People are always searching for simple and speedy ways to add more veggies to their plates. Here’s one for you…ever heard of zoodles?

Also known as zucchini noodles, zoodles are almost as fun to say as they are to eat.

I myself like to use zucchini noodles as a salad base or as an alternative or complement to pasta. You can eat them raw like in today’s recipe or give them a quick sauté in garlic and olive oil to soften them up slightly, equally delicious.  The easiest way for you to make zoodles at home is to use a spiral slicer.  In today’s video, I’m using my handy  GEFU spirelli spiral slicer, which is compact and perfect for just one or two zucchini. (Note: if there are healthy cooking advocates in your family, this handy gadget makes for a great holiday stocking stuffer!) However, if you plan on making a bigger batch, I would recommend looking into a spiral slicer with a base, the one I use at home is by Le Rouet. 

Don’t have a spiralizer? Don’t fret. You can use a julienne peeler, or,  if you don’t have one of those, an easy hack is to use a mandolin or regular vegetable peeler to make long shavings and slice into thin strips with a sharp knife.

In today’s episode,  I’m preparing zucchini noodles with avocado pesto, peas and salmon. On the nutrition front, this bowl showcases healthy fats in a delicious way with creamy avocado, pistachios and salmon playing lead roles. On the flavour front, I’ve got one word to convince you: pesto.

 

 

 

Zucchini Noodles with Avocado Pesto and Salmon

Ingredients

For the bowl

• 3 zucchinis, noodled
• 1 1/2 cups peas
• 14 oz wild salmon (or 12 oz cooked salmon)

For the pesto (makes 1 cup)

• 1/2 avocado
• 1 cup baby spinach
• 12 leaves fresh basil
• 12 leaves fresh mint
• 1/3 cup pistachios
• 1 garlic clove
• pinch chili flakes
• 3 tablespoons EVOO
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/4 cup water
• Coarse salt to taste

 

Method

To cook the salmon:

1. Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Lay the salmon on the baking sheet and drizzle with oil and sprinkle evenly with salt and pepper.
3. Place in the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, until it flakes easily with a fork.
4. Serve immediately with the recipe or place in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days for future use.

To make the pesto

1. In a food processor fitted with a steel blade, place the avocado, spinach, basil, mint, pistachios, garlic, chili, olive oil lemon juice and blend until smooth. Next at the water, pulse until smooth.  Adjust seasoning to taste.

To build your bowl

1. In a large bowl, place the zucchini noodles, the peas, a few heaping spoonfuls of pesto and toss. Top with the salmon and extra pesto if desired and serve.