Oodles of Zoodles! (The Great Zucchini Rebellion)

At some point, Ben discovered that zucchini is Phil’s least favorite vegetable. It will come as no surprise to you, that this only made Ben request it more. He knows that I will never turn down a vegetable request, and if it has the added benefit of sticking it to the man, where’s the down side? Hmmm…. Why didn’t I think of that in my youth? Vegetables as a form of rebellion! Sure, I could stay out until 2:00 in the morning with unsavory characters doing who knows what, or I could brazenly prepare and eat zucchini right in your face. Take that!

Even Phil had to admit that this zucchini noodle (“zoodle”) dish was good. It had the added benefit of taking virtually no time to throw together.

Thai Green Curry Zoodles

2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided

3 tablespoons Thai green curry paste

Two 13.5-ounce cans coconut milk (or light coconut milk)

1 pound frozen turkey meatballs, thawed

Salt and pepper to taste

Two one-pound zucchinis, cut into long noodle shapes

Jalapeño, seeded and diced finely, to garnish

Basil, cilantro, or mint (the more, the merrier) to garnish

Sesame seeds to garnish

Lime, cut in wedges, to serve

Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add curry paste, and stir, heating for a few minutes. Stir in coconut milk and bring to a simmer. Add turkey meatballs and simmer until meatballs are heated through and all flavors are melded, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in another large pan, heat remaining tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Add zoodles and a bit of salt, cooking and stirring about 5 minutes.

Place zoodles in individual bowls, and top with meatball coconut milk curry sauce. Add jalepeño, herbs, sesame seeds and a squeeze of lime to each bowl. (Our only garnish was basil, this time.)

You’d think Thai green curry would be a quick, delicious meal without deception, malice, or disappointment. You’d think. We all enjoyed it in our own way for various reasons, but that didn’t exempt us from pointing out its features to one another. I told Phil to think of the zucchini as fettuccini. (To Phil, zucchini is the very definition of malice.) Phil then loudly proclaimed that he actually liked the turkey meatballs as well as beef meatballs. Ben said, “What? You’re making stuff up! There’s no turkey here! Just regular meat!” But he eyed the next meatball with suspicion. (Deception.) I said that in my new calorie counting mode we should have gone with light coconut milk. Now I could only allow myself a smaller portion, (Disappointment.) So, there you have it.

If you choose to make this tasty, quick dish, and we really think you should, perhaps you will be lucky enough to have all family members agree on where to land on the taste-health continuum. Obviously, the healthiest version uses zoodles, turkey meatballs and light coconut milk. Most would say the tastiest version includes fettuccini, beef meatballs and regular coconut milk. If you live with a rebel without a cause, zucchini is the obvious choice.

Finally, though I sure do give him a hard time here, I’d like to wish Phil a happy anniversary. Thirty-one years ago, I married my best friend, and he has made every day since then better. Here’s to the next 31!