Zucchini Noodles with Grilled Chicken and Lemon Sauce

This is one of the many recipes I have made that tastes fantastic, but looks terrifying. This picture is the best one I have. You'll see.

Zucchini noodles! This is a fabulous low carb (gluten free) alternative to pasta. I think next time I do this, I'll pour a homemade red sauce over them. Justin's reaction when I told him he was eating zucchini noodles for dinner was pretty priceless. He was looking up take out menus while I was cooking. 

Zucchini noodles are easy to make - you just need a julienne peeler to peel your zucchini. Then, they will look like that mess in the bowl above. They are really good - I promise (Justin ate them and went back for seconds).

Here's what you need (slightly adapted from The Novice Chef Blog) . . .

3 large zucchini, peeled with a julienne peeler*

1 piece of chicken, seasoned evenly on both sides with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

Olive oil

2-5 cloves of garlic, minced

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice*

1/2 cup light cream cheese

1/2-1 tsp black pepper

1/2-1 tsp salt

3 tbsp parmesan cheese 

1 tbsp fat free half and half

*Peel the zucchini until you reach the seeds. 

**I like a very mild lemon flavor. If you want it stronger, add more lemon juice!

Here's what you do . . .

1. Grill you chicken and set aside.

2. In a large pan, pour a circle of olive oil and saute garlic and onion for 3-5 minutes, or until soft.

3. Add lemon, cream cheese, salt, pepper, and cheese. Stir to incorporate, and add half and half. You don't need a lot of half and half because the zucchini produce a lot of water. Let simmer for 3-5 minutes on medium heat.

 4. Add zucchini noodles and stir well. They only take about 3-4 minutes to cook. You don't want to cook them too long or they will get mushy. Check them frequently and pull them out while you still have a good crunch. You'll see the difference as they start to cook down.

5. Turn off the heat, stir in the grilled chicken, and enjoy!

The lemon sauce was good, but I definitely want to give this a shot with a homemade red sauce. I promise you this is not nearly as strange as it seems. 

Have a wonderful rest of your week!