Sweet Potato Stacks with Kale Pesto, Buckwheat and Butter Beans

Another recipe from our Winter Solstice Celebration, this recipe is a go to for me when we have retreat guests, ticks all the boxes and is easily adjustable for food intolerances…use asafoetida instead of garlic, change nuts up, omit beans if need be….make it your own. I often end up with extra buckwheat mixture with is great on crackers or on it’s own as a quick snack.

Ingredients

4 cups / 120 g Kale, tough ribs removed, leaves roughly chopped (I’ve used silverbeet also)

1 cup / 140 g raw Walnuts

1 Garlic clove

1 organic grated Lemon and zest

Fine Sea Salt

1 teaspoon pure Maple Syrup

2 to 3 tablespoons cold-pressed Olive Oil , plus more for garnish

2 Sweet Potato (approx 1 kg)

Knob of Coconut Oil or ghee

Freshly cracked Black Pepper

1 cup / 200g Buckwheat

1½ cups / 250g/1 Can cooked Butter Beans (any white bean will do)

125 g soft Goats Cheese or Cashew Cheese

Method

Preheat the oven to 400°F / 200°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Put the chopped kale in a food processor and add the walnuts, garlic, lemon zest and juice, ¼ teaspoon sea salt, maple syrup, and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Blend on the highest setting until the desired consistency. This pesto is quite dry, so add more olive oil if desired. (The pesto will keep in an airtight glass container in the fridge for 4 to 5 days.)

Slice sweet potato into rounds approximately ¾ inch / 2 cm thick; aim to have 12 to 16 slices. Lightly coat the slices with oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and put them on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until tender.

Meanwhile, rinse the buckwheat well, then put it in a saucepan and add ½ teaspoon salt and 2 cups / 500 ml water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, covered, for 15 to 20 minutes, until the buckwheat is tender and the water has been absorbed.

In a large bowl, combine the cooked buckwheat, butter beans, and enough kale pesto to coat everything well. Toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper.

To assemble, put 1 round of sweet potato on a plate. Spread the round with goat/cashew cheese and top it with about ¼ cup / 50 g of the Buckwheat mixture. Top with another round of sweet potato and repeat on the other plates. Enjoy immediately.

Mushroom Ragu

I’m currently experimenting with 5/2 intermittent fasting, for a number of reasons…the Covid 5kg the only physical part of Covid i’ve suffered with so far :), improving energy, digestion, sleep, mental clarity and peri menopause sysmptoms…i’ll let you know how I go.
In short for 2 days a week you reduce your calories to 500 a day (600 for men), eating wholesome great quality food, on the remaining 5 days you continue to eat great food clean proteins, masses of veg and reinvigorating your commitment to eating well.
My challenge is cooking for a family, I really don’t want to cook 2 different meals. This recipe has been a success and is pretty easy, I have it on Zucchini noodles whilst the rest of the family have it on creamy polenta, you could also serve it on sourdough bread, baked sweet potato, gnocchi or spelt penne.
The recipe calls for Chestnut mushrooms, I’ve used Portobello with success

Serves 2

1 tablespoon coconut oil
600g Chestnut mushrooms (or any other firm mushroom)
4 garlic cloves thinly sliced or minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon raw cacao powder
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika (I’ve used smoked or a different taste profile)
300ml vegetable stock
5 sprigs thyme
sea salt and freashly cracked pepper

Heat coconut oil in a large frying pan and saute the mushrooms and garlic over a medium to high heat until golden brown and beginning to collapse.
In a small bowl, mix together tomato paste, cacao, and paprika and add to the mushrooms, reduce the heat to low and stir to coat all the mushrooms best you can.
Turn heat up a little add the stock and thyme, stir and allow to bubble and reduce for approx ten minutes
Season to taste and remove the thyme and serve.

recipe adapted from The Yoga Kitchen by Kimberly Parsons

Gado Gado

This is a delish dish from Lee Holme’s fabulous book of  healthy recipes, Supercharged Food – Eat Yourself Beautiful.

We have spent a lot of time in Ubud Bali and this was one of favourite dishes, I was so please to stuble on this nutrition boosted version. Such a versatile salad, serve as a starter, main or even tumble into a lunchbox for work. It can be served warm or chilled. This recipe can be adapted using any vegetables you like. Some people serve it with tempeh (pretty much always) or tofu and also topped with crushed peanuts or crunchy garlic. Just have fun with it. There are no strict rules with Gado Gado. I’ve cooked this numerous times for yogis and my family, I often deconstuct it serving each thing separately, which allows people to create there own meal. Double the dressing its fabulous over any stem veg.

Ingredients

1/2 head of Chinese cabbage (wong bok), shredded

1 bunch bok choy (pak choy), roughly chopped

250 g (9 oz) green or snake beans, cut into 4 cm (11/2 inch) lengths

115 g (4 oz/1 cup) bean sprouts
4 organic boiled eggs, peeled and halved crisp-fried garlic, to serve (optional)

1 handful of chopped nuts, such as almonds, peanuts or raw cashew nuts, to serve (optional)

Gado Gado Dressing

1 small garlic clove, minced

2–3 cm (3/4-11/4 inch) piece of ginger, peeled and grated

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons additive-free coconut milk

3 tablespoons almond or peanut butter

2 tablespoons wheat-free tamari

1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

5 drops stevia liquid

Celtic sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Steam the vegetables over a saucepan of simmering water for 6 minutes or until they are tender.

Meanwhile, to make the dressing, place all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk until well combined. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Transfer the vegetables to a serving bowl and coat with the dressing, tossing well to combine. Top with the sprouts and eggs, sprinkle over the crispy garlic and chopped nuts,
 if using, and serve.