Spiralized Sweet Potatoes 2 Ways
Post by Paula Jahn, Co-owner and Registered Dietitian at Nourish Northwest
My mother in law loves kitchen gadgets. She has gifted me several kitchen items that I would never buy for myself (but happily use!). I am generally a minimalist in the kitchen; a good sharp knife, a rimmed baking sheet, and a cast iron skillet usually do it for me. Well, after experimenting with the spiralizer she gave me for my birthday, my list of frequently used items might be growing. While I’ve railed against frivolous kitchen gimmicks in the past, I can easily justify the spiralizer’s real estate in my cabinets. It fits my criteria for any piece of kitchen equipment: It must have more than one use, and that it does! Its most common use is to make “vegoodles” out of zucchini or yellow summer squash. The first recipe I made was zucchini noodles with a vegan pesto.
It is beloved by the raw food community, but I prefer to give the vegetables a quick warm-through on the stove. That way, they absorb more of the sauce’s flavors. Also, I find that raw squash can be difficult to digest for some individuals. You can make noodles out of pretty much any firm vegetable or fruit: cucumbers, carrots, bell peppers, beets, sweet potatoes…But, it can also (almost) replace a mandoline using the slicing blade to make thin, even rounds.
Or, using the larger noodler blade, make curly fries!
There are lots of recipes cropping up in food blogs that use the spiralizer, including Inspiralized, which is 100% devoted to the machine. If you’re looking for a hands-on experience, Nourish Northwest is hosting a cooking class on how to use the spiralizer, including recipes and samples. Sign up here!
I wanted to branch out and try different blade settings on sweet potatoes. I made oven chips and oven curly fries. After tasting these, this gadget may have just been promoted to the countertop. Welcome to my kitchen, little gadget.
Spiralized Sweet Potato Chips or Curly Fries
Ingredients
1-2 small sweet potatoes
Olive oil
Salt
Sprinkle of chili powder, smoked paprika, or any other spice
Preparation
For crispy sweet potato chips:
1. Preheat oven to 450 F. Spiralize the sweet potato using the slicer blade on the spiralizer. Break apart each ring to make individual circles.
2. Brush both sides with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and spice of choice.
3. Bake on parchment-lined baking sheet for 7-10 minutes. Gently flip and bake for another 5 minutes or until crisp but not burnt.
For curly fries:
1. Preheat oven to 450 F. Spiralize the sweet potato using the medium-sized noodler blade on the spiralizer. Break apart each long strand into 3-4 inch pieces.
2. In a bowl or on a parchment-lined baking sheet, toss with 1-2 Tbs olive oil, a pinch of salt and seasoning of choice.
3. Spread in an even layer and bake for 10-15 minutes, until crisp on the outside and cooked through.
Cold Soups for Hot Nights!
Post by Olivia Martino, Registered Dietitian and Co-Owner, Nourish Northwest
I don’t like cold soups. There’s just something about using a spoon to eat (drink?) a savory liquid that I can’t wrap my brain around. But these are desperate times, people. With temperatures reaching the 100 degree mark almost daily for the past few weeks, there is no way I can turn on an oven or stovetop burner in my non-air conditioned apartment. It’s just not smart. But I have to eat. So I am going outside of my comfort zone and trying out some new recipes for cold soups and I have to say, I am really enjoying them. They are healthy, filling and do not require heat. Also, I make a big bowl and it lasts me all week. I think I’m starting to change my opinion…
Gazpacho Verde
adapted from Food and Wine, July 2015
Ingredients:
1 pound ripe green melon, such as honeydew, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces (3 cups)
4 Persian cucumbers—peeled, seeded and chopped
2 Hass avocados (12 ounces)—peeled, pitted and chopped
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup crème fraîche
Kosher salt
garnish:
blueberries
fresh mint, chopped
Preparation:
In a blender, combine all of the ingredients, season with salt and puree until smooth. Strain the soup through a fine sieve into a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate for about 2 hours, until cold. Top with blueberries and chopped mint and serve.
Tomatillo Gazpacho
adapted from eatingwell.com
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 English cucumber, halved lengthwise and seeded
- 1 avocado, halved and pitted
- 1 pound tomatillos, husks removed, chopped
- 1-2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and chopped
- 1 15-ounce can reduced-sodium chicken broth, or vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup green olives, chopped
Preparation
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a small nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until just beginning to brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.
- Coarsely chop half the cucumber and half the avocado and place in a food processor. Add tomatillos, jalapeño to taste and the garlic. Process until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl; stir in broth, sugar and salt.
- Dice the remaining cucumber and avocado and place in a medium bowl. Add olives and drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil; gently toss to combine.
- Ladle the gazpacho into bowls and top each portion with about 3/4 cup chopped veggies.
Chilled Strawberry Almond Soup
Ingredients:
- 1.5 pounds strawberries (about 3-4 cups)
- 1/4 cup Almond milk (just enough to bring it together in the blender!)
- 2 tbsp natural almond butter
- 1/2 tsp almond extract
- 2 tbsp honey
- Chopped strawberries and almonds, for garnish
Directions:
1. Remove green stems off strawberries and rinse well.
2. In a blender, add 1/4 cup almond milk. Next, add in trimmed strawberries, almond extract, and 2 tbsp almond butter. Starting on lowest speed, blend until it comes together. Turn up the speed gradually and blend until as smooth as your blender will make it.
3. Taste test and add honey. The amount of sweetener you need will depend on how sweet your strawberries are. Blend again to combine. [If your blender does not puree the seeds, you can pour the soup through a fine strainer.]
4. With blender cover on, place blender in the fridge and chill until very cold, a few hours or overnight. Alternatively, you could chill in a container in the freezer to speed things up. Serves 2 or 3 cups. Keeps in the fridge for 1 day.
Recipe: Zucchini Mushroom Patties
Post by Paula Jahn, Co-owner and Registered Dietitian at Nourish Northwest
I can’t escape from my love of veggie burgers. There are SO MANY caveats to that statement, so let me explain. I was introduced to veggie burgers at my college’s “grill” in the cafeteria. They were the Original Gardenburgers and I liked them as an alternative to ground beef patties. Sometime around then, I also tried a popular vegetarian burger that was full of soy products, artificial flavors, and suspiciously the color of cooked beef. Gross.
Fifteen years later, I define veggie burgers in a very different way. To me, it almost always means a homemade mush of vegetables, grains, beans, seeds, nuts, and spices. This whole foods savory “dough” then gets formed into patties and fried in my beloved cast iron skillet. In our popular vegan cooking classes, we have made beet burgers, chickpea lentil burgers, black bean patties, asparagus risotto patties, etc. I’ve seen restaurants get pretty creative with the meat-based burger, but nothing beats the versatility of the vegetarian patty. They adapt to all seasons. This is summer, and I have a garden that looks like this:
So, it never hurts to have as many uses for this prolific vegetable as you can. Enter the zucchini mushroom patty! I have made a dozen variations on a zucchini patty/fritter. These are unique. They blend the best parts of my favorite mushroom burger (note: future blog post) with lots of shredded zucchini. And, the can hold their shape almost just as well in the vegan version. That is not normal!
I’ve made these patties several times both with eggs and wheat flour and with vegan and gluten-free substitutions. It is difficult to decide which I like better. Below is the recipe with substitutions in parentheses.
Zucchini Mushroom Patties
(Adapted from Sunset Magazine, July 2015)
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
2 medium (2 1/2 cups) zucchini, shredded
1 tsp sea salt, divided
4 Tbs olive oil, divided
1 cup mushrooms, chopped
1/4 cup shallot, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 cup flour (all purpose or gluten free)
1/4 cup dry roasted almonds
1 1/3 cup brown rice, cooked and cooled
2 large eggs (or 2 flax eggs= 2 Tbs ground flax + 6 Tbs water, let sit for 10 min)
Preparation
1. Toss shredded zucchini in a colander with 1/2 tsp salt and let sit and drain for 10 minutes.
2. Heat 2 Tbs oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, shallot, and garlic and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and add cumin and saute for another 2 minutes, until fragrant.
3. Pulse almonds in a food processor until they resemble a coarse sand. Add eggs or flax eggs, flour, and rice and pulse until rice looks chopped.
4. Add almond-egg mixture to mushroom mixture and stir in a medium bowl.
5. Press zucchini in colander until most of the juices are released. Add to bowl and stir. Season with 1/2 tsp salt.
6. Heat 2 Tbs olive oil in a nonstick or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Form 5-6 patties out of mixture. Fry until golden on one side, about 6 minutes. Flip and cook another 5 minutes, until deeply golden on both sides.
7. Serve with sliced avocado and mayonnaise (or vegannaise) on toasted sourdough (optional) bread.
How To Get Out of a Cooking Rut
Post by Olivia Martino, Registered Dietitian and C0-Owner, Nourish Northwest
I’m always surprised when I find myself not wanting to cook. Cooking is my passion, hobby and also my job. It is truly something that I enjoy doing. Perhaps because I do it so much, (or maybe I can blame it on the heat) from time to time I have a few days where I want nothing to do with it. The first couple days, I get by. Maybe I eat a frozen veggie burger or scrounge together everything I can find leftover in the fridge and mix it into one big bowl. Maybe I went to Burgerville the other night (it was so good!) But eventually I have to get back in the kitchen and I need to figure how to get excited about that. Here are some methods I find helpful:
1. Find food that needs minimal prep to taste good. In other words, keep it simple.
This time of year the tomato is a perfect example. Especially those beautiful, juicy heirloom tomatoes. Slice one up, drizzle with olive oil, maybe sprinkle some basil on top and call that a meal. Or add a fresh piece of salmon, which is also a food that requires very little prep. Simply bake in the oven and squirt with lemon juice.
2. Find a food that is visually appealing.
I mean, seriously… how pretty are these? They just make you happy while you are in the kitchen.
3. Find an ingredient that you have never prepared before.
This is the opposite of #1 but either strategy can work, depending on your mood. Finding a project can be a great way to get your focus back in the kitchen, while acquiring a new skill.The artichoke has always been daunting to me, so I figured I’d face my fear head on and figure out how to tackle it.
4. Search through cookbooks and blogs.
Surfing thekitchn.com is one of my favorite ways to pass a few spare minutes during the day. They post so many articles and recipes daily that every time you check it you will find something new. I also have a small list of food blogs I make sure to check weekly for inspiration:
A recent tradition my fiance and I have started is to take turns buying a new cookbook each month and then preparing a recipe together from it. This can range from a silly, vintage cookbook from GoodWill to a shiny hard copy of the new it-chef’s book. This is always a fun experience, from picking the cookbook and the recipe, to locating the often obscure ingredients, going outside of the box with preparation techniques and finally, enjoying the meal together.
5. Go to the farmer’s market or the grocery store.
Going to the farmer’s market or even the grocery store can help you accomplish a few of the above objectives, especially finding a visually appealing ingredient and trying something new. At a farmer’s market you are basically forced (in a good way) to buy and prepare the sometimes limited selection of what is in season and available. Once again, creating a project or experience outside of the kitchen before you bring it back in will make the whole experience more appealing and fun.
8. Re-visit old favorites.
If you do not have a recipe book or some way that you keep recipes, make sure to start today! It’s super helpful to be able to search through things you have already made and tasted, so you know exactly what you are getting into and the result you should expect.
7. Go out to eat. It’s ok to take some of the pressure off yourself, throw in the towel and just go out to eat every once and awhile. Not only will this act as a stress reliever, but you never know what kind of inspiration you can find at a restaurant!
A Mindful Meal
Post by Paula Jahn, Co-owner and Registered Dietitian at Nourish Northwest
Summer is a time when most people really get out of their routines. What was a carefully planned dinner in the winter is now an impromptu happy hour with friends, food cart fare, or cheese and crackers because it’s too hot to cook.
I am a dietitian, so I would probably lose my credentials if I said that what you eat does not matter. But, when the ‘what’ is chips and salsa for dinner, how you eat matters even more. This is where mindfulness comes in. There are many benefits to taking a mindful moment with food at least once per day. If you struggle with binge eating or mindless eating in general, the following practice will inevitably lead to a healthier relationship with food, no matter what the food. It can reduce portion sizes, awaken your senses (does this cookie even taste good?), and bring you back in touch with your sensations of hunger and fullness. I think this article about mindful eating resonates with many people.
I encourage my clients to take one mindful meal per day (or, it can be a snack) without any distractions. This means stepping away from all screens, sitting down, and truly being with the food. The hope is that this practice will extend into other meals, and maybe even other areas of your life. The following steps are a mindfulness exercise that can be quite powerful.
Raisin Meditation. (If you hate raisins, practice with an orange or any bite of food.)
Adapted from: Mark Williams, John Teasdale, Zindel Segal, and Jon Kabat-Zinn (2007). The Mindful Way through Depression: Freeing Yourself from Chronic Unhappiness. New York: Guilford Press.
Holding
Take a raisin and hold it in the palm of your hand or between your finger and thumb. Focusing on it, imagine that you’ve just dropped in from Mars and have never seen an object like this before in your life. Seeing Take time to really see it; gaze at the raisin with care and full attention. Let your eyes explore every part of it, examining the highlights where the light shines, the darker hollows, the folds and ridges, and any unique features.
Touching
Turn the raisin over between your fingers, exploring its texture, maybe with your eyes closed if that enhances your sense of touch. Maybe even gently squeeze the raisin between your fingers.
Smelling
Holding the raisin beneath your nose, with each inhalation take notice of any smell or aroma that may arise, noticing as you do this anything interesting that may be happening in your mouth or stomach.
Placing
Now slowly bring the raisin up to your lips. Place the object in the mouth, without chewing, noticing how it gets into the mouth in the first place. Spend a few moments exploring the sensations of having it in your mouth, exploring it with your tongue.
Tasting
When you are ready, prepare to chew the raisin, noticing how and where it needs to be for chewing. Then, very consciously, take one or two bites into it and notice what happens in the aftermath, experiencing any waves of taste that emanate from it as you continue chewing.
Swallowing
When you feel ready to swallow the raisin, see if you can first detect the intention to swallow as it comes up, so that even this is experienced consciously before you actually swallow the raisin.
Following
Finally, see if you can feel what is left of the raisin moving down into your stomach, and sense how the body as a whole is feeling after completing this exercise in mindful eating.
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Now, of course, it is not practical to do this with every bite at every meal. When the mind wanders, or you start shoveling food at rapid speed, it can be helpful it come back to these six steps. Even if you catch yourself at tasting, that could be the key to slowing down, tasting your food, and enjoying your meal.
Happy eating, no matter what it is!