Zucchini Rolls

Last week my sister Kate and I partook in a juice fast.  It was a wonderful time to clean out our systems and have some great sister time.  By the last day, all I wanted to do was eat zucchini with ricotta, pesto and marinara.  So here is what transpired:

Zucchini Rolls:

4 medium zucchini, cut lengthwise into very thin slices.  Its easiest to use a mandolin slicer.

Ricotta:

2 cups pine nuts

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (gives ricotta a more "cheesy" flavor)

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

6 tablespoons of water (or coconut water or rejuvelac)

Blend until smooth and fluffy.

Pesto:

2 cups packed basil leaves

1/2 cup pumpkin seeds (soaked one hour)

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon sea salt

2-3 cloves of garlic (or as much as you want to taste)

pepper to taste

Blend in blender until you reach desired

 consistency.

Marinara:

1 teaspoon ginger

2 tablespoons garlic

1 teaspoon jalapeno

1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes

2 green olives

1/4 cup shallots or red onion

1/3 cup basil leaves

1/3 cup red bell pepper

1/4 cup oregano leaves

1/2 cup strawberries

2 cups chopped tomatoes

1/4 cup nama shoyu (or tamari for gluten sensitive people)

1 cup olive oil

1/4 cup red wine

blend together so that it is still slightly chunky.

To make rolls:

*Pour half of marinara into a 9 by 13 baking dish.

*Lay out zucchini place dallops of ricotta and pesto on zucchini and roll up.

*Place rolls into baking dish and pour other half of marinara on top of rolls.

*Serve at room temperature.

**If you like them slightly warm, place in dehydrator for a couple of hours before you are ready to serve.  If you do not have a dehydrator you may put them in oven on low for about 20-30 minutes.  Enjoy!

This delicious dish has it all in one power packed meal!

Basil is rich in antioxidants, which help boost immunity.  It's also an antimicrobial, which fights the germs that can cause colds.

Nutmeg is a "warming spice" that can bring blood from the center of the body to the skin.  This helps disperse the blood more evenly throughout the body, reducing overall pressure.

Since the 1950's there have been more than 2,700 articles that have been published about the health benefits of garlic, this would include, digestive and respiratory problems, fatigue, bacterial infections, toothache, arthritis, and heart disease.  Wow!  It's a good thing I LOVE garlic!

Lycopene, although not an essential nutrient for humans, research has shown an inverse correlation between consumption of tomatoes and cancer risk, lycopene has been considered a potential agent for the prevention of some types of cancers, particularly prostate cancer.

xoxoxxo

Michelle

Please check out my personal site at: www.MichelleBerryShaffer.com