Chinese Five Spice Ground Turkey Zucchini Noodlesare a great low carb option for a delicious dinner.
There’s a local restaurant that has a few zucchini noodle options on their summer menu. One was served with ground turkey and tomato sauce. It was light with just a little bit of tomato, and surprisingly, served room temperature, almost cool.
I had expected either a cold zucchini salad with turkey breast pieces, or a hot version. So, when my zucchini noodles arrived with a light ground turkey sauce served at room temperature, I was surprised. It actually tasted really nice.
Chinese Five Spice Ground Turkey Zucchini Noodles is my version of a favorite dish my dad makes called Za Jiang Mian. Za Jiang Mian is typically made with Chinese bean sauce and hoisin sauce, but I used soy sauce and five spice powder in this recipe to mimic the flavors.
Making Zucchini Noodles with a Spiralizer
I finally broke down and bought a spiralizer earlier this Spring and have been using it mostly to make zucchini noodles for my husband and me. We’ve been trying to cut back on pasta so zucchini noodles have been an easy way to enjoy meals with the kids when they’re having pasta.
My spiralizer is made by Paderno and has four blades. It’s fairly sturdy and comes apart pretty easily.
Stir Frying Zucchini Noodles
I usually drop the zucchini noodles into a pot of boiling water and cook them for a few minutes to slightly cook them, but they often come out really watery. So, this time, I just tossed the zucchini noodles into the sauce and tossed them around until they were slightly cooked. They kept their shape much better and weren’t watery at all.
I made these Chinese Five Spice Ground Turkey Zucchini Noodles for this month’s Recipe Redux Challenge, “Get Your Fruits and Veggies in Shape. With produce galore, now’s a great time to enjoy lots of fruits and vegetables. Show us how you’re serving the bounty of gardens and orchards in shapes like ribbons, noodles, cut-outs, or other creative cuts.”
Give these Chinese Five Spice Ground Turkey Zucchini Noodles a try and let me know what you think.
3.67 from 3 votes
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Chinese Five Spice Ground Turkey Zucchini Noodles
If you have a spiralizer, you can make your own zucchini noodles. You can also find zucchini noodles at some supermarkets in the produce section.
8cupszucchini noodles~ 3-4 zucchini, depending on the size
Optional Add-Ins
2teaspoonsgingerminced
3clovesgarlicminced
1/2teaspoonred pepper chili flakes
Instructions
Heat oil in a large pan or wok. If desired, add ginger, garlic, and/or red pepper chili flakes. Saute turkey until brown; drain any liquid off. Add soy sauce, sugar, five-spice powder, sesame oil and water. Toss to coat meat well and cook for a few minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add zucchini noodles and toss to coat; cook for several minutes until done to your preference.
Recipe Notes
I like my zucchini noodles just barely cooked; otherwise they get soggy. If you let the hot zucchini noodles and sauce sit for a few minutes, the noodles will soften a little more. This is delicious eaten room temperature too. If you like spicy food, serve with Chinese hot bean sauce or add some red pepper flakes during the cooking process.
Nutrition Facts
Chinese Five Spice Ground Turkey Zucchini Noodles
Amount Per Serving
Calories 272Calories from Fat 81
% Daily Value*
Fat 9g14%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Cholesterol 62mg21%
Sodium 599mg26%
Potassium 1603mg46%
Carbohydrates 17g6%
Fiber 4g17%
Sugar 13g14%
Protein 33g66%
Vitamin A 975IU20%
Vitamin C 84.9mg103%
Calcium 86mg9%
Iron 3.2mg18%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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5 spice is a combination of cinnamon, star anise, fennel seeds and cloves – the 5th ingredient can vary across recipes, we use sichuan peppercorns. But ginger and white pepper are also commonly used as the fifth component.
However, if you can't find Chinese five spice in your nearest supermarket, some excellent substitutes are available. For instance, Garam Masala, cinnamon sticks, Baharat, and Allspice can add the same magic to your food as Chinese five spice.
Although it's not spicy-hot, it is rather intense. “Less is more” is a good rule of thumb to use when cooking with it. With that in mind, feel free to experiment. It's such an easy way to add complex flavor to a dish, it's almost like cheating!
But it can work surprisingly well with lamb, beef, and meatballs too. Slow cooking and roasting techniques help both meats and vegetables absorb its flavours particularly well. This powerful blend also works wonders in soups, stir-fries, and fried rice.
The warm, spicy-sweet flavor of allspice is very similar to that of five-spice powder, a blend of cinnamon, star anise, fennel, cloves, and ginger or pepper. Use equal parts of five-spice powder in place of the ground allspice called for in a recipe—it's great for both savory and sweet applications.
At first glance seven spice powder may sound like a variant on Chinese five spice powder, but they couldn't be more different. Or rather, they're exactly as different as their native cuisines. Five spice, fragrant with sweet and spicy anise flavors, is the perfect compliment to meaty Chinese braises and barbecues.
I use both garam masala and Chinese five-spice powder and they both are different, used for vastly different cuisines. The basic recipe for five powder includes cinnamon, cloves, fennel, star anise and Szechuan peppercorns ( you can call it the Chinese version of garam masala, but it is still very different).
Szechuan peppercorns contain capsaicin which creates a feeling of heat which helps boost the digestive system. It is a rich source of vitamin A, carotenes, and pyridoxine.
The components of the mix are thought to represent the five classical flavours of traditional Chinese cuisine: salty, bitter, aromatic, sweet, and sour. Although exact proportions vary, it is generally accepted in Chinese culture that five spice is a balancing act on the tongue.
For an even closer match add some ground star anise to your garam masala. Start with 1/4 teaspoon ground star anise and 3/4 teaspoons garam masala for 1 teaspoon of Chinese 5-spice.
It is like an upgrade version of Five Spices, meaning it has a deeper, profound flavor profile. Thirteen Spices has similar function as Five Spices, but it works better to remove stronger odor from meat such as lamb or deer, or for a cuisine that requires stronger seasonings e.g. a Sichuan spicy hot pot.
To start with, Chinese five spice is Chinese in origin. Seven spice powder is Japanese, and also called shichimi togarashi. Unlike Five Spice, Seven spice's foundation is comprised of chilis, dried orange peel, sesame seed, dried ginger, and seaweed, as well as Sichuan peppercorns.
This Chinese spice blend, now used in much of East Asia and Southeast Asia, represents the five elements in Chinese culture of earth, wood, fire, metal and water as well as the five flavors of sour, bitter, sweet, salty and pungent.
Introduction: My name is Jonah Leffler, I am a determined, faithful, outstanding, inexpensive, cheerful, determined, smiling person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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