Hey friends! It is a beautiful day here in sunny Boulder, Colorado, and to celebrate such lovely, spring weather, I am sharing with you a twist on one of my favorite dishes to serve up when life starts to lighten up: Raw Vegan Pasta.
(Above: Cheesy Ketogenic {Raw, Vegan} Pasta – soon to be released in my 5-week Raw & Vegan Keto Menu Plan + Guide!)
I believe it’s very important to nourish our body in accordance with the seasons, and so usually tend to eat predominantly raw and vegan (mostly vegan year-round) especially when ‘Spring cleaning’ time hits, because this is an important part of the year for us to shed old layers (excess stored during winter…?), cleanse the system, and begin anew.
I like doing simple fasts or feasts during this period as well, either a 1-3 day juice feast, or an all-raw period (80/10/10 style) to let the digestive system get a rest and really get that lymphatic system moving.
PS – In case you’re wondering, this is a #nomakeup shot, an impressive feat for me since healing from acne has been a life-long journey. A book for BloomforLife will soon be released to help YOU get glowing, clear skin as well!
I’m sure you know now that a stagnant lymphatic system is one of the three root causes of most ‘dis-ease’, so it’s very important we support the kidneys/adrenals by not engaging in excess stress/caffeine/sugary drinks and foods so they work optimally and can filter this lymph. When backed up, our lymphatic systems (literally the ‘sewer system of our body’) gets stagnate and cause cause a whole lot of other problems as our body tries to detoxify through the skin and other methods. Not fun.
And while we’re on the subject, why not mention the other two root causes? Acidosis and Toxicity are the other fun two that play a part in all modern-day diseases of affluence, so it’s really important we eat an abundance of live, leafy-green, plant-based foods, get plenty of rest, stay hydrated, get out and play in the sun, and set positive intention to live healthfully so that our mind matches our mentality to get fit.
Such actions will support our body’s natural ability to heal itself, and we will live longer, happier, and healthier lives in result.
Annnnnnd what better way to introduce such change than to make some raw, vegan pasta!? It may sound crazy – or impossible – but trust me, as soon as you invest in a spiralizer of some sort, you will never go back to slow-digesting grain-based pasta. (Sorry, Italy)
Zucchini serves as the base for this incredible raw pasta, and the way you make it is by using a spiralizer (try the Veggetti or the Tri-Blade spiralizer – a popular one – by clicking on their names).
All you need to do is wash and cut off the ends of your zucchini, and then spin in your spiralizerto make noodles! It’s so incredible, right?
But you’re not done there. Next, use a dime-sized amount of coconut, olive, or palm fruit oil and a dash or two of sea salt, and then massage into your noodles. Let sit for 5 minutes (minimum, but not super long) and then they’ll actually attain a near-perfect ‘spaghetti’-like consistency. It’s super fascinating and awesome.
An alternative (if you’re striving to stay low-fat and detox) is to use only lemon juice, and massage into the noodles. Come back in 10 minutes (or make your sauce while you’re waiting) and you’ll find them perfect to soak up a sauce.
Finally, make your sauce using the incredible recipe below (or exchange it with any other blended sauce you like – have you tried the Alfredo Raw Pastawith faux dehydrated ‘chick-n’ yet?!)
Raw Zucchini Pasta w/ Lemon-Oregano Pesto
{Raw, Vegan, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Soy-Free}
Ingredients:
3 Large Zucchinis (using method described above, spiralize, marinate, and set aside)
2-3 Ripe Tomatoes for garnish (Roma or Cherry are perfect!)
Lemon-Oregano Pesto
1 Bunch of Fresh Sweet Basil
1 Bunch of Fresh Oregano (save a little extra for garnish)
1/2 Cup of Cold-Pressed Macadamia Oil (or sub Hemp or Avocado if you can’t find)
1/4 Cup Pine Nuts (you can substitute macadamia nut, hemp seed, or cashews)
1/3 Cup Freshly-squeezed Lemon Juice
1 Tbsp Nutritional Yeast (optional)
Cracked Black Pepper to Taste
2 Cloves of Garlic (if you’re not all raw, feel free to roast for extra flavor)
Direction:
1) Using a food processor or a blender, combine all lemon-oregano pesto ingredients until well-processed and smooth.
2) Pour over zucchini noodles, and then top with fresh oregano garnish and diced tomatoes.
This is a perfect dinner to enjoy with some delicious kale chipsor flax crackers. And I guarantee you, if you serve this to your friends and family, not only will all of you feel lighter afterward, you’ll notice that the mental fog you’ve become accustomed to from ‘standard eating’ clears up slightly as well.
Keep with such optimal eating habits and you’ll experience a world of transformation in no time!
Photo Credit: SimpleProvisions
And that’s about it for now! I hope you guys enjoyed this recipe. 🙂 As usual, I have a lot of recipe book/plans and self-help books in planning and creation, and have established a goal to have a new project released every 1-2 months from here on out. It’s ambitious, but I feel it can be done.
PS – If you aren’t already, be sure to LIKE Bloom for Life on FACEBOOK and TWITTER and FOLLOW me on Instagram! <3
What are is YOUR favorite go-to raw pasta dressing?
I’d love for you to share in the comments section below! 🙂
You Deserve to Live a Life You Love!
Amanda Froelich
