~Amanda~
I know a lot of people struggle with making a delicious homemade dinner on weeknights because there just never seems to be enough time, or you’re too exhausted after a crazy day, or you just would rather relax than spend your evening in the kitchen cooking. Whatever your reason, put it aside right now, because this is one of the quickest and easiest weeknight meals you can make. As an added bonus it’s paleo, whole 30, gluten free and dairy free AND it tastes amazing – it passed the husband test, so I know that it can satisfy just about anyone! It was especially fitting to make for dinner this week because St. Patrick’s Day is quickly approaching and we’re all about eating GREEN this week!
The spiralizing trend is one of my favorite food trends in ages. It’s so fun to turn something that may not seem super exciting – like zucchini – into a tasty and very low calorie pasta alternative. There are many many different types of spiralizers out there and you can spend a good chunk of moolah on something big, fancy and impressive or you can spend less than ten dollars on a simple spiralizing gadget like this one that I have. I absolutely love my spiralizer and don’t regret going to cheap route; it works perfectly, it’s easy to clean and it hardly takes up any space in my kitchen – which is key because my kitchen is not all that big! Spiralizing is very simple too; you just take the veggie that you want to spiralize, insert it in the top of the gadget and twist. You’ll have legit looking “noodles” in no time.
The rest of the dish comes together so quickly and it’s made with ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry or can pick up quickly with a trip through the produce section at the grocery store. An avocado pesto is made by combining avocados (duh), avocado oil (my new favorite oil), cashews, garlic, cilantro and salt and pepper in a food processor or blender until smooth. You then saute the zoodles in a skillet with more avocado oil and then add peas – I have recently come to love peas in pasta dishes, they have such a great sweet flavor, they add a pop to the texture of the dish, and they are so good for you!
Once everything is cooked through (which only takes about 5 mins) you toss in the avocado pesto until it melts into the zoodles and is combined. To serve, place the zoodles in a bowl and top with a fried egg – runny yolks are encouraged here. If you are craving an extra protein in the dish, I love to add in some sauteed garlicy shrimp or chicken, which can be cooked while you’re sauteing the zoodles. (You could also make this dish for breakfast and add in some extra veggies like sweet potatoes and mushrooms, it’s very versatile). Now it’s time to relax and enjoy all the time you have left in the evening since you won’t have to spend it preparing dinner! Enjoy and happy green eating!
- 1 medium avocado, ripe
- 4 tablespoons avocado oil
- 2 tablespoons raw, unsalted cashews
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 3 tablespoons water
- 3 large zucchini
- ½ frozen peas, thawed
- 4 eggs
- *Optional: add a cooked protein like garlic shrimp or chicken to the completed dish
- Combine avocado, 2 tablespoons avocado oil, cashews, garlic, cilantro, salt and pepper in a food processor and puree until completely combined. Set aside.
- Using a spiralizer, spiral the zucchini into zoodles.
- Preheat a large skillet over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon avocado oil and zoodles and cook for about 5 minutes, tossing often until softened and bright green. Add the thawed peas and cook one more minute until warmed through.
- While the zoodles are cooking, heat a small pan over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon avocado oil and cook eggs over medium - the runny yolks will add more flavor to your sauce.
- Add the avocado pesto to the pan with the zoodles and toss until well combined..
- Serve zoodles topped with the egg (and optional protein).
