Paleo Pad Thai

I love Pad Thai and was able to hunt down a great paleo recipe to use as the base for this meal. It is prepared totally on the stovetop, so there's no need to turn on the oven--which is great on a hot summer day. I was surrounded by chaos while preparing this meal, and had many starts and stops, so I don't have a good gauge for the length of preparation. I would say the vegetable noodle prep takes most of the time. If you have time during the day, you can do a little at a time. Also, have all of the sauce ingredients measured and ready when the chicken is cooking. The chicken thighs worked great, but you could also substitute shrimp, steak, or duck.

Adapted from www.ultimatefitcamp.com.


Serves 4.

Ingredients
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1/4 cup coconut oil
3 medium to large zucchinis
3 large carrots
1 medium onion, peeled and sliced thin
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced
4 Tbsp almond butter (My absolute favorite is Once Again Raw Creamy Almond Butter.)
1/3 cup sliced almonds
1 chipotle chili pepper in adobo sauce, pureed*
1 lime, juiced
2 green onions, white and green parts sliced thin

*When ordering Thai, we usually specify the spiciness level with stars, with 1 star being the least spicy. One chili pepper provides 1/2 to 1 star's worth of spice. To increase the spice level, add another chipotle pepper or season with red pepper flakes.

Preparation

1. Cut zucchini into ribbons with a Y-peeler. First, trim the ends, then slice lengthwise on one side until you reach the seedy core. Discard the outer skin. Peel the opposite side in the same manner, then repeat on the remaining two sides. You will be left with the core, which I highly encourage you to dice right away and refrigerate to toss in with your eggs in the morning. Stack the ribbons and slice lengthwise into 3 or 4 noodle-like pieces with a sharp knife. Transfer "noodles" into a large bowl.
2. Trim carrot ends. Use a vegetable peeler to peel carrot directly into the large bowl, discarding outer peel.
3. Warm coconut oil in a large skillet. Add chicken thighs and cook until browned on both sides and cooked through, about 10 minutes total. Remove from skillet, slice into bite-sized pieces, and keep warm.
4. Add onions to pan and saute for 2 minutes or until they begin to soften and become translucent.
5. Add almond butter, ginger, chipotle chile, and lime juice. Stir to combine and simmer for 1 minute (mixture will be thick). 
6. Add zucchini and carrot noodles and stir to distribute the sauce throughout the noodles. Add an additional 1 Tbsp coconut oil if the mixture seems dry. Cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are cooked through to an al dente texture.
7. Add chicken back to the pan and stir to combine.
8. To serve, spoon pad thai evenly among plates or shallow bowls. Sprinkle with green onions. Garnish with a lime wedge.