This month’s featured ingredient is one that Kim and I both adore. Although they’re a bit of a paleface compared to many other antioxidant-rich vegetables, they offer lots of great nutritional value as well as deep, succulent flavor. They may at first appear like off-white carrots, but this month’s veggie offers its own unique, healthy and delicious properties. We’re talking about–
They may look like albino carrots, but the gnarly parsnip, native to Asia and Europe, provides many health benefits. One of the less-lauded root veggies, parsnips appear to be paler carrots with somewhat bumpy exteriors and a light yellow or off-white flesh inside. Their flavor has been described as alternately nutty, sweet, or peppery; I also find them somewhat earthy. Because of their high starch content, they brown and caramelize well when roasted, releasing natural sugars for a mild, sweet flavor.
Known as a biannual plant, the flowers blossom from June until August, though only the roots are consumed (unlike carrots, the tops of which can be eaten). [source] Interestingly, parsnips aren’t grown in warmer climates because they require frost to develop their flavor (one reason they’re so abundant where Kim and I live, I guess!) [source]
Health Benefits of Parsnips
While parsnips are a white root vegetable like potatoes, there are some significant differences between the two. Parsnips contain lower levels of protein and vitamin C than spuds, but they do provide more fiber. And parsnips contain a host of nutrients, offering an excellent source of vitamin C, fiber, folic acid, pantothenic acid, copper, and manganese. They also contain good amounts of niacin, thiamine, magnesium, and potassium. [source]
In fact, some sources suggest that parsnips can be used to help regulate bowel movements and to keep the liver healthy. [source]
When choosing your parsnips, look for cream or lightly tan exteriors, with a skin as smooth as possible. The smaller roots are the more tender ones; the larger roots tend to become woody.
Parsnips should be peeled unless they’re organic (in which case, wash well and scrub away any visible dirt before cutting and cooking). Some sources suggest that parsnips should never be eaten raw, but this is a fallacy; it’s just fine to eat them that way! Use them to replace some or all of your potatoes in a mash; chop or grate and include in soups, stews or pasta sauces; roast on their own or in root vegetable fries; or mix up with your favorite carrot cake recipe, substituting parsnips for some or all of the carrot. The possibilites are endless!
Now, it’s time for you to show us what YOU can do with parsnips! You have until the end of the month to link up your favorite parsnip-based recipes.
To participate, please adhere to the following guidelines. We hate to remove entries, so PLEASE READ THE GUIDELINES CAREFULLY BEFORE LINKING UP!
Cook up a recipe–whether yours or someone else’s with credit to them–using parsnips.
Your recipe must be made for this event, within the month of the challenge–sorry, no old posts are accepted. Then, post the recipe to your blog (if you don’t have a blog, see instructions below).
Be sure to mention the event on your post and link to the current SOS page so that everyone can find the collection of recipes. Then, link up the recipe using the linky tool below.
As a general rule, please use mostly whole foods ingredients (minimally processed with no artificial flavors, colors, prepackaged sauces, etc.). For example, whole grains and whole grain flours; no refined white flours or sugar (but either glutenous OR gluten-free flours are fine).
Please ensure that recipes are veganor include a vegan alternative (no animal products such as meat, fish, chicken, milk, yogurt, eggs, honey).
Please use natural sweeteners (no white sugar, nothing that requires a laboratory to create–such as splenda, aspartame, xylitol, etc.). Instead, try maple syrup, agave nectar, brown rice syrup, coconut sugar, dates, yacon syrup, Sucanat, stevia, etc.
Feel free to use the event logo on your blog to help promote the event!
Have fun and let your creativity shine!
You may enter as many times as you like, but please submit a separate entry for each recipe, and submit only one entry per blog post.
If you don’t have a blog, you can still participate! Simply email your recipe, or recipe and a photo, to soskitchenchallenge@gmail.com. We’ll post it for you.
For all the details (and to view past challenges), check out the SOS Kitchen Challenge page. Deadline for submission is Wednesday, November 30, 2011. Kim and I look forward to seeing all your culinary creations using parsnips!
I grew up in a home where my two sisters and I learned to bake before our birthdays hit the double digits. Before we learned to read, before we wore a training bra, before we could drive a car, we were baking. As young as four or five, we’d be enlisted to help stir a cake batter, knead a streusel dough or lick the beaters from my mom’s “famous” chiffon cake. So I was pretty stoked when I rented my first apartment at age twenty and finally had my own kitchen, which meant I could bake to my heart’s content.
And yet, bizarrely, the first foodstuff I prepared in the new, steamer trunk-sized kitchen, was not a cake. Nor was it cookies, brownies, a pie, a soufflé–or any other baked good. No, the first dish I cooked up in the miniature kitchen was split pea soup with ham.
Split pea soup with–what?!?!
I know. It seems weird to me, too. You see, my dad (who owned a butcher shop at the time) wanted to give me something pragmatic as a housewarming gift. So he gave me a cooked ham. Was it because my boyfriend back then–for whom I was itching to cook–loved ham? (Unlikely, since my dad disapproved of said bf). Was it because the meat was pre-cooked, and, therefore, could survive the trip between Montreal and Windsor, where I returned after my long weekend at home? (Again, probably not. My parents had sent along much more perishable items, such as fresh cheeses or homemade chocolate chip cookies, before that). Was it because I’d been home for Easter Weekend, and my dad’s butcher shop was burdened with an abundance of unsold ham left over after the holiday, which he chose to pawn off onsave from the garbage bin generously bestow upon me? (Bingo).
And so, I dutifully cooked the pea soup, took one taste and determined that I abhorred it, then donated the entire batch to my boyfriend and his housemates. (It was a perfectly lovely ham and pea soup, I’m sure, but even back then I wasn’t exactly fussy on meat).
I then decided I’d turn to what I knew best–baking! In the first week alone, I’d already mixed up all my favorites: brownies (dense, moist, fudgy, with whole squares of Caramilk chocolate bars embedded within); my mom’s recipe for “Surprise Crackles” cookies (also known as “Chocolate Crinkles“–a rich, melty, puffed chocolate cookie coated in powdered sugar, which “crackles” into mosaic patterns as they bake); Tunnel of Fudge cake (a precursor to chocolate lava cake and a recipe I’d copied down during a summer at my cousin’s in Boston); the Nurse’s recipe for Nanaimo Bars (chewy coconut and chocolate bars); and the ubiquitous chocolate chip cookies, which I had first learned to make alongside my dad’s Great Aunt Yetta.
And then, semi-comatose from my cacao overdose, I began to look further afield than chocolate.
One of my classmates at the time, a pseudo-hippie with a health foodie streak (as I recall she introduced me to true bran muffins, the first time I’d had them made with actual wheat bran rather than All-Bran cereal) brought over a pan of apple crisp/crumble. For someone whose previous reaction to apple desserts had been tepid at best, I found that crumble to be a revelation. Who knew that when you combined apples with sweet, cinnamony, oatmeal-and-butter topping that they’d be transformed into something ethereal?
I must admit that I went on a bit of an apple crumble binge (do we detect a pattern here?). I tried mixing apples with raisins for more sweetness and textural variety (not a fave); using several different types of apples in one crisp (lovely); and experimenting with various proportions of apple-to-crisp-topping (I definitely preferred a heavier topping-to-apple ratio).
What I loved about the recipe was that you didn’t really need a recipe: just grate up some apples, add cinnamon and sugar, then pinch together your flour,sugar and butter, add oats and cinnamon to taste, sprinkle, bake, and eat. I could mix it up, bake it and have sugary juices trailing down my chin all within 40 minutes. And best of all, it made a delicious cold breakfast the next morning. Much more forgiving than cakes or cookies, crumble could be infinitely altered and the proportions changed without too much negative impact.
This particular version goes beyond apple alone, to combine our first fruit with pear and cranberries, our SOS Kitchen Challenge ingredient this month. The trio works particularly well together, the solid, robust apple providing structure to the meltingly soft pear and the sometimes too-tart cranberry. Yet mixed together, they create a beautiful synergy. The crumble topping itself is also grain-free, but believe me, you won’t miss the oats. Once baked, it browns and its sweetness deepens to a perfectly crisp and crumbly topping. We loved this dessert. Next time, I’d heed the HH’s suggestion and top it with some coconut whipped cream as well. Divine!
I’ve had my own kitchen for quite some time by now, and it’s true, the novelty has worn off. But baking? Well, that never gets old.
This is another one of those “desserts-that-can-be-breakfast.” With the abundance of fall fruit and limited grains, this dish makes a great way to start your day. Add a bit more protein and you’re all set!
30 drops plain or vanilla liquid stevia, to your taste
1 tsp (5 ml) pure vanilla extract
3 Tbsp (45 ml) water
For the Fililng:
2 medium pears, washed, cored and diced
2 medium sweet apples (I used Honeycrisp), washed, cored and diced
1 cup (240 ml) fresh or frozen cranberries
1 tsp (5 ml) cinnamon
1/4 tsp (1 ml) ground ginger
2 Tbsp (30 ml) coconut sugar
juice of 1/2 lemon
40 drops (about 1/2 tsp or 2.5 ml) plain or vanilla liquid stevia, to your taste
Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Grease a casserole or soufflé dish with nonstick spray or coconut oil.
Make the topping: place the coconut sugar, walnuts, almonds, coconut flour, potato starch, cinnamon and salt in the bowl of a food processor and process until the mixture resembles a fine meal with no pieces of nuts visible.
In a small heavy-bottomed pot, melt the coconut oil. Whisk in the stevia, vanilla and water. Pour the mixture in a ring around the dry ingredients in the processor and pulse until it all come together. It should look like moist clumps. Set aside.
Make the filling: In a large bowl, toss the pear, apple and cranberries together with the cinnamon and ginger. In a small bowl, mix together the coconut sugar, lemon juice and stevia and stir until the coconut sugar begins to dissolve. Drizzle over the fruit in the bowl and then toss again to coat evenly.
Turn the fruit mixture into the casserole dish and sprinkle with the crumble topping. Press down gently on the topping.
Bake in preheated oven for 40-60 minutes (depending on the depth of your pan, you will need more or less time for the fruit to cook), rotating the dish about halway through, until the topping is deeply browned and the fruit is soft. Serve immediately or at room temperature with a little coconut whipped cream. Makes 6-8 servings. May be frozen.
Note: for earlier stages of the ACD, you can replace the coconut sugar with more stevia. Note that your crumble won’t hold together as well, however.
Welcome back to our very first SOS Kitchen Challenge of the new season! After a slightly protracted summer break, Kim and I are back in fine form with our monthly event that asks you to cook up either sweet or savory recipes using a featured ingredient. Many thanks to all of you who’ve been asking about the event–it feels great to be back!
Our ingredient this month has a humble history, but has recently joined the ranks of “super foods” like blueberries, spinach, and pumpkins. Their ravishing red color is unmistakable and their sweet-tart flavor is unique and versatile. And, they’re just in time for Canadian Thanksgiving (October 10th)–and the start of the fall/winter holiday season in general! Any guesses yet? Okay, okay, we’ll tell you. Our featured ingredient this month is…
Cranberries are related to blueberries and grow in sandy bogs in cool climates of the Northern hemisphere. The short shrubby plants have long trailing vines featuring evergreen leaves, distinctive pink flowers, and shiny plump berries. Unripe cranberry fruits are white and the fruits deepen to the characteristic red color as they ripen. Native Americans used cranberries as food, medicine and dye. European settlers quickly caught on to the versatility of cranberries. In fact, they are responsible for the name,”cranberry,” which derives from “crane berry”. The distinctive shape of the wiry stem and flower petals and stamen reminded them of the neck, head, and beak of a crane. American colonialists shipped plants to Europe in the early 1800s, where the cranberry quickly gained popularity throughout Great Britain and Scandinavia.
Kim and I are lucky, as we both live in cranberry country–cranberries are grown throughout southern Canada and in northern portions of the United States. In fact, Kim’s home state of Wisconsin leads the way in U.S. production, pushing out more than 50% of the crop! Kim has often mentioned how she and her family drive through the countryside to find low-lying bogs dotted with shining red berries, how she grew up eating them in a variety of ways (and even once toured the Ocean Spray cranberry plant in Tomah, Wisconsin and the Cranberry Festival in Eagle River, Wisconsin–I’m so envious!). While my own history isn’t quite so cranberry-filled, I do love them and have been enjoying cranberries both fresh and juiced ever since I first embarked on an ACDdiet back in 1999. Today, cranberries in some form are an almost-daily occurrence in my diet.
Cranberries are in season from October through December, and can be found fresh at grocery stores and green markets. Frozen berries can be found all year round. Almost 95% of the cranberry crop is processed into juice, dried cranberries, and sauces, while the other 5% is sold raw. When selecting fresh, raw cranberries, look for firm fruits that are deep red and free of blemishes. Firmness is a key indicator, and ripe cranberries will actually bounce when you drop them. This trait has earned them the nickname “bounceberries”.
Fresh cranberries can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three weeks or can be frozen for several years (!). If freezing them, rinse the berries, then place in a single layer on a flat baking sheet or pan, and freeze. Remove the frozen berries from the pan and place in a freezer bag and seal tightly. Frozen cranberries can be used as-is in recipes; there is no need to thaw. Cranberry juice should be stored in the refrigerator or frozen for later use. Dried cranberries will keep for 6-12 months if well-sealed.
Culinary and Nutrition Benefits of Cranberries
The fruits are incredibly versatile. Thanks to their sweet-tart flavor, they can be used for a variety of sweet or savory applications. Use them in sauces, chutneys, relishes, smoothies, and in baked goods and other desserts. Dried cranberries are an excellent addition to breads and muffins, granola or meusli, or as a snack on their own. For a savory option, try adding to stuffings, salad dressings, salads, or as a tart flavor element to soups or stews. Cranberry juice can be used to make everything from agar agar molds to punches to flavorful apple cider blends or even Tempeh Bourguignon! Kim and I have both enjoyed using cranberries on our blogs. Check out Kim’s Stevia-Sweetened Apple-Cranberry Sauce or my Stevia-Sweetened Dried Cranberries, for instance. In addition to amazing culinary variety, cranberries pack a lot of nutrition in a small package. They are a good source of Vitamin C, Vitamin K, and dietary fiber.
Additionally, they contain powerful phytonutrients that may help support the cardiovascular system, immune system, and may even reduce the risk of cancer. Cranberries also contain compounds that may help prevent and eliminate bacterial infections of the urinary system, particularly in cases of urinary tract infections. Cranberry pills or unsweetened cranberry juice are often suggested to people (and animals) struggling with UTIs! Cranberries are truly an amazing fruit! Kim and I both think these little red berries pack an admirably powerful punch. And we want to see what you can do with them, too.
So feel free to get cooking and show us your best with cranberries this month!
How to Participate in the SOS Kitchen Challenge
To participate, please adhere to the following guidelines. We hate to remove entries, so PLEASE READ THE GUIDELINES CAREFULLY BEFORE LINKING UP!
Cook up a recipe–whether yours or someone else’s with credit to them–using cranberries (for our purposes, you can use whole berries, fresh or frozen; dried cranberries; or cranberry juice).
Your recipe must be made for this event, within the month of the challenge–sorry, no old posts are accepted. Then, post the recipe to your blog (if you don’t have a blog, see instructions below).
Be sure to mention the event on your post and link to the current SOS page so that everyone can find the collection of recipes. Then, link up the recipe using the linky tool below.
As a general rule, please use mostly whole foods ingredients (minimally processed with no artificial flavors, colors, prepackaged sauces, etc.). For example, whole grains and whole grain flours; no refined white flours or sugar (but either glutenous OR gluten-free flours are fine).
Please ensure that recipes are veganor include a vegan alternative (no animal products such as meat, fish, chicken, milk, yogurt, eggs, honey).
Please use natural sweeteners (no white sugar, nothing that requires a laboratory to create–such as splenda, aspartame, xylitol, etc.). Instead, try maple syrup, agave nectar, brown rice syrup, coconut sugar, dates, yacon syrup, Sucanat, stevia, etc.
Feel free to use the event logo on your blog to help promote the event
Have fun and let your creativity shine!
You may enter as many times as you like, but please submit a separate entry for each recipe, and submit only one entry per blog post.
If you don’t have a blog, you can still participate! Simply email your recipe, or recipe and a photo, to soskitchenchallenge@gmail.com. We’ll post it for you.
For all the details (and to view past challenges), check out the SOS Kitchen Challenge page. Deadline for submission is Monday, October 31, 2011.Kim and I look forward to seeing what you do with cranberries this month. It’s good to be back!
I hope everyone had (or is still having) a great Mother’s Day today! Behold what I found on the mantelpiece this morning:
Yep, for the first time ever, this year I received a card from The Girls. I guess that hintingcajolingbegginghaving temper tantrums being a loving partner all year really paid off!
But I’m not here to talk about breakfast (unless, of course, I slip in an extra mention that a copy of my breakfast ebook, Good Morning! Breakfasts, is being given away over at Tasty Eats at Home until May 14th–if you haven’t yet, go enter!). No, I’m here to talk about this month’s SOS ingredient, carob, and these amazing cookies I baked up!
Unlike many people, I’ve never really thought of carob as a replacement for chocolate (even though I did end up creating a “faux chocolate” recipe with it when I first started the ACD).
In general, I think it’s better to remain 100% of what one really is than be 75% of something or someone else. The last time I tried to imitate another person’s style was back in high school, when I donned embroidered Lee overalls, grew my hair long and painted a little flower on my cheek so I could be more like my then-idol, The Nurse. I ended up catching my hair in the overall’s buckles and losing a fairly large chunk of it. I was decidedly not a happy little hippie.
[A batch made with unsweetened carob chips added.]
Similarly, there are certain foods that are frequently considered inferior versions of something else. For years, margarine was the poor relation of butter (of course, after that it went through the very popular “cholesterol-free-even-though-hydrogenated-but-we-don’t-know-that-it’s-bad-for-you-yet-so-let’s-all-eat-margarine” phase, before it evolved to the “margarine-is-the-devil-real-butter-is-better-than-trans-fat-full-spreads” and finally “let’s-make-trans-fat-free-margarine-but-it’s-still-a-chemical-so-let’s-continue-to-eat-real-fats-once-again” phase). Or how about the debate over whether tofu can be used to impersonate meat in vegan dishes? And years ago, when I decided to enjoy Segura Viudas as a favorite Cava, I was informed rather undiplomatically by one acquaintance that “it’s not real champagne, you know.” (I did know. I loved it anyway.).
I’ve always felt kind of sorry for sweet little Carob, in fact, living life as a second-rate stand-in to cacao–sort of the way Jan was to Marsha, or Montreal is to Paris, or Lady Gaga is to Elton John (or is it Lady Gaga to Madonna? No matter–I suppose she was just born this way.).
[Simple and unadorned.]
This recipe was inspired by one I found in a very old cookbook of mine, called The Alternative Chocolate Cookbook (see, even culinary professionals view carob as a chocolate pretender). I’ve completely revamped the recipe so it’s gluten free, sugar free and vegan–in fact, the only thing I didn’t change was the spotlight on carob–to create a light, crisp cookie with just a hint of chewiness inside, very much like a sugar cookie. A whisper of cinnamon helps to emphasize carob’s natural sweetness, with just enough coconut sugar and stevia to make this sweet enough to qualify as “cookie.”
These light confections were perfect alongside a cup of Sencha tea, or sandwiched together with some sugar-free, allergen-free Chocolate Buttercream Frosting (the HH’s preferred way to nosh on them).
If you’ve been thinking of carob as a lesser form of chocolate, now’s the time to appreciate this lovely, slightly fruity, barely sweet legume for its own merits. Sort of the way moms appreciate their children.
Light and not too sweet, these cookies are perfect for an afternoon snack with tea or as the base for sandwich cookies. Made without the chips, they’d be great crumbled for a tart or pie crust.
1/4 cup (40 g) lightly packed coconut sugar
2 Tbsp (30 ml) water
20-25 drops plain or vanilla liquid stevia, to your taste
1 tsp (5 ml) pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup (60 ml) coconut oil, preferably organic, melted (I used refined so there would be no coconut flavor, but these would still be great with a hint of coconut)
1 Tbsp (15 ml) finely ground flax seeds
3 Tbsp (45 ml) carob powder
1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) cinnamon
1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) baking powder
1/4 tsp (1 ml) fine sea salt
1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) xanthan gum
1/3 cup (80 ml) unsweetened carob chips, optional
3.2 ounces (90 g) all-purpose GF flour mix (2/3-1 cup, depending on the mix–I used Amy’s Basic GF Flour Blend, which equaled 2/3 cup; other flours will yield different volumes for the same weight)
In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, water, vanilla and stevia so that the sugar begins to dissolve. Add the coconut oil and whisk vigorously to combine, or beat with electric beaters (it’s okay if the mixture appears curdled). Mix in the flax seeds.
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, carob powder, cinnamon, baking powder, salt and xanthan gum. Add the wet mixture to the dry and stir to create a slightly sticky dough. If using the carob chips, add them now. Create a roll about 8 inches (20.5 cm) long, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to overnight. (If you’re in a rush, you can freeze the log for about 15 minutes, until firm, then proceed).
When ready to bake the cookies, preheat oven to 375F (190C). Line a cookie sheet with parchment. Using a sharp knife, cut cookies about 1/4 inch (.5 cm) thick and place about an inch (2.5 cm) apart on the cookie sheet. If the dough cracks or if the cookies are squished when cutting, press with your fingers to re-shape into circles.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, rotating the sheet about halfway through, until cookies are slightly puffed and lightly browned on the bottom. Cool 5 minutes before removing from the cookie sheet. Store in an airtight container. Makes 12-16 cookies. May be frozen.
Welcome to another month and another round of the SOS Kitchen Challenge! After posting April’s roundup, Kim and I realized that the SOS Kitchen Challenge is now a year old. Our first challenge in April 2010 featured the beet, and we’ve been on a roll ever since. Many thanks to all of YOU for continuing to support the Challenge with your recipes and ideas!
To celebrate our one year “birthday,” we’ve decided to pick one of our favorite ingredients and feature giveaways for two lucky readers! This month we are featuring…
Carob, also known as St. John’s Bread, has been used for over 5000 years. The word “carob” is derived from the Arabic Kharrub or Kharoub, which means pod or bean pod. This ancient food has a long and interesting history, feeding Mohammed’s armies and (according to the Bible) sustaining St. John the Baptist in the wilderness (Mark 1:16). Carob was referred to as the “Egyption fig” or “Egyption date” by the Romans, who at the unripened pods as a sweet treat. The ancient Egyptians used carob to make the adhesive used in mummification, and carob has been found in Egyptian tombs. And more recently, thousands of Spaniards relied on the nutrition from the carob pod during the Spanish Civiil War and World Wars I and II. Fascinating!
Carob is harvested from the carob bean tree. Depending on the age of the tree, carob bean trees yield between 100 and 250 pounds of beans per year. Over the course of the growing season, glossy flat green bean pods develop. As they mature, the pods turn dark brown and become very firm. Each pod grows up to 12 inches in length and can contain as many as 15 carob seeds. Seeds are harvested and used for human consumption while the pods are often used as animal feed.
As a food, carob is remarkably versatile. Carob powder, available both raw and toasted, is a wonderful 1:1 substitute for cocoa powder in any recipe. Carob is also used to make carob chips, which can be substituted for chocolate chips. The rich brown color is similar to that of cocoa powder, and naturally sweet flavor reduces the need for other sweeteners in recipes, making it great for low-sugar or sugar-free diets (such as the ACD!). But unlike cocoa, carob is free of caffeine, theobromine, and oxalic acid, so it a great choice for individuals who are sensitive to, or wish to avoid, those things.
Roasted carob seeds have a rich flavor, and can be used as a substitute for coffee or black tea. Whole pods are eaten in Egypt as a snack and crushed pods are used to make a refreshing drink (I actually used to snack on the pods when I first began the ACD about ten years ago. . . slightly warmed, they become soft and chewy, very date-like). In addition to using the pod whole or ground, it can be used for a variety of other purposes. Throughout the Mediterranean, carob is used to make liqueurs and syrups for both culinary and medicinal purposes (carob syrup can be found at Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, or speciality markets). The commonly-used thickener locust bean gum–often found in many processed foods–is derived from carob.
In addition to being delicious, carob is actually quite health promoting. As mentioned earlier, it is free of caffeine, theobromine, and oxalic acid, perfect for anyone intolerant to caffeine or on a low oxalic diet. It is high in fiber and contains a respectable amount of calcium, potassium, riboflavin, copper, potassium, and omega-6 fatty acids. It can be used as a treatment for diarrhea, and is particularly effective in infants and children.
How To Participate (And Enter To Win!)
Kim and I are offering great prizes this month to two lucky readers as a way to celebrate our one year anniversary. By submitting a recipe to this month’s SOS Challenge, you are automatically eligible to win! (Please remember that recipes must be vegan or provide reliable vegan substitutes, cannot use refined sugars, and must utilize whole ingredients–no box mixes). For full Challenge guidelines, please see this post. If your entry does not comply with our rules, we will be obliged to remove it–so please read the rules!
Entries must be recieved by 11:59 pm CST on May 31, 2011.
Our prizes this month:
A 1-pint jar of Harrison’s Sugar Bush Maple Syrup, harvested by Kim’s family in Fence, Wisconsin. This syrup is made in small batches and is only available through them–it is not sold in stores. So, lucky you!
At the end of the month, Kim and I will choose the two winners at random from the entries, and will announce the winners on our blogs Wednesday June 1, 2011. Be sure to come back here and check if you won at the beginning of next month!
We’ve been blown away by the enthusiasm and incredible creativity you’ve all shown over the past Challenges. So put those carob-filled thinking caps on, and start cooking!
Here are some carob-based recipes on the blog to inspire you:
This past month, Kim and I chose Asparagus as our SOS Kitchen Challenge key ingredient, and set out a true “kitchen challenge”: could anyone actually come up with a (tasty) sweet asparagus-based recipe? Well, I’m thrilled to report that several of you rose to the challenge quite admirably!
The asparagus recipes flowed in all month, with many arriving down to the wire. Here are some of the highlights (you can find links to all these recipes and more in the linky list below):
Thanks to everyone who participated this past month. We were thrilled with every one of your 22 entries.
Kim and I are currently putting the finishing touches on the kickoff post for May. . . a favorite ingredient that is used frequently on both our blogs. And we’re certain that everyone, wherever you’re located, can participate equally this month! Stayed tuned for the annoucement in a day or two.
Whew–where has the last week gone? Between end-of-term marking and a long holiday weekend, it’s been pretty busy here in the DDD household. I hope you all enjoyed a stellar Passover and/or Easter holiday! This year, the HH and I celebrated both holidays, first with friends (we were invited to two seders this year) and then on our own (a holiday Easter dinner for just the two of us).
As in other areas, when it comes to celebrating holidays, the HH is, shall we say, rather laissez-faire. In other words, if not for me, we would probably have eaten cereal for dinner on Sunday instead of the fantastic repast we did have (nutroast and céléri remoulade, about which I’ll post in a day or two). To top off our weekend, we went to see Water for Elephantswith my friend Nutritionista and her hubby last night. Since I had no preconceived notions about Robert Pattinson (having never seen any of the Twilight films) and since I love Reese Witherspoon, I really enjoyed the movie (though, is it just me, or is there something vaguely simian about his looks?).
Well, after all the heavy, rich foods of the past long weekend, I am so ready for something fresh, light, crisp–and raw!
I was delighted a while back when Brittany of Real Sustenance asked if I’d like to participate in her month-long tribute to raw foods, April in the Raw. You see, raw foods (fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and a few others), consumed in the same state as we’d find them in nature (technically, nothing heated above 115F46 C), are considered to provide optimum nutritional value while retaining the natural enzymes that may help us to digest those same foods (when foods are cooked, your pancreas must take on this monumental task on its own–not too much fun for the l’il pancreas).
With spring in the air (okay, maybe not literally–what is it with the never ending winter this year?–but it’s coming, I just know it), this is as good a time as any to try out some raw recipes. Besides, raw foods are ideal for those of us who plan to detox around this time of year–and I’ve decided that I really need to detox. How much do I need a cleanse right now? In a show of hands, I’d have to throw in not just my hand, but probably the whole deck. Yep, a cleanse is definitely in order for this gal.
(“Mum, you don’t think we need a cleanse, do you? Because, you know, we go swimming at least once a week in the pond, so that keeps us cleansed, doesn’t it?. On the other hand, if you want to throw a little raw food our way, we’re all for it!’)
[Raw Asparagus, Romaine and Grapefruit Salad--who knew?]
Most days, I aim for something raw at each meal, but that wasn’t always the case. In fact, I didn’t discover the joy of raw foods until I was in nutrition school, during the “Alternative Diets” course. The entire class was inspired by our prof, Miss Serenity (in opposition to my friends and me, collectively Misses Anxiety, Dissatisfaction, Self-Doubt, Insecurity, Impatience, Grumpy and Sleepy). Miss Serenity was, herself, a raw foodist, and we all wanted to be like her.
Miss Serenity was the image of radiant health, with a strong, toned physicque, luxurious hair the color of milk chocolate and the whitest smile I’ve ever seen; she was also the polar opposite of the stereotypical “vegan.” Her skin shone with the pink glow of iron and oxygen-rich blood, she guffawed with great glee and was the last person one would consider “stuffy” or “preachy.” Yet she also taught yoga and meditated every day, she grew her own wheat grass and she owned a house painted in bold colors of the seven chakras. As soon as she announced that she was teaching a “Raw Foods Fundamentals” course in her home, I signed up.
Because of Miss Serenity, I decided to “go raw” for a month. As a full-time student, I had the luxury to prepare all my food from scratch and could spend hours chopping, grating, puréeing, blending, processing, soaking, and juicing as I made recipe after recipe from Miss Serenity’s cookbook. The food was delicious, but ultimately I abandoned the idea–I just didn’t have 2-3 extra hours a day to devote to food prep.
Since then, I’ve discovered that “uncooking” need not take exorbitant amounts of time. The “original” raw foods–fruits and vegetables, raw nuts and seeds–can be eaten out of hand, exactly as they are the instant you pick them or shell them. Somewhere between fresh-picked and three-hour prep is a happy medium: a bit of chopping, perhaps some peeling or prepping, along with fewer ingredients or foods eaten fresh and whole. (Even Miss Serenity occasionally brought a “mono-meal” for her lunch: we’d watch, mesmerized, as she peeled and ate 4-5 mangoes at a sitting–and nothing else for that meal).
Today’s offering is meant to show you that raw food can be both simple and delicious. First up, I’m including the quintessential raw dish: salad (but with a new twist). Then, once you’ve eaten your greens, I think you deserve a fantastic dessert: these raw Frosted Lemon-Poppyseed Bars! Even the HH loved them.
The salad does a bit of double-duty, as it also contains this month’s SOS Kitchen Challenge ingredient, asparagus. I had no idea one could eat raw asparagus until I came across a recipe for “Shaved Asparagus Salad with Orange-Tarragon Vinaigrette” in the May/June 2009 issue of Vegetarian Times. Well, that was all the incentive I needed to start playing with the recipe and come up with my own adaptation. The ACD doesn’t allow oranges but does allow grapefruit for some bizarre reason, so that was the substitution I used.
The resulting salad was crisp, fresh, and juicy, the slightly sweet shards of asparagus lending a decidedly springlike air (something we sorely need these rainy days!). Fragrant with tarragon and grapefruit zest, the salad was a lively start to our meal. I didn’t tell the HH it contained raw asparagus until he’d already dug in and proclaimed the dish “fantastic.” I’d suggest you do the same when you serve this.
Shaved Asparagus Salad with Grapefruit-Tarragon Vinaigrette (adapted from Vegetarian Times, May/June 2009)
about 3/4 pound (12 oz or 375 g) fresh asparagus, washed and woody ends broken off
1 small head romaine lettuce, washed, trimmed, and torn into bite-sized pieces
1/2 cup (120 ml) toasted hazelnuts, coarsely chopped
1 large grapefruit, peeled and cut into segments, membrane removed if desired (grate the zest before cutting the fruit)
1 tsp (5 ml) freshly grated grapefruit zest
1 Tbsp (15 ml) minced onion
1 tsp (5 ml) dried tarragon or 1 Tbsp (15 ml) fresh, chopped fine
1/4 cup (60 ml) extra virgin olive oil, preferably organic
1 Tbsp (15 ml) apple cider vinegar
3 Tbsp (45 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1/2 large lemon)
1 tsp (5 ml) Dijon mustard
6-8 drops plain stevia liquid, to your taste
Shave the asparagus by using a vegetable peeler and peeling into long strands. Alternately, grate the asparagus in a food processor with the grating blade (this is what I did). Place the asparagus, lettuce, grapefruit segments and hazelnuts in a large salad bowl.
In a small bowl or glass measuring cup, whisk together the grapefruit zest, onion, tarragon, oil, vinegar, lemon juice, mustard and stevia. Pour the dressing over the salad ingredients and toss well to coat. Serve immediately. Makes 4-6 servings.
To cap off your meal, how about these dazzling Lemon-Poppyseed Bars with Lemon Frosting? All raw, of course! Lemon and Poppyseed is one of the HH’s favorite combinations, so I decided to create a raw dessert that he’d love even more than the salad. These little confections are firm and chewy with a sparkling crunch of poppyseeds in every bite. The frosting firms up in the fridge, but left at room temperature softens to a creamy, smooth, entirely alluring topping. Because they’re so rich, you can cut these into small cubes of one or two bites a piece, and you’ll still be satisfied.
Raw Frosted Lemon Poppyseed Bars
Suitable for ACD Stage 1 and beyond
These bars are adapted from a recipe in my Desserts without Compromise Ebook for Raw Lemon-Coconut Bars. When I was hosting a friend’s birthday party in our house a while back, I made these so that I’d have something to eat while everyone else feasted on the conventional (white flour and white sugar) cake that my friend’s husband had bought. When I brought out my plate of lemon bars, someone asked to taste them–and within minutes the plate was empty! This is definitely tasty and impressive enough to serve to anyone, ACD or not.
Juice of 1 lemon (about 1/4 cup/60 ml), divided in half (2 Tbsp/30 ml each)
2 Tbsp (30 ml) vegetable glycerin, yacon syrup or agave syrup (for ACD Stage 1, don’t use agave)
15-20 drops plain or vanilla stevia liquid, to taste
1 tsp (5 ml) pure vanilla extract
2 Tbsp (30 ml) raw poppy seeds
For the Frosting:
2 Tbsp (30 ml) whole chia seeds, or heaping 1/4 cup (70 ml) pre-ground
1/3 cup (80 ml) coconut oil, preferably organic
1 Tbsp (15 ml) raw cashew or macadamia nut butter (or use regular if you’re not concerned about it being raw)
Remainder of lemon zest and juice from making the base, above
15-20 drops plain or vanilla stevia liquid, to taste
extra lemon zest and poppy seeds for garnish, if desired
Make the base: Line a regular loaf pan with plastic wrap. Set aside.
If using whole chia seeds, grind them to a powder in a coffee grinder. Combine the ground chia, almonds, cashews and salt in the bowl of a food processor and process until the mixture looks like a fairly fine meal (no pieces of almond should be visible).
In a small bowl, mix together half the lemon zest, half the lemon juice (about 2 Tbsp/30 ml), vegetable glycerin, stevia and vanilla until everything is well combined. Pour the mixture over the dry ingredients in the processor and blend until it comes together in what looks like a sticky dough (if it’s too dry, add up to 1 Tbsp/15 ml water). Sprinkle with the poppy seeds and pulse just until they are incorporated.
Turn the base into the prepared loaf pan and, using wet hands or a silicon spatula, press it down firmly and evenly. Place in fridge while you prepare the frosting.
Make the frosting: In the bowl of a food processor or using a hand blender, blend all ingredients until perfectly smooth. The mixture may liquefy as the coconut oil melts; this is fine.
Pour the frosting over the base in the pan and swirl the top. Refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours. (Note: if the frosting is too liquid to hold a shape when you first pour it over the base, refrigerate about 15 minutes until it firms up a bit, and then add any swirls that you like).
Once the top is firm, fold the plastic wrap over it to cover. To unmold, peel back the plastic on top and invert the bars onto a cutting board; turn right-side up and cut into 12 or more pieces (they should be relatively small). Serve immediately; store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Makes about 12 servings.
Thanks again to Brittany for allowing me to play along with April in the Raw this year! It’s been so much fun focusing more on the raw foods in my diet. In fact, I plan to keep up with more raw over the next few months.
To see the lineup of all the April in the Raw posts as well as links to readers’ recipes (or to link up your own), check out the April in the Raw main page!
A couple of days ago I was sent a tweet by someone who had noticed my email signature (“Ricki Heller, PhD, RHN”) and commented on my doctorate degree (I guess she hadn’t realized I have a PhD). The funny part is that I usually consider people who call themselves “Dr.” with a PhD (versus an MD) as unbearably pretentious, and I try not to do so. But as I mention in my “About” page: “I hold a PhD in Modern American Literature, which came in really handy the one time my sweetheart and I wanted to book a hotel room for our anniversary, and we got bumped up to a suite instead of a regular room because I had the title “Dr.” on my form.” That was pretty much the best use of my degree so far.
But the anecdote got me thinking about how people sometimes use labels for things simply to make the things sound better than they actually are. Remember Roseanne Barr’s old skit in which she called herself a “domestic goddess” instead of a housewife? And of course there’s the classic ”sanitation engineer.” Or that old résumé staple, “I’m a perfectionist” (ie, “I never finish any of the projects that I start.”)
When it comes to food, alternative epithets abound. I mean, giving something a rather exotic moniker makes it sound more appealing, doesn’t it?
Method One: use a word from a different language. To wit:
When I first came across this recipe in my Kitchen Classics: Gourmet Vegetariancookbook, I must admit that I turned to the HH and asked, “What does ‘Andalusian’ refer to?” (because, as we all know, the HH is the source of all factoids in my life; and also, I was never very good at geography).
“A place in Spain,” he replied.
Well, I have no doubt that the Andalusian people themselves eat their asparagus this way, so of course the name is apt. But really, for those of us here in the Golden Horseshoe, calling it “Andalusian Asparagus” just sounds so much more glamorous, doesn’t it? (And besides, “Golden Horseshoe Asparagus” just doesn’t have the same ring to it.*)
Whatever you call it, it’s entirely appealing. The garlicky, bread-crumby flavors in the topping reminded me of this soup, but the topping here is more like that of a fruit crumble in consistency (except savory). Initially, I imagined that the lemon juice might make the crumble a bit too tart to pair well with the spears, but they actually complemented each other perfectly, the umami of the asparagus providing the strong, savory undertone necessary to balance out the citrus.
I daresay you’ll love this Andalusian asparagus. Besides, it’s a great way to get your kids to eat their organic verdant vegetable fiber. Just sayin’.
“Hey, Mum, did you know that I’m half Alsatian? Doesn’t that sound exotic, too? And by that I mean, ‘exotic enough to give me some extra treats.’”
*Well, of course not. Because it’s a horseshoe, not a ring, silly!
An elegant way to serve your asparagus that’s as tasty as it is visually impressive.
about 1 pound (500 g) fresh asparagus spears, washed and trimmed
1 large or 2 small slices rustic bread, cut into large cubes (I used quinoa sourbread)
3 Tbsp (45 ml) extra virgin olive oil, preferably organic
3 large garlic cloves, sliced
12-15 raw natural almonds, with skin
1 tsp (5 ml) paprika
1 tsp (5 ml) cumin
2 Tbsp (30 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 Tbsp (15 ml) water, if necessary
Heat 2 Tbsp (10 ml) of the oil in a large, heavy frypan (I used cast iron). Add the bread, garlic and almonds and cook over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, until the bread and garlic are browned; turn off heat. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to the bowl of a food processor. Add the paprika, cumin and lemon juice and process to a coarse meal (if it’s too dry, add the water and process again).
Return the frypan to the heat with the final tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil. Add the asparagus and cook for 3-5 minutes, then add the bread mixture with an additional 2/3 cup (160 ml) water. Simmer for 4-8 minutes, until the asparagus is tender but still firm and most of the liquid has evaporated. Transfer to a serving platter and serve. Makes 4 servings.
It’s April–which means the cruelest monthlove is in the air another SOS Kitchen Challenge!
This month, with so many of us thinking about spring and green shoots finally making their way toward the sky, Kim and I have chosen an ingredient that is itself a harbinger of spring. With its lively green hue and tender, pine cone-like tops, this veggie is often enjoyed even by those who don’t otherwise consume many veggies. Our happy ingredient this month happens to be
When asparagus hits the grocery stores and markets around this part of the world, we know spring is just around the corner. And who doesn’t love spring?
Available in most places from April to May (though much earlier in California and much later in the midwest), asparagus is beloved by many as a special treat.
Actually part of the Lily family, asparagus is available in three varieties: green (the type with which most people are familiar), white, which is grown underground to inhibit the chlorophyll and thereby prevent any color from developing; and purple, which is much smaller and more delicate than the standard type.
Perhaps part of its elite appeal is the fact that asparagus is more perishable than many other vegetables; it stays fresh only a few days, and, in fact, begins to lose its antioxidant value more quickly than other veggies. The best way to store asparagus to keep it fresh is to place the cut ends in a little bit of fresh water; I stand my bunch of asparagus upright in an empty (clean) large yogurt container or glass jar, with about an inch (2.5 cm) of water in the bottom. I invert a plastic veggie bag (usually the one it came in) gently over the spears for storage. It will keep a couple of days this way.
With its high fiber content, asparagus is a great aid to digestion. It’s also an excellent source of folic acid and Vitamin K (essential for healthy blood and bones) and is a good source of other B-vitamins. The high amount of Vitamin A (just 6 spears provide 25% of the daily requirement) is great for healthy skin; and it’s also a mild diuretic, which means it can help to reduce swelling or other conditions in which one retains water (such as PMS). Finally, it also helps to detox the body with antioxidants like glutathione (important for liver function). And let’s not forget that it tastes delicious and often appeals to folks who don’t otherwise enjoy their veggies!
Most of us think of asparagus as a savory ingredient, used in classic dishes like quiche or risotto, above–and of course it’s delicious that way! But it’s also great shredded, raw, in salads; creamed in soups; or grilled. And if you can think of a tasty sweet use for this vegetable, you’ll get an extra-special mention in this month’s SOS Roundup!
How to Participate:To play along with this month’s challenge, simply cook up a new recipe–either sweet OR savory (or both)–using asparagus.
Be sure to follow the general SOS guidelines for ingredients and submission requirements (please be sure to read the guidelines before submitting! We hate to remove links, but we will do so if they don’t comply with the general guidelines). You may submit your own recipe or one you found on a website or blog (even one of ours). Then link up your recipe via the linky tool at the bottom of this post, or any of the other SOS: Asparagus posts that I publish this month. Be sure to also add a link to this page on your post, and if you wish, include the SOS logo.
Your recipe will be displayed on both Kim’s and my blog via the Linky, and will be featured in a recipe roundup at the end of this month. As always, we look forward to more of your innovative, delectable, enthusiastic entries this month!
Here it is again, the start of another month. That means it is also the end of another SOS Kitchen Challenge (and I’m not foolin’!).
In March, Kim and I featured none other than the delicious and nutritious adzuki bean. Our readers were inspired by both the sweet and savory possibilities, and delivered a multitude of delicious-looking recipes.
From truffles to tarts, soup to salad, and even vegetarian “bacon”, we had it all. And, oddly enough, Kim and I were on the same wavelength and created very similar bean dips, completely separate from each other. I guess great minds do think alike!
Be sure to check out all the great recipes in the Linky below, and prepare to get your bean on!
Anxious for the next SOS Kitchen Challenge? We are too! I’m really pleased with the next ingredient selected for the April SOS Kitchen Challenge. This month’s ingredient is fresh, seasonal, and perfectly suited for a wide variety of savory dishes. And if you can figure out how to use it in a sweet way, you deserve a medal of honor.
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