Swap your favourite fatty dishes for some fresher, more friendly versions with a little help from Nutritionist Eve Kalinik
In the first of five features, expert Nutritionist Eve Kalinik takes us through her hearty, healthy take on traditional comfort foods - first up, it’s her spin on a scrummy plate of spaghetti bolognese.
“When the team from Get The Gloss suggested I create a series of healthy interpretations of classically unhealthy comfort foods, it was something that I know resonates very much with my clients and personally too. Now it’s not to say that we shouldn’t ever have the original versions from time to time, but you can quite easily match taste and nutrition to create something that you may even (dare I say it) prefer! The first one is my favourite, which is an alternative to the traditional scrummy spag bol.
“The key bit of kit here is a spiralizer. They’re easy to use contraptions and are a fantastic (and inexpensive) investment if you want to have a gluten/grain free take on spaghetti and work great at replacing pasta type dishes or when added to salads. This recipe is also dairy free with the cashew nuts working to create a delicious and nutritious take on pesto. Since it is veganuary (i.e. going vegan for Jan), then why not start the series as such? Not to mention, increasing our intake of veggies is not just good for our own health but also helps support the environment too - it’s a double dose of goodness in one!”
Courgetti with cashew pesto & tomatoes
Ingredients
Serves 2 (with extra pesto)
2 courgettes
A squeeze fresh lemon juice
A pinch Himalayan salt
1 clove of garlic
1⁄4 cup of cashews
1⁄4 cup of pine nuts
2 cups of basil leaves
1⁄2 cup of olive oil
6-8 heritage or mixed tomatoes thinly sliced
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Method
Place the courgettes in a spiralizer to create the spaghetti. Mix with a generous squeeze of lemon juice and pinch of Himalayan salt and place in a bowl to one side. To make the cashew pesto combine all of the remaining ingredients into a small food processor, gradually adding in the olive oil. Serve the courgetti with a generous spoonful of the pesto and tomato slices. You can keep the remainder in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.