Zucchini Hemp Seed Pesto

I learned something about beets with my dressing experiment yesterday – they turn pee pink. That scared me at first, guess I’ve never eaten that much raw beet at once. I’m pretty sure I don’t have an iron deficiency, but I’m going to check now anyway. I’ve also been enjoying a lot of fresh ginger lately, it’s a regular on my weekly shopping lists and I discovered this morning a chunk of it is a great way to add zing to a smoothie with great benefits.

Anyway, I love pesto, but always avoided it before going raw because of the fat content and that it’s usually paired with carb-loaded pasta, and usually 8 lbs. of it at a typical Italian restaurant, for a guaranteed crash later. I’ve been more open to it since going raw, raw versions tend to be veggie based and contain a fraction of the oil. But, they still lacked in the protein department. I’ve been a bit obsessed with hemp seeds after hearing so many positive things about them at the Whole Foods Raw Fair, they’re a much better protein source over nuts and I’ve liked every recipe I’ve tried them in so far. But, I’ve haven’t had much luck finding good raw recipes for them that aren’t smoothies. This inspired me to start experimenting with another favorite ingredient of mine, zucchini, and I’m very happy with the end result!

Typically this would be served with zucchini noodles, but that’s a bit of a zucchini overload. Maybe with artichoke hearts, I like the fresh frozen bag from Trader Joe’s, topped on raw crackers or pizza crust. Or as a salad dressing, veggie dip, topping for eggplant noodles, etc. It has a great, creamy flavor and coats veggies nicely, I just loved the strong basil and garlic flavors and did not miss the excess oil at all.