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If you canāt get enough soup during the winter months, I have a delicious new recipe for youāRoot Vegetable Soup, made two ways.
Readers following my blog for a long time know that sweet potatoes are my favorite root. Being somewhat of a habitual eater, I never tire of them. But even I need a change of pace from time to time, which is what inspired this recipe focused on parsnips and carrots.
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If you want to make a dish that will win enthusiastic applause from your family and guests during these holidays, look no further than this colorful plate of Roasted Butternut Squash with Greens. Foodies of every persuasionāregardless of food preferences and sensitivitiesāwill ooh and aah when they taste this exquisite special-occasion dish (even if I do say so myself! After all, it was a gift to me from Annapurna, the goddess of food.)
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Ask any Southerner how to start the new year in the most auspicious way, and they wonāt even blink before naming a bowl of Hoppinā John or some other version of peas and greensālike this vegetarian Black-Eyed Pea Soup with Collards! Serving such a dish on New Yearās Day is thought to bring good luck because long ago black-eyed peas reminded someone of coins. The greens are said to bring prosperity because greens are associated with green cash. If you enjoy food history, you can read more about this legend at Southern Living Ā and Epicurious.
My Black-Eyed Pea Soup is filling because of the generous proportion of peas, and it is made even more satisfying by the addition of butternut squash, a favorite winter vegetable. If you serve this soup over rice, like a traditional Hoppinā John, you will need little (if anything!) else at your New Yearās Day table.
How can you make your New Yearās Day even more auspicious?
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Today Iām introducing a new section of the Sacred & Delicious Blog called My Favorite Things, and Iām launching it with a yummy coffee alternative called Capomo! If you love the taste of coffee but have given it up for any number of excellent reasons, which I enumerate later, youāre in for a treat!
Capomo is the name Tattvaās Herbs gives this coffee alternative made from the maya nut, which they claim is one of ānatureās premier antioxidants.ā That may be, but I love this drink just for its divine flavor! Want some ābliss in every cupā? Try Capomo!
You can make Capomo in a coffee pot, drip coffee maker, or with a Melita. I gave all of those kitchen gadgets up when I swore off
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Get ready to try a unique summer recipe: Summer Sweet Potato Soup with red lentils and cucumbers. It may be a little difficult to imagine what this will taste like, but itās received some good reviews in my neighborhood! Like the best summer soups, you can serve this dish slightly chilled or at room temperature.
Yes, I love watermelon soup and gazpacho, but Tom and I want a heartier meal at dinnertime so we can sleep through the night without waking up hungry at 3 a.m. So many summer soup recipes you find online look lovely and deliciousābut read a list of the ingredients and you instantly know that they may be pretty to look at and quite tasty, but theyāre not especially filling. From a culinary perspective, watermelon soup and gazpacho are like ā90s cliches, right alongside the movies Forrest Gump and Groundhog Day. Sweet but no longer intriguing!
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This Simple Chickpea Salad is not only delicious and easy, but will also wow everyone this Memorial Day, from omnivores to vegans to gluten-free diners. I will take this holiday prelude as an opportunity to remind my omnivorous readers how thoughtful it is to provide a vegan protein when youāre serving a group of partiers with diverse dietary needs.
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Dear Friends,
In case youāre wondering if I fell off the planet, Iām writing with a quick update to explain why you havenāt heard from me.
While on a beach vacation with my husband and step-daughter in Julyātotally social distanced, of courseāI took a bad fall and fractured my wrist. It was a major big OWIE! Happily, the fracture healed, but it triggered a rare response known as complex regional pain syndrome and, alternatively, reflex sympathetic dystrophy. Medical experts believe that this is a response from the sympathetic nervous system.
Iām still unable to use my left hand, which has become quite stiff, particularly in the fingers. So, rather than dreaming up and testing new recipes, Iām focused for hours a day on rehabilitating my hand. This was a real surprise for me, as I had not intended to be gone for such a long time.
Before I disappear again, for whatever length of time it takes to restore the functions of my hand, Iād like to remind readers that youāll find three fabulous pumpkin recipes on my blog: PurĆ©ed Pumpkin Soup, Spiced Pumpkin Pound Cake, and Pumpkin Spice Cookiesāall gluten-free.
Sometime after this momentous election, I will share the ways Iāve adapted in the kitchen so that Iām still able to cook fresh food six days a week. (Like our Creator, I rest from cooking on the Sabbath!)
During this extraordinary moment in history, with all its inherent anxiety, we especially need to eat well. Cooking delicious healthy food can definitely bring joy to ourselves and to our loved ones. I wish you and yours good health and a beautiful autumn. Stay well! Stay safe.
With love,
PS For those of you who may have CRPS, or know someone who does, please reach out if youād like to hear about my approach to healing with the help of several complementary therapiesāand of course, an anti-inflammatory diet. You can leave a private note here.
Have I told you that I love fresh pumpkinĀ (see Spiced Pumpkin Pound Cake)? As the holiday season moves toward its peak, what can be better than a fresh PurĆ©ed Pumpkin Soup. The markets are still filled with sugar pumpkins, the sweet edible pumpkins used for pumpkin pies and all things pumpkin.
Pumpkin, like squash, is one of the favored foods of Ayurveda because it is so easy to digest. Itās ideal for vata and pitta. For watery kapha, itās still fine if balanced with warming spices. Iāve chosen cinnamon, cardamom, allspiceĀ and fresh gingerā
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If youāve ever enjoyed the subtly sweet and oh-so-mildly spiced Indian dish known as Malai Kofta, your tastebuds will experience a similar ecstasy when they meet this dish that I offer you todayāMethi Malai. This sumptuous side dish, which is perfect for spring, can be served alone or over some basmati rice.
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If you love your greens, you will love this pot (or pan) of Cooked Greens with Figs because it brings together so many yummy flavors. When tastes that are bitter, sweet, and a little pungent are combined in a dish, itās going to be more exciting to your tongue!
You can use any of your favorite greens, and they are so easy to make. I started by caramelizing a Vidalia onion, but if youāre in a rush, you could skip this flavor enhancer. I love the unique flavor of collards, but it can take a lot of time to chop enough to fill a pot. So instead, I used about 12 good-sized collard leaves and a pound of baby spinach.
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