RAW Recipe: Pesto Zucchini "Pasta"

Lately I've gone a bit order-crazy on amazon when it comes to Raw food "cookbooks." I just LOVE raw food--the lively flavor of the food, the delicious sauces and textures, the aesthetically pleasing outcome of the dish, and not to mention the fact that it is EXTREMELY good for you! I  just can't get my hands on enough of these "cookbooks!" For those of you who have never heard of "going Raw" or don't really know what it means, eating Raw simply means that you do not cook your food and eat only fruits, vegetables, and nuts (as well as spices and other completely natural ingredients). Nothing is processed, and nothing is heated--so you don't have to worry about altering the chemical composition of your food or compromising nutrition for taste. You get the best of both worlds: Eating raw is both extremely appetizing and extremely good for you.
Anyways, tonight my sister decided to make one of the recipes, and it was so delicious I just had to make more! (And, I decided to share the delicious recipe with all of you, too!) Here's a quick and simple recipe that takes about 10 minutes of prep time before you have yourself a highly delectable Raw meal. Enjoy! And happy eating ;-)

You'll need:

4 peeled zucchinis (medium)
2 cups of basil leaves (packed tightly)
1/4 cup of olive oil
3-4 cloves of garlic
1/2-1 tablespoon of sea salt
1/2 cup of hemp seeds or raw pine nuts

Step 1: Blend basil, olive oil, garlic, and salt in a food processor or blender. Once smooth, add the pine nuts or hemp seeds. Blend until you have a creamy consistency. It should look something like this:

Step 2: Peel the zucchinis, and use a vegetable spiralizer to get a nice, stringy pasta.

Step 3: Mix pesto sauce with pasta, and use hemp seeds, almond cheese, tomatoes and/or red peppers for a little garnishing :-)
This is what my finished product turned out like:

And for dessert? How about a nice raw berry sorbet?
Simply blend some raw frozen berries, agave (or honey), and some almond or coconut milk, and voilà! You've got yourself a healthy and delicious treat!

 

P.s. For more delicious recipes like the one I just shared, pick up a copy of Raw & Simple by Judita Wingall! There's a TON of tasty, quick-and-easy recipes that and health-nut or foodie is sure to love!