As we enter December and admire the evergreens that remain a deep shade of green when other plants seem to be hibernating, I wanted to offer some more recipes that feature the bounty of the harvest season. These magnificent evergreens often represented eternal life and the resilience to survive a long winter in many traditional cultures. In honor of the holiday season, today I am showcasing my Cranberry Cacao pudding, Garlic Parsnips & Green beans, and Dehydrated Cajun Sweet Potato Chips. I hope they inspire you to creatively use the gorgeous seasonal palette that nature offers this time of year. I know the unique flavors and hues that abound during this time inspire me to no end. If you feel inclined, please check out my Raw Autumn Harvest Pumpkin Zucchini Bread as well, which was similarly inspired by the Autumn harvest. Before we begin creating in the kitchen, I wanted to first share some about the nutritional powerhouses that will be featured in these recipes,
They say absence makes the heart grow fonder and I find this to be true with cranberries. Since they are only available fresh during this time of year, I always cherish the brief window that we have together. I even buy several bags and freeze some for the winter season. They are rich in Vitamin C, Vitamin E, minerals, fiber, proanthocyanidins, anthocyanins and a whole array of other antioxidant phytochemicals that give them their vibrant crimson color. Studies have revealed that over twenty antioxidant phytochemicals are present in cranberries. Some other fairly well known ones that I will shine some starlight on here are: resveratrol, catechins, epicatechins, quercetin, elaggitannins and carotenoids . These tart berries are native to North America and grow wild abundantly in the Northeast and Pacific Northwest. Firmness indicates freshness and as always I recommend choosing organic or wildcrafted ones in order to support the health of the biosphere and those who inhabit it (including ourselves). As we continue, let's applaud, as cacao, the food of the gods, makes a velvety entrance.
Raw cacao paste is my favorite form of cacao presently and I have tried it all from raw cacao nibs to cacao powder. I will admit that I have 15 lbs of it presently in my pantry. Hey, I make sure to make the most of my wholesale accounts for my own use too. The benefits of quality cacao are quite numerous especially when eaten in small amounts and early in the day. It is rich in magnesium, iron, essential fatty acids and over three hundred different antioxidant phytochemicals. It contains an amino acid called phenylalanine as well that stimulates the production of certain feel good neurotramsmitters. It can be helpful to note that if one is healing from adrenal fatigue, cacao's stimulating properties may not be the best choice especially in large amounts.
Apparently, when the British came to the "New World" and sampled raw cacao with the natives for the first time, they were repulsed by it, but soon found that if they sweetened it, it was right up their alley. This doesn't surprise me and my taste buds seem to be closer to a native palate than a British one because plain raw cacao is something I actually find to be quite delicious. The raw variety that hasn't been processed at high heats and is dried in a way that doesn't allow for the proliferation of mold and mycotoxins is the best kind of cacao since heat denatures many of the nutrients and essential fatty acids. And worst of all, all the enzymes are destroyed by high heats. Cranberry and Cacao are stealing the spotlight in this particular post for understandable reasons, but we will close this nutritional discussion by directing the spotlight on our supporting veggies-- green beans and sweet potatoes. There are other ingredients that will be featured in the credits or recipes too, but if I featured every ingredient here I think I may start to bore you if I have not already.
Sweet potatoes are a harvest season favorite of mine and are an excellent source of alkaline-forming potassium, fiber and antioxidant-rich carotenoids like provitamin A. Garnet yams are a variety of sweet potatoes that are deeply orange in color. They were my favorite growing up, but presently I am fan of all varieties. In Ayurveda, root vegetables like sweet potatoes are considered to be grounding and are valued especially in the fall and winter months. They are prominent in many dishes in both Asia and the Americas. Green beans are also a seasonal favorite that are abundantly available around this time of year. They are rich in folate, which assists in methylation (a vital detoxification process in our bodies) and also supports reproductive health. They are essentially immature beans still in their pod that are picked early and like many beans and legumes this makes them a good source of several amino acids, which are the building blocks of protein. They are high in minerals too which contributes to our reserves of alkaline-forming minerals. My soundtrack for Thanksgiving day was the soundtrack for the film called New World. Some of my favorite tracks were, Of the forest, Listen to the Wind, New World, Forbidden Corn, and An Apparition in the Fields. Without further ado, let's move forward with my original recipes that were part of a meal I served on Thanksgiving this year.
Here is the Cranberry Cacao Pudding that I came up with this Thanksgiving that reminds me of a dark chocolate cranberry bar a friend used to give me sometimes when I was a teenager. Honestly, I think it is much tastier than the chocolate bar. The maple leaf was outside my grandmother's old place and I saw it as a gift from her from beyond the veil. The beeswax pine cone candle was a gift from a local organic farm.
“I made cranberry sauce, and when it was done put it into a dark blue bowl for the beautiful contrast. I was thinking, doing this, about the old ways of gratitude: Indians thanking the deer they’d slain, grace before supper, kneeling before bed. I was thinking that gratitude is too much absent in our lives now, and we need it back, even if it only takes the form of acknowledging the blue of a bowl against the red of cranberries”
Cranberry Cacao Pudding
- 1 cup fresh organic young Thai coconut meat
- 1/2 cup fresh organic cranberries
- 1 tbsp raw almond butter
- 1 by 1 1/2 inch piece of raw cacao paste chopped
- 1 pinch whole unrefined raw vanilla powder (a richly dark and aromatic powder)
- 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (I make my own mix at this time)
- 1/2 cup spring water (I am fortunate to have Eldorado Springs water here that I can collect affordably at the source)
- 1/4 tsp organic green whole leaf stevia powder
- A pinch of celtic sea salt
Instructions:
Place all the ingredients into a blender. A high powered blender like a Vitamix works especially well for this purpose since it helps blend even coarse ingredients like a cacao paste into a smooth consistency. As I mentioned in my previous post, I am grateful to have had a refurbished one for many years. It has held up longer than any blender I have ever had and performs much better as well. Blend this mixture until it is smooth and use the Vitamix plunger if necessary or add a little more water if you cannot get a nice blending vortex going right away. The vortex is where the magic ignites. It serves two and could be garnished with a cranberry if you would like. As you can see, if you are able to acquire the ingredients, the preparation is quite simple and quick!
Here are the Cajun Sweet Potato Chips before they are about to be dehydrated.
Cajun Sweet Potato Chips
- 6 small organic sweet potatoes of any variety
- 3 tbsp Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Celtic sea salt to taste
- 3 tsp Cajun Seasoning (I use Frontier Organics)
Instructions:
Use a mandoline to thinly slice the sweet potatoes and then toss them with the olive oil, salt and seasoning until they are uniformly coated. Then place them on a piece of unbleached, recycled parchment paper that lines a dehydrator tray or use a teflex sheet. Dehydrate them at 145 degrees Fahrenheit for the first hour and then turn it down to 111 or 112 degrees for the remainder of the dehydrating process. This is based on Dr. Gabriel Cousen's dehydration recommendations for raw food that I explain in my first post about Pumpkin Zucchini bread. Basically, he found that turning the heat up higher at the beginning simply jump starts the process and doesn't warm the food above raw temperatures in this first hour. The time required to dehydrate these chips varies depending on your climate and other factors, but they do take longer to dehydrate if you want them crispy. I dehydrated them for 2 days myself. It is best to dehydrate other items at the same time in order to use your dehydrator and the energy that runs it in the most efficient way. I dehydrated the Garlic Green Beans & Parsnip dish at the same time actually along with some more pumpkin seeds.
This is what the Cajun Sweet Potato Chips looked like when complete
Garlic Green Beans & Parsnips
- 2 cups green beans chopped and destemmed (personally I only snap off the stems and leave the "tails" in place that are located on the end of the bean pods since they are edible and I like to eat food as whole as possible. I also prefer to not waste anything that can be eaten, but may typically be removed in conventional food preparation)
- 1/2 cup diced parsnips (with peel intact)
- 1-2 tbsp diced shallots
- 3 cloves minced garlic
- 1 tsp poultry seasoning (I used Frontier Organics)
- 1/2 tsp all-purpose seasoning (I used Mountain Rose Herbs)
- 1-2 tbsp Organic or Biodynamic Extra Virgin OIive Oil (I used Acropolis Organics from Greece)
- Celtic sea salt to taste
Instructions:
Toss all the ingredients together in a bowl and then place them on unbleached, recycled parchment paper on a dehydrator tray or you may alternately use teflex sheets. Dehydrate at 140-145 degrees Farenheit for the first hour and then turn down the heat to 111 or 112 degrees for the remainder of the dehydration process. 4-6 hours should be sufficient to warm, soften and infuse the flavors of this dish. This serves 2-3 people.
This is Some of the Garlic Green Beans and Parsnips before they were dehydrated.
“Feeling Gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it”
May your Holiday Season be bright and your love be eternal like an evergreen!
Warmly, Melina