Working in the garden provides a lot of quiet time to think and my mind wanders everywhere. One particular morning I got to thinking about how some of the most invasive, prolific herbs are among the most medicinal. And then I got to thinking about what a prolific producer zucchini is. And how, just like some of those invasive, medicinal weeds, zucchini often gets a bad rap. The jokes about not leaving car windows down in the summer, or installing a camera on the porch to deter those reverse porch pirates—the ones abandoning zucchini on your doorstep.
And then my mind wandered to all the fabulous ways I have learned to use zucchini this past summer. One year ago, I used zucchini for just a handful of recipes—soups and stews, deep-fried zucchini, zucchini cupcakes, as a sautéed side dish. Not much else. This year, I’ve learned about zucchini pineapple (the canned stuff is good, the freeze-dried version is awesome), chocolate zucchini cake (well, I knew about this, I’d just never made any before), zucchini pie, and zoodles. While I absolutely adore the chocolate zucchini cake, I can’t make it all the time. I haven’t prepped with any XXXL clothing, and it would just create a whole host of health problems. I’m sure you understand.
But the zoodles are another matter entirely. They’re fairly low-carb, diet friendly, and super easy to prepare. I’ve just been crying the whole week, knowing that summer and zucchini season already came to a close here. Zoodles are so fabulous, and these three Asian zoodle recipes add all kinds of variety to your food storage options, using ingredients you most likely already have on hand.
The first two recipes are very similar; however, the latter has a bit more flavor to it. Of course, it requires more ingredients. The third recipe (with sriracha sauce) is the easiest of all, and probably my favorite. It reminds me of some of the ramen bowls the girls sometimes get at the grocery store. Lydia thought that if I peeled the zucchini, no one would even know that the zoodles weren't real ramen noodles. I think she's right. It is really, really good.
Asian Zoodles with Peanut Sauce
3 medium zucchini, spiralized
1 tablespoon peanut oil
Peanut Sauce
¼ cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon peanut butter
½ teaspoon dry ginger (or 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger)
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 garlic clove, minced
Sesame seeds for garnish
Heat peanut oil in large skillet over high heat. Add zoodles and cook for 3-4 minutes, tossing frequently. Combine ingredients for peanut sauce and pour over zoodles. Cook and toss another 3-4 minutes. Garnish with sesame seeds and/or red pepper flakes.
Asian Zoodles
2 medium zucchini, spiralized
2 green onions, sliced
1 ½ teaspoons coconut oil
1 ½ teaspoons sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons ginger, minced
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon peanut butter
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
Heat the oils in a large skillet over medium high heat. Sauté the onions, garlic, and ginger for 1 minute, or until fragrant. Add the zoodles and cook for 3-5 minutes. Add the soy sauce and stir to coat. Push the zoodles to the side and add the peanut butter to the center of the pan. After it softens, stir it into the zoodles. Garnish with sesame seeds. Serve immediately.
Asian Zoodles with Sriracha
2 large zucchini, spiralized
¼ cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon sriracha sauce
1 teaspoon peanut oil
¼ cup minced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
Sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, brown sugar, and sriracha sauce.
In a large skillet over medium heat, sauté the onions and garlic in oil for about 2 minutes or until tender. Add the sauce and cook for about one minute. Add the zoodles and cook for another 5-7 minutes. Serve immediately.
All of these recipes can be prepared as is for a quick meal, or dressed up with whatever other vegetables or meat you have on hand. They can be used as a main course or a side dish. Free and fresh from the backyard. They’re a prepper’s dream.
(OK, seriously. I can't recommend these recipes highly enough. I think they've got to rate at least in the top five things I've learned while writing this blog. Maybe even higher, though it's pretty hard to beat chocolate mousse made with aquafaba.)
Links to related posts:
Most of the looks at the bottom are broken.
ReplyDeleteI meant “links”. Silly autocorrect.
ReplyDeleteLinks fixed! Thank you!
Delete