Zucchini is Always a Good Idea

Its Thursday afternoon-we made it again! This point in my week is when I give myself a self-five for arriving back home in one (jumbled, bleary-eyed) piece without falling asleep on my drive back from school. If that doesn't call for a weekly self-five, I don't know what does. ;) If you haven't self-fived yet today, I highly suggest it. Research (and by that, I mean my own experience) shows it significantly increases happiness! If that won't get you pumped up, maybe one of these things will.

1. This song (I don't know, I just love it)
2. ...Or this one
3. Everything about this
4. How much you can relate to this list (#12 is a daily struggle)
5. The ridiculous cuteness of this
6. Prettiness

And if you still aren't pumped up...zucchini is always a good idea. As is squash and avocado and reading Harry Potter. I love the versatility of zucchini and there's always room for more vegetables in life. I had a zucchini pasta dish at a local restaurant a few weeks ago and, remembering the amazingness of it all, knew I needed to venture into more zucchini.  If you didn't try the other zucchini "noodles" I made, take a shot at this one! Its quick if you're short on time and prefer not to hit up a fast food joint. Plus its fun to nix the standard noodles sometimes; life is too short to always eat wheat noodles. ;)

Zucchini Noodles with Chicken and Spicy Vegetables
Serves 2

extra virgin olive oil
2 medium chicken breasts
pepper, to taste
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
2 medium zucchini, peeled into ribbon-like noodle shape (you can use a standard potato peeler!): they should look similar to the lovely ones below from Peanut Butter Fingers!
8-10 asparagus spears, cut into 1-inch pieces

image credit: http://www.pbfingers.com/2011/09/13/zucchini-noodles/

3-6 cremini mushrooms (depending on your like of mushrooms), chopped into thin slices
2 garlic cloves, chopped into small pieces
1/2 tsp onion powder
dash of sea salt
red pepper flakes, to taste
1 tomato, chopped into small pieces

Add a splash of extra virgin olive oil to a medium saute pan. Season your chicken with pepper and garlic powder and cook over medium heat for 4-5 minutes each side until thoroughly cooked in the middle. Remove chicken from the pan and add a little more EVOO. Peel your zucchini into noodles and add to the pan along with the asparagus, mushrooms and chopped garlic. Season with the onion powder, sea salt and red pepper flakes (just a dash for a little heat; add more or season your chicken with it also if you want it spicy!). Cook over medium heat 4-5 minutes, until zucchini noodles and vegetables start to get soft. Add the chopped tomato and cook 1-2 more minutes until tomato is soft. Chop chicken into smaller pieces and stir back into pan to reheat. Serve immediately with your favorite side dish to pasta, be it a salad or breadsticks or mandarin oranges (no judgment here).

I'll leave you at that, as you have self-fives to give (and get), happy things to listen to and look at, and zucchini noodles to make and eat up. The rest of your afternoon is practically booked! ;) Until next time...

--KQ