Avocado Pesto "Pasta" with Blistered Tomatoes

There is nothing quite like a warm Spring day! We have been having a few of them lately here in California (don't worry- we have rain in the forecast all week), so we have been soaking it up. The warmer weather makes me want to swap out soups and stews for some lighter meals. That's what lead me to create this amazing avocado pesto "pasta" with blistered tomatoes. It is so light yet creamy and it's perfect on its own or next to some grilled chicken or salmon. It also comes together in minutes making it the perfect weeknight meal. I hope you make this one of your go-to dishes this Spring and throughout the Summer months ahead. 

Have you ever spiralized zucchini to create zucchini "noodles"? That's probably a silly question since it's been a food craze for a while. But, I have to admit this was my first time trying it. And now, I get all the hype! They were the perfect "noodle" for this dish since the avocado pesto perfectly coats them. You could certainly use regular pasta noodles in this dish (I won't judge)! 

I used my Vitamix blender to make the pesto sauce and it worked great! You could also use a food processor as well. If you find that your sauce is too thick for your taste, you can always add an extra drizzle of olive oil and/or lemon juice to thin it out a bit. Or, if you are using regular pasta noodles, you could add some of the cooking water to the sauce. 

The blistered tomatoes not only give this dish a nice color, but they also add a slight sweetness! 

To plate this dish, I simply tossed the zucchini noodles with the sauce and piled it on the plate with the blistered tomatoes. To finish it off, I grated some fresh parmesan cheese on top and it is perfection! You could also add some fresh cracked pepper and salt to taste.

I hope you give this recipe a try and love it as much as we do! As always, feel free to leave any questions or comments below or on my Instagram :)

---

Avocado Pesto "Pasta" with Blistered Tomatoes Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2-4 zucchini, spiralized (2 large or 4 small)
• 3 cups red and yellow mini tomatoes
• Freshly grated parmesan cheese for topping

Avocado Pesto:

• 1 large bunch basil, washed
• 2 ripe avocados
• 3 green onions (green parts)
• ½ cup unsalted walnuts
• 2 Tbs. lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic
• ½ tsp. sea salt
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
• Freshly ground pepper to taste 

Directions:

1. Put all of the pesto ingredients into a blender or food processor and pulse until smooth. Set aside.

2. Heat the cherry tomatoes with a drizzle of olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Gently shake the pan to get them moving. Continue cooking until the tomatoes are roasty and the skins are split or loosened. Remove from heat and set aside.

3. Bring a separate pan to medium high heat with a drizzle of olive oil. Add the spiralized zucchini. Toss for 1-2 minutes, until tender-crisp. Remove the pan from the heat and combine the zucchini with the pesto sauce. Toss until combined. Season with salt and pepper, top with tomatoes and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

Note: I am on the conservative side with garlic, so if you like your garlic flavor strong, add an extra clove or two.

Easy Dessert: Pots De Creme

It is no secret that I love to entertain! It is also no secret that I love watching the Academy Awards every year. I watched them with my mom and sister growing up, and now my husband and I are all about it. We try to watch as many of the best picture nominee films leading up to it because we like to fill out ballots with our predictions. I love to find food that feels "Oscar worthy", yet is simple to make. For our viewing party this year, I made these incredibly easy yet delicious dark chocolate pots de creme. They are the perfect dessert for entertaining, watching the Academy Awards, or just because!  

This recipe requires very little prep work and comes together really quickly. It is naturally sweetened with honey so there are no refined sugars (which is always a plus!). I did a rough chop of a 4 oz. unsweetened chocolate bar and then threw the chocolate and the remaining ingredients in a high powered blender until smooth. Unlike traditional pots de creme, you do not have to use a double boiler to melt the chocolate. You warm up the coconut milk and pour it over the chocolate mixture, which makes it all come together.

Honestly, the hardest part about this recipe is waiting for it to cool in the refrigerator! Once it has cooled for at least 2 hours, it turns into the most delectable, rich chocolate dessert. Since I wanted to impress our guests, I added some fun toppings but you could certainly eat it as-is. 

I made an easy coconut whipped cream to put on top with the leftover coconut milk and it was a really nice addition. I also topped them with some raspberries and mint, but you could top them with anything you have on hand.

This dessert also fits most dietary needs since it is gluten-free, dairy-free, grain-free, and refined sugar-free. However, it is not free of flavor!

I would love to hear how you like this recipe, so be sure to comment below! 

---

Pots De Creme Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 tsp. instant espresso powder (optional)
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract 
• 4 ounces chopped unsweetened chocolate 
• 3/4 cup coconut milk (I used the Trader Joe's brand- extra thick)
• Optional toppings: whipped coconut cream, 1 pint of raspberries, and mint

Directions:

1. Roughly chop up the 4 oz. of chocolate.
2. Add all of the ingredients, excluding the coconut milk and optional toppings to a high powered blender. Blend until smooth.
3. Heat the coconut milk in a sauce pan until very hot (but not boiling). 
4. With the blender running on low, carefully and slowly add the hot coconut milk into the blender. Blend until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth and thick. 
5. Pour the chocolate mixture into serving cups and refrigerate until set, about 2 hours or over night. 
6. Top with your favorite toppings and enjoy!

*This recipe is adapted from this original recipe