ZUCCHINI NOODLES WITH LEMON-GARLIC CHICKEN & WILTED SPINACH

To say I’m obsessed with zucchini noodles is putting it mildly. Truthfully, I am crazy about my spiralizer in general. I use it to create so many delicious, healthy recipes like potato “omelettes,” baked curly, sweet potato fries, and cucumber ribbons to name a few (I’ll be posting some of these recipes in the near future).

Let’s get back to the zucchini noodles, or zoodles as I like to call them. You can eat them raw or sauté them briefly in a little extra-virgin olive oil and serve with any healthy sauce you like. If you want more recipes using zucchini noodles, I included a few creations in my Bliss Body Plan book. For this recipe, I grilled lemon-garlic chicken breasts and made a clean tomato sauce to go will the zoodles. I hope you love this nourishing meal as much as I do!

Zucchini Noodles with Lemon-Garlic Chicken and Wilted Spinach

• 2 medium organic zucchini, ends trimmed
• 2 cups organic spinach
• 2 organic boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 tablespoon chicken broth
• Juice of one lemon
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• Homemade tomato sauce (see below) of good-quality store-bought tomato sauce
• 2 ounces goat cheese, optional
• Fresh basil, chopped

In a medium bowl, combine 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, sea salt and pepper. Add chicken breasts to mixture. Let marinade in refrigerator for 30 minutes to hour. Using your spiralizer, make zoodles and set aside.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Place chicken on grill and cook for 5 minutes on each side. Place chicken breasts on a small baking sheet with a little chicken broth and finish cooking in oven for 5-8 minutes, until cooked through (You can skip the oven part and cook the chicken on the grill the whole time. I believe that finishing off the chicken in the oven makes for super juicy chicken). Remove chicken form oven and let sit for 5 minutes. Slice into thin strips.

Heat remaining olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add zoodles and sauté for 2-3 minutes, until al dente. Add spinach during last minute of cooking. Season with salt and pepper. Divide zucchini noodles and spinach between two plates and add tomato sauce. Top with sliced chicken and goat cheese, if desired. Garnish with fresh basil and enjoy.

Clean Marinara Sauce

• 1 medium brown onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1-2 28-oz jars San Marzano whole tomatoes, peeled and drained (reserve juices)
• 2-3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Sea salt
• Crushed red pepper
• Dried oregano (optional)

Heat olive oil in large pan over medium heat. Add onions and sweat them until translucent and soft, about 30 minutes, being careful not to let them brown. Add garlic and cook an additional 10 minutes (don’t let garlic brown too much). Reduce heat to low and add San Marzano tomatoes, breaking them up with back of wooden spoon. Stir occasionally and continue to break up tomatoes with wooden spoon. Add in desired amount of salt, crushed red pepper, and oregano (optional) and continue to cook on low. Add reserved juices if needed. Cover and simmer for at least 2 hours or more for enhanced flavor!

xo, jenni