Category: Recipes

by Anne Woodhouse, CHN

Roast Vegetables

Most vegetables are delicious roasted!  Prep the vegetables by peeling (if appropriate) and cutting them in to the desired size and shape.   Put each type of vegetable into a bowl and toss with enough olive oil to coat with a dash of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Spread the vegetables on a large rimmed pan and roast at 375°F until tender.  Cooking time depends on the type of vegetable, the size and shape of the pieces and how many are on the pan.  Below are list of winter vegetables and general guidelines for the roasting times.

• Beets (red or golden):  peeled, quartered and sliced, roast in about 25 minute
• Sweet potatoes: cut into long fingers, or round slices, roast in 20-25 minutes
• Carrots: cut into slices or long fingers roast in 20-25 minutes
• Butternut squash:  peeled and cut in to 1” cubes roast in about 20-25 minutes
• Delacata squash: cut into rings (with skin on) roast in 20-25 minutes
• Mushrooms:  whole or cut in half or quarters roast in 20-25 minutes
• Fennel: cut into thin wedges with a bit of the root attached, roast 20-25 minutes
• Leeks:  cut in half lengthwise and then into 2-3” segments, roast in 20-25 minutes
• Turnips: whole if small, or cut into quarters and sliced if large, roast 20-25 minutes
• Parsnips: peel and cut into slices or long fingers and roast for about 20 minutes
• Onions:  cut into thin slices, roast ~20 minutes
• Brussel sprouts: small whole sprouts or large sprouts cut in half roast in 10-15 minutes.
• Broccoli or Cauliflower floret:  roast in about 10-15 minutes

Tips…

• Roast more than one type of vegetable on the same pan, but keep each type together in case one needs to pull while others need to cook longer.
• Cook plenty!  Roasted veggies go fast, even non- veggie eaters find them irresistible.  I like to prepare enough for a couple meals.
• To serve arrange vegetables on a plate or platter and sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley.

ENJOY!

INGREDIENTS

Butternut squash muffins

• ½ pound peeled, seeded and cubed butternut squash (I used 2 ½ cups cooked squash or pumpkin or a mixture of the two)
• 1 1/2 cups rice flour
• ¼ cup rice protein powder (optional)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 Tablespoon cornstarch or arrowroot powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice = (3/4 t ginger, 1/8 t clove, 1/8 t nutmeg, 1 t cinnamon)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2-4 Tablespoons of maple syrup or agava nectar
• 3/4 cup milk or milk substitute like rice milk or hemp milk
• 2 egg, beaten (egg substitute – 1 tablespoon of flaxseed mixed with 3 tablespoons of water per egg)
• 1-2 tablespoon butter, melted or melted coconut oil or earth balance
• adding nuts and seeds is a tasty variation

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly grease a 12 cup muffin pan.
2. In a medium saucepan with enough water to cover, boil squash 20 minutes, or until tender. Remove from heat, drain, and puree in a food processor.  I bake the squash the night before and just mash them instead of using a food processor it adds more texture.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, protein powder, baking powder, cornstarch, salt and pumpkin pie spices.
4. In a medium bowl, thoroughly mix together milk, vanilla, eggs, sweetener, and butter. Stir in squash. Fold the squash mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened.
5. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pan, filling cups about 1/2 full.
6. Bake 40 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. (I often have to cook longer).
7. Remove from muffin pan and cool on a wire rack.

Original recipe yield: 12 muffins modified from allrecipes.com

By Anne Woodhouse, CHN

Craving popcorn? – salty, crunchy – but don’t want the starchy corn bloat afterwards? Even if you’ve never had kale before, try it this way, it’s worth the effort. Experienced kale eaters are often surprised they’ve never had kale so good.

Ingredients

• 1 bunch kale (Curly or Dino Kale offer different flavors)
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 dash sea salt
• 1 pinch freshly cracked black pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 300F. Wash the kale thoroughly to remove any grit and pat with towels to remove the excess water and/or use a salad spinner. Rip the leaves of the kale away from the stems and discard the stems. You can leave the leaves in large chunks or slice them into ribbons. Uniformity in size helps them cook evenly.
2. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat evenly. Lay the leaves out on a baking sheet (you can cover with parchment paper for easy clean up). Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.
3. Bake the kale for about 20 minutes or so until crisp and the edges start to brown. After 10 minutes toss to ensure even baking. Allow to cool and then transfer to a bowl.
4. Put in your favorite popcorn bowl, add more sea salt or spice to taste. Turn movie on. Enjoy! Variations: You can add some zest to the kale chips with a touch of cayenne, a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese, or a sprinkle of brewers yeast.

by Emily Yuen, ABT

Here’s a great recipe for Gluten-Free Tortillas (Italian Crepes).  These can be used as pancakes, crepes, wraps, or even sandwich bread.  These are great to make in big bunches and store in the freezer.

This recipe makes 6

Ingredients:

• 6 eggs (one egg per tortilla)
• make your own Gulten Free flour:
  ¾ brown rice flour
  3 tablespoon arrow root powder
  ¼ cup tapioca
• 1 and 1/4 cup dairy free milk
• 1/4 cup olive oil (in the batter or melted coconut oil if you like that flavor)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions:

Oil the pan well. No more than medium heat. Pour the batter in the middle of the pan and then work your way out towards the edges.  Most of the cooking is done on the first side then completed more quickly on the second.

By Joan Haynes, NMD

High in nutrients and low in calories, kale is an ideal food to eat regularly. There are over 60 nutrients found in kale. It is a rich source of the antioxidants lutein, zeaxanthin, beta-carotene, and vitamin C. Kale also contains manganese, copper, omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, folic acid, vitamin B6, vitamin E and potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, iron, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, niacin and protein.

Kale also provides a large amount of sulfur compounds. Sulfur compounds increase the liver’s ability to produce enzymes that neutralize potentially toxic substances and may help in the prevention of cancer.

This is an easy way to incorporate kale into your daily diet.

Massaged Kale

Ingredients

• 1 bunch kale (Curly Kale works best for this)
• 1 tsp sea salt or Celtic salt

Instructions

De-stem the kale leaves and save for soups or stir fry. Slice the leaves into ribbons (1/4 – 1/2 inch wide), sprinkle salt and start massaging the salt into the leaves. After a few minutes you’ll be able to feel the kale soften, making it much easier to chew and digest. You can store this kale for days in an air tight container and sprinkle it on your morning eggs, lunch time salads or add
to dinner in stir fry or soup.

Massaged Kale Salad

I’ve adapted this recipe from The Wellspring School for Healing Arts in Boise. It is a sure-fire  hit at pot lucks for your foodie friends.

Mix Together

• 1 bunch kale & 1 tsp salt – chopped, salted and massaged
• 1 bunch fresh spinach – washed and chopped
• 1/4 cup diced red onion
• 1/3 cup currants
• 3/4 cup diced apple
• 1/3 cup sunflower seeds, toasted
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 TBSP apple cider vinegar or seasoned rice vinegar
• Optional – 1/3 cup Roquefort cheese, crumbled, sheep cheese is a good option

By Joan Haynes, NMD

Quick Boiling is a quick way to cook greens, with the added benefit of maximum nutrient conservation. Save the water and add to a broth for soup or cool it and feed it to your plants.

Vitamin A, vitamin C, folic acid, calcium, iron, magnesium, and even protein are a part of most dark leafy greens. These powerful vegetables should be a daily part of the diet. Cooked greens can be used in a variety of interesting dishes – soups, salads, casseroles, and more.

Pick Your Greens

Choose 2 cups of fresh greens, in any combination, per person.
2 cups fresh greens will cook down to approximately ½ cup.

• Beet greens
• Bok choy
• Broccoli
• Chinese cabbage (napa)
• Collard greens
• Dandelion greens
• Endive
• Escarole
• Kale
• Mustard greens
• Swiss chard
• Turnip greens
• Watercress
• Optional: lemon juice or vinegar (balsamic is nice)

Chop and Wash

For greens with tough stems, such as collards, kale or chard, cut the leaves away from the stem before washing. Wash greens carefully. An easy way to do this is to fill your sink or large bowl with cold water and submerge the greens. If the water has sediment, drain and repeat.

Cooking – Timing is everything

Bring 1 – 2 quarts of water to a boil. Submerge greens. Boil tender young greens (such as watercress or escarole) for about 30 seconds. Tougher leaves (such as mature collards or kale) need to be cooked for 5-10 minutes. Timing is everything. If you remove the greens too soon they will be bitter. If you let them cook too long they will lose nutrients and have a flat taste.
Remove a piece and test every minute or so. You are looking for a slightly wilted leaf that still has a bright green color and (most important) a succulent, sweet flavor. Pour cooked greens into a colander in the sink. Let cool. Squeeze out excess water with your hands. Chop into bite-sized pieces. Serve with a few drops of lemon juice or vinegar, salt and pepper.

Preparation time: 10 minutes

• 1 cup ground flax seeds
• 1/2 cup ground pecans or walnuts
• 3/4 cup protein powder
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• stevia to taste
• 4 tsp coconut oil or vegetable oil
• 1 ripe mashed banana
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 2/3 cup grated zucchini
• 2/3 cup grated apple
• grated zest of one orange
• 1/2 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped
• 1 cup water (more if needed)

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line muffin tins with paper muffin cups. Combine flaxseeds, walnuts, protein powder, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt. In large bowl, mix oil, vanilla, zucchini, apple, orange zest and water. Fold dry ingredients into liquid ingredients. Add stevia to taste. Fold in chopped walnuts. Add more water if necessary to liquefy enough to pour. Fill muffin cups and bake for 20 -25 minutes. Makes 24 muffins.

From What’s for Breakfast? Protein-Based Breakfasts for Food-Sensitive, Time-Challenged People by Joan Haynes, N.M.D. and Lori Hora Soule, NMD, L.A.c.

By Joan Haynes, NMD

Ingredients

• 2 cups pecans
• 2 tsp chopped rosemary
• 4 tsp olive oil or organic butter
• 1 tsp agave or rice syrup

Instructions

1. Heat oil or melt butter in sauce pan in medium heat
2. Place oil or butter in sauce pan with rosemary and agave/rice syrup, allow to heat gently for 30 seconds.
3. Add pecans and sauté for 1-2 minutes.
4. Remove from pan and allow to cool.

Ingredients

•    1 can (16 ounces) pureed pumpkin
•    3/4 cup sugar or sucanat (or I use 1/2 cup maple syrup)
•    1/2 teaspoon salt
•    1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
•    1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
•    1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
•    1 teaspoon ground allspice, optional
•    1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, optional
•    2-3 tablespoons cornstarch or arrow root to firm up the      pie filling
•    1 package (10-12 ounces) silken/soft tofu
•    1 9-in unbaked vegan and/or gluten free pie shell
• Top with non-dairy topping

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 F

Blend the pumpkin and sugar.
Add salt, spices, cornstarch and tofu, mix thoroughly.
Pour mixture into pie shell and bake for 15 minutes.
Lower heat to 350 F and bake for another 60 minutes.
Chill and serve.

Don’t use the low fat tofu, then the pie tastes like it was made with tofu.

This pie is so yummy, it will fool almost anyone.

Serves: 8
Preparation time: about 1 hour + chilling time

by Anne Woodhouse, CHN

Spring into delicious healthy foods for the season and Braised Chard with Shitake Mushrooms recipe.

Ingredients

• 10-12 Shitake Mushrooms, fresh or dried
• 1 pound chard
• 1 onion, diced finely
• 1 large garlic clove finely minced
• 2-3 Tbsp Olive oil
• 1 cup water
• Salt to taste

Instructions

1. If using fresh shitake, wash and slice. If using dried shitake, place mushrooms in a bowl and cover with boiling water, and allow to soak for 20 minutes.
2. Wash chard and strip the stalk from the leaves. Slice the stalk into ½ inch pieces and set aside. Coarsely chop the leaves and set aside in another bowl.
3. Heat olive oil in a 10 or 12 inch skillet over medium heat, add the onions and sauté 5-10 minutes until soft and translucent.
4. Add the garlic and sauté another minute.
5. If using dried mushrooms, remove from soaking liquid, reserving the liquid, and finely slice the mushrooms. Add the dried mushrooms or fresh mushrooms to the onions and garlic and sauté for a couple more minutes to brown lightly.
6. Stir in the chard stalks and 1 cup of the reserved mushroom soaking liquid or water.
7. Cook covered over medium heat for 5 minutes until stalks are just about tender.
8. Add chard leaves, cover and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes until the leaves are wilted and tender, but not dull in color.
9. Drain excess liquid, season with salt and serve hot. Enjoy!

Shitake mushrooms are available fresh or dried at most local stores including Winco, Fred-Meyer, Boise Coop as well as the Asian markets. Shiitake are prized in Asia for the immune boosting properties and blood pressure regulation. Chard is rich source of chlorophyll, carotenes, and vitamins C and E.