Raw Zucchini Pasta w/ Chunky Vegan Sauce!

I’ve been wanting a spiralizer for quite some time now. But I just don’t have the counter space for it since my gigantic handy blender and can’t- live-without juicer takes up most of it up. Maybe the answer to this is getting a bigger kitchen? 🙂

So as a kind (and surprising!) gift, Tina from Classic Chef sent me the very popular Zyliss Julienne Peeler for my cooking needs. It’s the handy little device that can shred vegetables and fruits into decent strips. I haven’t tried using a spiralizer yet, but this one seems to be doing the trick perfectly well. It’s easy to handle, small enough to store away and pretty good quality. You don’t need to spend big bucks on spiralizing tools either since this gadget is easy on the wallet (approx 10 bucks!)

So what’s the deal with wanting to tatter my food up anyway? For one, I try to keep my dishes grain free (gluten free as well) so this means cutting out carbs when possible and sticking to whole plant based dishes. This doesn’t mean I deprive myself of the awesome-ness of the psuedo grains like organic quinoa, buckwheat or the occasional whole grain brown rice! However, it’s easy to eat more of these carbs as the main part of the dish and then subconsciously eat less vegetables. So moderation and balance is key. Whether you want to lose some stubborn weight, improve your blood chemistry, increase your energy levels or get more vitamin intake, making some meals grain free can help you to achieve that. This means filling the place of (hopefully gluten free) breads, pastas and brown rice dishes with a favourite vegetable like zucchinis and sweet potatoes and preparing them in the same delicious way.

Pasta is one of my favourite dishes EVER. If I could eat it everyday, I would. Oodles of noodles and a rich creamy tomato sauce always hits the spot. I’m sure it does for a lot of people too! I’ll usually make it with organic brown rice pasta or Explore Asia mung bean noodles and both would do the trick. Of course, too much of a good thing is never good. So thanks to my handy dandy Julienne peeler, I am able to shred vegetables like zucchinis and cucumbers to pasta shaped noodles. So not only do I cut the carbs and calories down by a heck of a whole lot by making it grain free, I also get more doses of healthy greens onto my plate. The key to not compromising the taste of this grain free pasta dish: a kick ass flavorful chunky vegan sauce to go on top of the zucchini noodles!

Vegan, grain free, wheat free, gluten free, preservative free, soy free, protein rich delicious-ness! 

As they say in Italy: Buon Appetito!

What you’ll need:

Spiralized or peeled zucchini – try to keep it raw to take in full plant based enzymes

Sauce

2 cups of organic crushed tomatoes

1 cup of sodium free chickpeas or soaked/cooked garbanzo beans

1/2 cup of chopped bell peppers

1 cup of diced dinosaur kale

1 tsp of 100% tomato paste

1 tsp of dried oregano

1 tsp of dried basil

1 tsp of coriander

1 tsp of dried thyme

1 tsp of organic coconut oil or extra virgin olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced

1/4 cup of yellow onion, minced

Black pepper and himalayan salt to taste

In a small pot, heat oil and diced onions for a few minutes until golden brown on medium heat. Add garlic and saute for 5 minutes or until softened and translucent. Add chickpeas and mix well. Coat the tomato paste and crushed tomatoes over. Let cook for a minute or two. Throw over all spices. Combine well. Lower heat. Add bell peppers and kale and stir. Adjust to taste.

Pour sauce over peeled zucchini noodles and top with cracked black pepper. Devour.