Herbed Zucchini "Noodles" with Shrimp

This is a really light, tasty summer meal and a great way to enjoy "pasta" if you're gluten free or dieting.  Pair with a glass of white wine & enjoy.

Ingredients: 
(Makes 2 large portions)

1 large organic zucchini or 2 medium,
1 lb wild-caught shrimp
3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
2 tbsp olive oil (and a bit more to drizzle)
1 tbsp fresh chopped parsley (divided)
1/2 tbsp fresh chopped basil
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (or use 1 dried chili pepper, crushed)
1 tsp sea salt
Black pepper to taste

Directions: 
Slice zucchini as thinly as possible, lengthwise, and then cut into strips imitating linguini.  Heat olive oil in a large sautee pan or a wok.  Add garlic and stir until fragrant.  Add shrimp and cook until just pink.  Now add your zucchini, pepper flakes, salt.  Stir and cover.  Uncover and stir every few minutes until the "noodles" are soft & flexible, but not mushy.  Sprinkle with basil and 1/2 of the parsley and stir for one more minute.

Plate shrimp & zucchini.  Drizzle with a tiny bit more olive oil if desired, and garnish with the rest of the parsley flakes!

Nutrition: 
380 calories
18 g fat
48 g protein
8 g carbs

Quick n' Easy Stuffed Zucchini!

I found some gorgeous, HUGE locally grown zucchinis this week at the farm market at a steal of a deal and had some leftover chicken that I had grilled up last night. This took all of 45 minutes total with prep, is super healthy and delicious!  Zucchini is one of the foods that is especially good for gut health & digestion.

To make this a vegan option, use black beans instead of chicken...

Ingredients:

1 HUGE zucchini, like I had, or 2-3 large zucchini sliced lengthwise in half
1/2 c dry rice (white, brown, long grain, wild, whatever you have on hand)
~8 oz  cooked chicken breast (diced)
1 tomato (diced)
1/2 white onion (diced)
2 cloves garlic (minced)
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 c water

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375.  Prep all veggies.  Prep zucchini by slicing lengthwise in half and scooping out seeds in the middle, making them into boats. Poke each with a fork a few times and place in a glass baking dish with a bit of water in the bottom.   Bake covered with tin foil for about 15 minutes.

Sautee onion and garlic in olive oil until fragrant.  Add tomato and stir for a few more minutes.  Now add dry rice, spices and 1 c water.  Bring to a boil and then return to low and cover.  Simmer for about 15 minutes or until water is absorbed and rice is just past al-dente.

Take your zucchini and stuff it with the chicken & rice mixture.  Bake for another 15 minutes, covered. Uncover for a couple more minutes to let the top of the rice crisp up.

Food Renegade