For the pesto Peel the garlic and then chop it together with the miso paste in a food processor until the garlic is very finely chopped. Blend the basil, nuts and nutritional yeast until everything is well mixed and finely chopped.
The author leaves the choice open whether to use almonds or walnuts. (See notes)
The original recipe calls for 3 handfuls of basil for 4 portions of pesto.
Add water or vegetable stock and pepper to taste and puree until smooth. If necessary, mix in a little more of the chosen liquid until the pesto sauce has the desired consistency. Set aside.
The author gives you the choice between drinking water or vegetable broth. In the latter case, he recommends using a home-made vegetable broth (see Alternative Preparation).
For the carrot noodles Using a spiralizer, a vegetable slicer or a vegetable peeler, cut the carrots into long, thin strips. Sauté the carrot noodles for 5-7 minutes until soft.
Halve the tomatoes. Place the carrot noodles in a shallow bowl together with the pre-cooked white beans, halved tomatoes and the pesto sauce and mix gently.
The author uses cannellini beans, which you can pre-cook yourself, but you can also use a BPA-free can or Tetra Pak (about 440g each) of unsalted cannellini beans, drained and rinsed.
Serve Sprinkle with nut parmesan and serve.
A recipe for nut parmesan can be found on page 4 of the same book.
Detailed Nutritional Information per Person for this Recipe
The majority of the nutritional information comes from the USDA (US Department of Agriculture). This means that the information for natural products is often incomplete or only given within broader categories, whereas in most cases products made from these have more complete information displayed.
If we take flaxseed, for example, the important essential amino acid ALA (omega-3) is only included in an overarching category whereas for flaxseed oil ALA is listed specifically. In time, we will be able to change this, but it will require a lot of work. An “i” appears behind ingredients that have been adjusted and an explanation appears when you hover over this symbol.
For Erb Muesli, the original calculations resulted in 48 % of the daily requirement of ALA — but with the correction, we see that the muesli actually covers >100 % of the necessary recommendation for the omega-3 fatty acid ALA. Our goal is to eventually be able to compare the nutritional value of our recipes with those that are used in conventional western lifestyles.
This pesto carrot noodle with white beans, tomatoes, basil and walnuts doesn't require any pasta. The cannellini beans make it filling.
Preparation time: Please note that the 25-minute preparation time does not include pre-cooking the beans or making vegetable stock (if you prefer that to water).
Nutrient profile: According to GDA guidelines, one portion of this recipe covers more than half of the average daily requirement of the vitamins vitamin B1, vitamin A, folic acid and vitamin K. It also covers half of the daily requirement of the trace element manganese and the essential amino acid threonine (Thr). The ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids is 4:1, which is below the recommended maximum ratio of 5:1.
Beans: Protein content and easy storage make beans a popular staple food. Cooking at > 70 °C destroys the indigestible phasin in white beans. White beans (like other types of beans and pulses) are usually available dried or pre-cooked and preserved. While the preserved version is of course more convenient and time-saving, the dried version has the advantage of better taste. In addition, cooking also allows you to determine the degree of firmness yourself (canned beans are often very soft, sometimes even mushy). Of course, canned goods often contain unnecessary additives or are (heavily) salted, and the unprocessed version is therefore always preferable.
Walnuts: In Central Europe, the common walnut ( Juglans regia) is particularly important. In addition to preparing and refining various dishes and desserts, walnuts are also used to make walnut oil. Of all known nuts, walnuts have the highest proportion of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). They also have health benefits thanks to tocopherols (forms of vitamin E) and many macro and trace elements. Walnuts are probably the healthiest nuts because they have the highest omega-3 and antioxidant content. (Dr. Michael Greger)
Yeast flakes: Normal yeast flakes, also So-called noble yeast, it consists of inactivated yeast (single-celled fungi) which is first dried and then processed into small flakes. Noble yeast is used in the kitchen for low-sodium seasoning and thickening of soups, sauces, salads and for sprinkling on savoury dishes. Only fermentation yeast, eg in block form, is raw!
Tips
Cook the beans yourself: We recommend pre-cooking the cannellini beans yourself. The cooking time is around 60 minutes if you soak them for 7 to 12 hours beforehand. Alternatively, the cooking time in a pressure cooker without soaking them beforehand is around 30 minutes.
