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This is an raw, nutritious, easy and healthy whole meal dish prepared of zucchinies and sunflower seeds. Quite simple to make and very tasty. It requires a high-speed blender to make sunflower ricotta. It will take a bit longer for sunflower seeds because they need to be soaked overnight, but once that is done – the rest goes quite fast.
Fresh herbs such as timian and basil (together with fresh garlic) give a significant impact to vegan sunflower ricotta and enhance its taste. I added some onion powder to it just to balance the taste out, as well as some dried finely chopped dried tomatoes to enhance the sourness.
These types of raw dishes I would usually prepare on summer periods. Usually I would combine zucchinis (or cucumbers sliced with vegetable spiralizer) with the addition of some homemade flavourful sauces (sauces based on sunflower, cashews or fresh tomatoes). Such dishes don’t require turning on the stove, and still provide healthy nutritious and very delicious meals.
Combinations of different herbs and sauces that go perfectly together with some freshly sliced vegetables are numerous. Fresh timian, basil or oregano blended with fresh tomatoes or soaked cashews (with addition of lemon, garlic and tahini) give some of numerous raw sauce options.
Recipe
Ingredients
For the sunflower ricotta:
- 150 gr of sunflower seeds, soaked overnight in water;
- 1/2 tsp. of salt;
- 1/2 tsp. of dry onion powder;
- 4 dried tomatoes, finely chopped;
- 3 -4 tsp. of lemon juice;
- 100 ml water;
- 2 cloves of garlic;
- some fresh timian and basil;
- some olive oil for drizzling (optional).
For the zucchini spaghetti:
- 470 gr of young zucchinis, thinly sliced with vegetable spiralizer;
- pinch of salt.
For decorating the dish:
- some sesame seeds;
- some black sesame seeds;
- some fresh basil and timian.
Preparation time
20-25 min.
Cooking time
Servings
1.5-2
Instructions
Preparing the ricotta:
1. Drain sunflower seeds from excess water and put them into a high-speed blender.
2. Add salt, lemon juice, onion powder and garlic cloves. Blend well until the mixture reaches grainy consistency.
3. Put the sunflower ricotta into a bowl. Add chopped dried tomatoes, chopped fresh basil and timian and stir well.
4. Adjust it to personal taste by reducing or increasing the amount of seasonings.
5. Ricotta is ready to use. Place it in the fridge while cutting zucchinis.
Preparing the zucchinis:
1. Cut zucchinis thinly with a vegetable spiralizer.
2. Add a pinch of salt to them and let them rest for 2-3 minutes, then gently drain them from excess water.
3. Put zucchini spirals on the plate. Sprinkle the edges with sesame seeds (as on images).
4. Place sunflower ricotta on top of zucchinis.
5. Decorate with fresh basil and timian.
6. Drizzle with some olive oil (optional).
