Tag: thai zucchini noodle salad

How to be an AWESOME Holiday Dinner Guest

Pie-Party-00022

It’s that time. YES today is Thanksgiving Day and I hope you are having an absolutely incredible day!

It’s also about that time to start thinking about all of those holiday parties coming up. One of my FAVORITE things to plan when it comes to holiday parties, is, confession, not only the food to bring but also how to bless the host or hostess of the party.

Pie-Party-00024

I mean, how amazing is it that all we have to do is throw on our party dress and enjoy the hard work and cooking of another fabulous person?

I think it’s pretty amazing, and I think I have some great ideas on ways you can UP your party guest love even more.

And for the bulleted version:

5 Ways to be an AWESOME Holiday Guest

  1. Consider your host or hostess and bring them a gift. Ideas: a potted plant; fresh flowers in their favorite color; a bottle of their favorite wine, or fresh coffee beans.Thai-Peanut-Zucchini-Noodle-Salad-024
  2. Bring a good appetizer. Meaning: something that doesn’t require oven time! When you are cooking a holiday meal, the host or hostess has to protect their oven or stovetop because that is where a lot of the cooking magic is happening. :) A great recipe for this: the Thai zucchini noodle salad above.
  3. Love people over politics! Avoid hot topics, and stick to things that are positive and uplifting to the people around you.

Skinny-Pop-3-Ways-0214. Offer to clean up. It’s such a kind gesture offer to give back to your host or hostess and offer to help with the dishes!

5. Send a thank you note. There is nothing better as a host or hostess of a party than receiving a sweet note in the mail affirming all that you did to make the party happen! To me, this is one of the most thoughtful things we can do to love on each other.

So there you have it my lovelies! Happy holiday party planning this week:)

Thai Peanut Zucchini Noodle Salad

Thai-Peanut-Zucchini-Noodle-Salad-024

It’s August! YESSS!! Cue all the back to school recipes! And pass the zucchini.

This fabulous month we delve into the world of zucchini, zucchini noodles, and everything that comes along with using zucchinis as this last month of summer begins.

Thai-Peanut-Zucchini-Noodle-Salad-022

Which also means that school is starting, and everybody I know needs quick and simple recipes to make the August days (and sometimes late nights) even easier!

I am soooo pumped about this week’s recipe for several reasons. One- the peanut dressing is DELICIOUS. Two- it features gochujang, my favorite spicy chili paste. Three- it’s gluten-free and low-carb, which of course means you can eat the entire bowl in one sitting.

Thai-Peanut-Zucchini-Noodle-Salad-016

And speaking of low-carb, for those of you who are super into the zucchini noodle trend, I found the BEST article about making zucchini noodles I’ve ever read here. Lisa is AMAZING and here are just a few of her tips that I utilized in this recipe:

Preferred tool: Mandoline I love my mandoline! To create the noodles for the Thai “pasta” salad below, I sliced a washed zucchini on the middle setting (I believe it was 2). The zucchini curled into pretty shapes this way! It also had a nice bite- the thinner pieces felt limp to me.

Cooking Method: Raw I liked this summery salad cold and raw. You can gently heat the noodles if you like (in a bowl in the microwave for a minute) but I vote on the raw method because the zucchini is able to maintain flavor and crunchiness really well that way.

Storage: In the fridge Lisa gives a great tip on her post about slicing the noodles ahead of time to make prep even easier, and storing them in the fridge in a covered container lined with a paper towel. Easy!

Thai-Peanut-Zucchini-Noodle-Salad-012

Thai Zucchini Noodle Salad with Peanut Cashew Dressing

This light salad is the epitome of summer ease, and takes advantage of all of the health benefits raw zucchini offers. Slice zucchini noodles and blend the peanut dressing ahead of time for even easier assembly. Fresh basil is the perfect topping for such a summery side dish. You can also find the full recipe on Birmingham magazine’s website:) 

Yield: 6 to 8 servings
For the Thai Peanut Cashew Salad Dressing:

  • 1/2 cup peanut butter
  • 1 tsp honey
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 1 tsp fish sauce
  • 1/4 cup cilantro leaves and stems
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 tablespoons roasted whole cashews
  • 1/2 tsp gochujang

What You Will Do:

  1. Blend all ingredients in a blender on low speed until combined, then medium speed until a smooth puree forms.
  2. Place in fridge to cool.

For the Thai Zucchini Noodle Salad:

  • 10 ounces skin-on zucchini noodles
  • 5 ounces thick sliced cucumber ribbons
  • 2 ounces matchstick carrots
  • 3 tablespoons chopped roasted cashews, plus more for topping
  • Fresh basil, leaves and torn pieces, for topping
  • Chili flake, for topping

What You Will Do:

  1. Toss together zucchini noodles, cucumber ribbons, matchstick carrots, and cashews.
  2. Pour peanut cashew dressing onto vegetables about 1⁄3 cup at a time, and toss to desired consistency.
  3. Top with fresh basil, chili flake, and additional cashews if desired. Enjoy immediately!