Dec

19

Babaganoush with Fresh Herbs and Pomegranate

Recipes / Tips

Sadly, this fall brought massive and destructive wildfires to the Golden State, our skies here in Northern California were blanketed with heavy, thick, dense smoke for weeks. The air quality was terrible 24/7, for days on end, causing many folks to experience headaches and respiratory symptoms, myself included. I started to wonder about the impact of ongoing exposure to particulate matter, and the levels of oxidative stress being generated from inhaling smoke from burning natural and man made materials. More than ever it made sense to replenish the body with fat and water soluble anti-oxidants, plus other key nutrients needed to produce and re-cycle glutathione, our main intra-cellular antioxidant molecule. This recipe was born in tasty response …high ORAC pomegranate and herbs, methylation supportive B’s and folate from tahini and garlic, and the unique addition of the soothing, respiratory specific, herbs thyme and mint all joined hands to make this very delicious dip. True culinary medicine!

Babaganoush with Herbs and Fresh Pomegranate

Makes 2 cups

1 large eggplant roasted and peeled

3 Tablespoons tahini

2½ Tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon pomegranate molasses ** see note

1 clove fresh garlic, pressed

1 teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon sea salt

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ cup tightly packed fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, roughly chopped

1 teaspoon lemon zest

Generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil

¼ cup fresh pomegranate seeds

1-2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds, optional

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Use a fork to poke the eggplant in several places and place it, uncovered, in a baking dish. Roast until tender and completely soft, about 30-35 minutes.

When eggplant is cool enough to handle, slice off the stem end and peel. Place the cooked eggplant into the bowl of a food processor and pulse it a few times so it breaks up.

Add the tahini, lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, garlic, cumin, salt, and cinnamon. Process until the mixture is smooth and well combined. Taste and see if a bit more lemon juice, salt, or pomegranate molasses is needed.

Add the chopped mint, thyme, and lemon zest and pulse until well combined. Stir in 3 Tablespoons of the pomegranate seeds the garnish the top with some olive oil, the rest of the pomegranate seeds, and optional sesame seeds.

Catherine McConkie 2018, all rights reserved

Chef C’s Cooking Tips:

  • Substitute ½ teaspoon maple syrup, date syrup, or raw honey if you don’t have pomegranate molasses
  • You can also roast the eggplant on a piece of foil to save yourself some cleanup
  • No food processor? No problem. Just make sure that eggplant it nice and soft and use a potato masher or fork instead.

 

 

 

Posted by | 0 comments
Jun

07

Roasted Russet and Sweet Potato Peelins’

Recipes / Tips

Potato and sweet potato peelings typically get composted or tossed. Here the peels are salvaged and re-purposed into, quite possibly, the Holy Grail of scrappy snacks. Fiber rich skins are tasty and filling, they will definitely answer the call for salty, crispy cravings. Nutrition, great flavor, costs essentially nothing in money or time, and guilt free – have you ever known a potato chip able to make that claim? And if that’s not enough here’s one more thing; they can be made in that toaster oven over there in the break room. Just sayin’….

Roasted Sweet Potato Skins

Inspiration for this recipe came from roasted Russet skins. It combines the sweetness of sweet potato with the earthiness of smoked paprika and ground cumin to mimic flavors reminiscent of barbeque potato chips.

Peelings from 2 medium sweet potatoes, about 1½-2 loose cups

2 teaspoons olive oil

½ teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon smoked paprika

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Peel the sweet potatoes so that a tiny amount of flesh remains with the skin. Place the peelings in a bowl and add the oil, spices, and salt. Use your hands to mix and evenly coat the cut surfaces. Transfer the skins to a lined baking sheet and mostly spread them out. It’s ok if some of them are touching. Roast for 9-10 minutes, until crispy but not turning too dark; start checking them at about 7 minutes and every minute afterward to make sure they don’t burn. Remove from oven and let stand a few minutes to cool.

Catherine McConkie 2016, all rights reserved

Roasted Russet Potato Skins

These are straight up delicious; they taste like a mash up of a chip and French Fry. There’s a hundred different ways one could go with flavorings but I kept them classic and simply seasoned with sea salt and a little pepper.

Peelings from 2 medium Russet potatoes, about 1½-2 loose cups

2 teaspoons olive oil

¼ teaspoon sea salt

few grinds of black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel the potatoes so that a tiny amount of flesh remains with the skin. Place the peelings in a bowl and add the oil, salt, and pepper. Use your hands to mix and evenly coat the cut surfaces. Transfer the skins to a lined baking sheet and mostly spread them out. It’s ok if some of them are touching. Roast for 9-10 minutes until crispy but not turning too dark. Remove from the oven and let stand a few minutes until cool.

Catherine McConkie 2016, all rights reserved

Posted by | 0 comments
Jun

02

The absolute best – 20 dozen energy truffles

Recipes / Tips

Yay for nurses! Those skilled, compassionate, patient, tolerant, and hardworking bedside healers who are the heartbeat of healthcare.

When asked to provide 20 dozen healthy snack during Nurse Appreciation Week for a chunk of the 900+ nurses at San Francisco General Hospital, I jumped at the chance. You see, I love and respect these people, I really do.

Read More» Posted by | 1 comments
© Copyright The Caregivers Table - Website design by Jo Cooper Studio