From the kitchen of Jesse Haas, CNS, LN

Beets are remarkable roots, not only because of their vibrant color but because of their functional nutrient value, as well. 

Beets contain a special kind of fiber called galactooligosaccharide (or GOS). GOS stimulates growth of bifidobacteria and lactobacilli in the colon. These microorganisms are important anchors in the microbiome for many reasons, one of which is that they maintain the mucosal membrane. This helps to maintain a healthy ecosystem in the gut and prevent proliferation of "bad bugs" that can cause digestive symptoms and other health problems. 

Not everyone is a big fan of the earthy taste of beets, so here's some good news: you don't have to eat beets to get GOS. GOS can be found in legumes, brassicas, sourdough bread, sunflower and pumpkin seeds. 

This Citrus Beet Salad is best enjoyed during the winter months when citrus fruits are in their peak. 

Makes 4-6 servings

Ingredients

• 4 medium beets
• 1-2 grapefruit, peeled and cut into segments
• 1/2 small red onion, cut into thin slices
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp honey
• salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Scrub the beets to clean off any dirt. Place in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, cover and cook until the beets are easily pierced with a fork (about 30-45 minutes depending on size).
2. While you're waiting for the beets to cook, mix together the grapefruit segments, red onion, lemon juice and olive oil. The acid from the citrus will mellow the bite of the onion. Cover and refrigerate. 
3. When the beets are cooked, remove them from heat. Refrigerate until cool enough to handle.
4. Slip the skins off the beets with your hands or with a paring knife. 
5. Cut in half and then into half moons. 
6. Mix beets with the citrus, onion mixture and season with salt and pepper. 

This is a recipe that gets better marinating in the refrigerator for a day or two. Enjoy at room temperature or served over a handful of arugula or butter lettuce. 

From the Kitchen of Jesse Haas, CNS, LN

This hearty, one-pot recipe has been a long-time favorite of mine. I try to work in at least one recipe featuring beans into my weekly meal plan and mung beans are one of my favorites. They are tiny green beans common in Indian cuisine that cook up quickly to a velvety texture. You can find mung beans in the Twin Cities in the bulk department at your local grocery coop or at Indian groceries. 

Indian spices are great for reducing inflammation, so I encourage everyone to get a few Indian recipes in rotation with your go-to meals. This recipe incorporates Garam masala, a spice blend including cumin, coriander, cardamom, black pepper, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. All of these spices offer therapeutic benefits with their delicious flavor. I blend my own from whole spices that I roast and grind, but you can also find Garam masala and other delicious curry blends at the locations named above.

The heat of this recipe is very versatile, so if you have "Minnesota mouth" skip the chili flakes at the end. 

Makes 6 servings


Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp ground turmeri
• 1 Tbsp ground cumin
• 2 Tbsp Garam masala
• 2 Tbsp coconut oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, pressed
• 2-inch piece of ginger, minced
• 1 cup dried green mung beans, rinsed
• 1 medium sweet potato, diced
• 2 cups cauliflower florets
• 2 cups chopped cabbage
• 5 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 15-oz can unsweetened coconut milk
• 15-oz can crushed tomatoes
• salt and black pepper, to taste
• red pepper flakes, to taste
• 3 cups cooked brown or black rice
• cilantro leaves, to garnish

Directions

1. Heat coconut oil in a large soup pot. Add spices and sauté briefly to release the aromas. Add onions, garlic and ginger and sauté a few minutes. 
2. Add the mung beans and the rest of the veggies. Stir to disperse the spices and gently sauté these ingredients with the aromatics, about 1 minute. 
3. Add the stock and coconut milk. Cover and bring to a simmer. Cook until the beans are tender, about 15 minutes. 
4. Stir in the tomatoes and red pepper flakes, if using. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
   
5. Serve with rice and cilantro. 

From the Kitchen of Lynn Salmon-Easter, Reiki Master

This is my family’s favorite way to eat apples in the fall and winter months. It's simple...but somehow still so special! 

Makes about 2 - 2 1/2 cups

Ingredients

• 4 small apples or 2 large apples
• 1/2 cup water 
• 1 Tablespoon butter
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions

1. Rinse apples and cut them into chunks. It is optional to leave the skins on the apples or peel the skins off. 
2. Place cut apple into a heavy bottomed pan with water, butter and cinnamon.
3. Cover tightly with a lid and bring to a boil.
4. After the apples reach a boil, take the lid off the pan and turn down to a simmer.
5. Simmer apples until all the water is cooked off.
6. Allow apples to cool completely and store in a glass container with a tight fitting lid.

From the Kitchen of Dr. Hamilton

One of the most frequent questions I’m asked is how Chinese herbal medicines work. Chinese herbs are complex and intricate; each herb involves many specific characteristics and flavors. The following recipe-as-ritual is an invitation to explore the energetics of just one flavor as a way of understanding how herbs and minerals move in our bodies.

Salt is humble magic. It dissolves hardness. It exfoliates and clarifies, sloughing off the old and making way for the new. Salt offers tempering minerality and preserves what’s worth saving.

And, what's more, the energetics of salt attunes us to seasonal change.  

In the symbolic language of Chinese medicine, all flavor has direction, and each flavor co-resonates with a web of inter-related energies in our bodies and in nature. 

From the perspective of this tradition, salty flavor is said to soften hardness. Salt resonates with the season of winter, the element of water, with our kidneys (referred to as the Kidney Organ Network to include the meridians), and with the emotions of awe/wonderment (balanced) or fear (imbalanced).

So, salt is not just a taste but an exploration of how our bodies interact with the world. Can we let our energy turn deeply inward just like nature does in winter? Can we be humble and seek the lowest place, like water? Can we connect with the wisdom of our inseparableness, as all water eventually converges in the salty ocean? Can we spend our reservoirs of energy (our Kidney qi) wisely, conserving and acting from our root?

You might put these flavor explorations into practice with the following Recipe-As-Ritual for Citrus Sea Salt. The result is a combination of the warmth of summer sunshine and briny ocean oneness; a solstice-time renewal.


CITRUS SEA SALT

Ingredients

• Basic proportions are 1+ tablespoon zested citrus peel (about 1 medium-sized orange) per 1/2 cup flaky salt.

 
— Salt: Choose a coarse, flakey salt if you have one (e.g. Maldon salt, fleur de sel, sel gris). Experiment: you may need to adjust your proportions to taste.
— Citrus: Choose your favorite citrus (e.g. lemon, orange, grapefruit, kumquat, lime, kaffir lime). If you can, buy organic. Wash, gently scrub, and dry completely.

Directions

1. Zest your fresh citrus peel very finely (a microplane, peeler or grater works well). 
2. Mix the salt and zested citrus peel — about 1+ tablespoon citrus peel to 1/2 cup flaky salt.  Take your time to mix thoroughly, allowing the volatile oils to meet the crystals. Avoid shattering all the flakiness  (I like to infuse the mix with my intentions at this stage, especially if I’m making this as a gift). Taste and adjust proportions as desired. 
3. Spread your salt onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Dry in the oven at 200°F/95°C for 70 minutes or until your citrus peel is completely dry (crumbles between your fingers).
4. Remove from oven and allow to cool a bit. Optional: pulse your citrus sea salt in the food processor a few times to adjust the texture and blend completely.

Save in an airtight jar for several months.


These flavor-infused salts help avoid flavor ruts and excesses by shifting your palate. Get curious about the energetics of flavor and what your system is drawn to. Here are some suggested uses:

• Blood orange sel de gris on the rim of a sparkling breakfast beverage.
• Grapefruit kumquat sea salt on dark chocolate desserts. 
• Kaffir lime finishing salt on curry bowls. 
• Meyer lemon salt on steamed asparagus.
• Play with adding other spices (chili, ginger, curry) or herbs (rosemary, thyme, basil, fennel). 

From the kitchen of Dr. Q

Typically when something is super trendy you can find me running in the opposite direction. This is especially so with the current ‘magical’ Instant Pot craze – I mean, an 8-minute chicken? There’s no way.
 
So when a good friend forced one on me (she had an extra and likes to see me squirm), I thought it might be a great chance to prove the masses wrong – especially after finding a recipe for a 6 minute spaghetti squash. There’s no way it wouldn’t turn out uncooked or soggy, right? Right. No way.
 
After reading the user instructions and putting the contraption together I tried it out:

1. Wash and dry a medium-sized spaghetti squash
2. Cut it lengthwise and scoop out seeds with a large spoon
3. Pour 1 cup of water into the Instapot
4. Place both spaghetti squash in the Instant Pot, cut sides up
5. Drizzle squash with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste
6. *optional* spread ____ garlic along the inside of squash
7. Close and seal the lid
8. Click the manual button (high pressure), and set the timer for 6 minutes
9. When timer is done open the Instapot with a quick release
10. Use a fork to shred the cooked squash so it resembles spaghetti, and enjoy

From the kitchen of Amy Daws, CMT

This gluten-free (noodle free) take on vegetable lasagna is one of my favorite recipes for any season.  As someone who likes to eat nutritious meals packed with veggies, but doesn't like spending a lot of time each day figuring out what to eat this is a great option.  You can make a pan on a day off and have it to eat throughout the week.  This recipe can easily be made dairy free by omitting the parmesan cheese or substituting dairy free cheese.  Feel free to play with different vegetables as they go in and out of season.

From the kitchen of Ayanna Quamina, N.D.

One of the great things about having multi-cultural children is that I have an inside look into other cultures outside of my own. My father-in-law is Pilipino, and has exposed me to a variety of delicious traditional dishes. One of them is Chicken and Long Rice, and I try to make it as often as I can.

It is a perfect meal for a wintery evening, especially when you are feeling run-down or in the midst of catching a cold. It’s simple, yummy, easy to make, and fills you up without feeling bloated or uncomfortable. Plus the onion and ginger add some therapeutic qualities - who can argue with that?! 

Download a pdf to print
Serves 8

Ingredients

• 3 pounds chicken leg quarters
• 3 (32 ounce) cartons low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 (1/2 inch) piece fresh ginger root, sliced and julienned
• 1 large sweet onion, cubed
• 1 (8 ounce) package uncooked rice bean thread noodles
• 1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced

Directions

1. Place chicken broth, chicken, and ginger together into a large pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium-low. Simmer until the chicken is tender and no longer pink, about 35 minutes. Skim the chicken solids as it cooks off.
2. Place the bean thread noodles into the broth and simmer until softened, about 10-15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, take each piece of chicken, remove the skin and bones and discard. Roughly chop the remaining chicken meat and place back into the broth.
4. Scoop out the chicken, noodles and broth mixture into each bowl, and sprinkle a few green onion slices on top.
5. Enjoy!

From the kitchen of Jesse Haas, CHC
Recipe adapted from Practical Paleo by Diane Sanfilippo (find it in our Amazon store)
 
This grain-free breakfast porridge really hits the spot when I’m craving hot cereal on a cold winter morning. Grain-free diets are hitting the press these days, giving savvy Americans a dietary model that is completely opposite to the USDA’s Food Guide Pyramid my generation grew up with that emphasizes grain, breads and cereals. Instead of reaching for high-carb, low-nutrition oatmeal, give this veggie-based dish a try!

Directions:
1. Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan. Heat over a low flame to a desired temperature.

From the kitchen of Marian Kimball Eichinger

One of the best things about fall and winter are the plethora of squashes that fill our shop aisles, adorn our front steps and brighten our dining room tables. All the different shapes, colors and sizes never fail to amaze and impress me each year. This butternut recipe is one of my favorites - it’s a little bit of heaven in a bowl!
 
In addition to butternut squash, and a plethora of warming spices, this recipe also includes chickpeas and red lentils which add protein and depth. As a vegetarian, this combination draws me in. From a TCM perspective, the winter squash and the chickpeas are sweet and warm, nourish the spleen and stomach energy systems and aid digestion. The warming properties of this dish come from the turmeric, ginger, cinnamon and black pepper. All of these spices warm the body’s interior, making it a perfect dish for the cold weather of winter. The red lentils are slightly cool and tonify the Yin which balances perfectly with the warmth of the spices, peas and squash. Lentils also drain damp from the body. So if you are feeling chilled, bloated, and fatigued, this would be an excellent dinner for you!

Ingredients:

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions and saute until starting to turn brown. Turn the heat down to medium-low and add the garlic, celery, spices and 1 tsp ground black pepper. Saute for a few minutes. 
2. Now add the red lentils, chickpeas, tomato sauce, parsley and about half the cilantro. Cook over low heat for 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, peel and seed the squash and cut into large cubes. Add squash to the pot with the vegetable stock and bay. Cover and simmer gently for about 30 minutes. Add the pasta (or rice) and simmer until it is cooked. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Serve immediately, topping with chopped cilantro.

Download a printable recipe card here.

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F
2. Prepare your grains according to package directions. I used a combination of brown rice, forbidden black rice, and red quinoa for lots of color and texture. The rice I chose took about 40min to cook so I got it started first and added the quinoa in with 10min left in the cooking time. If you have bone broth on hand use it instead of water to cook the grains and get all the additional health benefits.
   
3. Wash and dry your sweet potatoes and cut into 1 inch cubes.
4. Mix 2 Tbsp each coconut oil and coconut milk and coat the sweet potato cubes with the mixture.
5. Lay sweet potatoes out on a cookie sheet (I cover mine with foil for easy clean up) and bake for about 50 minutes or until they can be easily pierced with a fork and are browning on the edges.
6. While your grains and potatoes are cooking, prepare the white miso sesame sauce by combining ginger, garlic, rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil, and olive oil in a food processor and blending well. After the ginger and garlic are well incorporated into the liquid add the thicker elements of honey, tahini, and white miso and blend until smooth.
7. When your potatoes and rice are close to done, steam the spinach or other leafy greens and toast enough black and white sesame seeds to sprinkle over each bowl. I had a mesh colander that fit right over my rice pot and was able to steam the spinach easily right on top. You'll know the sesame seeds are done as they start to release a lovely toasty scent.
8. The last step is layering everything in your bowl with a little miso sauce and then cooking up an egg however you like and finishing off with toasted sesame seeds and a pinch of salt.

What I love about this recipe is the how much you can experiment with variations. The original version had broccoli instead of spinach and I just swapped in a different nutrient-dense veggie that was easier for me to digest. Add as many veggies as you can! It is easy to just add something else to the roasting pan with the potatoes and not even dirty another dish. Comment below if you think of a particularly delicious addition or variation!