Master the well-loved Thai take-out dish in your own kitchen with this paleo-friendly recipe for Pad Thai which uses zucchini noodles! The combination of textures, flavors and colors make this a dish that's easy to love and worth a special trip to buy the star ingredient - tamarind concentrate.
Make tamarind sauce - Double if making Thursday's meal. Combine tamarind concentrate (start with the low end of the range), stock, aminos and honey in a small saucepan. Place pan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 1 minute while stirring, until sauce reduces slightly. Taste sauce and adjust to your preference, adding more tamarind concentrate, some salt or some red pepper flakes if you'd like (note: commercial tamarind concentrate can vary widely in flavor, so add as much as you would like up to the upper end of the range provided). Simmer until sauce thickens slightly, 2 to 3 minutes more. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
Broccoli / Bell peppers / Nuts - Prep as directed. Combine vegetables in one container. Store nuts separately. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
Chicken - Slice against the grain into strips (i.e., look for the grain of the meat and slice perpendicular to it). Tenderize with a fork and season with some salt and pepper. (Can be done 1 day ahead)
Cilantro / Lime wedges - Prep as directed. (Can be done 1 day ahead)
Heat a wok or saute pan with first part of cooking oil over medium-high heat.
Add chicken and saute until chicken is cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes. Set chicken aside and return pan to heat.
Add second part of oil to heated pan and then add broccoli and bell peppers with some salt. Season with some salt and pepper and saute for 2 to 3 minutes.
Pour water over vegetables and reduce heat to medium. Cover with a lid or foil and steam vegetables until tender, 2 to 3 minutes.
When vegetables are cooked, add zucchini noodles and sauce (remember to save half if doubled for Thursday) to pan and saute until zucchini is heated through and tender, 1 to 2 minutes more.
Remove pan from heat and chicken to vegetables. Toss until ingredients are well combined.
Divide zucchini noodles between serving bowls and top with cashews, cilantro, lime wedges and red pepper flakes. Enjoy!