Greek Zoodle Salad

There are some differences between the US and the UK that I expected. Like driving on the other side of the road (and looking in the other direction before crossing the street as a result), temperatures reported in Celsius, measurements in metric units, spellings like 'prioritised' and 'colour'. And then there are things I didn't expect like zucchini aren't called zucchini, they're called courgette. Or cilantro is called coriander, which I thought was a completely different spice altogether.

The first time I went to the grocery store by my flat, it took me over an hour to find everything and even then, I didn't really find everything. I gave up on blueberries and limes. Crunchy healthy stuff is in an aisle called 'free from' as in 'free from gluten' or 'free from nuts' (although almond butter is in the aisle so...).

The second time I went, I was a little more patient (and a little less hungry) in finding my ingredients. With a Greek salad inspired zoodle dish in mind, I navigated the produce section for familiar vegetables. It took me awhile to find pepperoncini (my Spanish flatmates tell me the English don't have true peppers) and am now the proud owner of a very large jar of pepperoncini, from the Mediterranean section of the international aisle--logic.

I'm not a fan of olives so I skipped those but otherwise, went for a crunchy Greek 'pasta' salad. But instead of pasta, I used zoodles. With zucchini called something else over here, zoodles are also lost in translation. Coodles? Croodles? Crasta? Nothing is quite as good as zoodles, I'm afraid.

Chicken is browned in a large skillet. Once the pieces are browned on both sides, zoodles are added to the pan to cook slightly. Slowly but surely, the tomatoes, cucumber and pepperoncini are added to the pan as well. This quickly became an easy one-pan dish. I've also made this without the zoodles and added extra cucumber to keep it crunchy.

 

Topped with feta cheese and olive oil, we have a summer classic in the making!

Recipe

• 1 lb. chicken breast, diced (or stir-fry cuts)
• Fresh ground pepper
• 2 zucchini (or courgettes), spiralized
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 large cucumber, chopped 
• 3-4 large pepperoncini, chopped
• Feta cheese for topping

1. In a large frying pan, heat olive or vegetable oil. Add the chicken pieces. Brown on each side, turning carefully and reducing heat as oil gets hotter. Sprinkle with ground pepper.
2. Once the chicken has been browned, add the zoodles.
3. Continue by adding the cherry tomatoes, cucumber and pepperoncini. Stir to incorporate with the chicken and zoodles.
4. Cook until the vegetables are soft and the tomatoes have started to blister. 
5. Remove from heat and top with feta cheese. You can enjoy this hot or cold, I preferred it slightly warmed. 

Peanut Zoodles with Chicken

I grew up in a small town. The extent to which we had take-out was pizza or Chinese food. It was a really big deal when the grocery store started carrying sushi--mind you, only California roll and spicy tuna but still, big deal. Chinese food will always hold a special place in my heart for being my first introduction into non-American food.

 

Cold sesame noodles were a staple along with beef and broccoli. So much sauce. The sesame noodles were the inspiration for picking up this recipe. Armed with new-found love of zoodles, this has become a quick and easy meal to make during the week.

Using a spiralizer, we make some long ribbons of zoodles. I try to cut them every once in a while so we don't have a Lady and the Tramp issue later. The zoodles are then cooked in a sauce pan to warm and soften. I also added chopped scallions for flavor.

While the zoodles cook, the peanut sauce is made by mixing together peanut butter, lime juice, soy sauce and a little bit of sesame oil. This can get a little difficult to stir but once the sauce is added to the zoodles, the heat will help smooth it out. I also usually bake some chicken during this time to add to the zoodle bowl.

I find tongs are the easiest tool to use to stir up the zoodles and sauce, just because it gets very thick and goopy. Once everything is warmed and the sauce is distributed throughout the zoodles and not just one blob, I add the chicken.

I try to pretend that this will last me a couple nights but if you're only using one zucchini, it probably only makes 2 portions. More zoodles!

Recipe

• 1 medium zucchini
• 2 scallion stalks, chopped
• 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 Tablespoon of soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• Cooked Chicken, diced (optional)

1. Using a spiralizer or mandolin, create ribbons of zucchini to serve as noodles.
2. Chop two scallion stalks, green parts only, into small pieces. Add the scallion and zucchini to a skillet over medium heat.
3. In a small bowl, combine the peanut butter, lime juice, soy sauce and sesame oil. Stir to combine.
4. Add the peanut sauce all at once to the pan with the zoodles. Stir together to spread the sauce throughout. The heat from the pan should help to thin the sauce.
5. Once the zoodles are cooked, they should still have a little crunch, remove from heat and stir in the chicken (if using).
6. Serve warm or reheat as leftovers.