I got an awesome new kitchen gadget, for Mother’s Day! It’s a Spiralizer, and it makes slicing veggie pasta (and curly fries!) a breeze! The BEST part of getting it when I did? Local organic zucch’s were on sale at the market and in abundance at my local farmers market! So I went bananas (we have a ton of those at home too!) and filled the fridge, obviously. 🙂 Where I’m located in Cali, summer squash, like zucchini, comes into season in May! So we’ve been enjoying this veggie with our meals.
Zucchini is a really great veggie. It’s high in dietary fiber and is a natural source of folate, which is super important during pregnancy! It also has great vitamins like A, C & Bs along with potassium and other minerals. Zucchini is delicious grilled, steamed, sautéed… and as pasta! Why is zucchini pasta so great? Well, a cup zucchini has less than 20 calories. A cup of normal pasta can have up to 200!
This is a great healthy fresh Springtime pesto that has NO dairy & is raw!
I love eating it on pasta alone, but if you’re not vegan you can top wild salmon with it, use it as a dip, or on bread as a bruschetta!
Add some spring peas for a side and some sliced strawberries for dessert! The perfect spring time meal! Enjoy and happy eating!
Avocado Basil Pesto
Serves: about 4
Ingredients:
- 1 big bunch fresh basil, reserve some leaves for garnish
- ½ cup pine nuts or walnuts
- 2 avocados, pitted and peeled
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1-2 cloves garlic
- ¼ cup organic extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Directions:
- Blend basil, nuts, avocado, garlic, salt and pepper in a food processor.
- Slowly add olive oil as the food processor is running.
- Combine pesto with pasta (and optionally some water to thin as needed).
- Garnish with fresh basil leaf, and enjoy!
Zucchini Pasta
Ingredients:
- 2-3 medium-to-large zucchini (about 1 per person – it really shrinks down when cooked!)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (or other medium-heat oil)
Directions:
- Optional – to look like spaghetti, peel the zucchini first.
- Spiralize zucchini.
- Sautée zucchini in oil for a few minutes (until tender or desired softness)
*Note: for a raw dish, it’s perfectly fine to serve the zucchini raw!
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