Easy zucchini “pasta” dinner

Healthy and delicious meals do not have to be time consuming or difficult to create. Recently my wonderful friend gifted me a vegetable spiral slicer for my birthday and it has been a life saver!  I have finally found a solution to my love for pasta – zucchini “pasta”!

Not only does zucchini have the texture and taste of pasta, but it is a great way to add more vegetables into your diet.  In this post I would like to share with you a couple of recipes I have tried out.  You can use store-bought healthy sauces / ingredients (my preference to make things easy), or make the elements from scratch if you have more time.

Recipe 1 – Pesto chicken

What you need (makes 2-3 meals):

– Chicken fillets (500g)

– Four (large) zucchinis

– Mushrooms

– Basil pesto (1 jar)

– Fresh basil to garnish

I love using Jamie Oliver’s fresh meals from Woolworths – in this recipe I used his smashin’ chilli, garlic and rosemary chicken fillets.  However you can use any chicken breast or fillets  for this meal.  I also like to use Barilla’s jar of pesto, however you could also make your own basil pesto from scratch.

Start by making the zucchini spirals using the vegetable slicer.  I have found that the larger the zucchinis, the easier it is to make the spirals.  I located some enormous zucchinis in our local organic store, so don’t settle for small zucchinis!  Place the spirals in a bowl until you are ready to start cooking.

Next cut up the mushrooms into pieces.  You can substitute these for any other vegetable.  Then cook the mushrooms until soft in a frypan.  I like to use coconut oil when frying.  Put to the side once cooked.

Using the same frypan, cook the chicken fillets.  I like to cook the fillets whole initially and then cut them into bite-size pieces once they are completely cooked.  That way you can make sure there are no undercooked pieces.

While the chicken is cooking, heat a saucepan of water until it boils to create steam.  Place the zucchini in a colander and sit it on top of the steaming saucepan.  The zucchini will soften as it heats up and the colander will allow any water to drain back into the saucepan.  You can add salt and pepper to the zucchini to taste while it is steaming if you wish.

Once the chicken has been cooked, cut into bite-sized pieces and return to the frypan with the mushrooms.  Once the zucchini has softened to your liking, add the zucchini to the frypan along with the pesto sauce (jar or homemade).  Mix the contents of the frypan so that the pesto coats all of the ingredients.  Garnish with fresh basil and serve!

Recipe 2 – Meatballs with zucchini pasta

What you need (makes 2-3 meals):

– Meatballs and sauce – you can make these from scratch using your choice of mince meat and sauce, or try Jamie Oliver’s ready-made beef meatballs

– Four (large) zucchinis

As I mentioned, you can certainly make the meatballs from scratch.  However if you are time poor, there are so many healthy ready-made versions available.  Just take a look at the ingredients to make sure there are no hidden nasties.

Follow the same process to make the zucchini spirals.  You can cook them using the steaming method from the first recipe, or try frying the spirals with some coconut oil.  If frying, be sure to drain the liquid before you serve.

The meatballs can be cooked in the oven and once they are ready, simply add them to the zucchini pasta in bowls to serve.

It really is that simple to turn an old favourite into a low-carb and easy meal.

If you have any of your own recipes to share, I would love to hear from you!