Summer Goddess Dressing

A few days ago I was surprised by a package in the mail. A large package sent from Amazon. Confused, I opened the box, curious to see what awaited me. Inside I found something spectacular. Something I have wanted for a long while now, and that every health food chef should have. A spiralizer! I couldn’t believe my eyes, had I purchased this in my sleep? I began to imagine all the wonderful things I could create with this new kitchen tool. Raw pasta dishes, raw ribbon salads, etc…..awesome! I did find out who sent me the spiralizer. It was a wonderful friend whom I can’t thank enough for her support and generosity!

With an abundance of zucchini growing in the garden and a few left over dark red carrots, I decided to make a raw zucchini pasta salad with my summer goddess dressing. Zucchini is a versatile vegetable that easily takes on the flavor of whatever seasoning you use. Its light, delicate, and simply delicious, especially in this salad. With its high water content and diverse nutrients, zucchini is a great way to fill up without too many calories. Who would have guessed that a cup of raw zucchini offers 32% of your daily vitamin C? And is a good source of B vitamins! 

The summer goddess dressing is definitely one to have on hand. I use it as a dressing in wraps and salads or just as a dip. Full of sesame seeds and extra virgin olive oil, this dressing offers many healthy fatty acids to help absorb  fat-soluble vitamins and keep you full. And, as you may have read from this recent post, sesame seeds are an excellent source of vegan calcium. Yum!

So, no matter if you are vegan, raw, or gluten-free, this salad will make every girl feel like a glowing goddess. If you have a spiralizer at home, or even just a julienne peeler, I urge you to give this a whirl!

Summer Goddess Dressing

Makes about 8 servings (2 tablespoons/serving)

Ingredients:

¼ cup water

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

1/8 cup apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons tahini

4 teaspoons lemon juice

4 teaspoons tamari

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 teaspoons sesame seeds, toasted

1 ½ tablespoons chives, chopped finely

1 ½ tablespoons parsley, chopped finely

1 tablespoon honey or agave

¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

Fresh ground pepper to taste

Prepare the dressing: Place all ingredients into a high-powered blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Pour into a glass jar and store in refrigerator. The dressing will thicken within a half an hour.

Optional: If you like a little spice, add some harissa to taste.

Raw Zucchini Pasta Salad with Summer Goddess Dressing

Makes 2 servings

Ingredients:

1 green zucchini

1 yellow zucchini

1 dark red carrot

Zest of ½ lemon

1/8 - ¼ cup chopped cilantro (depends on how much cilantro you like)

4 tablespoons of Summer Goddess Dressing

Fine sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Hemp hearts (optional)

Prepare the Salad: Spiralize both the green and yellow zucchini and cut strands into smaller pieces. Place into a salad bowl. Then julienne the carrot and toss into the bowl (the carrot strands may also need to be cut in half). Add the lemon zest, cilantro, and Summer Goddess Dressing and mix. Add fine sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste. Garnish each serving with hemp hearts.