Paleo Chicken Pad Thai (with Spaghetti Squash)

A few days ago when I was on the hunt for Paleo-friendly recipes,  I came across this one on Pinterest for Pad Thai using spaghetti squash.  It looked intriguing and definitely meat and veggie packed.  Perfect!  The only problem was that Pad Thai uses peanut butter and is usually topped with peanuts.  So of course, I went to my trusty peanut butter replacement: almond butter.  I was worried that this substitution would change the taste too much and possibly ruin the dish, but it was actually really delicious!  We couldn't tell that it was almonds and not peanuts.  The spaghetti squash was a great replacement for noodles, and overall we really enjoyed our Paleo Pad Thai.  I am sure you could add other veggies and increase the heat-level if you wanted, but this was perfect for us.  Here is what I did:

Paleo Chicken Pad Thai (with Spaghetti Squash)
(served the 2 of us with some leftover)

• 1/2 spaghetti squash, cooked and shredded (I used the leftover from another recipe that I had frozen- if you need instructions, check out this post)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 T olive oil
• 1 c bok choy, diced
• 1 c carrots, thinly sliced
• 1/4-1/2 c chicken broth
• 2 T almond butter
• 1 T rice wine vinegar
• 2 T tamari sauce
• 1 t red chili flakes
• 1-2 cooked chicken breasts, thinly sliced or chopped (your preference)
• green onions, chopped
• cilantro, chopped
• lime wedges

Preparation
Cook spaghetti squash, or defrost if you had some frozen like I did.  Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.  Saute the garlic for about 1 minute.  Add the bok choy and carrots to the skillet and saute for another 3-5 minutes, until tender.  Remove the veggies to a plate.  Add 1/4 c chicken broth, almond butter, vinegar, tamari sauce, and chili flakes to the pan over medium or medium-high heat.  Stir it around until it is all combined.  It will likely thicken up a bit, so add more chicken broth if needed (I did).  Add the veggies back to the pan and throw in the spaghetti squash. Give it a good stir.  Add the chicken and allow it all to heat up and cook for another few minutes.  Serve it up garnished with green onions, cilantro, and a lime wedge.

If you are a pad thai fan, you will really love this recipe.  It is definitely one of the more interesting Paleo meals I have made, and it's nice to know that you can still eat some of your favorite foods while living Paleo!  Hope you enjoy it!