Chicken Pad Thai on Spaghetti Squash
This was my second attempt at Chicken Pad Thai on Spaghetti Squash and I’m much happier with this result! The first time I followed recipe instructions that included combining all of the ingredients together at the end, just as you would with Pad Thai made with rice noodles. But in my opinion, when the spaghetti squash was mixed in with the Pad Thai it seemed rather mushy, taking away from the Pad Thai concept. On this second try, I spread the spaghetti noodles in the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan, then spread the Pad Thai mixture over the top of the noodles. I used a spatula to served it up, the texture was more agreeable for me. You could also prepare this in advance, place in the refrigerator, and warm the dish at 350 for 30 minutes at meal time - I love preparing ahead and easy mealtimes!!
INGREDIENTS -
PAD THAI AND NOODLES -
1 spaghetti squash
1 pound chicken breast or thighs, thinly sliced
5 Tbsp avocado oil
2 green onions, chopped, reserve some for garnish
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 eggs, whisked
1 cup carrots, thinly sliced
1/3 cup red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 inch fresh ginger, minced
3 Tbsp coconut aminos
1/2 tsp salt
PAD THAI SAUCE -
3 Tbsp cashew butter
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
1/2 lime, juiced
1/4 cup coconut aminos
2 Tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
GARNISHES (optional, but good!) -
1/4 cup cashews, crushed
1 lime, cut into wedges
Green onion, sliced thin
Prepare the spaghetti squash and set aside. If you are unfamiliar with roasting spaghetti squash, follow these instructions -
Roasted Spaghetti Squash - Cut a small slice off of the end of the spaghetti squash so you can stand it on end to cut in half longways. It's a tough skin so use your sharpest knife and be careful! Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds. Rub the inside of squash with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper, the same magic ingredients for roasting veggies! Place upside down on a baking pan or cookie sheet, I like the foil on the bottom, it makes for a little easier clean up. Bake at 375 degrees for about 45 minutes. The spaghetti squash pictured here are on the small side and were done just right in 45 minutes. You may need a little more time for a larger size squash. To test for doneness, it should be fairly soft when you touch the outside shell, or remove from oven and turn over and if a fork easily inserts, you are there! Now for the fun part and the answer to the question, "how do you shred it to look like spaghetti?". Well, you don't have to shred at all. When it has cooled enough to handle, use a fork to scrape and remove the inside. It will fall apart in "noodles" all by itself.
Place the thinly sliced chicken in a small bowl and add the 1/2 tsp salt, 3 tablespoons coconut aminos, and minced ginger. Set aside.
Combine the ingredients for the Pad Thai sauce in a small bowl and whisk together.
Heat 2 tablespoons of avocado oil in a skillet and add the chicken. Quickly stir fry the chicken until done and then remove the chicken and set aside.
Heat the additional tablespoon of avocado oil in the same skillet and add the eggs, quickly stir until almost done and then remove the eggs from pan.
The spaghetti squash should be cooled enough to handle by now so scoop out the strands of squash and spread in the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan, using a fork to separate strands if needed.
Heat 2 more tablespoons of avocado oil and then add the chopped green onion, reserving some for garnish. Add the carrots, red pepper, ginger, and garlic and cook for few minutes.
Add the chicken and egg back to the skillet, using your spatula to break up the egg into small pieces. Add the Pad Thai sauce and cook for another minute. Remove from heat.
Spread the Chicken Pad Thai over the top of the spaghetti squash. Garnish with fresh lime, crushed cashews, and green onions.
Pretty simple and delicious! It is also Whole30, gluten free, and made with real food! Enjoy!