by Caroline Davis
It’s March! Which means the beginning of spring, but not only that, it’s national noodle month, fresh celery month and nutrition month. With that being said, our focus will remain on noodles and nutrition.
Noodles are everywhere and in many of our day to day dishes. Whether it’s in a pasta dish or incorporated into a soup or salad, noodles are a must.
It’s not just the amount of noodles that Americans consume that should take you by surprise, just walk down your grocery store isles to see the various types of noodles. The shapes vary past your own imagination, and are surprisingly becoming more popular with ingredients other than flour based.
Whole grain and vegetable based noodles are now a common sight leading to one of the newest fads: zoodles. Zucchini + noodles = zoodles. These spiral beauties are surprisingly delicious and can be utilized in so many ways!
The Pad Thai Zoodle Salad and the Zucchini Noodles recipe below is one example of how diverse zoodles can be.
Pad Thai Zoodle Salad
by Laura Salyer
Medium 4-6 Servings
Colorful, fun, zesty salad topped with tofu.
Ingredients
Salad
2 oz. rice noodles
1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
3 carrots, spiralized or julienned
2 large zucchinis, spiralized or julienned
2 large squash, spiralized or julienned
2 large beets, spiralized or julienned
2 large English cucumbers, spiralized or julienned
12 oz. tofu, cubed
1 red bell pepper, julienned
½ c cilantro, diced
Dressing
½ c warm water
3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
½ Tbsp toasted sesame oil
3 Tbsp low sodium tamari
1 lime, juiced
½ c cilantro
1 jalapeño, cored and seeded
2 Tbsp organic peanut butter
3 Tbsp hemp seeds
1 tsp cayenne pepper
black pepper, to taste, optional
Directions
- Gather all ingredients.
- Pour boiling water over rice noodles and let sit for 5 minutes, then drain, rinse and set aside.
- Meanwhile, add dressing ingredients to blender and blend until smooth. Set aside.
- Drain and press tofu between two dish towels to remove
- as much water as possible. Cut into ½ inch cubes.
- Heat 1 tablespoon sesame oil in a skillet, and season with pepper.
- Add tofu cubes and sear over medium heat until all sides are golden-browned and crispy.
- Spiralize all vegetables.
- Toss rice noodles and spiralized veggies in a large salad bowl with the dressing.
- Add the tofu and finish the bowls with fresh cilantro leaves, extra lime wedges, or any additional desired toppings.
Nutrition Per Serving: 180 calories, 6g total fat, 1g sat fat, 75mg sodium, 26g carbohydrates, 5g fiber, 11g sugar, 10g protein. Dressing 80 calories, 6g total fat,
1g sat fat, 310mg sodium, 4g carbohydrates, 0g fiber, 1g sugar, 4g protein
Storage: As with most raw vegetable dishes and salads, the spiralized lose their crispness
shortly after preparation. It is best to serve this dish immediately.
Ingredient Swap: If allergic to peanuts, you may want to try substituting vegenaise or another creamy ingredient to serve as the base for the dressing. Also, if you have an aversion to cilantro, beets, or any of the vegetables in this recipe, feel free to get creative!
Zucchini Noodles
by Ashley Arpel Greenwald
Easy Gluten Free 2 Servings
The reason my boyfriend stays with me. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you my zoodle recipe!
Ingredients
3 c zucchini noodles
1 Tbsp lemon juice
3 Tbsp minced garlic
3 Tbsp lemon juice
3 c unsalted tomato puree
2 Tbsp unsalted tomato paste
½ Tbsp malt vinegar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
⅛ tsp black pepper
Directions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Gather all ingredients.
- Place zucchini noodles in a large baking dish suited for casseroles. At least 3 quarts.
- Pour 1 tablespoon lemon juice on noodles and mix with your hands.
- Place in the oven and cook for 45 minutes.
- While the noodles bake, mince garlic and place in a large saucepan along with 3 tablespoons lemon juice. Sauté on medium heat for 3 minutes.
- Reduce to low heat and stir in tomato puree and tomato paste.
- Add vinegar, cinnamon and black pepper.
- Cover and let simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. By the time the noodles are done, the sauce will be too.
- When noodles are done, remove from oven. Transfer noodles to a colander to drain. The tips of the cooked noodles will be slightly browned/crisped.
- Add the noodles to the saucepan still over low heat. Mix using tongs.
- Remove sauced noodles from heat and serve immediately.
Nutrition Per Serving 260 calories, 3g total fat, 0g sat fat, 115mg sodium, 47g carbohydrates, 11g fiber, 23g sugar, 9g protein
Storage: Store in an airtight glass container in the refrigerator for the following day’s lunch or dinner.