Thanksgiving Inspiration - Raw Vegan Sweet Potato Pasta With Cranberry Pesto

I cannot believe it is November already. Eleven days only till Thanksgiving. It's time to start the preparations for the big fest. If you are entertaining, things are a bit easier. 


If you are invited to a tradition turkey and gravy dinner, you might have to bring your own food with you. A large platter of fresh fruits and veggies and a vegan dip, might be a nice addition to your host's menu. Make sure that you inform them of your dietary preferences to avoid unnecessary confusion at the table.

For my Thanksgiving dishes I mostly use locally grown, organic, seasonal  ingredients. I also add typical fall and winter spices, raw honey, and a lot of citrus to my daily raw food dishes. All this to enhance my immune system. I start early to make sure that when the big flu wave comes, I do not need to worry about infection. Prevention is better than cure, no doubt.


 ~ Raw Vegan Sweet Potato Pasta With Cranberry Pesto ~

Ingredients:

for the pasta
  • 1 medium large sweet potato per person
  • juice of 1/2 - 1 orange, depending on the amount of sweet potatoes used
  • 1/2 tsp pink Himalaya salt
  • 1 Tbsp virgin olive oil

for the pesto
  • 1 cup fresh cranberries
  • 1 cup dried cranberries
  • 2-3 large garlic cloves
  • 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, packed
  • juice of 1 medium large orange
  • 1/3 cup virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp pink Himalaya salt
  • a few fresh basil leaves for garnish


Method:
  • Wash and peel sweet potatoes. Make "noodles" using spiralizer or julienne vegetable peeler.
  • In a large bowl gently mix the sweet potato pasta with orange juice, olive oil, and salt. Set aside to tenderize. 
  • Toss dried cranberries into a bowl of a food processor and pulse blend till most berries are crushed. Toss all the remaining ingredients and pulse blend until you get a creamy-crunchy consistency of a pesto sauce. Adjust the taste to your personal liking. Dried cranberries come mostly sweetened with apple juice and are sweet enough to balance the tartness of fresh cranberries. If you do not like the tartness, add a little raw honey, or maple syrup if you want to keep the recipe vegan. 
  • Portion out the slightly softened sweet potato pasta into individual bowls. Add a generous scoop of cranberry pest and garnish with fresh basil leaves. Enjoy in good company!


Tip: The leftover pesto can be stored in refrigerator for up to one week, in a meticulously clean, air tight jar.

I hope that this recipe inspires you to your own amazing creations. Enjoy whatever you are up to!

In radiant health, passionately raw - Dominique

Dominique Allmon©2017