'Pasta' Primavera

For the primavera:

2-3 large carrots, peeled and julienned

1/2 tablespoon coconut oil or extra virgin olive oil

1 leek, thinly sliced into rounds and rinsed off

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 bunch asparagus, ends broken off and chopped into 1-inch pieces

1 cup fresh or frozen peas.

Sun-dried tomato basil-hemp pesto:

1 small clove garlic

3/4 cup fresh basil leaves

1⁄4 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes

1⁄4 cup hulled hemp seeds

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon water

Scant 1/4 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt or pink Himalayan sea salt, or to taste

Method:

• With a julienne peeler, peel the carrots into thin, spaghetti-like strands. Cover with a damp tea towel or damp paper towel to avoid it drying out.

• Add oil to a large skillet or wok, and preheat over medium. Add sliced leek and garlic and saute for 3-4 minutes, until soft and translucent. Add a couple pinches of salt and several grounds of pepper.

• Add the asparagus to the skillet and saute for around 8 minutes more, until tender. Increase heat if necessary. Finally, stir in the peas and cook until heated throughout.

• Meanwhile, make the pesto. Add the garlic into a food processor and process until minced. Now add in the basil and sun-dried tomatoes and process again until smooth. Finally, add the rest of the ingredients and process again until combined and smooth.

• Stir all the pesto into the vegetable skillet mixture and cook until heated throughout. Season to taste.

• Serve the vegetable pesto mixture on top of the carrot pasta.