Happy 2020! Who else made a resolution to eat healthier this year? In the spirit of a new year and a new decade, I’ve restarted the Whole30 program to get back in touch with my eating habits after a long, sugar-filled holiday season. It hasn’t been easy but with fun substitutions like the butternut squash noodles in this recipe, it’s really not so bad!

This recipe brings together the best flavors from pad thai, making it a great alternative to take out. You can choose to either buy pre-spiralized butternut squash, or if you have a spiralizer, you can make them yourself. This meal comes together in about 25-30 minutes so it’s great for a quick weeknight option.

Ingredients: makes 2-3 servings

• 1 package of spiralized butternut squash (you can also use spiralized sweet potato or carrot), as mentioned, you can also spiralize the butternut squash yourself, about 10 oz.
• 6-8 oz chicken, cubed
• 2 tablespoons almond butter
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, minced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3-4 oz kale, shredded
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions
• 2 tablespoons almonds, coarsely chopped
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Directions

Make the sauce by combining the almond butter, 1 tablespoon lime juice, 2 teaspoons garlic, 1 teaspoon ginger and sesame oil in a bowl. Whisk until smooth. If the mixture is too pasty, add 1 tablespoon of water.

In a large heated skillet, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon of garlic and 1 teaspoon of ginger. Add the cubed chicken and stir fry for 5-7 minutes, or until done. Remove the chicken from the skillet and cover to the side.

Add the remaining olive oil and the butternut squash noodles. Stir fry until soft. I bought frozen butternut squash noodles so I had to cover them for 4-5 minutes to thaw. Once soft, add in the kale and remaining lime juice and stir fry until wilted.

Stir in the almond butter sauce, coating the noodles evenly. Add back the chicken and coat in the sauce.

To serve, sprinkle with scallions and chopped almonds. Enjoy!