First of all I just want to say that I am very new to this food blogging/recipe sharing business but I am looking forward to sharing this journey with you. I know my presentation is lacking and needs work but for starters I am more concerned with what’s on the plate than the plate itself. I’m sure over time I will have much prettier pictures of the recipes I am sharing. But for now, this is what you get. Please bear with me!
With that being said….I made this the other night and it was a huge hit in my house:
And it was quick! I asked my family to help me name it and we came up with Zoodle Fusion because it fuses together the Asian flare with a tangy dressing and edamame to the South American quinoa.
I’ve just recently discovered veggie noodles like this: 
I have heard them referred to as “zoodles” and I like saying that more than “zucchini noodles.” They have other varieties; I have another good recipe (coming soon) using the sweet potato noodles (so I guess they’re called swoodles?). I can find these veggie noodles at my local grocery store and they even carry a store brand.
Here are a few quinoa tidbits I found on the Internet: “Quinoa is naturally gluten-free and contains iron, B-vitamins, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, vitamin E, and fiber. It is one of only a few plant foods 
that are considered a complete protein, containing all nine essential amino acids.” “One cup of cooked quinoa has about 40 fewer calories than the same amount of white rice, but the real benefit is in the carbohydrates. White rice has almost 15 times more grams of carbohydrates, and quinoa provides 5 more grams of fiber and double the protein.” Sounds pretty fantastic. Quinoa comes in different varieties and I can find it in the rice aisle. If you don’t fancy quinoa you can use rice or the pasta of your choice instead of the quinoa. This recipe calls for “cooked” quinoa, so get that going on your stove (takes about 15 minutes) before you start with the other stuff so it will be ready.
This recipe also has edamame in it, which is a good source of protein. I can usually only
find shelled edamame in the frozen vegetable section. I also wanted to add more protein (and flavor). There are two plant-based protein products that we like, Tofurky Sausage and baked tofu. Tofurky has a good sausage flavor in my opinion (if you’re a carnivore you may not like this fake meat) and it comes in different varieties. I can find this at Whole Foods and Sprouts and at larger grocery stores. I can only find this baked tofu in these parts at Sprouts. Making homemade baked tofu is a long process for me and I just needed a bit and wanted it to be quick, so I like this product. For this recipe I chopped them up pretty small.
If you don’t want to add the extra protein, leave them out or add another protein product of your choice. If you like tofu scrambles, you could get a package of tofu, drain it and squeeze out as much excess water as you can, and crumble it up in the skillet. If I did that I may add a little more sauce. However I do prefer the texture of the baked tofu, and it has a little bit of flavor baked right in. If you are not a vegan or vegetarian, some ground turkey will go good.
As for the veggies I used onions, bell peppers, matchstick carrots and spinach. Chopped broccoli and cauliflower would also be tasty in this dish. As for salt and pepper, I have such a hard time coming up with a measurement because peoples preferences on salt and pepper differ so much. Sprinkle some on, stir it around, give it a little taste, and add more if you prefer.
For the sauce, I didn’t use fresh ginger this time but I love fresh ginger, just don’t love peeling it and grating it. I had some minced ginger in a tube in my fridge so I used that. You can get minced ginger by where you find the minced jarred garlic. Which I also used in this recipe, but I do prefer fresh minced garlic whenever possible. This is a tangy sauce but I don’t usually do too spicy; if you want more spice, add more ginger and/or garlic. I’m also trying to cut back on sugar so I did not add the agave or any sweetener. I don’t think it absolutely needs it, but it’s there for you if you want to add some sweetness.
If you try it, leave a comment. If you put it on Instagram you can tag me @debbiesfoodsmarts and use the hashtag #debbiesfoodsmarts.
Here’s the recipe:
Zoodle Fusion (Zoodle Bowl with Asian Dressing and Quinoa)
Prep time: 5-10 minutes / Cooking time: about 25 minutes / 6 servings
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 10-oz package Zucchini Noodles
- 1 bell pepper, any color, chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped onion (I used sweet)
- 1/2 cup matchstick carrots (I put in a handful, didn’t measure)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup edamame, thawed if frozen
- 2 cups chopped fresh spinach
- 1 Tofurky Kielbasa flavor sausage link, chopped
- 1/2 6-oz package baked tofu (I used savory flavored)
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa
Asian Dressing
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon lime juice
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger
- 1 tablespoon agave nectar (or honey if not vegan), optional
- Cook quinoa according to package directions. You need 1 1/2 cups cooked.
- Combine all dressing ingredients in jar container with tight fitting lid and shake to blend; set aside. (Shake again before adding to skillet later)
- In large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper and sauté for 2 minutes; add matchstick carrots and sauté for 5 minutes.
- Add garlic and salt and pepper; sauté for 1 minute.
- Add veggie noodles and stir to combine; cook, stirring occasionally for 2 minutes.
- Add edamame, chopped spinach, chopped Tofurky and chopped baked tofu; cook and stir about 2-3 minutes until spinach is wilted and sausage and tofu are heated through.
- Add cooked quinoa and sauce and stir to combine. Enjoy!
Debbie's Food Smarts 