This fabulous Paleo Chicken Pad Thai recipe is a part of a sponsored shop for Chicago Grocery Store #MyMarianos and #CollectiveBias. I absolutely loved it and I’m sure you will too!

I am a total foodie but I am only now learning how to cook real food (even though I frequent the Chicago Grocery Store but don’t always branch out much in terms of ingredients and cooking…)

It’s true. I’ve done a good amount of baking, both healthy and indulgent recipes, but I haven’t done much cooking of dinner food. It’s true – the main dinners I make are prepared in the Slow Cooker (like this Vegan Butternut Chili, one of my most popular dinner recipes) because it’s my savior and it does not require any cooking knowledge. However with my shift based on my recent dietary preference changes and moving away from sugar addiction, I have made one of my goals for this year to start cooking more food for dinner and lunch as leftovers.

You can only imagine the hours I spend online searching for recipes. But then it’s like how do I even begin? There are so many things I could make. I made a very good Thai Curry Chicken last week with Quinoa pasta and it lasted me most of the week for dinner and lunch. I want to make something else now, but what?

My favorite grocery store, Mariano’s, has a section in their website called Tastemakers where professional Chicago Chefs (aka Tastemakers) share their tips for cooking while shopping at Mariano’s. These are great tips for the aspirational foodie like myself! It’s great because it’s not recipes they focus on, it’s how to make the recipes and what makes their food special. It’s something that is perfect for a beginner cook but also an intermediate one as well. I found the website to act as a wonderful common thread between the amazing Chicago Chefs AND the aspirational foodie.

I watched the videos and got inspired. Some of the Chefs, such as Bill Kim and Rodelio Aglibot, mentioned Asian cuisine and that got me thinking. I want to make something Asian! Then listening to Chef Chris Pandel talk about using Spaghetti Squash as pancakes (how creative is that?!) I knew what I would do! Pad Thai!

So… my inspired dish is not entirely taken from one particular chef from the Tastemakers but it rather a combination of listening to each of them talk about what they enjoy and what flavors work best in what. Having them mention these different ingredients got my creative juices flowing and I put it all together and I knew I would make a great Asian dish. But I would make it Paleo! As soon as I heard about Spaghetti Squash I knew I had to use it as pasta. I’ve been meaning to use spaghetti squash for months now and it’s the perfect time!

So I didn’t want to buy Fish Sauce although it was mentioned in the videos because I don’t know how much of it I would actually be using in the future. But if it tastes salty and it seems to be frequently used with substitution as soy sauce, I figured I would go with the Coconut Aminos I recently got.

Now, the rest… I had to shop for. I was excited, I love shopping at Mariano’s because it seriously is a total experience each time. I love the samples, the atmosphere, the people, the beautifully laid out food. It’s such a great time. If you don’t like grocery shopping there you are lying to yourself, stop that! Haha.

I made the Spaghetti Squash according to my instructions and it went well. I was excited to dig in once I was done with the cooking to see how it would taste.. would it come close to the Pad Thai I love?

The verdict: it tasted just like regular Pad Thai!!! But so much healthier and not just that – totally PALEO! The Spaghetti Squash is a wonderful substitute for the rice noodles and the sauce makes the whole dish taste just fantastic. I also added a good amount of mushrooms cause, well, what’s not to love about those? And can I just say I LOVE cilantro and bean sprouts?! I’ve never used them before and I am SO buying them more often now, they totally transform the dish.

Another note, I don’t like nuts on my Pad Thai so I left them out here. You are welcome to sprinkle your dish with nuts on top if you prefer. Peanut are not paleo but if you don’t care about that, then go right ahead. You can also try cashews. I go nut-free!

Mmm… such an amazing dinner/lunch option. I am in love with this recipe. I’m glad I live alone and don’t have to share 😉

Paleo Chicken Pad Thai Print Recipe Servings Prep Time 1 person 15 minutes Cook Time Passive Time 30 minutes 1 hour Servings Prep Time 1 person 15 minutes Cook Time Passive Time 30 minutes 1 hour Paleo Chicken Pad Thai Print Recipe Servings Prep Time 1 person 15 minutes Cook Time Passive Time 30 minutes 1 hour Servings Prep Time 1 person 15 minutes Cook Time Passive Time 30 minutes 1 hour Ingredients 1 whole large chicken breast cut into small strips

1 small spaghetti squash coocked/roasted

2 whole eggs lightly beaten

2 cups mushrooms thinly sliced

2-3 tbsp avocado oil

1/4 cup coconut aminos

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

Sriracha to taste

garlic powder to taste

fresh cilantro

bean sprouts

lime wedges Servings: person Instructions First, make your sauce. Combine all sauce ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk and cook until sugar dissolves. Taste. Adjust your elements as needed – you are looking for a balance of sweet, sour, salty, and spicy. Let the sauce reduce just a touch until it reaches your desired consistency. Shut off the heat and set aside. Make your noodles according to package instructions. Prep all of your ingredients and get everything ready. Heat a large dry nonstick skillet (or wok if you have one!) over high heat. You want it to get smoking hot. Add 2 Tbsp of oil to the hot skillet. Careful – it is going to be quite lively. Add your garlic, and mushrooms. Keep everything moving constantly and cook until you smell the garlic. Add your chicken breast (if already cooked, if uncooked, add with step #6 ingredients) and your cooked rice noodles. Again, keep it moving. Only cook for a quick minute. Add your eggs and cook until nearly set, about a minute or two. Add 1/4 cup of your prepared sauce and cook until the absorbed but not completely dry. Serve and garnish with peanuts, bean sprouts, lime wedges, and cilantro. Powered by WP Ultimate Recipe

This recipe is adapted from Gabby’s Gluten Free.

One more yummy photo for good measure. I like how these turned out!

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Want more recipes I created with Mariano’s? Check these out:

Questions for you:

Have you ever made your own Pad Thai?

Do you like mushrooms?

Let us know in the comments below!