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Welcome to my very first “what’s cooking” blog post. When I first began my weight loss journey, I could barely scramble an egg – I’m dead serious. My first attempt at a family holiday dinner was a total disaster (toughest pot roast ever) and I’ve had plenty of kitchen mishaps since.
I love to cook now and am perfectly happy spending hours in the kitchen slicing, dicing and sautéing. Truth is, I don’t have several hours a day to prepare fancy dinners and I’m guessing you don’t either. The good news is that healthy meals can be simple to prepare and absolutely delicious.
UPDATE 6/2015: I’ve graduated to a spiralizer. This is a must have healthy kitchen tool in my opinion. I’m completely obsessed with mine – and my clients are too. Just got this text from a Chickadee out in California. Her spiralizer + cookbook arrived today…
After spiralizing, I heat a little olive oil in a saute pan, add the noodles + a little garlic (optional) + salt + pepper and cook for about 5-7 minutes or until tender. I’ve been pairing zucchini noodles with just about everything. Here a a few of my favorite EASY recipes…
Lemon Tarragon Chicken with Zucchini Noodles:
Marinate 2-3 chicken breast in 1/4 cup of Brianna’s Lively Lemon Tarragon Dressing widely available) for at least 2 hours, grill (or saute in pan) and serve with zoodles.
Zucchini Noodles with Meat Sauce:
Heat olive oil in a saute pan, add 1 pound of ground turkey or chicken, cook until no longer pink, add a bit of garlic (heat about 30 seconds), add 1/4 -1/2 cup tomato sauce (I like Cucina Antica or Monte Bene, both are low sugar). Top noodles with sauce and sprinkle it with a little parmesan (optional).
Simple Zucchini Noodles with Shrimp:
But if you’d rather kick it old school and use a julienne peeler, here you go…
I used zucchini, squash and carrots, but I’m curious about eggplant and even parsnips. I’ll be sure to update this post with any other veggies that work well as noodles.
How to Prepare Your Veggie Noodles:
1. Wash your veggies
2. Cut a thin slice off the bottom of the veggies to prevent rolling around (optional)
3. Place flat side down on a cutting board and peel away
Cooking Option #1:
Microwave your veggies noodles in a covered dish for 1 to 2 minutes. Drain and season with salt & pepper.
Cooking Option #2 (my personal favorite):
Sauté noodles in a frying pan with a little olive oil, salt & pepper until cooked to your liking, about 5-7 minutes.
I topped my noodles with sautéed chicken and a little Spinelli’s Creamy Tomato Vodka Sauce, but the possibilities are endless – just swap out the spaghetti in your favorite dish for veggie noodles and voila – a vitamin packed and delicious alternative.
Follow me (@chickarobyn) on youfood to see what I’m eating…
Robyn Spurr is an ex-obese chick, Certified Health Coach, Weight Loss Coach, Personal Trainer and founder of Chickadee Weight Loss.
If you’re ready to lose the weight for good – without all the diet craziness, click here.