This week, I have been trying something new. I started a meat-less diet. It was unintentional, but I'm glad that it turned out this way. This whole vegetarianism thing has forced me to be more creative in the kitchen. I had only started this whole diet because I ran out of chicken, and I was too lazy to go to the Albertsons across my apartment complex to get some (plus, Albertsons is expensive!!). After going on this meatless stint, I realized that it wasn't as hard as I thought. So now, I am entertaining this idea of implementing more vegan-friendly meals to my diet. When I took a community college class my senior year of high school, my professor showed me Cowspiracy in an effort to scare me into veganism. It did not work, but I was more aware about how my food choices affected the environment. While I probably won't be giving up chicken for good anytime soon, I am going to try to add more sustainable-friendly meals.



Not too long ago, my sister got me a spiralizer for my birthday. I have been dying to try it out, and I finally convinced myself to take that leap of faith and try spiralizing my zucchini. I'm glad that I did. I've never had zoodles before, but I think it's a perfect substitute for pasta if you're looking for a low-carb meal. The coolest thing about this dish is that it is vegan too! Yes, vegan food can be delicious. Similarly, if you are not a big fan of zoodles or tofu, just replace it with pasta and chicken (not vegan-friendly options).



The creamy peanut sauce truly brings this dish together. There's a hint of spiciness which I believe adds a really nice kick to it. Additionally, I did not cook the zoodles. Zoodles can get very soggy when cooked, so it is best to serve it cold and toss it in the sauce. The tofu is pan-fried to a golden color and slightly crispy. If prepared right, tofu can be really delicious. For this recipe, I used extra firm cubed tofu that I found at the grocery store! I had friends who were super against eating tofu, but I'm sure that with a dish like this, it will change their minds.

Creamy Peanut Zoodles
Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients
For peanut sauce:
1 tbsp. peanut butter
1/2 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. rice vinegar
1 tsp. sesame oil
1 1/2 tsp. garlic chili pepper paste
1 garlic clove; minced

For zoodles:
1 large zucchini
14 oz. tofu; cubed
Olive oil; for cooking
Sesame seeds; garnish
Green onion; garnish

Instructions 

1. Mix the peanut butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil until well-combined. 
2. Then, add garlic chili paste and garlic love to the sauce. Adjust amount of soy sauce and chili paste based on how salty and spicy you want the sauce to be! 
3. Spiralize the zucchini. Place the spiralized zucchini in a large bowl and pat dry with a paper towel to absorb any excess moisture. If you are not serving immediately, put the spiralized zuchinni in the fridge. 
4. In a medium frying pan on medium-high heat, pour a small amount of olive oil to the pan. Once it has reached desired temperature, fry the cubed tofu until it has a golden color. 
5. When the tofu is golden brown, add half of the peanut sauce that was created earlier to the pan. Quickly coat the cubed tofu in the peanut sauce. 
6. Cook until the sauce has evaporated. You will be left with brown bits of sauce that have clung onto the tofu. 
7. Take out the zoodles from the fridge. With the remaining half of the sauce, pour it on top of the zoodles and gently toss. 
8. Add the warm tofu on top. Garnish the dish with sesame seeds and green onion. Serve and enjoy :)