Zucchini Noodles with Pesto

It seems that Easter brought out the sweet tooth in us, so I thought I'd post something savory to provide some balance. I made the noodles by following Elaine Gottschall's recipe from Breaking the Vicious Cycle, which were actually easier to make then I was expecting. I also wanted to note that nether of my kids liked this dish at first, but after serving it several times, now they both love it. It is a good reminder that adapting to a special diet can be a process and not to give up on something too quickly.


To make the noodles, you will need 1-2 medium sized zucchini per person. Wash them, trim them and remove the outer peel. Then, to make the noodles, stick a skewer through the center of the zucchini to hold it and shave off slices from top to bottom while turning it.

There are several ways to cook these noodles. Elaine Gottschall says to pile them onto a greased cookie sheet and bake for 25 minutes at 215 degrees. This has worked well for us, but I do recommend mixing them around at least once during this time. Other people have reported success with sauteing them or boiling them.

PESTO

Ingredients:

4 oz basil leaves
1 cup pine nuts, toasted
1/2 cup oil
1 tsp salt
2 (or more) cloves of garlic
honey to taste (optional)

Combine in food processor and blend. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. This pesto is somewhat thin, which we don't mind, but you could thicken it with nut butter, coconut, or white beans (if you are at that point in the diet). I have found that cashews work well in place of pine nuts. As for oil, olive oil is traditional, but can be bitter, and there is no cheese to offset the taste. We used macadamia oil with great results.