Creamy Zucchini Magic Sauce
3:14 PM
Ah, zucchini. How do I love the, let me count the ways. Delicious, easy to digest, versatile, colorful and nutritious -- what's not to love?! And there are so many ways to love you. From slices for dipping to raw noodles to this creamy sauce or dip -- zucchini is one vegetable I always have in my fridge. I have loved zucchini since I was a child. I think my first experience which showed me how versatile an ingredient it is came when my friend Francesca had me over for dinner one night. Her father Fred was from Spain and was a wonderful cook. He would make seemingly simple dishes unforgettable. That night Fred made fettuccine pasta with a homemade zucchini cream sauce studded with fried zucchini slices. Zucchini gave the sauce a beautiful pale green color, a lightness and a unique almost bitter yet delicious flavor which I would try to replicate for years to come.
In highschool, I always made my own version of Fred's pasta sauce for my little dinners with friends and for parties. I carried on the tradition in University, swapping the heavy cream in the sauce for the more interesting flavor of soft goat's cheese. As an adult vegan I began searching for ways to make a similar sauce.
Raw Tahini (sesame seed paste) is my cream and/or cheese replacement in this recipe that I am sharing with you today. I had never tried raw tahina paste before, just the standard roasted tahini paste. I recommend it if you can find it -- it is more nutritious, less bitter and easier to mix (tahini separates like a nut butter) than roasted tahini paste.
Today's recipe is a great alternative to my favourite zucchini sauce. It is just as creamy, very filling and mostly raw and vegan. This sauce is thick enough to be a dip (similar to hummus) but creamy enough to be a sauce for pastas, salads and vegetables. I enjoyed it last night as salad dressing, a topping for steamed vegetables and a creamy addition to my bowl of millet grits.
I call this recipe my Creamy Zucchini Magic Sauce because it is so versatile. Everything I have added it to comes out totally different. In my salad it made a creamy dressing that was vaguely reminiscent of caesar. On my hot steamed vegetables the flavor became more pronounced and transformed the bowl into garlicky, creamy and smokey bliss. On my millet grits it enhanced their creamy texture and gave them a really interesting and delicious savory flavor. My favourite way to eat this sauce was on top of my steamed vegetables. Though I have yet to put it on top of pasta, I know it will be delicious. You could also try it as a topping for rice or other grains.
This sauce is also great as a dip for vegetables and bread -- think hummus. Healthy, creamy, tasty and fresh -- this is one sauce I know I will be making again and again.
Zucchini Magic Sauce
(gluten-free, raw, vegan, paleo)
 |
|
Add everything but the paprika to a high speed blender and blend until very smooth. Transfer to a bowl or container and sprinkle on the paprika as a garnish. Serve with veggies or bread or use as a salad dressing or pasta sauce.
|
0 comments