Integrative Nutrition Recipes

By Kelsey Cook

While I was a student at Integrative Nutrition, one of the most important things I learned was that there is not one diet that will work for everyone. For the majority of my life, I have struggled with poor body image, and in college, I adopted a vegan diet in an effort to achieve the look that I believed was ideal.

Integrative Nutrition teaches us that we all need to find the diet that works best for us…and veganism was not it for me. While I don’t eat dairy often, I do love cheese, creamy sauces and the occasional ice cream, but still recognize the importance of eating whole, minimally processed foods.

I created this recipe for when I want to treat myself without having to consume fake ingredients that could be harmful to my health (and also because I love zoodles!)

Zucchini Noodles with Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Serves 2

Time: 25-30 minutes

Ingredients:

8 oz. jar of fire roasted red peppers, drained and sliced into quarters lengthwise

1/4 c. olive oil

2 oz. plain, soft goat cheese

2 cloves of garlic, peeled

4-5 fresh basil leaves

Salt and pepper to taste

2 medium zucchinis, spiralized with a Vegetti (or sliced into very thin strips)

1 c. fresh kale, chopped

2 tbsp. coconut oil

Directions:

1. Place the red peppers, olive oil, goat cheese, garlic, basil, salt, and pepper in a food processor and process until relatively smooth (about 2 minutes).
2. Transfer the sauce into a saucepan and cook over medium heat, until it begins to bubble. Do not bring to a boil.
3. Pour the heated sauce back into the food processor and process again to remove any lumps (about 2 minutes). Set aside.
4. Place the spiralized zucchini, chopped kale and coconut oil in a saucepan and stir constantly while cooking over medium-high heat for 5 minutes.
5. Once the zucchini and kale have been cooked, place them in a large serving bowl, add the sauce and mix together until evenly distributed.
6. Serve hot, garnish with fresh basil leaves and enjoy!

Kelsey Cook is a Health Coach, certified yoga teacher and lifestyle blogger on a mission to show the world that healthy doesn’t have to mean boring, balance is the key to a happy life and that it really is okay to chase that shot with green juice. Kelsey helps people achieve optimal balance based on their needs and lifestyle so that they can live their healthiest, happiest lives possible! You can hear more from Kelsey by visiting her blog, bananas + bellinis, and following her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. She’s a 2013 graduate of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition.