Herbal Root Stew

A couple of months ago I made an herbal root stew for my Farmacy Herbs "graduation potluck". Everyone really liked it and one of my classmates asked me if I could post the recipe. Replying with an astounding "yes!", I made a mental note to share the recipe soon.

I see this particular person nearly every Saturday at the Pawtucket Wintertime Farmer's Market and it is only then that I think to myself, "Gosh darn it, I keep forgetting to post that soup recipe!" We'll this week I remembered on a Friday and I hope that I see this person tomorrow so that I can finally say that its here!

Herbal Root Stew  

A few tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 ounces of ginger
2 yellow onions
about 6 ounces of burdock root (I used 3 pieces, each about 1 foot long)
2 pounds carrots
2 pounds parsnips
2 pounds sweet potatoes
2-3 cloves of garlic
1 can of chick peas
6 cups vegetable stock* + 6 cups water
1/4 cup dried nettles
juice of 1/2 a lemon
1/4 cup fresh thyme

*I made the vegetable stock beforehand by simmering a collection of vegetable scraps that I had saved in the freezer. It included primarily sweet potato skins, mushroom stems, carrot scraps, onion scraps, garlic skins, and some stems of greens. You can read more about that process here.

In a large saucepan, saute onions in a few tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil for 5 minutes or so. Add ginger and burdock root, saute for a few more minutes, then add the carrots, parsnips, chick peas, garlic, and sweet potatoes. Cook vegetables in pan for about 10 minutes then add approximately 6 cups of vegetable stock and 6 cups of water. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until vegetables are tender, but not too soft. Add nettles and fresh thyme, turn off heat and let sit covered for 10 minutes or so. Add the juice of half a lemon.

Enjoy!

Grain-free, Carrot Muffins with Sweet Potato Frosting!

I love experimenting with alternative baking recipes, particularly those that are gluten-free and dairy-free. Recently I have been eager to attempt grain-free baking, so I thought I would start with some scrumptious muffins!

My muffin craving coincided with a contest hosted by Fertile Underground Grocery- A "Locavore" Superbowl Contest; thus, I tried extra hard to use locally sourced ingredients for this recipe.

Ingredients:

Muffins
2 1/2 cups fresh almond flour (house made at Fertile Underground Grocery)
1 tsp baking soda
1 T cinnamon
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup honey (pesticide-free, from Aquidneck Honey)
1/2 cup Dr. Bronner's Organic Coconut Oil
2 tsp organic almond extract
3 eggs, beaten (free range, from Pat's Pastured)
2 T minced, fresh ginger
2 cups shredded carrots (local, organic)
3/4 cups organic raisins

Frosting
2 medium sized sweet potatoes (local)
1/2 tsp organic lemon zest
1 tsp sea salt
4 T Dr. Bronner's Organic Coconut Oil
1/2 cup honey (pesticide-free, from Aquidneck Honey)
1/2 tsp organic coconut extract

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, combine almond flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and sea salt. In a separate bowl, combine wet ingredients- honey, coconut oil, almond extract, and beaten eggs. Mix wet ingredients into dry mixture, then fold in ginger, carrots, and raisins. Line muffin tray with papers or grease with coconut oil. Fill with batter and bake for approximately 40 minutes (until a toothpick comes out clean). Let cool.

To make the frosting, chop the sweet potatoes into cubes (about 1/2" pieces) and place in a pan with 1 cup of water. Steam sweet potatoes for 10-15 minutes, until tender, then let cool. Combine sweet potatoes with the remainder of the frosting ingredients and process in a food processor or blender until smooth. Top muffins with sweet potato frosting and, if you like, garnish with some raisins.

I was very pleased with my first attempt at grain-free baking! The muffins were extremely moist and delicious and I can't wait to bake other varieties. The frosting was wonderful too- it had great flavor and a nice whipped texture, though in the future I may add a small amount of thickening agent to make the frosting slightly stiffer. Overall, a grand success!

Sweet Potato Coconut Curry

Sweet potato coconut curry over black rice, garnished with fresh cilantro and yogurt.

I thought it would be most appropriate to start my blog with one of my most favorite diggable ingredients (sweet potatoes) in one of my most favorite dishes- sweet potato coconut curry! I am extremely fond of sweet potatoes and mildly obsessed with curry, so the two of them together just tickles my taste buds. I made this one with apples and raisins for some extra fruity sweetness. 

Ingredients:

• 2 Tablespoons oil (I used olive oil, but canola oil or butter can also be used)
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon whole cloves
• 2 yellow onions, chopped
• 3 tablespoons minced, fresh ginger
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed and minced
• salt
• black pepper
• 3 large or 4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1 can coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon honey (optional)
• 2/3 cup raisins
• 1 apple, chopped into 1/2" pieces
• 1.5 Tablespoons Muchi curry
• 1 Tablespoon garam masala
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• 1 Tablespoon coriander
• 1/2 lime
• cilantro, for garnish (optional, or substitute parsley)
• yogurt (optional)

Directions:

Heat two tablespoons of oil in a stainless steel pan. Add chopped onions, cumin seeds, and cloves and saute for 5 minutes. Add some salt and pepper along with the ginger and garlic. Saute for another 5 minutes. Add sweet potatoes and saute for a few more minutes, stirring frequently. Add coconut milk along with raisins, apple, honey and spices. Add water to the pot until the liquid is just covering the sweet potatoes. Cook for approximately 20 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are tender and the sauce has thickened. Season with salt to taste. Turn off heat and add juice from 1/2 a lime (or lemon). Garnish with fresh cilantro and a dollop of yogurt. Serve over rice or a favorite grain or with naan bread.

Serves 4-6

For best results, enjoy with good company!

I love cooking Indian food! Many dishes require a lot of spices, but two of my go-to ingredients are Muchi curry and Garam masala. Muchi curry is a combination of turmeric, cumin, ginger, coriander, fenugreek, cloves, garlic, celery seed and cayenne pepper. Garam masala is a combination of cumin coriander, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves,  and nutmeg. Both spice mixtures provide a satisfying depth of flavors, that can be used in both savory and sweet dishes. You can find these spice mixtures at local spice shops or grocery stores that carry bulk spices or Indian spices. If you cannot find the mixtures

Besides being extremely delicious and stimulating to your taste buds, curry is also very healthy! All of the major curry spices- turmeric, cumin, coriander, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, black pepper, and nutmeg are extremely anti-inflammatory. They also increase circulation and stimulate digestion. And don't be afraid of using coconut milk just because it is high in fat! The fat from coconuts is extremely healthy and coconuts are one of the only plant sources of saturated fats, which are essential nutrients. They also have a range of minerals including phosphorus, magnesium, copper, selenium, and zinc. Coconuts are anti-inflammatory and boost immune function too!