Serves 2 (you’ll have heaps of pesto left over)
I love the challenge of finding new ways to make the same vegetables tasty. Especially when in the height of summer zucchinis are everywhere! Here I made a ‘creamy pasta’ dish, without the gluten and cream using ribbons of zucchini instead of pasta and a dairy-free pesto with basil from our garden.
Ingredients – pesto
- 1 big handful of nuts/seeds (I used pine nuts, sunflower seeds, macadamias, sesame seeds and a few Brazils)
- 2 cups (loosely packed) fresh basil
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Salt
- (note: you can add raw garlic to your pesto, but for this recipe I added it in during the cooking stage)
Directions – pesto
- Smash nuts and seeds in a pestle and mortar
- Add basil leaves and continue to smash until a paste starts to form
- Gradually drizzle in enough olive oil until you reach your desired pesto consistency
- Season with salt to taste
Ingredients – main dish
- 3-4 chicken thigh fillets (organic, free range if possible)
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1-2 zucchinis, sliced into ribbons (use a wide vegetable peeler)
- Basil pesto
Directions – main dish
- Slice chicken and stir fry in olive oil until sealed on medium heat (do not allow to smoke)
- Add garlic and continue to stir for 1-2 mins
- Add enough pesto (and more oil if needed) to coat the chicken
- Stir in zucchini ribbons when the chicken is pretty much cooked through (it doesn’t take much to overcook these)
- Serve with a decent crack of black pepper
We seriously could not believe how creamy this dish was, without cheese or cream! I think the macadamias were the secret here.
