Snap Pea & Pea Shoot Stir Fry

6/22/2016

Pea season has arrived! I love the fresh green flavor of peas and pea shoots. I love to eat snap peas raw, pickled, sautéed, and steamed. I love to eat pea shoots in salads, wraps, stir fry, and tacos. We get peas and pea shoots from our CSA, but this is one of the things I also grow because...well...we just can't get enough. Pea season is short and sweet, and I like to make the most of it.

This year I am growing a new (to me) variety of pea called Magnolia Blossom Tendril Pea. It makes a lot of tendrils and fewer leaves, allowing more air flow in the peas. The flowers are so beautiful, and the plants are huge producers! My husband has been traveling for business most of the past few weeks, so he is missing out on the peastravaganza. This recipe is quick and easy and super delicious. It takes advantage of those freshly picked peas that are so tender they don't need to be boiled or overcooked at all, and are crispy and perfect with a few minutes in the skillet.

I am also growing Blue Spice Basil this summer and it has quickly become a favorite. It has a rich, exotic, spicy sweet fragrance that is AMAZing (and the bugs don't touch it). It worked so well with the toasted sesame oil and ginger that I am dehydrating a batch to see how it holds up when dried. Most basil doesn't dry well and so we freeze it or make pesto to preserve it. This basil has such a different thick hairy leaf and sublime fragrance that I am curious - I would love to have a lot dried to use all winter. We shall see!

snap pea + pea shoot stir fry

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{wholly rooted}

This recipe is perfect for pea season - it combines fresh snap peas and pea shoots with ginger, garlic, soy, and sesame oil to make a quick and easy (and delicious) dish. Serve as a side dish, or over rice for a main vegetarian course.

{ingredients}

2 cups fresh snap peas, ends off
2 cups fresh pea shoots, roughly chopped
1 tsp grated ginger
1 tsp grated garlic
2 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 Tbsp soy sauce (or coconut aminos)
Freshly grated black pepper
Sprig of minced spicy basil such as thai or blue spice (optional - you can substitute dill, cilantro, or other fresh herbs if you wish)
1 Tbsp brown sesame seeds

Directions::

Heat the toasted sesame oil with the minced garlic and ginger on medium heat in a skillet/sauté pan.

Add the snap peas and sauté, stirring constantly for about a minute or so.

Add the pea shoots and soy sauce to the pan, stirring constantly until pea shoots are coated and slightly wilted.

Toss in the freshly minced herbs and stir to mix in well.

Spoon everything out of the pan into a bowl.

Grate some fresh pepper over the top.

Sprinkle the sesame seeds over the top.

Drizzle a little extra sesame oil over the top if desired.

Serve warm!

I am sure I am going to be sharing more pea recipes before our short season is over (peas make the best quick pickles!). Having pea season peak just as all of the herbs are cranking means that there are so many opportunities for different flavors and combinations. Fresh herbs and peas really do go well together as they all have that fresh green garden flavor that can't be beat.

My husband will be gone for a few more days so the pea stir fry today was all mine. He had better hurry though, it has been hot and peas won't last forever!

about the ingredients:
Snap Peas
Pea Shoots
Blue Spice Basil
Magnolia Blossom Tendril Pea
Brown Sesame Seeds

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Amaranth Breakfast Porridge. {gf/df}

3/21/2016

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I have never been a breakfast person. For years I was more of a cup of coffee and run kind of person. But with the advent of autoimmune disease, I have a schedule for my supplements and medications, and eating before I take anything is critical. We also cannot eat gluten, so that eradicates a whole bunch of possibilities. So what is left is eggs, GF toast, GF oats...meh. I'm not a big sweets or bread person. I'm also not a huge fan of repetition. I spend a lot of time cooking dinners every day, so I don't want to spend a ton of time on breakfast or lunch. Amaranth is a nice alternative for breakfast. It is a seed, not a grain, and it is a complete protein packed with all of the essential amino acids, iron, magnesium, fiber, and even calcium. You can cook it, bake it, boil it, or even pop it. This breakfast is quick and easy and has a lot of flavor. And you can add different toppings to change it up - fresh blueberries, sliced bananas, toasted coconut, hemp seeds, warm apples pan-sautéed with a little maple syrup and molasses...the possibilities are endless!

Amaranth Breakfast Porridge

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{wholly rooted}

This is a healthy warm breakfast - a great GF alternative to creamy hot cereal. This version is dairy-free!

{ingredients}

1 cup amaranth grains, soaked overnight
2 cups of water
1/2 vanilla bean, scraped - or 1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
pinch of sea salt
pinch ground nutmeg
pinch ground cloves
1/2 cup fresh fruit of choice (blueberries, strawberries, banana, etc.)
2 cups coconut milk
Maple syrup to taste.

Soak the amaranth grains in 2 cups of water overnight.

In the morning, drain and rinse in a fine strainer.

Combine rinsed amaranth with the 2 cups of coconut milk and a pinch of sea salt in a pot.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer on low for 10-15 minutes with the lid on. Peek in to stir every few minutes.

Add the vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves and stir.

Remove from heat and let sit for 10-15 minutes with the lid on.

Spoon into bowls, add any fresh fruit you like on top, and drizzle with maple syrup to taste.

Enjoy while still warm.

Mix it up: Try sprinkling toasted coconut on top with warm banana slices and maple syrup! Yum.

Makes 2 servings.

A bowl of amaranth porridge is perfect for spring mornings - it warms you up, fills you up, and gives you energy to get moving on busy spring days. Kids love it too, and everyone can have their favorite toppings!

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Peppermint Mocha Truffles

1/15/2016

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peppermint mocha truffles gf/df/vegan whollyrooted.com

I love making truffles. I tend to go in spurts, most often in winter, when I want something small and sweet, but allergy-free and not too much. Truffle bites are perfect. I like that I can go from pulling out the ingredients to popping them in the fridge to set in under 15 minutes. The only thing that is heated is the chocolate!

These are great quick and easy sweet treats for yourself, or they can be packed up into little boxes and gifted for Valentine's Day.

Peppermint Mocha Truffles

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{wholly rooted}

These peppermint mocha truffles are easy to make, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and take only a few minutes to prepare. These are sweet treats, but as they contain dates and maple syrup, it is not a guilty pleasure. Make a batch to gift on Valentine's Day, or keep them all for yourself.

{ingredients}

1 cup raw cashews
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1 Tbsp cocoa powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
10 dried medjool dates, pitted
1-2 Tbsp maple syrup
3 drops culinary peppermint oil
1 Tbsp EV coconut oil
1 cup vegan chocolate chips
1 Tbsp crushed peppermint candy

In a food processor:

-Pulse cashews, cocoa powder, and sea salt until fine

-Add the dates and pulse until fully chopped into small fine pieces

-While the food processor is on, add the 3 drops of peppermint oil and drizzle in maple syrup until the mix begins to get sticky and clumpy (1-2 Tbsp)

-Roll into 20 bite sized balls and place on a parchment lined tray

-Chill this in the fridge while you melt your chocolate and coconut oil

-Melt your coconut oil and chips in the microwave or using a double boiler

-Remove your tray of truffles from the fridge and dunk into the melted chocolate one at a time, fully coating and placing back on the chilled parchment lined tray

-After each truffle is coated in chocolate and on the tray, sprinkle some of the crushed peppermint candy over the top

-Chill in the fridge to set.

Try to eat just one. I dare you.

The recipe calls for 3 drops of concentrated culinary peppermint oil. That isn't a typo. 3 drops. EO's or pure culinary flavorings are strong and undiluted, so a few drops will give you the perfect minty flavor that is fantastic with the chocolate - go overboard and you have toothpaste bites. If you don't have any culinary grade peppermint oil, you can use extract, but again, go eaaaaasy. If you are using anything but culinary essential oil/pure flavoring, add a drop at a time, pulse the food processor, and taste a little bit of the mix - this way you can get the minty flavor just right, no matter what brand or type of peppermint flavoring you use.

Truffles may seem like a grown-up indulgence, but kids love whizzing the food processor, rolling balls, and dipping into chocolate as much as anyone. I love that even my boy with severe allergies can help make them (and eat them), but they don't really *seem* like a healthy/vegan/GF/DF kind of recipe. They are just simply easy to make, delicious and of course they look fantastic.

This makes a batch of 20 bite sized pieces, so you can easily double or triple the recipe if you have a lot of valentines. Or kids who love chocolate. Or if you "accidentally" ate them all within the first few hours before anyone else could have any.

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Sweet Potatoes with Curried Lentils

10/29/2015

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Sweet Potatoes with Curried Lentils. www.whollyrooted.comPicture

A favorite staple in our fall CSA share each week is sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes are a fantastic fall and winter food. They are packed with vitamin A, vitamin C, manganese, B vitamins, potassium, fiber, and more. They are healthy, delicious, and can be dressed hundreds of ways. They can be baked, boiled, added to stews, stuffed, and used in savory or sweet dishes.

A simple yet delicious way to enjoy sweet potatoes is baked with a filling in the middle. This recipe is simple and the taste is warming and rich. I often bake a bunch of sweet potatoes at once over the weekend, and then keep them in the refrigerator for daily lunches. It is easy to re-heat and top with whatever you like. Perfect "fast food" ~ yum.

Sweet Potatoes with Curried Lentils

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{wholly rooted}

This recipe takes advantage of the smoky sweetness of sweet potatoes by combining with lentils and curry. This is a rich and warming meal, perfect on a chilly day.

{ingredients}

2 sweet potatoes
1 cup dried french lentils
1 3/4 cup veggie or chicken stock
1 - 2 tsp yellow curry powder
1 black cardamom pod (optional)
sea salt for simmering lentils
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 Tbsp molasses
1 tsp smoked paprika
salt & pepper to taste

Sweet Potatoes:

Scrub your sweet potatoes and prick them all over with the tines of a fork.

Roast them in a 400ºF/200ºC/gas mark 6 oven on a foil lined sheet until soft and baked through, around an hour.

Let cool slightly before slicing open to fill.

Filling:

Rinse and de-pebble your french lentils.

Bring your veggie/chicken stock to a boil in a pot with the lentils and a pinch of sea salt.

Add your curry powder and black cardamom pod.

Boil 2-3 minutes, reduce heat, and simmer 10-15 minutes.

Remove from heat.

Remove the black cardamom pod and discard.

Let your lentils sit while your sweet potatoes are finishing up the roasting.

Drizzle in 1 tsp of toasted sesame oil and stir.

Plate:

Once you slice open your sweet potatoes, spoon in your lentils.

Combine the molasses and smoked paprika in a small bowl - stir together - then drizzle over the top of the lentils. Salt & Pepper to taste.

If you do dairy, top with some crumbled goat milk feta. Another tasty topping is toasted pecans.

Serve warm!

Sweet potatoes are great for autumn and winter potlucks. Try setting up a create-your-own-sweet potato bar. Roast the sweet potatoes and serve them next to an assortment of toppings and let everyone make their own.

I use sweet potatoes a few times a week in fall and then worry I won't have enough to last all winter long. I know we have a few more fall CSA shares before our season is over, so I plan to stock up!

Black Cardamom::

Black cardamom is a spice which is a pod like green cardamom, but it has such a unique flavor. Black cardamom is dried over open flames, giving it a rich smoky flavor and aroma.

It is not interchangeable with green cardamom. If you cannot find black cardamom at your local Asian or Indian Market, substitute a teaspoon of smoked paprika to retain some of the deep smoky flavour that really compliments sweet potatoes.

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