried. They were tender, and delicious and are officially my new strips of choice. There are currently three flavors: Grilled, Lightly Seasoned, and Southwestern, and I cannot wait to try them all!