Spicy Thai Cashew Noodles

I used to LOVE Thai peanut sauce! It was a constant staple in my kitchen pre-diagnosis, and one of the foods I grieved when I adopted the Autoimmune Paleo protocol. Four years into that journey, I seem to now be able to tolerate (carefully sourced) cashews, and it dawned on me that I could use cashew butter to recreate a similar sauce. Huzzah! Unfortunately that means this is not an AIP compliant recipe, but it’s still most definitely Paleo.

I personally do not tolerate nightshades or garlic and onions well, so I’ve left them out of my recipe. I will include them as optional add ins for those who tolerate them, and want to incorporate those flavours. This is a recipe that could easily be made Vegan/Vegetarian, or would pair well with chicken, wild caught white fish, or shrimp.

Ingredients (4 servings):

• 4-5 fist sized yellow beets, peeled and turned into noodles with a spiralizer
• 2 large chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces (or an equivalent amount of wild caught white fish or shrimp)
• 3 tbsp fresh grated ginger
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp fresh ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp coconut amino sauce
• 2 tbsp avocado oil (plus another 2 tbsp for sauteing the chicken/fish/shrimp)
• ⅓ cup cashew butter
• ½ cup raw or roasted cashews
• ½ cup fresh chopped cilantro (loosely measured)

Optional:

• 2 cloves fresh crushed garlic
  
• Chopped scallions
  
• 1 small chili pepper, seeded and diced

*Lemongrass might also be a delicious addition to this recipe
*Use sesame oil instead of avocado for more flavour

Method:

1. 1. Wash and chop the fresh cilantro and peel and grate the fresh ginger.

1. 1. Place 2 tbsp avocado oil, ⅓ of the cilantro, and slightly less than half of the ginger in a frying pan (ideally a wok or deep sided pan).

1. 1. Dice the chicken breast and saute in the pan with the above seasonings (alternately cook the white fish or shrimp in a similar fashion). Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside when cooked through.

1. 1. While the meat is cooking, peel and spiralized your golden beets. Candy cane beets would likely work as well, but I would advise against using the deep red ones. You could easily substitute other gluten free noodles in this recipe. I just like the texture and nutrient density of the beets, so if I was using more conventional noodles, I might add more vegetables like carrots, bok choy, mushrooms, or peppers to the recipe.

1. 1. In a liquid measuring cup, combine the cashew butter, coconut aminos, salt, pepper, 2 tbsp avocado oil, and fresh cilantro (saving enough cilantro to use as a garnish on the finished dish). If using garlic and chilis, add them here. Whisk together to combine well. If the cashew butter is too hard to stir, you may want to warm it a bit, or perhaps add extra liquid.

1. 1. Saute the noodles on their own for 5 or so minutes over medium heat. You may want to add a wee bit of oil to the pan for this.

1. 1. Add back in the meat, add the sauce, and stir well to combine.

1. 1. Simmer a few minutes longer until the noodles are your preferred texture (but not so far that they become mushy, or the sauce burns onto the pan).

1. 1. Serve garnished with fresh chopped cilantro, cashews, and the optional scallions.

1. Enjoy!

What do you think? Does this sound like a dish you would like to try? Have I forgotten an essential ingredient? Send me your insights at [email protected].

PS: The leftovers from this recipe are just as delicious eaten cold as they are eaten warm! I’m also quite sure that it would warm well in a HotLogic if you want to warm it up on the go.