Spirulina Avocado Sauce

I have been absolutely loving avocado!  I love the green color, I love the creaminess, I love the healthy fats, I love that it can be made in sweet and savory meals.

Today I have a recipe for a savory meal.  I had a 1/2 an avocado left and knew I wanted to use it as a sauce for pasta.  This morning I came across this recipe and it was perfect timing.  The recipe was a dressing that used avocado.  However, the recipe was for a salad dressing, but I was curious if I could turn it into a pasta sauce.  With a few changes to the original recipe, I think this sauce came out tasting fantastic and so good that I will definitely be making it again.

The only thing to know about this recipe is that it calls for Spirulina.  In case your not sure what spirulina is here's a great resource of information.  Basically the website says that sprirulina is an algae that has been used since the 1970's as a dietary supplement.  It contains vegetable proteins, all 22 essential amino acids, multi-vitamins, and minerals.  There are tons of health benefits that come with taking spirulina, which include:

• Boosts the immune system
• Improves digestion
• Reduces fatigue
• Builds endurance
• Cleanses the body
• Boosts energy levels
• Controls appetite
• Helps maintain a healthy cardiovascular function
• Supports the liver and kidneys
• Reduces inflammation
• Benefits people who suffer from allergies

Spirulina comes in powder form or tablet form.  I like the powder form because I usually add it to smoothies.  I love adding it to smoothies in the morning, because it really does give you a great burst of energy!

So getting back to the recipe, using spirulina may bring up two issues with this recipe:

1. Spirulina is not a common household ingredient and it is expensive.  If you do not have spirulina and do not want to spend the money on it, you can leave it out of the recipe, but your sauce will not be as green or filled with as many nutrients.  However, if you want extra green color and some added nutrients, I'm sure you could add about 1/2-1 cup of spinach or kale.  If you are interested in trying spirulina, I order it online from iherb.  If you want to order some, or any other bulk ingredients, if you enter the code LWZ362 at checkout you can receive $10 off your first order if you spend more than $40 or you can receive $5 off your first order if you spend less than $40. 
   
2. Spirulina is packed with nutrients and is best consumed in raw form, which means it is best in cold things like smoothies.  This means that if you like a hot pasta, this meal may not be best for you.  Trust me, you don't want to heat spirulina, it turns brown and doesn't even taste good after being heated.  If you want though, you can try to heat your pasta so the pasta itself is extremely hot, then stir in the cold sauce and you'll end up with a warm/cool pasta.  If you love hot pasta, but are willing to try warm/cool instead of completely cold, this may be a good option for you.

So now that you have some options about using spirulina (or not) here is how I made my Spirulina Avocado Sauce which has been adapted from Choosing Raw.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 avocado
• 1/2 tsp spirulina
• 1/2 zucchini
• 2 tbsp hemp seeds
• 1/4 cup almond milk
• 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice (or to taste)
• 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)

Directions: Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth and creamy.  

Once your sauce is made you can add it to pasta, brown rice, spaghetti squash, etc and then add any other toppings you want.  I added chickpeas to my pasta dish!  I was in the mood for a really saucy dish so the noodles are basically hidden under the sauce.  I used the entire recipe for my noodles, but the sauce really serves 2-3 people. 

This picture does not do the bright, green color of the sauce any justice.  

It was a brilliant green color in person. 

Based on using a small avocado, medium zucchini, and original Silk PureAlmond milk this entire recipe yields approximately 261 calories and 10g protein.