Fast Vegan Pesto Zoodles

Last week I was using my hand mixer, and I noticed it had been twenty years since I bought it. I remembered quite well as I was living in Holland, and it was 1999. A cute orange hand mixer from Braun. I have that mixer still and works excellent. It has survived my trips from Holland to Peru, from Germany to Norway and back to Berlin. Maybe the only kitchen appliance that has to endure this much.

Though I love my mixer, it was time to get a new one as my blender, and small food processor died last summer (way too many nuts and frozen smoothies), And it was the perfect timing when KMB and Braun decided to give me the new MultiQuick 9 to test. And boy! The technology has gone a long way in the last 20 years. So let's get this bad boy for a ride and do a recipe!

I decided for a recipe with six ingredients, vegan, gluten-free, nut-full and: fast! And went for 3 of all the excellent attachments they came in my set (more than 10) Besides the MultiQuick9 you will need a pan, but if you are into raw, ditch it!!  I just used it to make it more kid-friendly and pregnant friendly too!

Ingredients: (serves 2)

​2 shallots
1 zucchini
1/2 avocado
1 cup soaked cashews overnight or one hour with boiling water
2 tbsp Japanese soy cream or any vegan cream
Basil
Avocado oil or neutral oil 
Salt 

Start with the shallots. I used the small chopping attachment and pressed for a couple of seconds until it was tiny (so long crying) I used some avocado oil and fried them until transparent and set aside. I usually would leave it raw as it makes it spicier, but I can't eat it like that, nor Pepa.

Rinse quickly - chop chop! - And put the drained cashews in the same attachment. Press a couple of times and add some cream to it for a more luxurious creamier consistency. Cashew-licious! 

The new ActiveBlade makes it easier and faster to chop/blend, and so on. That means 40% less time and 40% less energy. And a nice feature is that it has a "lock/unlock button" at the top of the hand mixer. Great when cooking with kids or next to them. No more splashes of pancake batter in our kitchen!

I used the julienne blade for the Zoodles. I would typically take my Spiralizer out and make zucchini noodles, but it is a hassle for a fast lunch for two. So let's see how this julienne will work out. It took me a couple of seconds, and they were ready. They looked great, and I don't miss the long zoodles or the long washing times.

Be sure you get a sweet avocado. The sauce itself is pretty light, so you will notice if the avocado wasn't good. 

In the blender cup,  add the onions, half avocado, the cashew cream and as many basil leaves you need. Add some more soy cream if you get a bit stuck while blending.  I used the blender as I wanted a very homogeneous cream, but if you like it more crunchy, continue with the chopping attachment. Add salt until it tastes great!

This step is optional. Use a bit of avocado oil in a wok and stir-fry the noodles until they are al dente. You can use it raw.. but I think it is better if it is a bit softer.

I am now plating. If you have rings at home, it is excellent, but if not, you can always cut the bottom of a tuna can. I use to have tuna cans for years until I got myself these ones. Press gently the zoodles,  2/3 of the ring should be filled with them.

Fill the rest of the ring with the cream and let this rest. I had some extra dry cashews at home, and I used the chopper again. If you aren't into super nutty food, you can add some boiled quinoa or brown rice. I like it better with cashew dust.

I was amazed about how fast this machine is, how easy to clean as well. I was washing the attachments while cooking and reusing them right away. I can wait to try the rest of the blades (including the French fries cutter) and the mash potato stab or as I will call it: The Guac-Maker! If you want my honest opinion, this is for sure, an appliance that will steal the spotlight of my kitchen. Thanks, KMB and Braun for introducing it to me.