Whole30 Chicken Pad Thai

This Whole30 take on the traditional pad Thai is absolutely deee-lightful! No starches in this dish, just meat & a whole lot of veggies. 

This is 100% compliant and has all the flavor you would get from a Thai restaurant. As you already know, peanuts are not allowed while on the Whole30. I normally make this dish with almond butter, but when I started cooking I realized I ran out! So what else could I use in my pantry? Oh, that's right. Nuttzo's Power Fuel Crunchy Butter. I bought it from Costco & it is so good! Substitute equal parts in for anywhere you would use peanut butter. It's organic & made from 7 seeds & nuts. Be sure to read the label though & make sure you have the one without peanuts! This includes the other ingredients in this list. Make sure your rice vinegar doesn't have added sugars or other ingredients that aren't allowed on Whole30.

I can't take all the credit for this dish. Although the pad Thai recipe is mine, the flavorful chicken that is featured in this recipe comes from Chihyu at I Heart Umami! Check out her recipe for the chicken here. 

Recipe makes 4 servings!

For the pad Thai sauce, you'll need:

• an immersion blender (I've had this one for over 5 years & still works great!)
• 1/4 cup Nuttzo's Power Fuel Crunchy Butter
• 3 tbsp coconut aminos
• 1 1/2 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tsp fish sauce
• 1/2 lime, juiced
• 1/2 tsp Thai chili flakes, can substitute equally with red pepper flakes
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed

Place all ingredients in a wide mouth mason jar & blend until smooth using an immersion blender.

If it's too thick, add some neutral flavor liquids (water, plain unsweetened almond milk, or veggie/chicken stock) 1 tsp at a time until you're at the desired consistency. It should coat the back of the spoon and slowly drip down. 

Now for the "noodles." You could just make zoodles, but what's the fun of that when you can get more nutrients by using a combination of veggies! 

**Side note: if you're making this as a meal prep & not eating it right away I would stay away from adding the bean sprouts. they go bad quickly!**

Here's what you'll need:

• 1/2 tbsp sesame oil
• 1/2 tbsp ghee
• 2 tbsp coconut aminos
• 1 medium shallot, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 carrots, julienned
• 1 cup napa cabbage, julienned
• 1 red bell pepper, julienned
• 1-2 cups of bean sprouts (verified that these are Whole30 compliant)
• 3 zucchini squash, spiralized
• 5 eggs, beaten
• 2 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped
• 3 scallion bulbs, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup of almonds or cashews, chopped then toasted

Add the garlic and shallots to the pan and cook for 2 minutes. Now you can add the carrots, napa cabbage, bell pepper, bean sprouts, & coconut aminos. Saute the veggies until they are just cooked through/softened (about 4-5 minutes total). Remove from heat, & set aside.

 * If you will be eating the pad Thai right away, add you zoodles to the saucepan and cook until slightly softened but with a bit of a snap to 

    it.

 * If you're prepping for the week, don't cook the zoodles. It will soften perfectly in the microwave.

Next, use a paper towel to soak up any excess fluid in the pan (I'm trying to save you the chore of doing more dishes than you have to). Place it on medium heat, add the ghee, let it melt, & coat the pan. Add your beaten eggs & let it sit until it is cooked through. You can scramble it if you want to, but this way is easier to portion out and slice pieces for each serving. Place the eggs on a chopping board, fold the circle in half, then cut it into strips. 

Time to plate it!

Add your zoodles & veggies to a bowl, top it off with 1-2 tbsp of the pad Thai sauce, & mix to coat. Add your chicken to the plate & top it off with some cilantro, scallions, & toasted almonds.

For meal prep, slice the chicken into bite sized pieces,. Place uncooked zoodles at the bottom of the container, layer in the veggies, add 1-2 tbsp of your sauce, add the chicken, & top with cilantro, scallions, & nuts. Let it cool before putting the lid on it & placing it in the fridge (it will keep for 4 days). When you're ready to eat it, I recommend microwaving it for 2 minutes.

Enjoy it now, or later this week.