Paleo diet plan

PAD THAI

I can almost never say no to pad thai, but there’s not very much that’s Paleo about it. Sure, it’s mostly gluten-free, but the peanut sauce and rice noodles don’t make for a very primal-friendly meal. After a few too many orders of Thai takeout, I finally started experimenting at home and came up with this salad that’s about as close to pad thai as I can imagine. SERVES 4

PREP TIME: 10 minutes

COOK TIME: 20 minutes

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast

2 tablespoons coconut aminos

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

1 to 2 tablespoons almond butter

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice, plus 4 lime wedges for garnish

2 teaspoons fish sauce

¼ to ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 large zucchini, spiralized or julienned into noodles

1 cup bean sprouts

⅓ cup slivered almonds

2 to 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish

1. In a large pot of water over high heat, boil or steam the chicken breasts for about 15 minutes, or until they’re cooked through. Pat dry and slice into bite-size pieces.
2. In a large bowl, mix the coconut aminos, garlic, ginger, almond butter, lime juice, fish sauce, and red pepper flakes. Set aside.
3. In a large skillet over medium-low heat, gently sauté the zucchini noodles for 2 to 3 minutes, or until they just start to become tender. Remove from the heat, and mix in with the pad thai sauce. Stir in the chicken, and serve topped with bean sprouts, almonds, cilantro, and a wedge of lime.

VARIATION 1 SHRIMP PAD THAI: Swap the chicken breast for sautéed shrimp—about ½ to 1 pound.

VARIATION 2 PAD THAI SALAD: Serve this dish as more of a salad by leaving the zucchini raw and mixing it with ½ cup chopped romaine lettuce. Serve the sauce chilled as a salad dressing.

PREP TIP: Make the sauce ahead of time, and store in the refrigerator. Stir well before using.