Zuddha Bowl

 

This Zuddha bowl intrigued me. The name is a combination of “Buddha bowl” and “zoodles” (zucchini noodles). It looked delicious to me, and I figured it was a good use of zoodles, which I dislike *if* they are masquerading as pasta. Strictly speaking, it’s not really a Buddha bowl because it’s not vegetarian, but chicken is a good source of lean protein. And this was delicious! I changed the amounts a bit (the ones below are mine) and I got 4 generous servings. (I still had leftover vegetables, which I ate with poppy seed tahini dressing later on.) 

I ended up buying a spiralizer because it is small, inexpensive, and easy to use. That being said, you could buy prepared zoodles from the produce section – just keep in mind that they don’t stay fresh for long. 

For the bowl 

1 ½ bell peppers, thinly sliced 

1 large red onion, diced 

4 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided 

kosher salt 

freshly ground black pepper 

2 zucchinis, ends trimmed 

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast 

½ tsp. ground ginger 

½ tsp. garlic powder 

For the sauce 

¼ cup lime juice 

2 Tbsp. peanut butter 

1 Tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce or tamari sauce

1 tsp. honey 

1 clove garlic, minced 

1 Tbsp. sesame oil 

1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil 

1 avocado, sliced (I think I had 2 total) 

2 cups baby spinach 

1 tsp. toasted sesame seeds 

Preheat oven to 425 °F and spread bell peppers and red onions onto a large baking sheet. Drizzle with about 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Bake until tender, 15 minutes. 

Using a julienne peeler (or spiralizer), peel zucchini to make long noodles. Set in colander to drain excess moisture. 

Season chicken all over with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and ground ginger. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat 2 tablespoons oil. Add chicken and cook until cooked through and no longer pink, 8 minutes per side or until internal temperature reached 165°. Let rest for 10 minutes, then slice each breast. 

In the same skillet, add another tablespoon oil and cook zoodles until soft, 3 minutes. 

Whisk together lime juice, peanut butter, soy sauce, honey, and garlic until evenly combined (I like doing this in a jar). Whisk in oils until smooth. 

Divide zucchini noodles between bowls, then top with bell peppers and red onion, chicken, avocado and baby spinach. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and drizzle dressing on top.