Fried udon-style beef and zucchini noodles

This recipe was built by someone who loved restaurant noodle bowls and decided to make her own at home, spiralized zucchini standing in for the noodles and a quick whisked sauce carrying all the flavor. The whole dish comes together in about 25 minutes.

Ground beef is a strong source of iron, zinc, and vitamin B12, minerals involved in steady energy and immune function. Cabbage and zucchini keep the bowl light and add fiber, and a strip of nori on top brings a small sea mineral finish. This is deeply nourishing food, easy to put together even on a tired night.

Beef deserves a small bow of gratitude, an animal that became your nourishment. Cook it with that in mind, scatter the green onion and nori over the top, and sit down to eat with real presence.

Ingredients

Sauce:

• 3 tablespoons beef broth
• 3 tablespoons coconut aminos (omit for interstitial cystitis)
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 0.5 teaspoon ground ginger

Stir-fry:

• 1.5 tablespoons olive oil
• 0.5 lb ground beef
• 1 carrot, shredded
• 4 cups cabbage, sliced
• 1 lb zucchini, spiralized
• 4 green onions, sliced
• 1 nori sheet, cut into strips

Swaps made: We omitted the 4 eggs, an elimination-phase exclusion, as the source directs for AIP. Everything else was already compliant, with coconut aminos standing in for soy.

Method

• Stir the beef broth, coconut aminos, honey, and ground ginger together in a small bowl. Set aside.
• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet and brown the ground beef.
• Add the shredded carrot and sliced cabbage and stir-fry briefly, until they begin to soften.
• Add the spiralized zucchini, green onions, and the sauce. Toss and heat through, just until the zoodles are tender but not watery.
• Top with the nori strips and serve.

*Adapted from a-clean-plate*