Welcome to my first edition of #meatlessmonday! I saw this Tweet this morning, from Chris at Blog Well Done. He was looking for people to join in, so I figured, why not?
My first entry in Meatless Monday is Raw Zucchini Pesto Pasta. Yes, it's raw, and the pasta is julienned zucchini. We use one of these, from Zyliss, to make easy julienne strips. It works great, it's quick to use, and you don't have to drag out some contraption, then clean it. We also have one of these, from Joyce Chen. It works alright for soft veggies, but not for anything like butternut squash or beets. It just mangles them. So...that was $30 down the drain.
Anyway, this was a quick dinner to get on the table. Some zucchini, tomatoes, basil, pesto...you get the idea. And it's versatile--you can add whatever you like, you don't necessarily need to use what I used here. Also, with summer in full swing, and gardens bursting with zucchini, this is a great way to use some of that up! And if you can't wrap your head around zucchini being pasta, you have two options. You can think of it as a cold salad, or you can lightly sauté the zucchini, then toss with the rest of the ingredients.
And remember, organic is best when enjoying fresh fruits and vegetables, if you can swing it. You don't really want to be putting all of those chemicals in your body, do you? And damn, they're hard to wash off. Getting organic foods is easier than ever in the summer time, because farmer's markets are also in full swing.
Basic recipe:
Raw Zucchini Pesto Pasta
This one has parmesan, it was made before we decided to eat vegan. But feel free to use it on yours! You can also find raw milk parm, if that's something you want.
3-4 zucchini, washed and julienned
2-3 tomatoes
a handful of basil, sliced thinly (stack leaves, roll them up, and slice thinly across for ribbons)
pesto, to taste
salt and fresh cracked black pepper
olive oil, for drizzling over
Toss all ingredients in a bowl. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil. Eat right away.
And here's a quickie--a bonus recipe. Well, it's not even a recipe, really. But it's one of my favorite lunches.
A whole wheat pita, toasted in the oven. Slather on your favorite hummus, then your favorite veggies. Here, I've used tomatoes, cucumbers, red bell pepper, and avocado. Lots of fresh cracked pepper over the top, and you're done. So good!
Last order of business. Some of you may be wondering how my husband and I are doing with our new way of eating. Some of may not be, so you can skip to the end now, hehe.
We're doing great! We have more energy, have lost a few pounds, and just look and feel better, in general. My husband's blood sugar: he's been testing, and at first, without his meds, his levels were anywhere from 140 to 220. With his meds, they were still up and down like that.
Last week, he took a reading and was at 88. And he hasn't taken his meds since we started eating 100% raw and vegetarian, then eventually raw and vegan. Do I recommend that everyone try this? Hell, no, I'm no doctor. But this is what's worked for him.
So when people ask me if I miss meats and dairy, my answer is no. First, because I really don't! And second, because I can see how healthy and happy it's made my husband. And to make him go it alone in this journey would be selfish. For me, anyway.
I'm not going to get all preachy on you, but I do want to let you all know the changes we've seen. Also, I'm amazed how satisfied I feel eating raw and vegan foods! I never in a million years would have thought that eating this way would leave me feeling full and happy, but it does! And everything tastes so good and clean. It's almost like meat and dairy were clouding everything else over. I know this isn't for everyone, and yeah, meat still looks good. Damn good! The smell of meat on a grill still gives me a little jolt of "aaaaahhhh." But I know I feel better without it. So for me, it makes sense to skip it.
Again, thanks for coming along on this journey with me!
And don't forget to enter my giveaway!
Wednesday, January 4, 2012 at 3:59PM in 
