Zoodles Crazy

I have been fascinated by the spiralizer vegetable craze. So I bought an inexpensive spiralizer to try my hand at making zucchini noodles, Zoodles, to see what all the fuss was about. I read the tips that came with the gadget and watched a video, so I would get it right. Some tips I picked up:

• Spiralizers work best with straight vegetables, so you may have to trim them or cut them in half.
• In order to get long spirals, the vegetable should be at least an inch and a half in diameter.
• After washing the produce, cut one end off and keep one end uncut to use to grip the vegetable.
• Zucchini is a watery vegetable. After you spiralize the zucchini, dry them off with a paper towel. I made the zoodles in the morning and let them sit on a double thickness of paper towels until it was time to cook. They were dry and could be cooked al dente.

Being a frugal cook, I decided to use up some roasted chicken breasts I had in the refrigerator. I am also trying to eat more low carb dishes these days and came up with a creamy sauce for the chicken. It is delicious over the zucchini noodles. No wonder these noodles have become so popular.

Creamy Chicken Over Zoodles

Ingredients

4 thin, medium zucchini
2 bone-in roasted chicken breast halves
2 tablespoons butter, divided
1 onion, sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
4 oz mushrooms, sliced
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tablespoon arrowroot powder (See note below)

Directions:

Spiralize the zucchini and place the noodles on several thicknesses of paper towels. Set aside.

Cut the chicken into thin slices.

In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of butter and add the onion and garlic. Cook until the onion is tender. Add the mushrooms and cook until they release their moisture. Add the chicken and chicken broth. Reduce the heat to low and heat the chicken. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Add ¾ cup of the heavy cream and bring the mixture to a low boil. Add the cheese and stir it into the chicken mixture. Reduce the heat to low.

Dissolve the arrowroot powder in the remaining ¼ cup of cream and stir it into the chicken mixture, heating the mixture until it thickens. Do not boil.

In a medium skillet, melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and add the zucchini noodles, tossing them for a minute or two to heat.

Serve the chicken and mushroom sauce over the zucchini noodles.

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Note: Arrowroot powder is extracted from plants by a process of soaking the plants in hot water, peeling the tubers to remove their fibrous covers, mashing the tubers into a pulp and then washing the pulp to separate the starch. The starch is then filtered and ground to powder. Cornstarch is usually made from genetically modified corn and is extracted by a harsh chemical process. You can buy non-GMO cornstarch but it will be more expensive. For me, arrowroot powder is the healthier lower carb choice.

Arrowroot powder can be used as a way to thicken soups, stews, gravies and sauces. You do this by making a “slurry.” Mix the arrowroot into a cold liquid and whisk until smooth. Then you pour the slurry into the hot sauce or gravy to thicken it and make it glossy. Slurries are added at the end of the cooking process; usually it’s the last step before serving.

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Warm up a rainy spring Lunch With Friends and serve a delicious CREAMY MUSHROOM SOUP.

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