This meal is so simple to make, yet so flavorful and filling. If you’re not yet familiar with zoodles, they are “noodles” made out of spiralized zucchini. Fiber-filled, lower-carb versions of everyone’s favorite food. I realize this is another recipe starring zucchini, but it’s just such an all-star veggie, I couldn’t help myself. Did you know one medium zucchini has over 50% your daily value for vitamin C? (I actually didn’t know until about 4 minutes ago). They’ve also got folate, potassium & vitamin B6! Way to go, zukes. I use this spiralizer, and it works great!
Now, the pesto…
I am mildly obsessed with pesto. I have probably made every combination of herbs and nuts that you can think of. While the classic pesto contains pine nuts, I haven’t bought them in years because they are just so dang expensive. My pestos now almost always use walnuts, but I’ve been known to use almonds or cashews, and one time, peanuts even made it in there in a pinch. This version used cilantro instead of basil, and it was delicious. In the pesto world, all the herbs are your oyster. Try them all. Seriously.
In this batch, I subbed nutritional yeast for parmesan, making this a dairy-free pesto. I love it both ways. Nutritional yeast is a great substitute for those who can’t hang with cheese. Yes, the name makes it sound really odd, but it is a tasty (and healthy) salty little bite that really does give it the cheesy taste. Pulse it all up in your food processor – if you don’t have one yet, get one!
Let’s talk grass-fed butter
These shrimp got cooked up in some grass-fed butter, seasoned with salt and garlic pepper. Why grass-fed butter? Well, the short answer is that it’s healthy for you. For years, decades even, America was so fat-phobic that butter became #1 enemy (well, tied for #1 with eggs). However, we started making these fake butters out of pro-inflammatory vegetable oil spreads, and started replacing all the fats with empty carbs. Nowadays, people are starting to realize the virtues of good, real, grass-fed butter. When butter is made from cows who are grass-fed, you’ll notice that it is a deeper yellow color. This is due to the beta-carotene (which converts to vitamin A) from the cows munching on grass (the food that they are designed to eat!). These healthy cows make healthy butter which contain healthy fatty acids, one of which is conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), which has been linked to lower risk of heart disease and increased weight loss. Grass-fed butter also contains higher amounts of vitamin K2 and butyric acid (anti-inflammatory and supports the health of our intestinal tract). And, not to mention, it is so much more delicious than any other butter-resembling spread!
[lt_recipe name=”Cilantro Pesto Zoodles with Garlic Butter Shrimp” servings=”2″ prep_time=”20M” cook_time=”10M” total_time=”30M” difficulty=”Medium” summary=”Vibrant cilantro pesto with buttery shrimp mixed with low-carb zucchini noodles” print=”yes” ingredients=”1 c fresh cilantro;1/3 c raw walnuts;1/4 c nutritional yeast;3 cloves garlic;1/4 c extra virgin olive oil ;Juice of 1 lemon;Salt, pepper to taste;1-2 organic zucchinis;12-14 raw, medium, deveined and thawed shrimp;1-2 Tbsp grass-fed butter;1/4 tsp dried basil;1/4 tsp garlic pepper;1/4 tsp salt;” ]1. Combine the cilantro, walnuts, nutritional yeast, garlic, olive oil, lemon, salt, and pepper in a food processor. Pulse until mostly smooth with a few lumps. ;2. Preheat a pan on medium and add 1 Tbsp grass-fed butter. ;3. In the meantime, use a spiralizer to spiral your zucchini into noodle strands. ;4. Once butter is melted, add shrimp to pan and season with salt, garlic pepper, and dried basil. ;5. Cook shrimp 3-4 minutes on each side, until pink all the way through. ;6. Top shrimp with additional 1 Tbsp of grass-fed butter. ;7. Mix zoodles, shrimp, and pesto in the pan together, about 1-2 minutes, until warmed all the way through. [/lt_recipe]
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