Paleo Chicken Alfredo with Zucchini Noodles
(could serve 3 if the 2 of you don't eat it all!)
- 1 large zucchini or 2 medium ones
- 1 T olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, smashed
- 2 chicken breasts
- salt & pepper
- 1 cup cashews
- 1/2 t onion powder
- 1/4 t garlic powder
- 1/4 t mustard powder
- 1/4 t sea salt
- 1/4 t black pepper
- 1/8 t paprika
- 1-2 c chicken broth
- 1/8 t nutmeg
First, prepare the zucchini noodles. Julienne them so they look like strands of spaghetti, using a knife, peeler, or julienne tool like mine. Once you get down to the seeds, you should stop since they won't produce good strands. Toss the zucchini with some salt in a colander over a bowl and allow to sit for about 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, wring out the zucchini (it's weird, I know) to remove all the moisture.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and the garlic clove and saute it for about 3-4 minutes. Remove the garlic clove (you just need it for flavor). Salt and pepper both sides of the chicken and add the breasts to the skillet. Cook for about 6-7 minutes on each side, or until browned and cooked through. While the chicken is cooking, add the cashews, onion powder, garlic powder, mustard powder, sea salt, pepper, and paprika to a food processor or blender. Cover and blend into a powder. Be careful not to OVER blend, or it will become a paste! Once it is a nice fine powder, remove to a bowl and stir in about 1 c of chicken broth (or you can keep it in the blender and combine it there, either way). This will turn it into a "cream" sauce. It's okay if it looks too liquidy- it will thicken up when heated.
Remove the chicken to a cutting board. Turn back the heat to medium-low on the skillet. Cut the cooked chicken into thick slices (or chunks if you want). Add the sauce to the skillet and allow to cook for a minute or so. If it thickens up too much at any point, add more broth. Toss in the chicken slices/chunks and stir, then add the zucchini noodles. Toss it all around until everything is coated. Finally, add your dash of nutmeg (gives it a little bonus flavor). Serve it all up onto a plate!
I feel like the preparation instructions look long and complicated, but really this took about 20-30 minutes to make, and it was pretty simple. I don't know how, but it really DID taste like chicken alfredo! The miracle of cashews, I suppose. If you are a pasta-lover like me, I would definitely recommend you try this- you may be skeptical too, but it will surprise you!
This looks delicious! Definitely giving it a try.
ReplyDeleteI made just the zucchini noodle Alfredo as a side dish and it was delish! I couldn't believe there was no cream or cheese in it!
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