Have you ever heard of zoodles before? If not, zoodles are zucchini noodles that you can make at home. They are becoming more and more popular and you may have seen them on restaurant menus. Even though they look complicated, all you need to make them in a simple kitchen device called a spiralizer that allows you to turn any fruit or vegetable into ribbons and noodles.
Zucchini, an August Foods of the Month, is a great vegetable to try in an spiralizer if you are new to this way of preparing vegetables. Because of its size and texture, zucchini can easily be turned into ribbons. The key to making zoodles though is to let them dry out! There is nothing worse than soggy vegetables and this is also true when making zoodles. To make sure your zoodles are free of excess water, sprinkle them with salt, then wrap them in a paper towel for 30 minutes before cooking. Right before you sauté them, squeeze out the excess moisture for firm, delicious zoodles. This week, we will feature an Italian style dish with Caprese Zoodles with Chicken. Check back next week for an Asian one. Enjoy!
- 2 large zucchini, washed and spiralized
- 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 lb. chicken breast, diced into cubes
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 carton cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 shredded mozzarella (or use 2 oz. fresh mozzarella)
- 1 tbsp. fresh basil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- To make your zoodles, cut off each end of the zucchini. Place in the spiralizer and turn the handle to create the zoodles, stopping every few turns so they don't become very long.
- Sprinkle the zoodles with salt, then place them on a paper towel, roll it up, and allow the moisture to seep out for 30 minutes.
- Squeeze the zoodles in the paper towel to remove extra water.
- Heat a skillet on the stovetop of medium heat. Add the extra virgin olive oil and cook the diced chicken breast for about 10 minutes, until firm and no pink remains.
- Remove the chicken from the skillet and let cool. Using the same skillet on medium heat, add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes, then add the cherry tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes until they are slightly blistered. Next, add the zoodles and cook for about 5 minutes until they become bright green and firm.
- Turn the skillet to low, add the mozzarella and the chicken until the cheese becomes melty.
- Season with salt and pepper and serve.
