Coconut Milk Chicken and Zucchini Noodle Alfredo
PLEASE NOTE this is an estimated recipe as I just came up with it this afternoon, and will make it again so I can record the exact measurements for you. However, because I have taunted so many of you via text and on Instagram today with the photo you see to the left, I felt obligated to put the estimated version here for those who wish to try their hand (and if they come up with a nice variation, if they would please share it in the comments section below!)
Course: Main Course, One Dish Meal
Cuisine: High Protein, Keto Friendly, Paleo
Keyword: chicken, dairy-free, Paleo Alfredo sauce, zoodles, zucchini noodles
Ingredients
- 1/2 Tbsp coconut oil unrefined of course
- 1/2 lb chicken skinless chicken breast or thighs
- 1 zucchini medium sized
- 1/2 Can coconut milk
- 1/2 lemon juice of one half lemon
- 1 salt to taste
- 1 black pepper fresh cracked of course
- 1 pinch nutmeg fresh grated
- 1/2 Cup nutritional yeast flakes required!
- 1 tsp Bragg's liquid aminos or wheat free tamari
This is surprisingly easy, and made the whole thing in one large cast iron skillet (LOL as usual). First I cut the chicken into bite size pieces, seasoned them with just a little salt and pepper and gently browned them in the coconut oil.
When they were no longer pink inside, I added the coconut milk, lemon juice, Bragg's aminos, nutmeg, and nutritional yeast flakes.
After stirring to combine all of of this, I adjusted the salt and pepper. For "bonus points" I used black truffle salt to up the umami factor.
While this was simmering very low (to slightly reduce) I shredded the zucchini right into the pan! Some folks are having a lot of fun with the noodle spiralizers and such, but with my limited counter space, I have found it very hard to give up my trusty little Thai-style hand held shredder (think veggie peeler with a zig-zag blade).
I made sure to stir gently so that the "noodles" became soft enough to eat, but not total mush. When everything tastes how you like it, serve immediately!
Again, a non-estimated, serves 4 version is coming soon! The inspiration for using the nutriional yeast flakes comes from the year a long time ago when I was exploring vegan recipes. There's an old 1960s commune cookbook which had a recipe for vegan mac and cheese which I must have made about a million times. Their "cheese sauce" was essentially a gravy which started by making a light roux from half flour and half nutritional yeast. Since I have very little interest in eating flour these days, I found that the reduced coconut milk fit the bill here instead.
The flavor profile is very similar to the old "vegan cheese sauce" and I would advise you not to expect the true flavor of a traditional Alfredo sauce. This is hearty and delicious, but with the unmistakable tang of the yeast, which personally I really like. At one point in the past I had created a version of the "commune 'cheese' sauce" which could be made over an open fire, or as a component of various camp cooked vegetable dishes. All of that knowledge came in handy today when while I wasn't really trying to avoid cheese (it was served over chicken after all), I did want to avoid a trip to the store! Instructions