A Super Food: Oven-baked Potatoes

If you feel sluggish after eating all the Thanksgiving food, try oven-baked potatoes.

Our ancestors ate potatoes to stay healthy. They ate home grown potatoes without any chemicals. They made them many different ways but according to accounts, one of their secret ways to prepare them for health was to bake them in the oven with the skin on … not fry them, not steam them, not microwave them but oven-bake them. It is great as a side dish or sometimes I just have it for dinner as it is.

Potatoes can support the body’s Earth element right now. They are neutral in thermal nature and support the Spleen/Pancreas, the Stomach and Large Intestine. They could be especially helpful for our inflamed, ailing intestines from poor foods, food allergies and environmental toxins.

Potatoes (solarium tuberasum) are native to the Andes in South America and help our digestion, lubricate the intestines and are anti-inflammatory. Furthermore, potatoes neutralize acids in the body that may help against so many degenerative diseases. Also, they may give cardiovascular protection, improve bone health, protect against cancer and might also be helpful for diabetes. Potatoes also contain potassium, iron, niacin, phosphorus, calcium, zinc and magnesium.

To get the above mentioned benefits, you need to use home-grown style, organic potatoes. Unfortunately, potatoes from super markets will most likely not work. You should be able to find these potatoes at farmers’ markets or health food stores.

Bake the potatoes with the skin on if possible. The skin contains so much of the beneficial material of the potato! Just soak the potatoes in cold water and the dirt will easily scrub off.

You can serve them with whatever your heart desires. I like to use butter or olive oil as shortening. Also, add any seasonal vegetables like onions, pickles.

TIP

When are the potatoes done?

It can be a bit tricky to figure out when the potatoes are ready. Cooking time depends on the size of the potato. It is important how it looks, smells and feels, rather than timing the cooking. A fully cooked potato should have a slightly wrinkled skin. When you squeeze the potato, it should yield to pressure and slightly open up. You should be able to put a fork through the inside with minimal force and able to smell the nice aroma. You might even hear a slight hissing sound. If you are still not sure you can use a thermometer. The temperature of the potatoes when done should be about 210 F.

If you try this potato dish, please let me know what you think!

RECIPE

1 Serving

INGREDIENTS

1 larger organically grown, ideally a locally grown potato (Russet or Idaho)
1 Tbsp fat (olive oil, butter, sour cream etc)
salt to taste
garlic powder to taste
vegetables to serve like chives, scallions, pickles

METHOD

Preheat oven to 400 F.
Soak and wash potatoes. Scrub all the dirt off. Prick them all over with a fork.
Bake for about 35 – 60 minutes. Time depends on the size of the potatoes. Please read above notes.
To serve, prick the middle of the potato and mash the inside.
Serve warm with shortening of your choice and vegetables of your choice.

Enjoy!

Recipe, photo and text by twincitiesherbs.com.

Source

Potatoes facts and health benefits

Paul Pitchford: Healing with Whole Foods

Vegetarian stuffed peppers with eggplant and mushrooms with a Middle Eastern flair

Stuffed peppers are popular all over the world as they are mild in flavor and hold their shape. They can accommodate a generous amount of filling. This recipe is a little play on the meat filled stuffed pepper recipes as I used lentils, cheese and mushrooms instead of the meat. Also, it is made with other delicious foods like eggplants and couscous. The dish is simmered in a tomato sauce to perfection. Serve with a nice yogurt sauce and enjoy!

RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

1 large eggplant
4 large peppers
1/2 cup cooked lentils
4 oz feta cheese
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup Gruyere cheese
8 oz of crimini mushrooms, chopped
1 cup of cooked couscous
olive oil
garlic, chopped
1 bunch scallion
2 cup of tomato sauce + 1 cup of stock or water
2 tsp ground cumin, divided
2 tsp ground coriander powder, divided
2 tsp smoked paprika, divided
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 large egg
grated Parmesan cheese for the top
salt and ground black pepper to taste
cilantro

METHODS

Preheat oven 400 F.
Pierce the skin of the eggplant in several places and bake in the oven for 30 minutes or adjust cooking time depending on the size of the eggplant. Remove, set aside and let it cool.
Make couscous. Boil 1 cup of water and add 1 cup of couscous. Let it sit for 5- 10 minutes to soak up the water. Add olive, 1 tsp ground cumin powder, scallions, handful chopped cilantro and salt. Set aside.
Sauce for baking the the stuffed pepper: warm up some oil on medium high heat when ready add seasoning (cumin, coriander, paprika, nutmeg), stir for 1 minute. Add crushed garlic, stir and add 2 cup tomato sauce and 1 cup of stock, stir. Cook for about 5 minutes. Pour into the baking dish that is big enough to hold the stuffed peppers. Set aside.
Stuffing: Mash the eggplant with a potato masher. Add 1 tsp cumin powder, 1 tsp coriander powder, 1/8 tsp nutmeg, paprika and garlic cloves, 1 egg, the cheeses, salt, black pepper and the sauteed mushrooms. Add the cooked lentils and the couscous. Mix well.
Prepare stuffed peppers. Cut the bottom of the peppers off, discard or use for something else. Place the stuffing inside the peppers and put the stuffed peppers on the prepared baking sheet with the tomato sauce from earlier. Put the graded Parmesan cheese on the top.
Bake in a preheated oven at 400 F for about 50 – 60 minutes or until the peppers are soft and the top is golden brown.
Remove from oven and serve hot with yogurt.
Add salt and pepper to taste.

enjoy!

Recipe, photos and text by twincitiesherbs

Shakshuka with pitta bread

This is a tasty vegetarian dish that can be served for breakfast, lunch or dinner. It is made with simple ingredients that you most likely have in your kitchen. The eggs are poached in a delicious sauce made of tomatoes, green peppers, onions, garlic and the warming spices of North Africa. I served this dish with home-made pita bread, Hummus and Eggplant Parmesan.

Shakshuka is made throughout Middle Eastern countries today and there are numerous recipes around; however, it originated in Northern Africa. This recipe uses the lovely spices of Northern Africa, the special trio of cumin, coriander and paprika. Enjoy!

RECIPE

Ingredients

1 large onion, diced
3 Tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
1 green pepper
2 clove garlic
1 tsp ground cumin powder
1 tsp ground coriander powder
1 tsp ground paprika
2 large tomatoes
1/4 cup tomato sauce
hot pepper flakes to taste
4 eggs
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup parsley
1/4 cup mint leaves

Methods

On medium high heat, sauté the onion in olive oil for 5 minutes.
Add the green peppers and continue sauteing while stirring frequently for another 5 minutes. Add the spices (cumin, coriander, paprika), stir for 1 minute and add the garlic.
Quickly add the diced tomatoes and the tomato sauce, stir. Cook for 5 minutes.
Turn down the heat and let the mixture simmer for 15 minutes covered.
Uncover and let the dish cook for another 5 minutes or so until the sauce thickens.
Using a wooden spoon, clear some space in the sauce or make a ‘well’ and drop 1 egg in. Do this three more times with the other eggs. Cover and let the eggs poach in this lovely, well seasoned sauce until the whites are set and are not runny.
Uncover. Add salt, pepper, parsley, mint leaves and hot pepper flakes.
Serve it warm with pita bread (recipe).
I also served it with Hummus (recipe) and Eggplant Parmesan (recipe).

Source

Photos: twincitiesherbs.com

Plum/berry cobbler

Have you ever had to cut corners in the kitchen? Later, did you realize that you had actually created something new and amazing? This must have happened to the early settlers of America who came from the Old World. They had their recipes to make the English pie but did not have all the tools to make them … and came up with a brand new dish called cobbler.

Cobbler is just as good as pie is IMO and is much easier to make. Seasonal fruits are used in cobblers as well but not sure where the name came from. It might be referring to the wooden spoons they used or the cobbler who mends shoes like the dough is mended on top of the fruits or perhaps it was the village cobbler’s favorite dessert … nobody knows the exact meaning but this is a crowd pleaser for sure.

This is an ‘end of the summer’ cobbler recipe. It is made with plums along some berries and the savory spices that are nice for this time of year. Of course, I used plums because they are available right now. I also added nutmeg, cinnamon, orange peel and ginger to add a little flavor and they suit the plums nicely as well. The juicy fruits are covered with the perfectly crumpling, soft topping. Oh and it is begging for a bit of vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!

RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

My recipe was inspired by the Joy of Cooking cookbook.

Have all the ingredients at room temperature except the butter.

For the fruits

1 lb of plums, pitted and cut 1′ or smaller chunks
1 lb of berries – I used blackberries and raspberries
½ cup of sugar or more if your fruits are not sweet enough. Only use more if your berries are not sweet. 1/2 cup is plenty otherwise, trust me!
pinch of salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp dried ginger (cut and sifted) or 1 tsp fresh
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 Tbsp orange peel
2 Tbsp of flour or 1 Tbsp of corn starch

The dough

1 1/3 cup of all purpose white flour
1 tsp of baking powder
pinch of salt
2 Tbsp of sugar
5 Tbsp of cold unsalted butter
2/3 cup of cream or 1/2 cup of milk (honestly milk is fine too)
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 lightly beaten egg for the top
extra sugar for the top
vanilla ice cream for serving

PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Making the fruit filling

Have ready an oven proof baking dish that is about 2 quarts large in volume and 2 inches deep (ex 11 x 4 x 2 inch).
Take fruits out of the freezer if they are frozen and let them defrost. Wash plums and cut them into 1/2-1 inch long pieces. Place the plums and the berries in the dish. They need to be at room temperature before you can put the cobbler into the oven.
Add pinch of salt, cornstarch or flour, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon and sugar and mix. Set aside and wait for at least 30 minutes.

Making the dough

In a large bowl, combine the flour with the baking powder, pinch of salt and sugar.
Add the cold butter and mix. This is such a satisfying experience for me to do by hand. If you prefer, you can use your food processor for this step.
Add the cream or milk stirring with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together. Gently need the dough in the bowl for 5 minutes if needed, turning and pressing any loose pieces into the dough. Dust the top and the bottom of the dough. Let the dough sit for 1 hour if you have time.

Preparing the cobbler

Now we will make a patchwork. Divide the dough into 8-10 parts and flatten each piece between your two hands about 1/4 inch thick. Place each piece on top of the fruit mix. Keep doing this until you have used up all the dough and the fruits are covered.
(The dough should be workable but not sticky. If the dough becomes too sticky and warm, put it into the fridge for about 10 minutes to become the proper consistency. This can happen easily in the summer when it is warm outside.
Lightly brush the top of the dough with the eggs and sprinkle with a little sugar.

Baking the cobbler

Put the cobbler in the pre-heated oven and bake for about 40-50 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the berries are bubbling. Don’t overbake, make sure the fruits stay ‘liquidy’.
Let stand at room temperature for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Serving the cobbler

You can serve the cobbler at room temperature with vanilla ice cream if you wish.

enjoy!

Source

Irma S. Rombauer: Joy of Cooking

Text and photos by Twincitiesherbs.

Potato soup with lovage

Lovage is an old European folk remedy but has been forgotten. I would like to bring some attention to this valuable plant with this recipe. In the old days, it was used like parsley is used today, it grew in the gardens of everyday folks. It has an unusual flavor, more like citrusy celery. I used my Potato leek soup recipe (source) but added lovage instead of kale at the end as lovage wonderfully enhances the flavor of the potatoes. Of course, it is a great plant to use to get the body ready for the colder months.

Lovage (Levisticum officinale) can be used for medicine and culinary purposes. It has been around for thousands of years. The Greek physician, Hippocrates (460 – 370 BC), made it popular by adding it into the culinary world. He did so after using it successfully during the epidemics of his time. Lovage offers numerous health benefits. It improves digestion, reduces arthritis, and helps with water retention in edema and the skin, among many others. It is definitely a big digestion remedy and it is even aphrodisiac. Lovage is a warming, sweet, bitter and aromatic plant. I have it growing in my garden right now, a small little shoot grew very quickly into a large plant.

RECIPE

Ingredients

8 medium sized Russet or Yukon potatoes (about 1.5-2 pounds)
3 medium sized leeks, peeled and sliced
2 Tbsp butter
2 large slices of bacon or to taste (optional)
stock (vegetable or chicken)
1 tsp of sweet Hungarian paprika (make sure it is authentic)
1/2 tsp of fennel seeds
1-3 thyme springs
2 dried bay leaves
handful of chopped up lovage
1/2-1 cup of cream
salt and freshly ground pepper
crushed hot red pepper flakes to taste
Parmesan cheese to serve

Preparation

Wash and slice up leeks. Slice leeks thin with a sharp knife. Use more the white part (cook the greenish part in the stock or discard). Put the sliced leeks in a bowl of cold water for 1/2 hour. This will get all the dirt out of the leeks. Clean well. Strain the liquid using a colander or pat dry.
If you decide to keep the peel on the potatoes, clean and soak potatoes in some cold water for 1/2 hour. Scrub off any dirt. If you decide to peel potatoes, you can skip this step and just peel and slice the potatoes thin.
Sauté leek slices in some butter for about 10 minutes or until you can smell the aroma of the leeks. Add 1 tsp of paprika and fennel seeds to activate for 1 minute and stir. Add 1/4 tsp cold water, stir.
Fry up some sliced bacon if you decide to use it.
Add potatoes and bacon to the leeks. Pour in the stock enough to barely cover the vegetables. Add the thyme and bay leaves. Start heating the soup carefully until it starts bubbling but not boiling. Quickly, turn the heat down and slowly cook for 1/2 hour.
Clean and cut up lovage.
When soup is done, add the lovage. It doesn’t need to cook.
Add cream, salt, black pepper, hot red pepper flakes.
Serve hot with a little Parmesan cheese.

enjoy!

Source

Matthew Wood. Eartwise Herbal

Text, photos and recipe by twincitiesherbs.com

Plum Clafoutis (Flaugnarde)

It is plum season in our neck of the woods (Midwest) right now. Whenever plums show up at the farmers’ market, I can feel the summer is about to come to an end. This is my last chance to indulge in summer fruits so please join me. Oh no not just with any dish … I’m going to say farewell to summer … with a French dish.

This is a fruity dish that is made with a thick flan like batter baked in a dish. Traditionally, it is made with cherries and is called cherry clafoutis or simply clafoutis in French but when made with any other harder fruits like plums, it is called flaugnarde. So technically, this dish is called flaugnarde. It was made in France first, more exactly in Limousine, in the central region of France.

Clafoutis is a simple rustic dish. It is not meant to be beautiful, delicate looking like what you expect a French dessert to be but it is more of a peasant food. So go ahead and pack your dish with the plums, berries and the batter, don’t need to worry about the appearance that much … Also, it is like a crepe just thicker and you should have all the main ingredients in your kitchen already … milk, flour, butter, eggs, sugar … and I think it is a lot tastier than crepes …

Sugar content. The recipe includes a range, 1 tablespoon to 1/2 cup depending on your taste. I suggest to use minimum 1 tablespoon for the fruit mixture and 1 tablespoon for th dough.

Please also check out my plum gnocchi recipe if interested in another plum dish.

RECIPE

Serves 4-6 people

INGREDIENTS

1/8 tsp nutmeg for the plums + 1/8 tsp for the batter
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp dried ginger, cut and sifted or use 1 tsp fresh chopped ginger
9 pieces of smaller plums, less if bigger, sliced
1 cup sweet berries
3 Tbsp cognac or brandy (optional)
2 tablespoon -1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp melted butter, divided
3 eggs
1 cup of milk
1/4 cup cream (I have used kefir before too)
2/3 cup of flour
1 tbsp almond extract
handful of almond slivers
pinch of salt
powdered sugar for serving

METHOD

Preheat oven to 350 F. Place the rack in the middle of the oven.

For the batter, mix milk, cream or kefir, eggs, almond extract, salt, 1 Tbsp – sugar, cinnamon and 1 Tbsp melted butter and add the flour and continue mixing for another minute. Make sure there are no clumps left but do not overbeat. You can use a whisk, handheld mixer or blender. (Yep, kind of like a crepe mixture). Set aside for an hour if you have time.

Cut up the plums and take out the pits. (I leave the pits in). Put plums in a medium sized bowl. Pour 1 tablespoon sugar and the brandy (optional) on the plums. Give it a toss. Let plums macerate for about 10 minutes. Then add berries, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger to the plums. Mix. Set aside.

Use a 10″ inch baking dish (like a quiche dish). You need a dish that has a larger surface area and will hold 6 cups of food. Pour in the melted butter and spread it evenly on the surface of the dish making sure that you coat the sides too.

Evenly spread the plum mixture from earlier on the buttered surface. (I added the marinate liquid, too).

Pour batter (from earlier) over the plum mixture and sprinkle the top with the shaved almonds.

Bake for 45 – 55 minutes or until cake is puffy and has a nice light brown color. An inserted tooth pick should come out clean but the middle should be soft. The texture of the baked clafoutis should be like a sturdy custard.

Let it sit for 15 minutes before serving.

When ready to serve, sprinkle powdered sugar on top. Serve warm.

It can be stored in the refrigerator covered for 24 hours but best eaten the same day.

enjoy! Bon appetite!

Recipe, photos, text by twincitiesherbs.

Eating with the Late summer season (no recipes)

INDIAN SUMMER

It can get a bit challenging to say goodbye to all the fun we had in the summer, canoeing down the creek, hopping on our bikes to get to our favorite ice cream shop or just spending endless hours outside in the warm weather. Yes indeed, it can get tricky for some of us to let go. But we have a few weeks to do it! Now we can enjoy the warm weather without the heat and maybe even the mosquitoes. It kind of feels like we are rocking on a sailboat on calm waters during a sunset. But at the same time it would be wise to start thinking ahead. Yep, there is that nip in the air in the morning … the cold weather will be coming!

This transition is considered to be a short season and has been recognized by many different cultures. In the United States, it is called Indian summer, in China, the Earth season and in Hungary, old women’s summer (vénasszonyok nyara). Seasonal transitions are important to be aware of as they can be challenging on our bodies. It is worth paying attention to, especially if you are prone to problems now like having excessive mucus, digestive problems, feeling of heaviness/edema, tiredness, metabolic problems, low self esteem or craving sweets.

The ancient Chinese have observed this short time period, the Earth season (Wu Xing, 地球), to be different from all the other four seasons. This is the time of stillness when everything seems to just stop. The heat of the summer is gone, our busy lives are finally slowing down and activity becomes effortless. It is associated with stability, patience and thoughtfulness. It is the time to stop and observe abundance around us and things we have created. As the days are getting shorter, we are moving from the time of abundance and expansion to focusing inward and cessation of abundance.

In Chinese Medicine, each season is associated with a natural element so the Indian Summer is paired with the Earth element. Also, each element has corresponding western organs. The western organs of the Earth element are the Spleen, Pancreas, Stomach and they control the muscles and mouth. (I capitalized the organs because in Chinese Medicine, it is more like an organ is considered to be the organ itself and in its energetic functions as well).

Let’s look at the nature of the Stomach and the Spleen/Pancreas. The Stomach likes to be be cool and moist. It starts breaking up the food it receives and passes it for further digestion. The Spleen and the Pancreas on the other hand, like to be warm and dry. Their main job is to further work on digestion and nourish the body. The Spleen has other functions including its role in the immune system that is important especially in the fall. The Pancreas releases digestive enzymes and also is involved with regulating the blood sugar.

Just like Mother Earth in nature, our Earth element is responsible for nourishing the body. Digestion is important all year around but especially during this time to ensure that we can ease into the cold months. There is a branch in Chinese medicine that believes the Earth element is the most important for good health. Yep this season is all about eating good, healthy food. Remember this is the Harvest season.

The flavor of the Earth element is sweet. These foods are meats, dairy, and complex carbohydrates including grains, vegetables and legumes. This flavor enters and nourishes the spleen/pancreas. It has a harmonizing effect on the body exactly what we need now. This flavor is great to have any time of the year but especially important right now. However, the sweet flavor also has a tendency to cause dampness and to slow down the body; therefore, pungent flavored foods like onions, ginger are also recommended at this time. (Just on the side, exercise has similar effects).

Choosing your sweet foods wisely is also important. I should mention that the sweet flavor should not be overdone especially by individuals who tend to gain weight and retain water easily. This is also true for the pungent spices, they should be consumed in moderation to make sure that heat does not stay trapped in the body. Definitely practice moderation. Of course, over-processed foods should be avoided.

All the vegetables that grow right now are great. If you go to the farmers’ market you will see eggplants, beets, cabbage, celery, chard, cucumber, lettuce, potatoes, mushrooms, squash, sweet potatoes, yam, bitter melon. Fruits are apples, tomatoes, pears, grapes, plums. Nuts are walnuts, sunflower seeds, almonds, chestnuts, sesame seeds.

To harmonize with this season, it is wise to make changes to our cooking style. The emphasis should be on moderation and creating simple, harmonizing dishes with ingredients that attune with the Earth element: round, mildly sweet, yellow or golden in color. Feel free to use herbs that help digestion like dill, oregano, ginger, anise, caraway seeds, cumin, fennel seeds, lavage etc. Also, try to avoid foods that are complicated with too many ingredients or are heavy, greasy and too spicy. In other words, we need to help our digestion so we can move into the new season effortlessly. Also, it is nice to start including more warming foods in our diet like winter squashes.

If you are looking for dishes to make during the Indian Summer time period, please, click on the Indian Summer ‘keyword’ on the right and you should get all my recipes or see a few from last year below.

Plum gnocchi

Turkish stuffed eggplants

Vegetarian moussaka

Spaghetti squash stew

Maroccan eggplant stew with garbanzo beans

SOURCES

Paul Pitchford: Healing with Whole Foods
Art: Sailing by the shore by Leonid Afremov

Text by twincitiesherbs.com

Hungarian summer bean soup with dill

I love summer. It looks like there are so many vegetables finally ready to eat. I enjoy rhubarb too but there was not much else here in the Midwest for quite a while and now all of the sudden we have so many more to choose from. So ended up picking yellow beans for this week.

I’m presenting a simple Hungarian yellow bean soup recipe that many Hungarians know how to make but I added my little twist to it. I like reading about foods and experimenting with them. So I was reading that Hungarian cuisine was a little bit different when Hungarians lived in Asia. Over the years they lost some of the ingredients and picked up new ones. So I had the idea why not add chickpeas and curry to this bean soup. Who knows maybe our ancestors made the soup like this back wherever they came from ?!?

The sweet yellow bean is nutritious and is high in fiber but really is not the most exciting vegetable. The real flavor IMO comes from the seasoning especially from the dill. Dill is a unique sweet plant that gives the zesty, tangy flavor with slightly bitter undertones. It helps digestion and calms the mind. Also, adding the sour cream or yogurt is a must at the end … and then you get a pleasant sweet and sour soup.

As I have mentioned I added chickpeas to the dish. If you look at a chickpea, you can see it resembles the heart and is considered to be beneficial for the heart. It is a good source of iron and unsaturated fats.

I often make this soup more of an entree by adding an egg or other protein. It is very filling this way, for sure. I just put the soup in a jar and take it with me in the summer. It is an instant lunch on the go for me. Oh yes and I get the stares from Hungarians … what is that dish?!? … lol.

RECIPE

Serves 4 people

This is my recipe so please don’t publish without proper citation.

Ingredients

1 lb of yellow beans
oil (vegetable, lard)
1 medium size onion, chopped
1 tsp of sweet Hungarian paprika (make sure it is authentic)
1 tsp curry powder
1 chopped large tomato
vegetable or meat stock (I used pea shells)
3 carrots, thinly sliced
1 zucchini, optional
1-3 bay leaves
1 yellow pepper, optional
handful of dill, chopped
2 Tbsp white vinegar
1 cup dried or 1 can of chickpeas (14 oz)
salt and black pepper
red pepper to taste
sour cream or yogurt to garnish

Directions

Clean and soak the chickpeas overnight or for at least 8 hours. Remove the soaking liquid and discard. Add fresh cold water and cook for 3 hours. A pressure cooker would greatly reduce the cooking time. (Omit if using canned chickpeas).
Making the soup base: Saute the onion in some oil for 5 minutes or until translucent. Add garlic, paprika and curry powder, mix and after 1 minute add the chopped tomato. Mix and cook for about 5- 10 minutes or until tomato has cooked into a sauce.
Wash the yellow beans. Cut the ends off on both sides and discard. Cut them up into 1 inch pieces. Clean and cut the carrots. Oh and I almost forgot I like to put in zucchini too. So wash and cut zucchini into about 1 inch pieces.
Add the cut up yellow beans, carrot slices, bay leaves, zucchini and the stock. I like to add a yellow pepper for flavoring or at least its seed house. Cook for about 30 -45 minutes or until the beans are soft. Remove the pepper and bay leaves.
Add the cooked or canned chickpeas with its liquid and the white vinegar.
Salt and pepper to taste. Add the red chili pepper if desired.
Serve hot with chopped dill and sour cream/yogurt.

enjoy!

Recipe, text and photos by twincitiesherbs.com

Moroccan eggplant stew with garbanzo beans

Enjoy this delicious and easy vegetarian eggplant dish. The eggplants are browned and cooked with some tomatoes, pungent spices, onions, and garbanzo beans. They are then served with rice or couscous and yogurt sauce. I also added sweet mama squash that complemented the dish nicely and made it more suitable for this ‘going from the summer into the fall’ time period. With the warming spices and the baked squash, it will be a great meal for this time of year. Not only that it suits the weather but it is delicious … honestly my family can’t get enough of it. I might have to go back to the farmers’ market tomorrow to get more eggplants.

RECIPE

Serves 4-5 people

Ingredients

2 medium eggplants
olive oil
2 large onions, sliced
1 Tbsp graded fresh ginger
seasoning: 2 tsp paprika, 1 tsp cumin powder, 1 tsp coriander powder, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, 1 cinnamon stick,
pinch of saffron (optional)
2 garlic cloves
2 large tomatoes or 2 cups canned tomatoes
1 cup dried garbanzo beans or 1 can (14 oz)
1 dried hot pepper or to taste
salt and pepper
couscous or rice to serve
cilantro

Directions

Garbanzo beans. Soak overnight and discard the soaking liquid. Add enough cold water to cover the beans. The water should be about 1 inch above the beans. Cook the beans for 3 hours. (You can use a pressure cooker, just adjust the time). They need to be cooked slowly for a long time until they are nice and soft. They can take up liquid after they are cooked so add more water if needed. Add 1 tsp salt when done.
Preparing the eggplants. Wash and cut eggplants into cubes. Salt them and put them into a colander for 30 minutes to let the liquid drain. Pat dry.
Frying the eggplants. In a wide skillet, on medium low heat, slowly brown the eggplants in some olive oil for about 20- 30 minutes or until soft. They will not cook any more so make sure they are soft and well cooked before you add it to the sauce. Stir frequently. Make sure they don’t burn. Set aside.
Caramelize the onions. Brown the sliced onions in a separate dish in oil with care, it takes about 30 minutes. Stir frequently. Set aside.
Making the sauce. Crumple the saffron between your thumb and index finger and add hot liquid, stir well (optional). Otherwise you can just put whole saffron strains in the dish. Set aside. On medium high heat warm up 1 Tbsp oil and add the ginger for 5 minutes. Then add the paprika, cumin, garlic and stir for 1 minute to activate the spices. Add the chopped tomatoes and stir well. You can add a little water here too. Cook the tomatoes for about 5 minutes until they have become ‘saucy’. Add the saffron, cinnamon stick, freshly graded nutmeg and hot pepper. Bring to a boil and turn down the heat. Cook for 10 minutes on low medium heat. Add a little water if needed. Add the browned onions, eggplants and garbanzo beans from earlier. Cook for 5 more minutes covered. Let the dish sit for 15 minutes so the flavors can come together. Take out the cinnamon stick and the hot pepper pieces. Add salt and pepper or anything else that needs to be adjusted.
Serve with cilantro, rice or couscous and yogurt sauce. I also added some baked sweet mama squash slivers and they nicely complemented each other.

enjoy!

Recipe, photo and text by twincitiesherbs.com.

Butternut squash soup with a Midwestern flare

As the fall season is arriving, I feel like a little squirrel trying to get ready for the colder months: eating the great variety of fruits and vegetables, storing up foods, making last minute repairs and just mentally getting ready. By now we are aware that summer is gone and a new season is coming with all its beauty and challenges. It was the Autumnal Equinox a couple of days ago, when the days and nights are equal and from now on the days are going to get shorter and colder as well.

Warm up to the fall with this delicious squash soup. My recipe is made with a little Midwestern twist. I added wild rice, a Midwestern staple but it can be served with some hearty bread like rye bread instead. I enjoy squashes in all shapes and forms. Many of us think of squashes when we hear the word fall cooking so I will start off my fall recipe collection with a squash dish.

The warming sweet butternut squash is simmered with the white onion, garlic, potatoes and is balanced with the bitter celery root and the lovely pungent spices. At the end, it is topped with cream and the sweet almond slivers for a bit of crunchiness.

RECIPE

Ingredients

1 medium sized butternut squash- about 3 lbs
1 medium sized Russet potato, peeled and cut into cubes
1 finally chopped large onion, white is the best
vegetable oil (sunflower)
2 slices of smoked bacon (optional)
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, about 1 inch long
1 tsp of sweet Hungarian paprika (make sure it is authentic)
1 smaller celery root, peeled and chopped up into 4 pieces
5 cup stock (vegetable or chicken)
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
1 thyme spring
1 tsp salt or to taste
1/4 cup of heavy cream
freshly ground black pepper
red hot pepper to taste
1 cup of almond slivers
1 cup of uncooked wild rice or rye bread to serve

Directions

Preparing the squash. Peel and cut squash lengthwise, take out the seeds. Cut them into cubes. Warm up some oil on medium high heat and brown the cubes for a good 10-15 minutes.

Make the soup base. Have 1/2 cup of cold water ready. Warm up the oil. Sauté the onion, and the bacon(optional). When translucent and you can smell the aroma of the the onions and the bacon, add the chopped ginger for a few minutes, stir. Add the crushed garlic and 1 tsp paprika, stir for 30 seconds to activate. Add the little cold water that you had set aside earlier, stir.

Put the browned squash, potatoes, thyme spring, the freshly ground nutmeg and the celery root in the pot. Add the stock, enough to cover by about 1 inch above everything and cook for 30 minutes.

Cooking the wild rice (optional). Cook 1 cup of wild rice with 3 cups of water, partially covered for about 20 minutes or until the rice is soft and crunchy.

Roast the almond slivers. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Lightly oil a baking sheet and spread the almond pieces evenly on the sheet. Bake for 5 minutes. Be careful not to burn it. Serve on top of the soup.

When ready, let the soup cool for about 10 – 20 minutes. Add the cream and black pepper. Stir.

If you want the soup to be a little chunky, set aside about 20% of the cooked squash pieces. Use a hand held blender and puree the rest of the soup. Make sure you blend the celery chunks. Transfer the whole pieces back to the rest of the pureed soup. (If you prefer a smooth soup, just puree everything).

Check to see if more salt, black pepper, red hot pepper are needed.

Serve with wild rice/bread and the almond slivers.

enjoy!

Recipe, photo and text by twincitiesherbs.com.