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I really had no intention of posting this dish. If I did, I would have tried to make it look better. Basically it came about because of my recent obsession with soaking and sprouting nuts, seeds and legumes, which has been an interesting mix of successes and failures.
I’ve had a bag of wild rice sitting around in my pantry for some time, but I’ve always thought wild rice has a strange taste to it, so it was hard to get excited about it. I decided to soak the rice, just for kicks. I did this for about two days, and then on a (hungry) whim threw together this salad, which was actually really, really tasty – and totally raw. For some reason it just works together. I didn’t take measurements, so this is approximate, and should serve about 2.
Ingredients for the salad:
- wild rice, soaked in filtered water for 2 days or until soft and chewy (change water once a day)
- fresh, raw colorful vegetables (I used carrots, tomatoes, red bell pepper and cucumber
- a bed of greens (I used baby spinach leaves and arugala)
Ingredients for the dressing:
- juice of one lemon
- pinch of dried tarragon (this was totally random, I just bought it for kicks because I’ve never used it; any old dried herb — or none at all — would be just as fine)
- about 2 fistfuls of fresh parsley
- some flaxseed oil, maybe a T or
- a small chunk of fresh ginger, minced
- about a T or so of raw apple cider vinegar (use more lemon juice if you can’t find it)
- about 1 tsp of raw honey
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
To make:
- Mix together the rice and veggies in a bowl.
- Make the dressing: I used my handy new immersion blender to make the dressing. It came with a cup that the blender fits neatly into, which is perfect for making dressings – just put all the dressing ingredients in there and blend away. If you don’t have one, I might suggest chopping the parsley very finely (a regular food processor works great for this) and mixing it in with the rice and veggies, then just whisk together the remaining dressing ingredients.
- Pour dressing over rice and veggies and mix.
- Serve over bed of greens.
A few months ago, after reading up on the many benefits of consuming fresh fruit and vegetable juices, I purchased the cheapest respectable juicer I could find: the Breville Compact Juice Fountain. Since then, I’ve been *meaning* to try out some green juice concoctions, those enzyme and nutrient rich beverages so highly revered by the raw food movement. According to many, green juice is where it’s at. I’ve even heard it described as “life-changing.” But, I have to admit that I was so enthralled with making frothy fresh OJ and grapefruit juice in the morning that I didn’t get around to attempting the green stuff until today. This was my loss. Green juice is amazing. I have had unusually high energy all day long, for no other explicable reason. Coincidence? Perhaps, but I’m hooked nonetheless.
By the way, note that once you begin drinking fresh juices, you will find it hard to return to the pasteurized, bottled varieties (i.e., essentially any juice you buy at the grocery store or in a bottle or carton). First of all, fresh juices just taste a million times better. But more importantly, pasteurization destroys the enzymes in fresh juice, which is what makes it so healthful. These enzymes detox and cleanse at the cellular level, and they are key for digestion. Also, juicing the greens removes the fiber, which allows for easier and faster absorption of nutrients.
I made this from what I had on hand; I added in the apple, ginger, lemon, etc. to spice it up and give it a more palatable lemonade-y taste. The result was somewhere in the neighborhood of 16 ounces of juice.
Ingredients (use organic if possible!):
- about 7 or 8 stalks of kale
- one carrot
- 1/2 cucumber
- 1 honey crisp apple
- 1 lemon
- tiny chunk of ginger (like half the size of my pinky nail)
To make:
- Throw it all in your juicer according to directions and behold the frothy green glory. Consume immediately.
Rather predictably, fall has graced Boston with its colorful presence yet once again. Among the notable implications of this: (1) the city is gorgeous with vibrant autumn foliage, (2) a full ten surya namaskara are required to break a sweat in morning practice, (3) girls wearing giant Uggs look slightly less ridiculous than they did a month ago, and (4) those annoying pumpkin-inspired “foods” have made their seasonally ubiquitous appearance on every menu in town. (Something tells me that the Pumpkin-Spice Frappacino at Starbucks is pretty far-removed from the pumpkin patch…)
ANYWAY, I haven’t gotten around to procuring any pumpkins yet, but I do love winter squash. Recently, I signed up for this brilliant service from a local company called Boston Organics. They deliver a box of organic produce right to my door every week, and for a very reasonable price too. They even kindly allow customers to maintain a list of “no” list of items that they never want to receive, which can be updated at any time. My last box contained leeks, Bose pears, and . . . butternut squash! There was no choice but to throw together some soup.
One more thing. I used my soup aspirations as an excuse to purchase a particular gadget I’ve been coveting for some months now: an immersion blender. It’s absolutely perfect for pureeing soup, and Cuisinart makes one for only $29.99 — well worth it.
This should serve about 4.
Ingredients:
- 2 T or so of coconut oil (or some other cooking oil, but coconut handles heat the best)
- 1 leek, finely chopped (can substitute a yellow onion or some shallots)
- 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
- a chunk of fresh ginger (about 2 inches or so), minced
- 1 butternut squash, peeled and seeded, cut into one inch chunks (seeds can be reserved for topping if desired)
- 2 pears, peeled and cut into one-inch chunks (I used Bose pears, but I’m sure other varieties would work just as well)
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon (or more) ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
To make:
- In a stockpot, heat the coconut oil over medium-high heat.
- Add leeks and saute, stirring frequently, until they become soft, about 5 minutes or so.
- Add in the garlic and ginger and saute a minute or two more.
- Add in butternut squash and pears and saute about ten minutes more (stirring frequently).
- Add 4 cups of water and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat; add salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
- Cover and allow to simmer for about 20 minutes, until the squash is tender.
- Meanwhile, if you wish, toast the squash seeds on a skillet over high heat until they begin to brown.
- Once the quash is tender, it’s time to puree the soup. This can be done with an immersion blender right in the pot, or via the old-fashioned and considerably messier method: in batches, using a traditional upright blender or food processor.
- Garnish with cinnamon and toasted seeds and enjoy the autumn goodness.
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