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!

From the kitchen of Emily Clark, LAc,

February is more than half way over and we’re (pretty much) in the homestretch of winter, folks!  However, cold and flu “season” seems to still be in full effect. Enter a simple, cost effective, and delicious food that has been used for centuries in East Asian and Chinese cultures: Congee (pronounced con-jee). It’s a grain based (usually white rice) porridge that is a nourishing blank canvas for the addition of therapeutic foods, herbs, and spices. Easily digested and assimilated, congee is a great thing to incorporate into your diet when feeling under the weather so to speak. Here is one of my favorite recipes to specifically help boost the immune system and keep you feeling great all winter long.

From the kitchen of Dr. Barrett
​
This hearty chicken soup contains mushrooms and plenty of fresh spices to help keep your immune system strong this winter. Feel free to add burdock root, astragalus root, or more dried medicinal mushrooms and other ingredients to increase the immune boosting effects.

Click here for a printable PDF
Serves 8-10
Ingredients:

• 1 whole chicken (free range)
• 2 bay leaves
• 10-12 multicolored carrots (purple is best)
• 3 celery stalks
• Fresh rosemary sprigs (dried will work too)
• Fresh thyme sprigs (dried will work too)
• 1 red onion
• Whole black peppercorns
• 2 jalapeños
• ½-1 cup wild rice
• 1.5 pounds fingerling and purple potatoes chopped into bite sized pieces (make sure the flesh is purple as well)
• 2 Tbsp dried sage
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste
• Minced garlic (mince at least 10 minutes before it goes into the pot)
• ¾ cup dried mushrooms (pick an immune boosting mushroom like shiitake)
• 1 bunch green onions, dice green tops and white bulb
• Ground black pepper
• Salt

While making this chicken soup it is very easy to simultaneously make some chicken stock. This will require two large pots.

1.  Start with 1 whole chicken into a pot of water (large enough that the chicken is covered with water) with 1 bay leaf, 1 carrot cut in half, 3 celery stalks cut in half, sprig of rosemary, sprig of thyme, 2 slices of red onion, 6 or 7 black peppercorns, and 1 jalapeno cut in half. Cook until chicken is tender ~180degrees in the breast.
2.  In a small skillet and the rest of the red onion diced with 1 jalapeno diced. Cook until onions are translucent.
3. Once the chicken is fully cooked (~180 degrees in the breast) pull chicken out of the pot and tear off all of the meat into bite sized pieces and set aside. Save the carcass for making stock.
4.  Remove the large vegetable chunks from the water and add to stock pot with carcass and fresh water.
5. Begin cooking the stock. Add another bay leaf and any left over vegetables you have in the kitchen such as onion skin from the red onion, stems from kale etc. Cook for at least one hour. Freeze the stock for easy use later.
6. In the water left over from cooking the chicken (soup) add 3Tbsp of salt, 1/2-3/4 cup of wild rice, chopped 1.5 lbs of fingerling and purple potatoes, 2 Tbsp dried sage, sprig of thyme, 1 Tbsp black pepper, 2 Tbsp tomato paste, 1 clove minced garlic, 3/4 cup dried mushrooms (shiitake), ½ of the diced red onion and jalapeno mixture. Allow this mixture to simmer for 30 minutes.
7. Meanwhile steam the carrots whole until slightly soft but still crisp. Chop carrots in to bite sized pieces add to soup along with pulled chicken.
8. Add 1 bunch of green onions diced. Add more salt to taste.
   

From the kitchen of Jesse Haas, CNS, LN

I love winter squash. Kabocha, delicata, red kuri all have a special place at my table. Whenever I plan a dish for the holidays, I focus on vegetables. For Thanksgiving winter squash is such an obvious choice! This year I'll be making this simple salad to take to my in-laws. It's good warm or room temperature, which makes it an easy dish to pass.

Click here for a printable PDF

Ingredients:

• 1 medium winter squash of your choosing (about 2 lbs)
• coconut oil
• 1 cup wild rice
• 2 stalks celery, sliced thinly
• dried sour cherries or cranberries
  
• 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp white wine vinegar
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• salt and pepper
• mixed salad greens
• toasted pepitas (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Peel and chop the winter squash into 1/2-inch cubes. For a tutorial on peeling and prepping winter squash, watch this video from Heartbeet Kitchen. Toss with coconut oil and spread into a single layer on a cookie sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until fork-tender.
3. Whisk together olive oil, vinegar, honey and mustard with a pinch of salt and black pepper. 
4. When the squash is done cooking, mix it together with the celery and dried fruit. Dress the veggies liberally with the honey mustard dressing.
5. For a beautiful presentation, spread a generous amount of mixed salad greens (a large handful per person) out in a large serving bowl. Place the squash mixture in the center and sprinkle with pepitas, if using.

​Happy Thanksgiving!

From the Kitchen of Dr. Pharis

Here is a healthy Thanksgiving recipe that will help you get your veggies in this holiday. This salad tastes best when prepped ahead and allowed to marinade for at least 30 minutes before serving. May be served warm, room temp or cold.

Click here for a printable PDF
Ingredients:

• 1 bunch curly kale; thick center ribs removed, leaves thinly sliced
• 1 pound fresh Brussels sprouts; trimmed, thinly sliced
• 1 green apple; julienned (matchstick size)
• 3/4 cup chopped hazelnuts (toasted with skins removed - directions below)
• 3/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano Sheep cheese
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Dash of honey to desired sweetness

Directions:

1. Whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper and honey (if using). Set aside
2. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Place hazelnuts on baking pan in single layer and toast in oven for 10-15 minutes, or until lightly colored and skins are blistered.
3. Wrap nuts in a kitchen towel and let steam for 1 minute. Rub the nuts in the towel to remove loose skins (don't worry about any skins that don't come off). Then, coarsely chop them.
4. In large bowl mix together the thinly sliced curly kale, Brussels sprouts, and green apple.
5. Stir in dressing to lightly coat the mixture.
6. Gently stir in cheese and the most of the chopped hazelnuts
7. Place in serving dish and sprinkle remaining hazelnuts on top for a beautiful presentation.
8. Drizzle any additional dressing if the salad looks dry.

We've touted the benefits of turmeric in the past. It's still true: this spice is the bomb! As a folk remedy turmeric was used to treat many, many maladies - everything from measles to gum disease, indigestion to the flu. Researchers have recently become quite interested in this yellow spice, so there is good evidence that at lease some of these folk remedies have clout. Here are a few highlights of how cooking with turmeric can improve your health:

• Turmeric prevents and kills cancer
• Soothes digestive problems, including gastric reflux
• Relieves headaches, joint and muscle pain and inflammation
• Improves circulation by stimulating blood flow
• Protects the liver and supports detoxification
• Helps type II diabetics become more sensitive to insulin and better at metabolizing sugar
• Used topically as a facial mask, turmeric can clear breakouts and acne

And the list goes on...

Here are some simple ways to get more turmeric in your life:

• Add it to everything you cook: soups, stews, beans, casseroles... A tablespoon in the pot will change the color but not the flavor.
• Eat curry! Pick up an Indian cookbook and plug a curry into your weekly menu. I love our local chef, Raghavan Iyer's cookbooks.
• Modify your bedtime cup of warm milk! Try this recipe for Golden Milk, a deliciously, anti-inflammatory beverage.

Golden Milk
Click here for a printable PDF
Ingredients:

• 8 oz milk of your choice (cow, goat, almond, non-GMO soy, coconut)
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon coconut oil (the fat increases absorption of turmeric's active compound curcumin)
• honey, to taste (optional)

Directions:

1. Heat milk and turmeric in a small saucepan over medium-low heat.
2. Sweeten with honey, if desired.
3. Drink immediately.

Bonus Options

• Add a pinch of cinnamon and/or black pepper. Cinnamon helps balance blood sugar and black pepper increases the absorption of both spices.

References:
Healing Spices by Bharat Aggarwal, PhD

If you don't already have turmeric in your spice cabinet, you can find it in many forms from our favorite provider of herbs and spices, Mountain Rose Herbs! (Just click HERE)

Special credit to our Holistic Diabetes Group for bringing this recipe to my attention!

From the kitchen of Jesse Haas, CNS, LN with Love

Here's a decadent vegan chocolate pudding recipe packed with nutrients for your sweetheart's health. It contains:

• dark chocolate, a source of the powerful antioxidants flavonoids
• coconut milk and their medium-chain fatty acids that prevent atherosclerosis,
• and chia seeds with soluble fiber that helps eliminate excess cholesterol and also naturally thickens the pudding. 

Most importantly, this recipe simple and takes less than 10 minutes to pull together. 

Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 can full-fat coconut milk
• 2 oz dark chocolate chips
• 2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1-2 Tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 5-6 Tbsp chia seeds

Directions:

1. Heat the coconut milk in a small sauce pan over medium-low heat. Do not bring to a boil.
2. Add chocolate chips and coca powder. Stir until mixed and melted.
3. Remove from heat. Stir in maple syrup and vanilla.
4. Slowly add chia seeds while stirring the pudding so as to prevent a chia clump.
5. Pour into a glass or ceramic bowl, cover and refrigerate until set, about 2 hours. 

Happy Valentine's Day!

From the kitchen of Jesse Haas, CNS, LN

Last week we posted an article about the anti-inflammatory benefits of curcumin. Curcumin is the active compound in the vibrant yellow spice, turmeric commonly used in Indian cooking and credited with their low incidence of chronic disease. 

Turmeric is used in a lot of all-American foods (mustard and chicken noodle soup get their yellow tone from turmeric) but we don't often use it intentionally. 

As the evidence mounts on the healing potential of turmeric, it's time to dust off your spice cupboard and put it in the pot! Here's a simple and versatile bean recipe with Indian spices. 

Basic Dahl
Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp coconut oil, ghee, or sesame oil
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 cup red lentils, green lentils, split peas, or mung beans, rinsed
• 1 can coconut milk
• 3 cups water, divided
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice (fresh is best)
• 1/4 cup cilantro chopped (optional)

Directions:

1. Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Add your cooking fat and heat until melted (if using coconut oil or ghee). Add spices, cooking until fragrant about 1-2 minutes.
2. Add onion and cook until the onion starts to brown on the edges. 
3. Add legumes and sauté for 1 minute longer.
4. Add liquid and bring to a boil. Cover and turn the heat to low. Simmer until the beans are cooked, about 30 minutes.
5. Add lemon juice and serve over cooked brown rice or quinoa with cilantro, if using.

Variations:

• Add vegetables! Cut sweet potato, carrots, cauliflower and/or other vegetables into small, bite-sized pieces and add them to the sauté before the beans. Add chopped greens, like kale, Swiss chard, and/or spinach at the end with the lemon juice.

• Turn up the heat with a dash (or more) of cayenne, jalapeño or serrano pepper. 

From the kitchen of Jesse Haas, CNS, LN​

This warming pumpkin soup has some smoky flavors from paprika and heat from cayenne. No cream necessary and can easily be made dairy free by substituting olive oil for butter.

Ingredients:

• 4 pie pumpkins
• 4 carrots peeled and chopped
• 1 apple peeled, cored and chopped
• 7-12 cloves of garlic2 onions coarsely chopped
• 5 tbs butter (can substitute oil to make dairy free)
• 10 cups chicken stock
• 4 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp smoked paprika (hot)
• 1 tsp cayenne
• Fresh thyme
• Pepitas 

Cut pumpkins in half, coat in olive oil and roast face down in a pan at 350 until soft. Add butter and onions to a large soup pot. Allow onions to cook on medium for approximately 5 minutes until clear. Add garlic and cumin. Add apple, carrot, roasted pumpkin and stock along with paprika and cayenne. Bring to a simmer for 20 minutes or until carrots are soft. Use immersion blender or food processor to blend soup into a smooth texture. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add more heat (smoked paprika or cayenne) as needed. Toast pepitas in olive oil on stovetop until browned. Top soup with fresh thyme and roasted pepitas.