Tastefully Simple Pad Thai (Chicken or Shrimp)

Apr 9

4 Zucchini (large)

1 1/2 lbs Chicken Breast Or Shrimp

1 cup Snow Peas (optional)

1/2 cup Almond Butter

1/2 cup Coconut Aminos (see Notes for subs)

4 Drops Of Fish Sauce

1/2 tsp Minced Garlic

1/4 tsp Minced Fresh Ginger (best fresh but can purchase a jar of minced ginger)

Sea Salt & Black Pepper

1 tbsp White Sesame Seeds

1/4 cup Green Onions (sliced)

1/4 cup Cucumber (thinly sliced)

If using chicken as your protein source, my suggestion is to prepare the chicken ahead of time in the Instant Pot or slow cooker. I love the ease of this (see notes for how to) and then the chicken is easily shredded for this dish. If you would rather bake it, that works too. For shrimp, see step 4.
Fill a large pot with 1 inch of water, cover, and bring to a boil over high heat. Place a steamer basket in the pot.
Shred the zucchini into noodles using a handheld julienne peeler, a spiralizer, or a vegetable peeler (if use this option your noodles will be wide and flat vs. spaghetti shaped). Goal is about 3-4 cups of noodles. Once the water is boiling and all the zucchini is shredded, steam the noodles for about 3 minutes. Remove promptly and set them in a colander to drain off excess liquid as they cool a bit. Place the snow peas (if using) on top of the noodles in the colander.
If using shrimp, the next step is to place the shrimp in the steamer basket over the boiling water and cook for 5 minutes or until pink all the way through. Cooking time really depends on the size of the shrimp.
In a mixing bowl, mix/whisk the sauce ingredients together until well combined (almond butter, coconut aminos, fish sauce, garlic, ginger, sea salt, and black pepper).
Place the noodles, snow peas (if using), sauce, and protein in a large skillet over medium-high heat, toss to combine and heat through.
Plate up and garnish with sesame seeds and then top it with the sliced onions and cucumber.

Slow Cooker Method for Shredded Chicken: Place chicken in slow cooker with approx. 1 cup of chicken or vegetable broth (or water) and seasonings of choice. Cook on high 4 hours or low approx. 6 hours. Chicken will be wonderfully tender and you can use 2 forks to shred the chicken easily.
Instant Pot Method for Shredded Chicken: Season chicken (most basic seasonings are sea salt & pepper). Place in the bottom of the pot. Cover with 1/2 cup of chicken or vegetable broth or water. Put the cover on and make sure to turn the valve to the sealed position. Press the poultry button. Once done, let it depressurize on it's own. You know it is complete once you can take the top off. The machine unlocks the top when it is done. This is called a "natural" release.
Substitutions for Coconut Aminos: CA are the paleo version of soy sauce, there is no soy which is important. If you can not find it at the store or can't budget for it, please look for the second best option, Tamari Sauce. Never use soy sauce!!!

Thai Green Curry Chicken