The versatile vegetable! (well actually zucchini is a fruit but shh!)

Here with our weekly Tuesday guest post by Nida on raw/vegan food- 1 of my personal favourite vegetables: Zucchini! I am definitely going to try the recipe she has outlined below- with a few easy additions like some thinly sliced red onions and capers or olives! W.P

Zucchini is the darling of the raw vegan world. Its versatility and ability to mimic pasta while providing numerous benefits makes it a staple in my kitchen! I use a spiralizer to make spaghetti out of it or a peeler to make fettucini style noodles. You can also grate it for a shredded effect and I even juice it. It's also often used to make hummus instead of garbanzo beans so you can see how versatile zucchini can be!

Zucchini Contains Magnesium, Folate, Zinc, Manganese, Calcium, Potassium, Copper, dietary fiber and contains Vitamins A, C, E and K. Magnesium for example is essential for your bones and muscle, while folate aids in your digestion. The fibre in zucchini causes your liver to absorb more cholesterol to produce bile for digestion. Thus, you can be safe from cholesterol getting deposited in the lining of your blood vessels. Zucchini is also highly effective ingredient in your diet with respect to weight loss. It has lower calorie count to serving size so even if you have larger servings of zucchini; with lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, it helps you reduce weight in a healthy manner because you can lose weight without your body being deprived of its essential nutrients.

Here is a great recipe from ahouseinthehills.com (This particular picture is from their website)

Zucchini noodles with basil balsamic marinated tomatoes

This is a rustic, easy to make dish that is a staple in my home.

Serves: 1
Notes: If you don't want to spring for a julienne peeler, long strands from a regular peeler would be equally tasty. 

What you need:

1 heaped cup of cherry tomatoes, halved
splash of balsamic vinegar, about 1 tbsp
splash of extra virgin olive oil, about 1 1/2 tbsp
1 tsp finely minced garlic
1 sprig of basil, leaves finely sliced
salt + pepper
1 medium zucchini
handful of pine nuts or sunflower seeds

Method:

1. In a small bowl, combine the halved tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, garlic, basil, salt and pepper. Toss lightly to combine and set aside for 10 minutes or so.
2. Using a julienne peeler or mandoline or spiralizer, slice the zucchini into long strands. otherwise use your regular peeler to make fettucine like strands of the zucchini. Place them in your serving bowl and toss them with a bit more olive oil, salt and pepper.
3. Spoon the marinated tomatoes on top of the zucchini strands. Garnish the top of the dish with some extra basil and the pine nuts.
   

Nida Kazmi

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