Recipes: Sweet Vegetables

Pumpkin Coconut Soup

Note: this piece first appeared as the November 2008 ClarkWellness.net Recipe of the Month.

Serves 4 to 6

This recipe, based on the traditional Thai pumpkin-coconut soup keg bouad mak fak kham, is absolutely delicious but deceptively simple to make. Thai red curry paste is available in the Asian section of health food stores or in Asian markets. Experiment to find the brand you like best.

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup minced shallots
sea salt to taste
4 cups pumpkin purée, preferably fresh
1 14-ounce can pure coconut milk
Thai red curry paste to taste
vegetable stock or water as needed
1/4 cup roasted pumpkin seeds

Heat the oil in a medium soup pot. Add shallots and sea salt and sauté until the shallots are translucent, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the pumpkin, coconut milk, Thai red curry paste, and stock or water to thin the soup as needed. If desired, use an immersion or countertop blender to blend the soup. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 to 10 minutes to allow flavors to blend. Ladle the soup into serving bowls and top with roasted pumpkin seeds.

Pumpkin Hummus

Note: this piece first appeared in the November 2008 issue of Clark Wellness ForkBytes.

This month’s recipe is from Olga Berman, food enthusiast in the D.C. area. Check out her blog Mango & Tomato for more recipes and food photos and musings!

1 cup cooked chickpeas
1 cup pumpkin purée, preferably fresh
2 tablespoons tahini
juice of 1/2 lemon
3 roasted garlic cloves
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more as needed and for drizzling
1/4 cup water, plus more as needed
sea salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste

In a blender, combine all ingredients and purée until completely smooth. If needed, add more oil and/or water to achieve desired consistency. Serve drizzled with extra olive oil.

Roasted Spring Beets

Note: this piece first appeared in the April 2008 issue of Clark Wellness ForkBytes.

Serves 2 to 4

2 large beets
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the beets and blanch briefly, until skins are loose, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the beets and immediately plunge them into a bowl of ice water. Peel and cut into bite-sized pieces.

Place the beets in a roasting pan in a single layer. Toss with the olive oil, salt, and pepper. Cover with foil and place in preheated oven. Roast for 30 minutes, then remove the foil. Bake an additional 20 minutes or until beets are tender. Adjust seasonings and serve.

Warming Ginger-Aduki Soup

Note: this piece first appeared as the March 2008 ClarkWellness.net Recipe of the Month.

Serves 4

This warming, soothing soup includes aduki beans (also called adzuki, adzuki, azuki, or asuki beans), which are small reddish beans. Kombu, a sea vegetable, is also included to remineralize the soaked beans and improve digestion. Both these ingredients are available in health food stores and Asian markets.

1 cup dry aduki beans
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cups chopped butternut squash
2 teaspoons grated ginger
generous pinch sea salt
1 2-inch piece kombu
6 cups chicken, fish, or vegetable stock

Rinse the beans and soak, overnight, in enough water to cover generously. Drain, rinse, and set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, squash, ginger, and sea salt and sauté until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the reserved beans, kombu, and stock. Bring to a boil, turn down the heat, and simmer until the beans are very tender, 40 to 60 minutes. Adjust seasonings.

You may serve the soup as is, or you may purée part or all of the soup prior to serving.

Comforting Sweet Potato Purée

Note: this piece first appeared as the February 2008 ClarkWellness.net Recipe of the Month.

Serves 4

This delicious, comforting dish is rich in immune-boosting beta-carotene. It’s perfect for when you have a cold or are feeling under the weather — the simple purée is easy on the digestive system and very nourishing. Of course, you don’t have to be sick to enjoy the wonderful flavors of this dish!

1 onion, peeled and cut into chunks
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
2 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
1 whole cinnamon stick
3 whole cloves
3 slices fresh ginger
1 cup apple juice, plus more if desired
water
sea salt to taste
1 tablespoon virgin coconut oil
ground cinnamon for garnish

Place the onion, sweet potatoes, carrots, cinnamon stick, cloves, ginger, and apple juice in a medium sauce pot and add enough water to cover the vegetables. Bring to a boil and cook until the vegetables are very soft, about 15 minutes. Drain. Remove the cinnamon stick, cloves, and ginger.

Place the cooked vegetables in a food processor along with sea salt to taste, more apple juice, if desired, and coconut oil, and process until the mixture is creamy and smooth. Serve warm, garnished with a sprinkle of ground cinnamon.

Carrots and Red Peppers with Brazil Nuts

Note: this piece first appeared in the February 2008 issue of Clark Wellness ForkBytes.

Serves 2

2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch slices
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons chopped Brazil nuts

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Place the carrots, red bell pepper, olive oil, and sea salt and black pepper in a medium baking dish and mix well to combine. Roast, stirring occasionally, until carrots are tender, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven, adjust seasonings, and top with chopped Brazil nuts. Serve warm.

Oven-Roasted Beets with Onions

Note: this piece first appeared as the December 2007 ClarkWellness.net Recipe of the Month.

Serves 2 to 4

Roasted beets and onions make a festive and tasty addition to the holiday table. They’re also a delicious side dish any time! Blanch the beets first to remove the peels. To avoid bright pink beet juice stains on your hands, wear powder-free latex gloves when handing the beets.

2 large beets
2 large onions, sliced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Combine the beets and onions in a roasting pan large enough to fit all the vegetables in a single layer. Toss with the olive oil, salt, and pepper. Cover with foil and place in preheated oven. Bake for 30 minutes, then remove the foil. Bake an additional 20 minutes or until beets are tender. Adjust seasonings and serve.

Cinnamon Roasted Beets

Note: this piece first appeared in the December 2007 issue of Clark Wellness ForkBytes.

Serves 2

2 large beets
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
sea salt to taste

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Combine the beets in a roasting pan large enough to fit all the pieces in a single layer. Toss with the olive oil, cinnamon, and salt. Cover with foil and place in preheated oven. Bake for 30 minutes, then remove the foil. Bake an additional 20 minutes or until beets are tender. Adjust seasonings and serve.

Roasted Butternut Squash

Note: this piece first appeared in the November 2007 issue of Clark Wellness ForkBytes.

Serves 4

1 whole butternut squash
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Peel the butternut squash, remove the seeds, and cut into bite-sized pieces. Place the squash in a large roasting pan and add olive oil, salt, pepper, and rosemary. Toss to coat well. Roast in preheated oven about 45 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Serve warm.

Grated Carrot & Daikon Salad with Umeboshi-Walnut Dressing

Note: this piece first appeared as the March 2007 ClarkWellness.net Recipe of the Month.

Serves 4

This delicious salad includes healthy amounts of essential fatty acids from walnuts and walnut oil. The recipe is so quick and easy that it can be thrown together even on a busy night to add some extra nutrition (and yumminess) to any meal. Umeboshi vinegar is a Japanese condiment available in the Asian/macrobiotic or vinegars section of the natural foods store; daikon is a large white Japanese radish also available in natural markets.

2 large carrots
2 medium to large daikon radishes
3 tablespoons walnut oil
1 to 2 tablespoons umeboshi vinegar
1/3 cup chopped walnuts, toasted if desired
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Peel the carrots and radishes and grate them. Toss to combine. In a separate small bowl, combine the walnut oil and umeboshi vinegar. Whisk well and pour over the vegetables. Toss well. Sprinkle walnuts and parsley over the salad.

ForkBytes

Grab life by the fork

Pumpkin Coconut Soup

Pumpkin Hummus

Roasted Spring Beets

Warming Ginger-Aduki Soup

Comforting Sweet Potato Purée

Carrots and Red Peppers with Brazil Nuts

Oven-Roasted Beets with Onions

Cinnamon Roasted Beets

Roasted Butternut Squash

Grated Carrot & Daikon Salad with Umeboshi-Walnut Dressing

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