Dairy-Free Pesto Pasta

Behold! Another new year has rolled in, but finally for the first time, since the worst time ever (ahem the 2020 panni), I am excited for the possibilities of the year. I know I am not the only one here who remembers feeling like 2020 was going to be THAT year, to shortly see there was nothing else to do but sit your behind down and deal with all the trauma that you just let sit right beneath the surface for all those years! As I continued on in self-isolation, I forgot what my hopes and dreams were, my thoughts turned dark, and thus I was a dull version of myself and tried desperately to remember who I was during the process. It is just now, more than 3 years later, that I am just starting to feel back to my vibrant self-again. With all I learned about mindset, timing, and pivoting, I am now more emotionally agile in dealing with disruptive life situations,.

Because I have finally gone through all the motions to get me out of that dark place, I am making it a. point to start off this year with the ultimate mental clarity, with a detoxified body, and sans negative energy, so I can give my hands the space to hold all that God has in store for me. The process to elevating to my next step will require focus, strategic planning, and a bit of faith. I’ve got some work to do.

Starting the Year with a Daniel’s Fast

So, I have commenced my year with a Daniel’s fast. If you don’t already know what it is, it’s a method of spiritual fasting based on the prophet Daniel’s experience fasting, according to the book of Daniel in the Bible. The fast is to be 21-days long, but it can also be modified to 10, in which the latter is what I chose. I am choosing to do 10-days (with the option to go on longer) because fasting has a side effect of losing weight, which many people like. However, losing weight is of no priority of mine right now, especially as I am already petite and a highly-active individual. Spending 21 very busy days potentially not eating enough, would do more harm for me than good. My goal is to simply channel my relationship with God and gain mental clarity. I want to make sure I listen to God but also not put my body in danger as well.

Foods to Eat on a Daniel’s Fast Include:

Fruits and Vegetables. All types allowed.

• Beans and lentils. All types allowed.

• Oils and fats: olive, coconut, sesame, avocado, etc. but not for deep frying

• Nuts and seeds: almonds, cashews, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, hazelnuts, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios. etc.

• Unelavened bread, herbs, spices, and seasonings

• Beverages: water, cold pressed fruit juice, unsweetened, non-dairy milk

So basically it seems like you can’t eat much while on a Daniels fast but I have found the joy in figuring out you can sacrifice for your spiritual purposes, and still have a plethora of foods available to you that fit the bill. In the meantime, you just learn how to be more thoughtful and creative about the foods you consume.

But first, eating a pasta dish made with pesto is an immediate no-go for a Daniel’s fast. The carbs and sugars contained in regular pasta and the cheese that is in pesto would disqualify it. But fortunately, switching to a whole wheat, gluten free pasta, or one made with rice and/or quinoa will help you solve the issue of not being able to eat pasta. You can then substitute the cheese in pesto with white miso paste or even nutritional yeast, making this a completely vegan dish, and one that is friendly for your partial fast. And before you get too concerned, I know, we hate when vegans substitute everything, making the dish taste different than the original. However, I must say that I have not noticed one difference in this vegan pesto dish in comparison to the non-vegan ones I made before. It’s just as delicious.

Ingredients Needed for Pesto Pasta

• 1 package of sliced baby bella mushrooms

• 1 small white onion

• 4 cloves fresh garlic

• 1/2 Sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil

• 3/4 package of Brown Rice & Quinoa pasta (or any other whole wheat or gluten-free pasta of choice)

• 1/2 tbsp garlic powder, dried oregano, cumin, and sea salt

For the pesto

• 2 cups of basil

• 1/2 cup Walnut pieces

• 2 tbsp White Miso paste

• Juice from 1 lemon

• 1/4 tbsp sea salt (miso paste is already salty, so wait to taste your pesto to see if you want to add salt first)

• fresh cracked pepper to taste

Quick Tips for Pesto Variation

1. The white miso paste used to substitute the parmesan is a fermented soy bean paste that’s used a lot in Japanese cooking. Due to it’s fermented nature, it makes a really good option to add in to your gut health repertoire. If you are not feeling the miso, you can also simply opt for adding nutritional yeast instead.

2. I used walnuts with this recipe, although pesto is usually made with pine nuts. Due to the high cost of pine nuts, and the environmental risks that their consumption incurs, other nut options are probably what I would stick to in the future. If you are allergic to walnuts, you can also substitute them for almonds, pecans, pistachios, and cashews. For the nut free lovers, pumpkin seeds also work as well.

Directions

1. Oil a skillet on medium high, then add the diced onions and minced garlic, and let cook for 3 minutes, or til flagrant.

2. Add the mushrooms to the skillet, and then add the seasonings. Keep stirring the mushrooms occasionally until they start to shrink and get a little smaller, about 5 minutes.

3. While the mushrooms are cooking, you can go ahead and start boiling a pot of water for your pasta. Cook the pasta according to the package’s instructions.

4. Place all of the pesto ingredients inside a blender or food processor and blend everything together until smooth. If you want to add an extra ingredients to the pesto to enhance the taste, do so to your liking.

5. Combine the cooked mushrooms and pasta, pesto sauce, and sun-dried tomatoes all into the same pan and stir until all ingredients are coated evenly.

6. Enjoy!