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I should write a weekly series called ”Dishes I Make When Ted Works Late” or “Stuff My Husband Won’t Eat.”

This week’s Tedless entree was zucchini ribbons with grilled chicken and lemon vinaigrette, adapted from this recipe. We’ve been looking to reduce our carbohydrate intake, and this recipe appeared to be a good alternative to a high-carb pasta dish, only healthier. So I decided to experiment while Ted wasn’t around to wrinkle his nose or complain about all the ‘green stuff’.

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It was delicious. I had all the ingredients on hand, and our local country fresh produce market has huge zucchinis for dirt cheap. I’ll definitely be making this again. It’s flavorful, fresh, and light, yet mild, so I think even the pickiest of eaters will enjoy it. Just add chicken and it can go from a side dish to a full meal.

You’ll need: Zucchini, chicken breast, garlic & basil infused olive oil, lemon, garlic, basil, and shredded Parmesan cheese.

Step 1: Wash, peel, and use a vegetable peeler to slice a large zucchini into thin ribbons. Defrost a small portion of frozen diced grilled chicken or cook up a chicken breast and set aside.

Step 2: Whisk together a vinaigrette using about 1/8 of a cup of olive oil (I used garlic and basil infused dipping oil – I would highly recommend it. It adds a great burst of flavor), and 1/4 of a freshly squeezed lemon. If you use regular olive oil, add a sprinkle of salt and pepper to the vinaigrette.

Step 3: Mince a fresh clove of garlic. Sautee it with a dallop of olive oil over medium heat for a minute. Add zucchini ribbons and sautee until warm and tender – about 3-4 minutes.

Step 4: Add a small handful of fresh cut basil to the pan and cook for another 30 seconds. Remove from heat. Toss the vinaigrette over the zucchini ribbons, add the cooked chicken pieces, and sprinkle with some fresh Parmesan cheese.

Step 5: Serve hot and enjoy.

Healthy and tasty! Plus I’m embarrassingly proud of the fact that I got to use fresh basil from my thriving basil plant that I planted last year and haven’t managed to kill yet.

Let me know how you like it.