Carrot + Zucchini Ribbons + Cilantro Pepita Pesto

It's about time I added a new raw dish to the collection. I have received many emails over the course of starting this blog. I was just recently inspired by a most wonderful email I received from one of my readers letting me know how much she appreciates this blog and really enjoys cooking from it. It has helped her return to eating vegan full-time again (hooray!), as she has fallen of the wagon a few times and needed this inspiration to get back on. In particular, the raw recipes were a source of inspiration at one point. She had eaten raw dishes here and there, but never for a solid period of time. She went away over the summer for two months and did a raw eating cleanse using the raw recipes as a source of inspiration. After her cleanse was over, she felt amazing and knew this is how the body is supposed to feel. Free from the toxins of the typical everyday eating, you feel alive and full of energy. It's completely healthy to eat this way for short periods like this and really puts you in tune with yourself. It gives your body a boost of natural healing energy if done right, it's an almost godliness feeling in a way. I know she is shining bright and feeling her best. I thank her so much for sharing her story with me. I love hearing from you all, as much as I may be a source of inspiration for you, you are a source for me too! Whether it's about a life changing event, a certain ingredient you used or just to say hi...all of it is wonderful to me and I thank you! I can't tell you enough how much I love all of you and want only the best for each and every one of you! So I share with you another wonderful raw dish to be eaten generously and frequently.

I have a ton of pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds) that I need to use up and thought this was a great way to use them. I also had some cilantro on hand and decided to use that. What I really love about cilantro, besides the lovely flavor, is that it's available in bunches and so easy to find. In general, it's hard to find basil in large amounts enough to make pesto, making cilantro a great alternative to the traditional basil pesto. I also added a small amount of garam masala to this pesto but feel free to omit it if you don't have it on hand or don't care for it. I have yet to use my garam masala and thought why not try it here for something unusual. So I tested it out and found that I rather liked it as it adds an interesting layer of flavor and pairs well with the fresh vegetable ribbons. I even used my left over pesto as a dip for carrot sticks...so good! But keep in mind that I'm quite strange and can eat the weirdest combinations. So If you feel like experimenting, go for it...if in doubt, leave it out. I also added in some hemp hearts as well, two tablespoons or so, if you have some on hand this is a great place to use them!

The ribbons are easy to create. I used a mandolin to ribbon the zucchini and a peeler to do the carrots. It's best to use smaller sized zucchini so the mandolin will be wider. This will help keep the zucchini edges cleaner looking instead of scoured. But do it however you're comfortable and use whatever tools you have. If you only have a peeler you can just as easily use that to ribbon the zucchini too. You can also simply use a julienne tool for thinner ribbons or julienne everything by hand if need be.

Carrot + Zucchini Ribbons + Cilantro Pepita Pesto

Ingredients

• 3 large carrots
• 3 small zucchini
• pepitas, for serving
• mineral salt & cracked pepper to taste
• almond parmesan, for serving

Cilantro Pepita Pesto

• 1 large bunch cilantro (3 cups loosely packed), ends removed, leaves and small stems ok
• 1/3 cup pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds), toasted or raw
• 2 tablespoons hemp hearts, optional
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 small jalapeno, seed removed (leave a few seeds for heat if you like)
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• juice of 1 large lemon
• 1/2 teaspoon himilayan salt
• 1/2 teaspoon garam masala, optional

Start with your pesto, place pepitas in your food processor and pulse a few times until seeds are broken down fairly well. Add remaining ingredients and blend until well combined and fairly smooth, stopping to scrap down the sides as needed. Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, to thin if needed (no need to add more oil unless you want). Taste for flavor and season to taste. Set aside.

Peel the outer layer of your carrots and discard. Using the peeler, ribbon the carrots. Wash your zucchini, cut the ends off and using a mandolin, or tool of choice, ribbon the zucchini. You can just as well julienne your carrots and zucchini with a julienne tool or by hand if you would rather have thinner strands.

In a medium size bowl, place carrots and zucchini, add a few spoonfuls of pesto and mix to combine. You will have pesto leftover unless you really love the stuff and use it all!

Plate your ribbons, top with a sprinkle of pepitas and a nice dusting of almond parmesan. For a little extra color you could add some red pepper flakes to the top.

Serves two.

Store leftover pesto in an air tight container in the fridge for up to a week. Use the pesto for pasta, as a dip for vegetables, as a spread for sandwiches, thin it out with water or lemon juice and make a dressing for salads, etc. Lots of ways to use pesto.

Notes: Use almonds in place of pepitas if needed. I used raw pepitas instead of toasting them.

For the garam marsla, if pairing this with regular pasta I would leave it out. It pairs well with the freshness of the carrot & zucchini ribbons. Also, I found that it tasted fine with almond parmesan. But like I said earlier, I can eat some really unusual combinations. If you feel like experimenting, try it out...if in doubt, skip it.

Enjoy!