Ever stumble across a recipe and try it and then wonder how you ever lived without it? This recipe, adapted from Stuff We Ate, filled a void in my life that I didn’t even know I had. Ok, maybe that’s a slight exaggeration, but it really is delicious. It’s also healthy, while still being both comforting and filling. I won’t claim it is even close to being an authentic Pad Thai, but that doesn’t lessen my enjoyment at all. Hope you enjoy it too!
Delicious Chicken Pad Thai with Spaghetti Squash
Don't forget to cook your spaghetti squash ahead of time - you need to leave time to cook, cool, and shred. We usually do it the day before.
Ingredients
- 1 large spaghetti squash cooked and shredded
- 1 cup napa cabbage or bok choy chopped
- 1 cup matchstick carrots
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 cup vegetable or chicken broth
- 2 tbsp peanut butter
- 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes adjust to your spice preference
- 2 chicken breasts chopped into bite-sized pieces
Garnishes
- dry-roasted peanuts
- cilantro
- green onions chopped
- lime wedges
Instructions
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Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray or your preferred cooking oil, preferably one that handles high heat. Sauté garlic on medium-high heat for about a minute or until it starts to turn golden. Add the cabbage and carrots and sauté briefly until slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Remove to a plate.
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Add chicken to skillet and season lightly with salt and pepper. Sauté until cooked through, about 5-8 minutes depending on the size of your pieces. Remove to a plate.
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Add broth to your skillet, scraping the bottom to incorporate any brown bits left from the chicken. Add peanut butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar and red pepper flakes. Heat until smooth, stirring with a whisk. Add the spaghetti squash, veggies, and chicken back into the pan and toss to combine.
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Garnish as desired with dry-roasted peanuts, green onions, cilantro, and lime wedges.
Recipe Notes
We usually find that with a medium-large squash and two chicken breasts, this gives us dinner for two adults, a bite or two that the kids can pretend to eat, plus leftovers one person can take for lunch. If we want to be sure to get two nights of meals out of it, we double it.