Zucchini Noodles

I loath zucchini. Or rather, I should say I always had and thought I always would loath it, but that’s no longer the case. My aversion to its slimy texture and lackluster flavor has been reversed by simply sauteing my former vegetable enemy. Suddenly I’ve discovered I actually am harboring some love for zucchini.

Regan and I routinely embark on different dietary journeys in our effort to figure out how our bodies run best. Over the past year we’ve been lowering carbs and upping proteins, but my love of baking has always prevented me from lowering my carb intake to notice a marked change in my body. But this July my oven and I have taken a break from one another, and Regan and I have finally managed to find a way of eating that’s treating us both pretty well. Our philosophy of eating is based on Tim Ferriss’ slow carb diet and a bunch of research that Regan has been doing (I tend to let him do the research and I just hop on board with whatever direction it takes us). Basically we only eat green veggies, beans and lentils, and meat. Fruits (except for tomatoes and avocados), grains, dairy and everything else are off-limits except for one day a week.

Along with a bite of sauerkraut and a teaspoon of lemon juice to start the day, I have one egg and some egg whites every morning for breakfast. My lunch is usually a cup of lentils, half an avocado and a few tablespoons of fresh salsa or several cups of fresh spinach loaded up with lentils and olive oil with balsamic vinegar. Because breakfast and lunch steadily consist of the same ingredients, we are lucky to have some spare time in the evenings to play around with different food combinations. That’s when I whip out the zucchini. If you haven’t already tried zucchini noodles, I’d recommend it.

See how fresh and tasty that looks?

Zucchini Noodles with Buttery Lemon Garlic Shrimp
serves 2

Ingredients

• 2 large zucchini
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 4 Tablespoons butter
• 1 clove garlic, pressed or minced
• 1 medium lemon, juiced
• 1 lb jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined (preferably fresh)
• Pinch of dried parsley

Process

1. Wash zucchini thoroughly. Using vegetable peeler create wide, flat zucchini strips as in top image of this post. Stop peeling when you get to seeded core. The center, seeded portion of the zucchini should not be used for noodles.

2. Heat olive oil on low in a saute pan and mix in zucchini until lightly coated by the oil. Add a bit more olive oil if necessary. Heat zucchini on medium heat, constantly stirring for about 8-10 minutes. Zucchini should be soft, but not translucent. Consider the texture of al dente noodles when determining if you zucchini is done.

3. In a separate saute pan melt the butter on medium heat. Add lemon juice, garlic and parsley. Toss in raw shrimp and cook until pink.

4. Divide zucchini noodles into 2 separate bowls. Top zucchini noodles with shrimp and sauce. Enjoy.

This recipe is really simple and not anything crazy exciting, but using zucchini instead of traditional noodles makes me feel a lot better about indulging in some lemon butter sauce.

Eating this way has finally made me feel like my body is effectively using the calories I give it and my energy is steady. It’s helping me combat becoming overfed and undernourished, which is something that is pretty easy to do in our culture. This diet isn’t one I’ll keep forever because it is pretty restrictive and I love to bake (and eat baked goods), but once I get through July I’ll remain  focused on slow carbs. I’ll probably restrict myself to eating like this a few days a week, but allow fruits more often than once a week and allow myself to get excited about a luscious dessert every once in a while. After all I’m only human.