Welcome to my Friday night. Today’s post is all about my guilt-free it’s-been-a-long-week–so-sit-on-your-couch-and-eat-this dinner. Man, I love Fridays. When I was in my early 20s, I was counting down the minutes to 5pm so that I could rush out to Forever 21 and buy an outfit for the night, before my friends started “pre-gaming.” Sigh, those were the days.
Now, in my mid-to-late 20s, I look at Fridays a little differently. My “pre-game” includes whipping up this delicious stir fry and sipping on some wine, while Lu sits on the couch and flips through Fios On Demand. We get real excited when there’s a new release out.
This is the type of meal that tastes and smells like fresh take-out but doesn’t leave you in an unhappy, gluttonous food coma afterwards. The zucchini noodles absorb the no-sugar teriyaki sauce and soften perfectly while they cook in the skillet with the other veggies. I’ve been known to lick my sticky fingers after this – the sauce and flavors are just that addictive!
Once you’ve mastered this recipe, customizing becomes super simple – substitute the shrimp for chicken, tofu, beef, beans, salmon, etc! The “fried” eggs and noodles create a warm texture that mimic a fusion between a takeout container full of shrimp fried rice and one full of veggie lo-mein. But, you know, without the rice and without the wheat flour noodles.
I also like the expression “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.” That totally applies here. Sure, this dish wouldn’t be featured at MoMA in NYC. It’s not anything ground breaking. You know what it is? A big ‘ole bowl of mouth-wateringly tasty Asian-inspired zucchini noodles with healthy veggies and shrimp. My point is is that sometimes, you just need a simple go-to dish on a Friday night. Or any night. And this is mine.
Since Lu’s in Puerto Rico this weekend visiting family, I’ll just have to eat this all by myself. Now… what’s On Demand?
Teriyaki Zucchini “Fried” Noodles with Shrimp, Peppers, Onions and Broccoli
Ingredients
- olive oil cooking spray
- 3/4 cup broccoli florets about 5
- 1 egg beaten
- 3 tsp sesame oil
- 1/2 tsp freshly minced ginger
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1/2 red onion sliced lengthwise into 1/2-inch thick “strips” (fajita-style)
- 1 small red bell pepper sliced into 1/2-inch thick “strips” (fajita-style)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 tsp or one small pinch of red pepper flakes
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 tsp rice vinegar
- 3-4 jump shrimp defrosted, peeled and deveined
- 1.5 medium zucchini Blade C
- 1/4 tsp white sesame seeds
Instructions
- Place a large skillet (or wok) over medium heat and coat lightly with cooking spray. Add in the broccoli and cook for about 3-4 minutes, tossing frequently.
- While the broccoli is cooking, place a small skillet over medium-low heat. Once the pan heats, add in the egg and scramble. Set aside.
- Add in garlic, red onion, red bell pepper, ginger and 2 tsp of the sesame oil. Cook for about 2 minutes or until bell pepper begins to soften.
- Season all the vegetables with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Toss to combine. While the mixture is cooking, combine the soy sauce, last tsp of sesame oil, rice vinegar and honey in a bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.
- Add the shrimp to the skillet and let cook for 2 minutes, flip over, and add in the soy sauce mixture, zucchini noodles and scrambled egg. Toss to combine and stir frequently for about 2 minutes, or until the shrimp are cooked through and the zucchini noodles have softened and absorb teriyaki sauce.
- Pour out the stir fry mixture into a bowl or plate and top with white sesame seeds. Enjoy!
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