Recipe review: Zucchini Noodles with Peanut Sauce

One of my go-to recipes when I'm cooking lunch for myself is Pantry Pasta from the ever-so-helpful cookbook, Desperation Dinners, because everything you need to make it is stuff you usually have in the pantry.

But I've loaned my copy out to a friend, so today I tried this very similar dish from Kitchen Confidante. It's pretty similar in ingredients and the quick-and-easy factor. And it's tasty, too! I just finished eating it and my tummy is very happy.

I've used zucchini and summer squash as a low-carb alternative to pasta many times -- most frequently when I'm craving spaghetti, or want something noodle-y in my chicken soup. (And as an alternative to pizza crust.) But today I didn't want to mess with making the squash noodles (which means I'm feeling very lazy; they're not that hard!), so I just used some pasta I had on hand and cooked it al dente.

Like most Americans, I'm accustomed to and usually prefer pasta that's been cooked till it's uniformly soft. But al dente means "to the tooth," and requires pulling the pasta out when the outside is soft but the inside still has a bit of resistance when you bite into it. The reason I cook it this way is because this lowers the glycemic index a bit.

I made the peanut sauce as posted by Kitchen Confidante, with a few minor changes:

• I sauteed about a tablespoon of finely diced onion in a bit of canola oil, and added the rest of the sauce ingredients to that, whisking it all together over low heat and eating the finished dish warm.
• I added a pinch of ground ginger.
• I used chicken stock instead of water. This adds flavor and also a bit of protein to the dish.

This dish could easily be made vegetarian by swapping out tofu or some type of pea or bean for the chicken, and using vegetable stock in place of the chicken stock.

It was quick, easy and delish! And I look forward to trying it again with zucchini noodles.

Pizza bites - gluten free, low carb, tasty!

Earlier this week, I made myself Kalyn's Grilled Zucchini Pizza Slices for lunch. Yum! But I wanted to experiment with the broiler method she suggested, since not everyone can or wants to grill. Also, I thought it would be kinda cute to make bite-sized versions.

I went with summer squash rather than zucchini. They're close cousins and nutritionally about the same, but I thought the yellow color might be more attractive to people who would be scared off by the green of zucchini. I want to set realistic expectations: no one is going to think they're eating pizza crust; the texture is completely different. But all the flavors are there, and it's a quite satisfying snack.

I made some with pizza sauce and pepperoni, and I made some with pesto and grape tomatoes. I slightly prefer the pepperoni version, because there's a little more punch to the flavor, but they're both really good. And if you or your guests are vegetarian, the tomato option is a nice alternative.

I love how they came out! They are cute, but they're also the perfect size to pop in your mouth whole. Which would also be perfect finger food, for say, super-bowl. I haven't tested the method, but if you wanted to make a large quantity for a party, I bet you could make them ahead of time, up to and including the toppings, then cover and refrigerate them till serving time, and run them under the broiler for a minute or two.

Low-carb Gluten-free Pizza Bites

I'm not listing amounts, because this is one you can totally just wing.

summer squash
olive oil
shredded mozzarella
for the pepperoni version:
    spaghetti sauce (preferably sugar-free)
    pepperoni (turkey, if you like)
for the veggie version:
    pesto
    grape tomatoes

Preheat your oven to 450. Place the rack in the center.

Slice the squash into 1/2" slices. If using tomatoes, slice them about 1/4" thick and set aside.

Drizzle a bit of olive oil over the squash and toss. You just want enough for all the pieces to have a thin coat of oil.

Line a baking sheet with parchment and lay the squash slices out on it. You can place them closer together than what I'm showing here. Bake in the preheated oven for 5 minutes. Remove the pan and inspect the underside of the squash. It should just be a bit brown in places. Return it to the oven for a minute or two if it's not yet there.

Switch your oven setting to broil. Top the squash slices with your choice of toppings. I used the larger diameter slices for pepperoni, the smaller for tomato. I put the sauce or pesto on first, then the pepperoni or tomato, then sprinkled a small mound of cheese on top of each one.

Move the oven rack up so it's about 4" under the broiler. Return the pan to the oven and broil until the cheese is melted and done to your preference of golden-brown-ness. This will probably be somewhere around 3 to 5 minutes, but watch it closely.

Let them cool somewhat before serving; that tomato sauce will be hot!

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