Whole30 Pad Thai-Inspired Chicken and veggie saute

Bravo to those of you in the throes of Whole30. It’s not easy! And if you aren’t doing Whole30, then chances are you know someone who is. The other day I asked Patrick what he wanted for dinner and he requested this Whole30 Pad Thai. We aren’t even doing Whole30 right now (not to rub it in your face). I’ve self-declared that this dish ties my mango chicken for favorite Whole30 meals. It’s mouth-wateringly good.

Do not for a second think that I am claiming this is remotely authentic. It’s just my creative take on a Whole30 Pad Thai. It doesn’t call for rice noodles, bean sprouts, fish sauce, or tamarind paste, all of which are part of an authentic Pad Thai. BUT it is delicious, and Whole30 approved. And if you remotely like peanut sauce, then you will go crazy for this sunflower butter sauce masquerading (quite well) as a flavorful peanut sauce. I’ve made it three times this week and I’m not tired of it in the least.

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WHOLE30 PAD THAI-INSPIRED CHICKEN AND VEGGIE SAUTE
Adapted from Melissa Joulwan’s Paleo Pad Thai

serves 2 as a large entrée

ingredients:
1 batch “peanut” sauce, see below
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons coconut aminos
4 teaspoons ghee or coconut oil, separated
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
4 ounces snap peas, thinly sliced lengthwise
1 small spaghetti squash
12 ounces chicken, beef, or pork, cooked and sliced (can substitute sliced
mushrooms for vegetarian option, or tofu if you are not doing whole30)
salt, pepper to taste

“peanut” sauce:
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 large clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons coconut aminos
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1/4 cup unsweetened sunflower seed butter (60g)
1/4 cup canned coconut milk (only added ingredients should be water and guargum)
1 teaspoon sesame oil
pinch or two of ground cayenne pepper
salt to taste, you may not need any, depending on the salt content of your coconut aminos

garnishes:
chopped toasted cashews
sliced scallions
cilantro
lime wedges

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cut the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds and stringy bits in the middle (but not the flesh on the rind, see photo above). Place flat side down on a baking sheet with edges. Pour some water in the pan until it just covers the surface. Cook the squash for 30-35 minutes, until the inside is soft.

If you haven’t cooked your meat option yet, do this after your squash finishes, or stick it in the oven while the squash is cooking. I used chicken that had been lightly salted and peppered, and baked it approximately 25-30 minutes at 400 degrees F.

While squash and meat are cooking, make your “peanut” sauce by blending all the ingredients together in a food processor or strong blender.

Whisk the eggs and coconut aminos together in a small bowl. Heat a large skillet with 2 teaspoons ghee or coconut oil over medium heat. Add the eggs and cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. When the eggs are well cooked remove them from the pan and set aside (you will use the same pan in the next step).

In the same skillet you used for your eggs, add remaining 2 teaspoons ghee or coconut oil and heat to medium high. Add the sliced onions and sauté for 5 min. Next, add the snap peas and sauté for an additional 2 minutes. Finish by adding the egg, chicken (or other meat), and 2 cups of the cooked spaghetti squash. Cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally until all ingredients are heated through. If desired, you can add more spaghetti squash (but I stuck with 2 cups). Remove from heat.

Toss your pad thai with the “peanut” sauce and serve with garnishes. Eat right away!

This keeps for about one day before getting soggy- If we have leftovers we will usually eat them for lunch the next day (but not after that)