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.

February 1st, 2008 | Isabel Clark, RHN | Tags: , , , , , | No Comments »

Step-By-Step: Yams and Collards with Thai Red Curry

For written instructions, see the original post: Yams and Collards with Thai Red Curry

Begin with yams or sweet potatoes. I made half a recipe for the photos, so remember you will have need more ingredients when you make the full recipe. I used one small yam.

yam1

Clean, peel, and chop your yams. You can also leave the peel on — your choice.

yam-prep

Place the yams in a deep skillet or wok and add just enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, cover skillet, and cook for 5 to 10 minutes or until yams are soft when pierced with a fork. While the yams are cooking, you can prepare your other ingredients. Chop your onion (1/2 an onion) and press your garlic (1 clove) — the beneficial phytochemical allicin in these vegetables is activated by exposure to the air, so it’s good for them to sit out for a minute or two before being added to any recipe!

yam-cook

To prepare the collards, first wash them well, then remove the tough stems. I used about half a bunch of collards.

collard-wash-cut

Stack the leaves and roll them up tightly into a long tube. Slice the tube thinly. This is a chiffonade cut — chiffon is French for “rag,” and the sliced collards look like a little pile of (pretty, edible, nutritious) rags.

chiffonade

When the yams are cooked, add the onions and garlic to the skillet and continue to simmer until about half the water has boiled away.

onion-garlic

Next we’ll be using some Thai red curry paste. This is where the “zip” comes in! This condiment is very spicy, so employ discretion when using it. Thai red curry paste is available in ethnic markets, large grocery stores, and natural foods stores in the Asian foods section.

curry-paste

When half the water has boiled away, it’s time to add your curry paste (I used about 1/4 a teaspoon). Be sure to mix the curry paste well — it usually requires a bit of mashing. You don’t want anyone to end up with a whole mouthful of hot curry paste. Also, add some natural Worcestershire sauce (I used about 1/2 a tablespoon); good natural brands are Annie’s and The Wizard.

curry-add-mash1

Add the sliced collard greens and mix well. Continue cooking until collards are tender.

collard-add-stir

When the collards are tender, squeeze half a lemon over the vegetables. Before cutting the lemon in half, roll it around on the counter briefly — this makes it easier to juice.

lemon

Garnish your dish with lemon slices and add sea salt to taste, if desired. Enjoy!

final

March 1st, 2006 | Isabel Clark, RHN | Tags: , , , , , , , , | No Comments »

Sweet Potatoes with Citrus and Herbs

Note: this piece first appeared as the December 2005 ClarkWellness.net Recipe of the Month.

Serves 4

If you’re tired of sweet potatoes served with sugar, marshmallows, brown sugar, and more sugar, you will love this simple preparation that allows the vegetable’s natural sweetness to shine through. This flexible recipe is perfect for winter and a great way to express your creativity in the kitchen. Choose any citrus-herb combo you like, such as lemon-parsley, orange-mint, lime-cilantro, lemon-thyme, etc.

2 large or 4 small sweet potatoes
extra-virgin olive oil or organic, unsalted butter (optional)
sea salt to taste
1/4 cup citrus juice (orange, lime, lemon, etc.)
1/2 bunch fresh herbs, chopped (about 1 cup chopped leaves)

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Scrub sweet potatoes and bake, unpeeled, until tender, about 50 minutes.

When potatoes are done, cut a slit in each, season with sea salt, dot with olive oil or butter (if using), sprinkle with citrus juice, and shower with herbs. Serve immediately.

See step-by-step photos of this dish!

Sweet Potatoes with Citrus and Herbs

Sweet Potatoes with Citrus and Herbs

December 1st, 2005 | Isabel Clark, RHN | Tags: , , , | No Comments »

Step-By-Step: Sweet Potatoes with Citrus and Herbs

For written instructions, see the original post: Sweet Potatoes with Citrus and Herbs

Start with sweet potatoes or yams — 1 medium or 1/2 a large sweet potato per person. Preheat your toaster oven to 350°F (375°F if you’re using a regular oven). I like to use a toaster oven when I’m only cooking one or two sweet potatoes to conserve energy.

yam

Rinse and scrub your sweet potatoes well. Stab them with a fork a few times if you’d like (this is a very positive way to release aggressive, angry feelings!).

yam_scrub

Run a metal kabob skewer through the center of each potato. This step is optional — your potatoes will bake up fine without it — but the metal conducts heat right to the center of the potato for faster, more even cooking. Bake in your preheated oven for about 50 minutes or until potatoes are tender when pierced by a fork.

yam_stab

While the potatoes are baking, prepare your fresh herbs. I decided to use flat-leaf Italian parsley and lemon juice this time, but the citrus-herb combo is limited only by your imagination… lemon-basil, lemon-thyme, orange-mint, and lime-cilantro are just a few ideas to get you going! Chop your herbs finely. You can use a knife or a mezzaluna (a half-moon shaped blade perfect for finely chopping herbs). Simply rock the mezzaluna back and forth over the herbs on your cutting board.

herb_prep

When the sweet potatoes are easily pierced by a fork, they are done. Remove them from the oven and split them open. Drizzle some extra-virgin olive oil on top (you can use organic, unsalted butter or coconut butter if you prefer).

cooked_potato

Squeeze fresh citrus juice (I used lemon) over the potato and shower with your chopped herbs (about 2 tablespoons of each per serving).

finishing_potato

Serve with extra fresh herbs to garnish. Enjoy!

final_yam

December 1st, 2005 | Isabel Clark, RHN | Tags: , , , , | No Comments »