Courgetti with kale, avocado & basil pesto

This is a lovely on a summer’s day – especially as we’re getting some decent sun here in Ireland this year.  The photo doesn’t do it justice – it’s day-glo green!  If you have young children and a spiralizer they will really enjoy helping make the courgetti.  Otherwise just buy spiralized courgettes or at a push, take a grater and grate the courgettes lenghtwise to get very long strings.  To make this a complete meal just add some protein – maybe some leftover cooked chicken, or some prawns tossed in a hot pan with a little coconut oil and a chopped red chilli until cooked.  The recipe is by food blogger Aoife Howard.

 

 

 

To serve 3

1 tsp garlic (1 big clove) crushed
1 large bunch fresh basil, destalked (reserve a few leaves for serving)
Juice 1/2 lemon
1/2 a ripe avocado
1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
Water
5 stalks of kale, washed, destalked and roughly chopped
Himalayan salt, sea salt and black pepper
1-2 courgettes per person, spiralized

1. Food processor method: combine avocado, lemon juice, basil, olive oil and kale.  Pulse the mix, gradually adding the water one tablespoon at a time until smooth
Liquidizer method: liquidize the garlic, basil, lemon juice, avocado and oil with a couple of tablespoons of water til smooth.  With the motor running add the kale gradually, dropping in a few bits at a time.  Blitz till everything is a vibrant, smooth green sauce.  You might need to add a few more tablespoons of water to get the right consistency to coat your courgetti.
2. Add the salt and pepper to taste.
3. The courgetti can be eaten raw but if you prefer, gently warm through on a frying pan (ideally ceramic*) for 1-2 minutes until tender.  If you don’t have a ceramic pan, you’ll need to put the merest smear of olive oil on your pan to stop the courgetti sticking.
4. Drizzle the pesto over the courgetti and toss well.  serve topped with your choice of protein and garnish with a few torn up basil leaves.

* Why use a ceramic pan?  These are pans that have a great non-stick surface but don’t add toxic teflon to your food every time you cook.  Teflon is the black coating on non-stick cookware.  The next best thing to a ceramic pan would be stainless steel or even cast iron.

Why this is good for you:
Raw food contains enzymes which help digestion.  It also retains more vitamins (C and B vitamins) than cooked food.  Green foods are rich in magnesium which helps us unwind mentally and physically and is also crucial for our immune systems.  Basil, garlic and extra virgin olive oil  help reduce numbers of toxic micro organisms in your gut.  For optimum vitality long-term we all need to eat at least half our lunch AND dinner as non-starchy veggies like greens and salad vegetables.