Creamy Curried Zoodles and Chicken

This has become one of my fall favorites- it's the perfect dish for when you're craving warm comfort food but it's also really light and doesn't give you the sluggish food coma feeling that so many comfort dishes give.

I also love that this recipe is packed with with all the elements you need for a hormone-healthy diet: coconut milk which is packed with healthy fats, lots of nonstarchy veggies that are packed with vitamins, leafy greens, curry powder which contains turmeric to decrease inflammation, and chickpeas that are loaded with fiber and protein. Pair it with simply grilled chicken or fish to bump up the protein and enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 2 small zucchinis, spiralized

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 yellow pepper, thinly sliced

• 1 red pepper, thinly sliced

• 1 teaspoon olive oil

• 1 teaspoon gluten free soy sauce or coconut aminos

• 3 tablespoons coconut milk

• 1 tablespoon natural peanut butter (no sugar added)

• 2-3 tsp red curry paste (you can do more if you like spicy)

• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard

• 1/4 teaspoon fresh minced ginger (you can sub ground ginger too)

• dash of lemon juice

• 1 tbsp curry powder

• 1 tsp sea salt

• Freshly-ground black pepper, to taste

• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

• 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained

• 4 oz cooked protein of your choice (I like a serving of simple grilled chicken or sea bass), cut into 1 inch cubes

• Fresh parsley to top (optional)

Instructions:

1. Heat olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the zucchini noodles. Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes until they are soft but not mushy. Remove from heat.

2. Add the garlic and peppers and sauté for about 10 minutes.

3. Drizzle the soy sauce over the veggies.

4. Add in the coconut milk, peanut butter, mustard, curry paste, ginger, lemon juice, and mix.

5. Add the chickpeas and stir so they're evenly distributed.

6. In a small bowl, mix the curry powder, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.

7. Add in your cooked protein of chicken or fish and stir until just coated in sauce.

8. Top with parsley.

9. Enjoy!

Pro tip: you can spiralize the zucchini + chop the peppers and store them in an airtight container in your fridge for 1-2 days in advance to make this dish even more quickly.

If you don’t have a spiralizer, a julienne peeler works well, or you can always just sauté cubed zucchini. The texture is different but the flavor is still amazing!

If you make this dish, make sure to take a picture and tag me on Instagram @laurenallennutrition or send it to me at laurenallennutrition@gmail.com!