Julienned Carrots With Parsley Pesto And Herbed Brown Basmati

This recipe developed because I desperately wanted to try out the new spiralizing attachment for my kitchen machine. After coming home from a vacation, the only spiralizable items in my fridge turned out to be some super large carrots. ‘Well, carrots it shall be’ I thought. I was determined to spiralize something. The curls turned out wonderfully, and I simply julienned the smaller carrots. A parsley pesto seemed to be the perfect companion for this deliciously light and flavorful meal that I served with herbed basmati rice.

Not necessary but very helpful:

• julienne peeler

Ingredients (4 servings):

For herbed basmati rice:

• 1 1/2 cups brown basmati rice, rinsed
• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 3 cups (710 ml) filtered water
• 1 tsp Celtic sea salt
• 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
• 1/2 packed cup (25 g) parsley, minced

For parsley pesto:

• 1/2 cup (70 g) pine nuts (plus more for topping)
• 1 packed cup (1.8 oz/50 g) parsley, minced
• 1/2 tsp Celtic sea salt
• 5 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast

For julienned carrots:

• 2 lb (900 g) carrots
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp Celtic sea salt

Toppings:

• more minced parsley
• more pan fried pine nuts (I used about 1/2 cup/70 g)
• vegan Parmesan (for homemade cashew Parmesan see notes)

Preparation:

For the herbed rice, preheat a medium size saucepan or pot on medium heat. Add olive oil with rinsed rice and fry for about 3 minutes. Add water with Celtic sea salt and turmeric, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer covered for about 45 minutes or to your preferred texture. Keep checking towards the end. You might have to add a little bit more water.

While the rice is simmering, you can prepare the rest.

For the pesto, preheat a frying pan on medium heat, then pan fry the pine nuts for about 2 minutes or until golden brown. Stir continuously!!!

Place all the pesto ingredients, including roasted pine nuts, in a food processor and process until the desired texture is achieved. The perfect pesto still has some texture and is not completely smooth. If you don’t have a food processor, you can easily use the chopping bowl attachment of your hand mixer. That’s what I did.

For the julienned carrots, wash and scrub carrots thoroughly and remove the ends. I usually peel larger carrots. As you can see in the pictures, I used a spiralizer for the super large carrots. You can do that or simply use a julienne peeler with a medium blade to achieve nicely cut carrot sticks.

Preheat a large pot over medium heat. Add extra virgin olive oil, then carrots, and sauté for about 15 minutes or until your preferred tenderness is achieved. Stir frequently and add Celtic sea salt about 5 minutes before they are done.

When your rice is ready, stir in minced parsley.

Bring it all together on your plate and enjoy!

Notes:

• You can easily make your own cashew Parmesan by pulsing the following ingredients in your food processor or blender until a crumbled, Parmesan-like texture is achieved.
  • 1 cup (140 g) raw, unsalted cashews
  • 1 tsp Celtic sea salt
  • 4 Tbsp nutritional yeast