This festive chocolate bark is great for the holidays! Give it as a gift or treat yourself! It reminds me of the trail mix that I take with me when I go hiking … just a bit fancier of course.
It is super easy to make and is delicious! For the topping, you can use any nuts and dried fruits that you like. I used pistachio nuts, walnuts, dried cranberries, dried apricots and raisins. It is your choice and the combinations are endless! Oh and the smell of the roasted nuts … priceless.
The perfect dessert … sweetened with only dried fruits and made crunchy with only nuts!
RECIPE
INGREDIENTS
12 oz high quality chocolate chunks or chips (I used 70% dark chocolate)
handful nuts, chopped
handful of dried fruits, chopped
1 tsp coarsely ground salt
METHOD
Preheat oven to 350 F.
On a baking sheet, toast the nuts in the preheated oven for about 6-9 min. Cut them into smaller pieces if you wish. Cut the dried fruits if you wish.
Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or a pot with a thick bottom. Spread the chocolate evenly onto a rimmed dish with a spatula. Try to get the thickness about 1/4″. The dish should be large enough to hold the melted chocolate. I used a 8 x 11 ” casserole dish.
Drop the dried fruits, toasted nuts and the salt pieces on the top.
Let it cool completely for 2-4 hours or refrigerate for 15 minutes.
When the chocolate sets, using your hand, break the chocolate into pieces.
They can be stored in an airtight container for weeks.
This recipe uses sorrel. Unfortunately, it is harder and harder to get in stores so I decided to grow my own. We actually built a raised bed garden so I can have sorrel every year. It is such a giving plant. It is a perennial plant and it will come back year after year. You get to harvest it in late spring and early fall. I have harvested it even during the summer when it was not too hot.
Sorrel is such a unique vegetable with a distinctive sour, lemony flavor. Try to find it in your grocery store, farmers market or if possible grow your own. If you don’t have sorrel, you can use mustard greens, arugula, yellow dock or even spinach. If you use these alternate vegetables, make sure you add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice.
This is a very nourishing, easy to make soup based on the Hungarian egg-drop soup recipe. It is a sweet and sour soup made with eggs, carrots and sorrel and is seasoned with the wonderful synergy of the caraway seeds and paprika. Serve with bread of your choice!
MAKING THE ROUX I use roux in this recipe. It is made with an easy French culinary technique that gives dishes an interesting nutty taste and thickens the dish. All you have to do is add flour to some oil in the sauce pan on medium high heat and stir for a couple of minutes until it turns a nice, orange color. Then add cold or room temperature water, stir and it is ready. Just make sure the liquid you add is at cold or room temperature to avoid lumps from forming. Warm or hot liquids will make the roux lumpy, unappealing. Once the cold or room temperature water has been poured in, hot water can be added. Making the roux is not necessary. According to many Hungarians, adding roux would ‘frenchify’ the dish. Hungarians must have added this technique after people from France immigrated into Hungary. I have made the soup with it and without it and both worked great.
DRY ROASTING THE CARAWAY SEEDS I like to dry roast the caraway seeds to remove its stronger flavor and make it more pleasant tasting. Just simply roast the caraway seeds and add this finished product to the soup. I prefer the caraway seeds whole in the soup; however, if you don’t like seeds in your soup, feel free to grind the seeds and then add the powder to the soup.
Oh I can still smell that wonderful aroma that the synergy of paprika and dry roasted caraway seeds create … Enjoy this delicious unique sweet and sour soup!
RECIPE
4-6 servings
INGREDIENTS
8 cup broth (vegetarian or chicken) or water
1 tbsp lemon juice if not using sorrel
oil (vegetable or lard)
1 tbsp flour (optional)
1 bunch sorrel, washed and chopped
1 cup carrots, peeled and shredded or match sticks
1 medium onion, finally chopped
1 tsp Hungarian sweet paprika
1 bay leaf
1-2 tbsp whole caraway seeds, dry toasted
2 egg yolks
1 tbsp vinegar
1 tbsp dehydrated vegetable seasoning (optional)
parsley, chopped for serving
Hot pepper to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
bread or croutons for serving
METHOD
Have 1/4 cup of cold water or stock ready.
TOASTING CARAWAY SEEDS. Put the whole seeds in a dry skillet over medium low heat. Toast for 2-3 minutes, shaking the pan until they become fragrant. This simple step mellows the sharpness and unlocks a beautiful, nutty warmth. You can grind the seeds if you wish. Set aside.
Sauté the onion in a medium sized pot for 5- 10 minutes or until translucent.
Add 1 Tbsp flour to make the roux. Stir for 3 minute or until it turns a beautiful orange color. (You can omit this step).
Add 1 tsp paprika and stir for 1 minute.
Add the cold water that was set aside in the first step. Stir well.
Add stock, bay leaves, carrots, sorrel and caraway seeds. Bring to a boil and turn down. Cook for 15 minutes covered.
Turn off the heat and take off the top.
Separate 2 eggs and lightly beat the yolks. Add a small amount of liquid from the soup, mix and slowly add to the soup while stirring. (My mom made this soup with just the yolks but if you would like feel free to use the whole eggs).
Add vinegar and dehydrated vegetable seasoning (optional).
Season with salt, black pepper and hot red pepper to taste.
Surprise your mom for breakfast with these delicious, fluffy pancakes for Mother’s Day or just treat yourself any time!
These pancakes are a happy marriage of the traditional American buttermilk pancakes and the Russian buckwheat pancakes (blini). The mixture of the buckwheat and the tapioca gives these pancakes a fluffy and tender texture with a sweet and nutty flavor. This pancake recipe is naturally gluten-free.
I wanted to replace the white flour in the traditional American pancake recipe with something healthy as white flour is tasty but is not very nutritious or filling. I remembered the Russian pancakes called blini; however, blini on its own is too dry for me. Furthermore, many of the flour alternatives can be lesser quality. So after using buckwheat and tapioca over the years, I decided to experiment. I have to say the result quickly became a family favorite.
Buckwheat is an ancient plant but has been forgotten. It has recently become popular again in the West because it lacks gluten. Gluten can cause gastrointestinal problems in so many people. Buckwheat is a staple food in Russia, in fact, the Russians have survived on it for centuries to help them get through difficult times. Eating buckwheat might have been their secret.
So why should we eat buckwheat on a regular basis? Even if there is no crisis, buckwheat can be included in our diet as it is incredibly nourishing.
Buckwheat is very healthy. It is not a grain but it is the seed of the buckwheat plant. It does not cause digestive problems like wheat does. Instead, it actually nourishes the digestive tract. Its neutral thermal nature and sweet flavor are an indication that it is a tonic food. It is rich in protein. It also has intestine cleansing, strengthening and appetite improving abilities. Rutin, a bioflavonoid in the grain strengthens the capillaries and blood vessels, hinders hemorrhaging and promotes circulation in the hands and feet. Rutin also has the ability to protect against radiation.
To improve the texture of the pancakes, I added tapioca pearls. Tapioca is a type of starch that’s derived from the starchy vegetable called cassava root. It is a popular flour to use for its starchiness when replacing wheat flour but it doesn’t provide many important essential nutrients. Combining tapioca with the nutritious buckwheat solves this issue though.
You can serve the pancakes with anything your heart desires. I think nuts and maple syrup are essential. In the summer, I like to serve them with fresh fruits, rhubarb sauce and in the winter apple compote or apple sauce. Please check out my rhubarb sauce recipe that I had posted earlier.
TIPS
This is my well tested pancake recipe, I have been making them for many years regularly on the weekends. I tested the recipe with butter and with coconut oil, both worked great! Also, I used milk and almond milk, both worked well as well.
The trick to making these pancakes is to grind both the buckwheat groats and the tapioca pearls in a blender fresh before you make the pancakes. It is worth it! I have a Vitamix but any blender will work. The store-bought flour yields a lesser quality in texture and flavor in my opinion. Of course, you can make the recipe with flour that you get at a store.
Another trick is when you grind the grains, leave the flour a little coarse. This gives the pancakes a bit of texture. Keep checking the flour to figure how much time you need for grinding. I grind the buckwheat for about 3- 5 seconds and the tapioca for about 30 seconds. Hint: stop grinding them before they become a fine flour consistency.
Also, I like to use buttermilk. Traditionally, buttermilk is used in pancakes. I like using it because it makes the pancakes taste better. You get this really nice buttery flavor and soft texture. Also, it makes the pancakes healthier as it helps digestion.
I used to buy buttermilk but since I found this simple hack, adding apple cider vinegar to milk, I don’t buy buttermilk anymore. Try it, it works well. This method can be used with almond milk as well. Check out my recipe on how to make buttermilk.
If you make the recipe please feel free to share how you liked in the comment section.
RECIPE
Makes about 21 pancakes
I created this recipe so please don’t share it without giving proper citation.
INGREDIENTS
1 cup freshly grounded buckwheat groats or buckwheat flour (please read note above)
1 cup freshly ground tapioca pearls or tapioca flour (please read note above)
2 whole eggs, lightly beaten or 1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
2 Tbsp of melted butter or coconut oil
oil for the pan
½ tsp salt
1 Tbsp sugar (optional)
Chopped nuts, for serving
maple syrup, for serving
fruits, for serving
yogurt, for serving
Ground buckwheat flour
ground tapioca flour
METHOD
Grind buckwheat and tapioca. Grind buckwheat on the highest setting for about 3-5 seconds. Grind tapioca on the highest setting for 30 seconds. Of course the time will depend on how strong your blender is. Please check for more info in the introduction and pictures above. (Omit if using store bought flour).
Put buckwheat and tapioca flours in a large bowl. Add the buttermilk, mix. Let the mixture sit overnight but at least for 4 hours. (I leave it on the counter overnight. If you put it in the fridge, make sure the batter is at room temperature before making the pancakes).
Add baking soda, baking powder, salt, eggs, corn starch or arrowroot, melted butter or oil and sugar (optional). Mix well.
Heat a skillet or griddle over low to medium-high heat and grease with oil if need be. When skillet is hot (if you flick water onto the skillet, it should sizzle), take a ¼ cup of batter and pour onto skillet. Let cook for a couple of minutes (until the pancakes begins to bubble slightly). Flip and let cook for another 1-2 minutes until pancake are a slightly brown .
Serve hot with your choice of yogurt, rhubarb sauce, maple syrup, nuts, fruits, jam etc.
A few years ago, I had black bean brownies at a potluck. I love brownies but they tend to be rich and heavy. I remember looking at the brownies on the table and wished I could have had one … and soon afterwards the woman who baked the brownies came to me and invited me to try it … I explained to her that I really wanted to have one but brownies were a bit rich for me. Then she assured me that these brownies were not the regular brownies but they were made with black beans. Hmm I thought this is an interesting take on brownies … I kind of hesitated but then I gave it a try… and I am so glad I did! These are absolutely delicious, decadent brownies even better than the original!
These are very tasty, chewy and chocolaty brownies, no one will guess they are made with black beans. Try to use the best quality chocolate that you can possibly get as the chocolate is still an important part of the recipe. This is definitely a very healthy alternative to the original brownie recipes.
So why use black beans? Well, they are actually sweet. They also add protein to the brownies. The protein in the black beans helps to curb the blood sugar spikes that you would see with regular desserts.
Try it and let me know in the comment section how you liked it!
RECIPE
Yields 12 slices
Ingredients
1 cup dried black beans or 1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup coconut oil or unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp coffee liquor
1 cup chocolate chips, divided
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease an 8 x 8 x 2 inch baking pan or line it with parchment paper.
Clean and soak the beans for 8 hours. Remove the soaking liquid and discard. Cook the beans in fresh water for 2 hours. Strain. (Omit if using canned beans).
Add the black beans without its liquid to a food processor and chop until smooth. I don’t have a food processor, so I just mash the black beans with a potato masher. It works great.
In a bowl, mix the chopped black beans, egg, coconut oil, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, coffee liquor, vanilla extract and salt until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
Stir in the chocolate chips and the nuts. You can do 1/2 cup of chocolate chips and save the other half for the top.
Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and spread it evenly.
You can put half the chocolate chips on the top.
Bake for 20 – 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Let the brownies cool completely in the pan before slicing.
Not sure what to serve for the holidays? This recipe is a smaller version of the well-known cheese cake. Impress your guests with this delicious and easy to make cake! It is a crustless cake with a creamy body infused with almond extract. I also added raisins to add some texture. You can decorate it with anything you desire. I used lingonberry jam and roasted slivered almonds. Enjoy!
Recipe
INGREDIENTS
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/4-1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup all purpose flour or almond flour
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp almond or vanilla extract
1/4 cup milk
handful of raisins
1/2 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
oil for baking the almond slivers
1 cup slivered almonds for the top
20 oz lingonberry jam for the top
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 F / 180 C.
Butter a 7 inch round cake pan.
Mix the wet ingredients: egg, ricotta cheese, almond extract and milk.
Sift the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, sugar and salt.
Gently combine the wet and dry ingredients.
Fold in the raisins.
Pour batter into the prepared cake pan. Smooth the top with a spatula. You can gently tap the form on hard surface so the top gets leveled. Let the mixture sit for 1 hour. Set aside.
Meanwhile bake the slivered almonds: Apply oil to a cookie sheet and place the almond slivers on it. Bake in a preheated oven at 300 F for 10 – 15 minutes until golden brown. Set aside.
Bake the cake mixture in a pre-heated oven for 30-35 min or until the edges are slightly golden and an inserted knife edge comes out clean. Let cool.
Spread jam of your choice and sprinkle roasted almond slivers on the top.
December brings forth Winter Wonderland and the Holidays. When I think of Christmas dishes, warming and festive winter foods come to my mind. For me Christmas is a lot about cooking and baking … and of course music. I’m already looking forward to all the baking and cooking I will be doing and singing along my favorite Christmas music…
This is a recipe that I borrowed from my daughter. She has been making it for herself so she doesn’t have to eat my pancakes. Then I realized it is actually good. The pancakes are very simple but nutritious and delicious. Basic ingredients are oatmeal, eggs, bananas … oatmeal, eggs, bananas … oatmeal, eggs, bananas … that is it and just add a few things to make it taste better. Of course, this is a very kid friendly recipe.
Dairy free and gluten free with the substitution of gluten-free oats.
RECIPE
Serving: generous portion for 1 adult
Ingredients
2 eggs
1/2 cup of old fashioned oatmeal, coarsely ground (use gluten-free for gluten free version)
1 1/2 crushed ripe banana
1/2 tsp cinnamon, I used apple spice (optional)
pinch of salt
lemon zest (optional)
oil for baking
1/4 tsp baking soda
syrup of your choice
fruits (optional)
Preparation
Lightly beat eggs in a medium sized bowl.
Mash the banana and add to the bowl.
Add 1/2 cup of oatmeal to a blender and blend until you get a coarse flour consistency. Add to the bowl.
Add baking soda, cinnamon, lemon zest, salt. Mix.
Just like any other grains, I like to let the mixture soak for a few hours. However, it can be baked right away.
Bake in a preheated oiled pan on medium low heat on both sides for 3-4 minutes. Flip over and bake for a few minutes. Both sides should be nice and golden brown in color.
You can add fruits on top of the pancakes while baking in the pan.
Hope you all had a lovely Holiday and got to eat lots of delicious food. Now I feel that it would be nice to eat something refreshing, more cleansing though … and turnip is a tasty vegetable that could be used. I always think of the Russian folk tale, The Giant Turnip when I hear the name, turnip. In fact, turnip is an important staple in the Northern countries like Russia. So let’s go to Russia and get their famous recipe for stuffed turnip.
This is a very simple dish at its best. The main ingredients are the nutty buckwheat, the earthy mushrooms and the pungent turnips that mainly create this special dish. There are no exotic ingredients or spices. Honestly, I only used thyme, salt and pepper to flavor.
I got this recipe from a website called http://www.Russianrecipebook.com but I made some minor changes. I cooked the buckwheat in stock instead of just water. In addition, when cooking, you need to be careful with the turnips as they cook fast. They need to be boiled for only about 10-12 minutes to get the right consistency. Otherwise, it is a very easy and quick recipe. This dish is more like the everyday people’s food.
Wonder if we had cooked tasty dishes like this in my Russian classes, I would speak Russian now …
Turnips have been used in folk medicine for thousands of years. A cold climate loving vegetable, it is native to Northern Europe and is still popular today. Turnips have many beneficial properties. They are great source of vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants and fiber and may be used among others for indigestion, detoxification, diabetes, jaundice. In Chinese Medicine, they have a neutral thermal nature and have pungent, sweet and bitter flavor at the same time. They are considered to be useful for their dispersing abilities in lung ailments; however, this quality is only available in its raw form. They are also used for improving circulation and remove damp conditions in the body. The green top is also valuable.
RECIPE
Serves about 2-4 people. – I cooked 1 cup of raw buckwheat to have some on the side (adjust other ingredients accordingly).
Ingredients
4 smaller-sized turnips or less if bigger
8 oz fresh mushrooms, chopped (I used crimini)
1/4 cup uncooked buckwheat (1/2 cup of cooked buckwheat)
1/2 cup of bone or vegetable broth or water
1/8 cup shallots or half of a small onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1/4 cup grated cheese (mozzarella, provolone, cheddar, or Parmesan for extra flavor)
3 tablespoons bread crumbs
Salt and pepper to taste
Vegetable oil and/or butter
1 tsp fresh or 1/2 tsp dried thyme (optional)
Directions
Preparing the buckwheat
Clean buckwheat kernels and soak for a couple hours.
In a medium sized pot, start boiling the stock or water. Add the buckwheat to the boiling liquid and cook for about 10 – 15 minutes or until they are soft but not mushy. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aide.
Preparing the turnips
Clean well and peel the turnips. Boil them for about 10 – 12 minutes or until they are just soft enough to scoop out the insides. The bigger ones will take more time. This is the most difficult part of the recipe. You really need to keep an eye on those turnips, they should be slightly cooked. Try not to overcook them. When done, take out turnips and let them cool. You can put them in cold water.
Cut off enough of the bottoms to create a flat surface that will allow them to stand upright on a baking sheet. Save the cut portion. With a spoon and/or a small knife, scoop some of the flesh out of the top end to form a cup. Save the scooped flesh as well, they are so tasty. (You can scoop the inside of the turnip out with a watermelon scooper or a measuring spoon).
Preparing the stuffing.
Sautee the onions or shallots in some oil for about 5 minutes. Meanwhile thoroughly clean the mushrooms and chop them up. Add them to the onions and continue to sauté them for about 10 more minutes or longer for some wild mushrooms and then let them cool.
Add the cooked buckwheat, bread crumbs, grated cheese and the saved chopped turnip pieces. Mix well. I would like to invite you to take a bite of the stuffing, try to see if you like how it turned out.
Stuffing the turnips
Preheat oven to 375°F.
On a well-greased baking sheet, arrange the turnips in an upright position with the scooped-out wider portions facing up (like cups). (I used tomato sauce for the bottom of the pan). Fill the turnips with stuffing. Ideally the stuffing should be above the surface of the turnips, although this will depend on the size of the turnips, and the amount of stuffing.
Put a small piece of butter on top of each turnip and bake in the pre-heated oven for about 20 minutes, until the turnips are heated through and crusty on top. The turnips should not be raw but nicely baked. If it is still raw, just bake it a little longer.
Mushroom sauce recipe
Ingredients
4 ounces of mushrooms
1 tsp fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp dried thyme
3/4 tsp dried sage or 2 fresh leaves
1/4 tsp of dried rosemary crushed or 1 fresh spring
1 Tbsp oil
1 cup of stock
1/4 cup of creme
Directions
While the stuffed turnip is baking, prepare the mushroom sauce. In a saucepan, warm oil over medium heat, add rosemary for 1 minute. Add mushrooms and cook until they release their liquid and mushrooms are well browned. Stir frequently. Add thyme, sage and let cook for one minute. Add stock, stir, and let simmer for 10 minutes and reduce heat to low.
Transfer half of gravy to a blender and puree until completely smooth. Add pureed mushrooms back into mushroom mixture and stir. See if you like the consistency. If not thick enough, puree a little more of the mixture.
Serve turnips hot, with sour cream and mushroom sauce. Decorate with parsley. I also made additional stuffing to serve on the side.
Flódni is a unique traditional Jewish Hungarian dessert. This original recipe uses apples, poppy seeds, walnuts, plum jam and all these ingredients are baked into a flour crust. This recipe uses the three main ingredients: apples, poppy seeds and walnuts plus the plums but has no crust. It is a gluten free recipe, in fact it is a very clever gluten free twist to the original recipe as the carbohydrates come from the poppy seeds. Its sour, bitter and sweet flavors come together to give a distinct culinary experience.
Traditionally, it is made at the end of the year for Christmas and Hanukkah but can be eaten any time during the year. It is filled with symbolic meanings for the end of the year. Each layer is rich and decadent and according to folk traditions can supposedly bring prosperity, health and protection for the entire family.
I was inspired by the recipe that came from a website – credited at the end. I have been making this delicious alternative at Christmas time for years. I made some changes to the original recipe. I moved some sugar from the nut filling into the poppy seed filling. I also added plums to the poppy seed mixture and some alcohol to the apples. Oh and honestly adding a little ginger to the walnuts did wonders.
RECIPE
INGREDIENTs
Ingredients for the poppy seed layer
200 g (about 1 cup) poppy seeds
1 Tbsp melted butter (coconut oil for dairy free version)
3 eggs, divided
1/2 cup sugar
handful of raisins
1 orange or 1/3 cup orange juice + 1 Tbsp dried orange peel
Ingredients for the apple layer
1 kg (about 7 larger) tasty cooking apples
1 Tbsp fresh chopped ginger or 1.5 tsp dried ginger ( cut and sifted)
4 Tbsp sugar or honey
1 tsp ground cinnamon + 1/4 ground cloves
pinch of salt
2 Tbsp rum (optional)
Ingredients for the top egg-white layer
150 grams (5 oz) ground walnuts
4 egg whites
1/4 – 1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp fresh ginger or 1/2 tsp dried cut and sifted ginger
salt
METHODS
Preheat oven to 300 F (150 C). Lightly butter a baking pan (8 x 11.5 x 2″).
Preparing the poppy seeds
Grind the poppy seeds. (Coffee grinder works well).
In a smaller bowl, mix the ground poppy seeds, melted butter, sugar, 3 egg yolks, plums, raisins, orange juice and peel, pinch of salt. Set aside.
Beat the 3 egg whites until stiff. Gently fold the beaten egg whites into the poppy seed mixture from earlier.
Spread the poppy seed mixture onto a lightly buttered baking pan.
Preparing the apples
Wash, peel and core the apples. Grade them through the large holes of a cheese grader. Put the grated apples in a medium sized pot and cook it in a large pot on high medium heat until the liquid evaporates. When done add rum, ginger, ground cinnamon and cloves, pinch of salt and 4 Tbsp of sugar/honey. Set aside.
Spread the apple mixture on top of the poppy seed mixture and place the dish in the preheated oven. Bake for 40 minutes.
Adding the nut mixture
Walnut/egg white topping: Have the ground walnuts ready. By the end of the 40 minutes, beat the 4 egg whites until stiff. Gently fold in the walnuts and the sugar. Spread this mixture on top of the apples and put the dish back into the oven. Decrease the temperature to 250 F (120 C). Bake for another 30 – 40 minutes.
Let it cool and settle. Serve at room temperature.
I love this savory dish … it has a lot of the quintessential foods that I enjoy eating in the fall. The tasty squash is filled with rice, lentils and cranberries and all mixed with the the melted cheese. It is wonderfully aromatic and tasty.
Squash is one of the main foods in the fall. We are so lucky to have all these different varieties available in the US. They are sweet and have a neutral flavor that make them ideal to accompany fall dishes.
Squashes are native to the Mexico region and may have been around for 10,000 years. Their flesh is usually used for cooking. They tend to be high in natural sugars, carbohydrates and vitamin A. In general, they all are mildly sweet, have a luscious nutty flavor and have a creamy texture. However, each variety comes with a unique characteristics and with different vitamin and mineral contents. Ancient Chinese Medicine considers them to be highly nourishing and warming for the digestive system. The have anti-inflammatory properties.
If we talk about squash. we have to mention its seeds as they are equally valuable for health. They are rich in heart friendly dietary fiber, unsaturated fatty acids, and in addition, protein, minerals, and vitamins. They contain tryptophan that is responsible for increased motor decision speed and blood sugar regulating effect. The seeds are also used for remedying intestinal worm problems. They can be roasted in the oven on low heat at 250 F.
RECIPE
Serves 4 people
Ingredients
2 medium sized squash (Choose squash that has a firm outer shell with a scoop friendly inside like acorn, delicata, carnival, sweet dumpling).
1 cup of uncooked wild rice (rice will work too). Wild harvested preferred.
3 cups of stock (vegetable or chicken)
1/3 cup of shallots, finally chopped
vegetable oil (sunflower)
handful of earthy mushrooms (crimini, shiitake, portabello)
1 celery stalk
1 slice of bacon (optional)
couple of fresh thyme sprigs or 1 tsp dried thyme
1/4 cup of uncooked lentils
1/4 dried cranberries or raisins
2 Tbsp of chopped pecans
100 g or 4 oz of feta cheese
1/2 cup of hard cheese like Gruyere or Parmesan cheese and more for the top
salt and pepper to taste
red hot pepper (I just used a little piece)
little freshly ground nutmeg
Preparation
Turn oven on to 375 F (190 C). Bake cleaned squash on a baking sheet for 40 – 60 minutes or until you can easily put the blade of a knife through the flesh of the squash. When done cut in half and scoop out the seeds. The seeds can be saved and roasted.
Clean and soak lentils for an hour. Place lentils in a medium pot, add 3 cups of water, thyme spring and bay leaves. Cook for about 45 – 60 minutes or until they are done, soft but not mushy. When done let it sit in its steam for 15 minutes. Add salt to taste.
Heat the oil on medium high heat. Sauté the shallots for 5 minutes. Then add the sliced bacon, sliced celery for -10 more minutes, stir frequently. Add 1 cup of wild rice, 3 cups of stock, sliced mushrooms, thyme and bring to a boil, stir and simmer over low heat with lid partially closed for a 35 – 55 minutes until the water is absorbed and the rice is fluffy and tender.
If using regular rice, cook rice separate, follow the cooking directions for the rice of your choice. Prepare the vegetables as written above. When ready combine.
In a bowl mix the lentils and the rice mixture. Add the feta crumbles and the hard graded cheese. Add the salt, pepper, hot red pepper and freshly graded nutmeg to taste. Mix. Also you can sprinkle salt, nutmeg and pepper inside the squash. Put the stuffing in the inside of the squash. Sprinkle the top with cheese and bake them in the oven for about 20 – 30 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.
Serve with other vegetables brussel sprouts, beets, cranberry sauce etc.
Brussel sprout recipe
1 lb of brussel sprouts
vegetable oil
1/2 cup of stock (vegetable or chicken)
salt and pepper to taste
Preparation
Heat up some oil in a frying pan. Wash and clean the brussel sprouts, cutting off the ends and yellowish leaves. Cut them into halves. Brown them for about 10 minutes. Add the stock and cook for about 15 minutes or until they are cooked but not mushy. Brussel sprouts need to be more firm so keep an eye on them. Remove and place into a bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
Twin Cities Herbs 