Not only is this low-sugar, heart-healthy meal nutritious and full of savory crunch, it’s also fun to make, using zoodles and a delicious pesto sauce.
One of the most versatile and healthful meals is a zoodle bowl. And my pesto mushroom zoodle bowl is heart-healthy and great for everybody, and especially for those that are watching their carbs and sugar.
Zoodles, that’s right, not noodles, are basically long zucchini strands. That means it’s packed with fiber, vitamin C. And in just a few twirls, you get a ton of high quality nutrition.
I’m going to begin by making my pesto. In a food processor, pulse basil, heart-healthy walnuts and adding in some avocado. Walnuts and avocados are a perfect duo, both packed with anti-inflammatory vitamin E and omega-3s and great for any diet. Add lemon zest, lemon juice, packed with vitamin C, garlic, a pinch of pepper and salt. And here is olive oil, which is a great monounsaturated fat, that also supports heart-health. Pulse this.
After you’ve used your pesto, feel free to take the remaining and use it in an ice cube tray and freeze it for later. I’m going to take this pesto, put it in a bowl, and it’s time to make the zoodles.
Now onto the fun part. We’re going to be spiralizing some zucchini. Time to get zoodling. These make a ton of delicious spirals. And if you want, you can also cut them up, and you can dice them, or you can leave them as long strands like this one. And if you don’t have a spiralizer, you can easily get some already made in the supermarket.
But what I like to do is I’ll chop up the long ones with a little bit of a scissor, so we’re not getting these huge bites. So guess what? I made some earlier, which I will just add and combine these together. Here we go. Hey, hey. You can’t have too many zoodles, can you?
Now in a large nonstick skillet, I’m going to heat this to medium high. Heat two tablespoons of olive oil. When the oil is hot and shimmering, add the zucchini. And I’m just going to toss it around for a couple of minutes.
So what’s great about the spiralizer is that you can use any type of vegetables. You can use butternut squash, carrot. And all of these vegetables that you can use in it are packed with a ton of vitamins and minerals.
So after a couple of minutes, they’ve cooked thoroughly and they’re not too mushy, which is the key here. So I’m going to take this off of the heat and I’m going to transfer now all of these yummy zucchini noodles into my bowl. If you thought that part was fun, I’m getting ready for my pesto.
I like to add a couple of dollops, but feel free to use as much or as little as you’d like. And then you can’t forget to use your shiitake mushrooms. And I baked these shiitake mushrooms earlier on a sheet tray, which are an amazing plant-based and vegan source of vitamin D.
All right, who’s getting hungry? I’m going to plate a little bit in this bowl here, and the family will eat the rest later. These walnuts are the final great addition, which have a ton of vitamin E. Now, I can’t leave without taking a bite. It’s crunchy, flavorful. It’s also deliciously hydrating. You can taste the earthy aromas coming from the shiitake mushrooms.
The zoodle bowl is an adaptable and nutritious meal. Your heart and your health will thank you.