Houses of Healing

Roasted Winter Vegetables

We have an elegant lunch and catering spot in town. I dropped by one day in November to get a piece of my favorite peanut butter pie when I saw their Roasted Winter Vegetable dish. It inspired me to go home and create my own version of the dish. It was surprisingly yummy. And looked gorgeous with all the autumn colors. Hope you enjoy it!

• 1 winter squash – I like Sweet Dumpling
• 1-2 sweet potatoes or yams
• 2-3 red bliss potatoes
• 1 onion
• Bunch of Brussels sprouts
• A handful or more of any kind of nuts. I like to use mixed nuts and/or pine nuts.
• Cheery Amaretto sauce - Earth & Vine Provisions brand (or honey)
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Use an ample size baking dish.

Peel the squash (this takes awhile) and cut into bite size pieces.

Peel the yams and cut into bite size pieces.

Cut the red bliss potatoes into bite size pieces.

Cut the onion into slivers.

Cut the bottoms off the Brussels sprouts and then cut them in half or quarters depending on your preference.

Mix all the vegetables together in the baking dish. Sprinkle with a little bit of olive oil, salt and pepper. Pour some Cheery Amaretto Sauce over the vegetables (I use just a little bit but you might like more). Stir everything together again. Add enough water (or chicken, beef or vegetable broth if you want a richer tasting dish) to fill the baking dish about ½ inch. Bake in a 425 degree oven for about 45-60 minutes until the vegetables are soft. Check every now and then to make sure there is still some liquid in the baking dish.

Serve with pork, chicken, or lamb. Add a side salad if you wish. Tasty!

Diets, diets everywhere. If you want to find out more about how to incorporate healthy, nourishing nutrition in your life let’s set up a time to talk about your needs. You can give me a call at 434-263-4996 or email me

Winter Squash

Winter squash are not a favorite of mine. But I am dedicated to including more of this nutritious food in my diet this winter.

Winter squash have a hard shell and are members of the gourd family. Because they rampantly and naturally cross fertilize, hybrids are endlessly created. There are more than 40 different common varieties. Squash are indigenous to the North American continent and were used by Native Americans for thousands of years before Europeans arrived. Early explorers brought squash back to Europe where they were extensively cultivated and found versatile enough for recipes from soups to desserts.

Squash grow on bushes or vines, have five pointed leaves and yellow orange flowers. Squash come in numerous sizes, shapes, colors and tastes. When buying winter squash look for firm and unblemished skin with a dull not glossy rind. If the rind is soft, the squash may be too watery and lacking in flavor. Once the skin has been punctured it will begin to rot.

Winter squash are higher in nutrients than their summer cousins. Darker colored winter squash is high in beta-carotene, an antioxidant that helps protect brain cells from damage and offers good nutritional protection against various cancers and heart disease. Research has shown that a high intake of winter squash can help protect against lung cancer. Diets rich in winter squash offer some protection against developing type 2 diabetes with pumpkins being the most protective. One serving of the darker varieties, such as butternut, gives you more than a day’s supply of beta-carotene.

Winter squash are also high in calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, vitamin C, many of the B vitamins and potassium. Winter squash are highly alkaline and a good source of iron which helps carry oxygen to all of your cells. Winter squash has more fiber than summer squash – about 1 gram per ½ cup. The strings and seeds are high in insoluble fiber that help to prevent constipation and the flesh is high in soluble fiber, which helps lower cholesterol.

Winter squashes are best baked, broiled, sautéed, or steamed. Winter squash can be baked in the rind after the seeds and stringy pulp has been removed or peeled, cubed and cooked in a number of ways. They can be stuffed and baked or used in stews, soups, and breads. The flesh is soft, mildly sweet and finely grained in texture.

Baked winter squash can be topped with butter, olive oil, maple syrup, brown sugar, honey, and/ or cinnamon. For a more savory taste you can add olive oil, tamari, ginger, and a bit of rosemary or thyme. You can mash different varieties of winter squash like mash potatoes and eat as a side dish or use in bread, cake, muffin and pie recipes. You can also mix pureed winter squash with applesauce or diced pineapple for a delicious dessert.

Seeds of winter squash (except pumpkin) are not usually used. But you can dry or bake the seeds for a tasty snack. Pumpkin seeds are rich in protease inhibitors that fight viruses and have been shown to help reduce symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Winter squash is best stored in a cool dark place and can be kept up to six months. Avoid refrigeration, as temperatures below 40 degrees cause winter squash to rot. The ideal temperature for winter squash storage is between 50 and 60 degrees. Once cut or cooked the squash will keep refrigerated for about two days.

Health Eating for Winter Nutrition

Because winter is cold, your diet will need to produce more warmth and heat. Winter foods are cooked longer and at lower temperatures than foods during other seasons. In the winter it is good to switch to hearty soups, stews, and casseroles, cooked with lots of water, for a long time over a low heat. Very nourishing and easy to digest and strengthen your kidney/adrenal pathway.

Here is a favorite recipe from my childhood by way of my Hungarian ancestry.

Beef Barley Soup

Brown in a small amount of oil 1 pound of grass fed organic beef- cut in small pieces (great if you include some beef bones also). Use a deep pot.

To the beef add 1/2 cup of barley (1 cup if you like a lot of barley) and 10 cups of water (or enough water to make as much soup as you want).

Add 4- 8 cups of the following vegetables (depending on how much soup you are making):
• Onions
• Tomatoes
• Green peppers
• Celery
• Carrots
• Mushrooms
• Green beans

Cover and simmer all for about 2 hours or until the meat is very tender. This makes a very digestible one-pot meal. If you like your vegetables less cooked you can add the vegetables to the beef and barley in the last 1/2 hour of cooking.

Favorite Lunch Recipes

Shrimp Salad

This is amazingly quick and easy to prepare. I tend not to eat grains for lunch as I find I like the energy I get from eating veggies and protein in the middle of the day.

• Big beautiful tomato- cut in bit size pieces
• Crispy cucumber – sliced thin
• Wild caught pink shrimp from Whole Foods Market – either the small or the medium size variety both come peeled and deveined - a handful to taste

Combine all three. Add a bit of Spanish, Greek or Italian olive oil (a great selection at Whole Foods Market) and about 4 capfuls of apple cider vinegar.

Cut some of that fresh basil you have potted in the kitchen window and cut up finely in the salad. If you like, add a sprinkle of salt and pepper.

Savor the fresh taste sitting down and thinking happy thoughts about how beautiful Greece must be this time of year.

Creamy Sauce Substitute

If you are off dairy you might miss an occasional creamy kind of flavor in your meals. Whole Foods carries a very tasty “creamy” kind of sauce made without dairy. Not necessarily for everyday use but a good flavor taste to liven up your meals now and then.

Avvio Black Pepper Sauce
• Water
• Canola oil
• Black pepper
• Olive oil
• Brown sugar
• Xanhan gum
• Citric acid
• Spices

Once again let me say that I have no affiliation with Whole Foods – other than that 3 of my children work there. It’s a great place to shop and I don’t own stock.

Favorite Dinner Recipes II

Flavored Polenta with Shrimp and Vegetables

I am astrologically compatible with the Tuscany area in Italy and tend to gravitate toward a Mediterranean flavor in my cooking. I have not been to Tuscany - yet - so I don’t really know what kind of meals are common to that region. I can imagine though - and this meal brings forth images of eating in a little restaurant on cobblestone streets in Tuscany.

Polenta

I just use plain organic cornmeal to make polenta and I love the taste of it. Here is my favorite way to make polenta:

• Boil 6 ½ cups of water in a big pot
• When the water is boiling slowly add 1 ½ cups of corn meal. Whisk while you are adding the corn meal.
• Turn down to simmer.
• If you got lumps when adding the corn meal spend some extra time whisking the mixture until the lumps are gone.
• Cook on simmer for about 30 minutes and whisk every now and then. When the corn meal mixture gets thicker and starts to come away from the sides I call it done.
• Pour into a slightly oiled baking pan.
• Let sit.

You can make plain polenta or add any number of seasonings such as:
• Fresh cut up basil
• Salt
• Coarse ground black pepper
• Hot red pepper flakes
• Oregano
• Thyme
• Rosemary
• Parmesan cheese
• Dried pepper flakes
• Onions
• Mushrooms

Shrimp and Veggies

Sautee the following quickly over a high heat with a little bit of olive oil:
• Spinach
• Mushrooms- sliced
• Green pepper- sliced
• Yellow pepper - sliced
• Orange pepper - sliced
• Red pepper – sliced
• Olives – sliced. I like a mixture of green and black olives some stuffed and some not
• Green beans – cut up in small pieces
• Whole Foods wild caught pink shrimp – I just pour these frozen shrimp right in the pot to defrost and cook as they are already peeled and deveined. As they defrost they impart a nice shrimpy flavor to the meal.

When shrimp are almost defrosted add:
• Some organic chicken broth and boil down to intensify the flavor – this should only take a few minutes. Be careful to not over cook the shrimp.

Serve in bowls. Spoon in the creamy polenta and then add the shrimp and veggie mixture over the polenta.

Dream about groves of fruity olive trees and beautiful Tuscany sunsets.

Favorite Dinner Recipes I

Risotto, Veggies and Chicken

This is very quick dinner but it has the essence of a luxury restaurant meal.

Lundberg package Risotto Spinach and Mushroom mix – you can get it at Whole Foods – cook according to package directions

Boneless, skinless chicken things or breasts – hormone and antibiotic free – (this why I shop at Whole Foods Market)
• Place in baking dish. Drizzle with a little bit of olive oil, salt, pepper, and any of the following: paprika, hot red pepper flakes, Italian seasonings, rosemary,
• Add a tiny bit of water to the bottom of the baking dish.
• Cook at 450 in the oven until done – I usually cook my chicken thighs frozen and it takes about 30 minutes. It will take less time to cook if they are not frozen.

Veggies
• Cook a big bunch of fresh spinach in a veggie steamer.
• Sautee mushrooms and onions in a small amount of olive oil over a high heat.
• When both are done mix together (but don’t make it too soggy with too much spinach juice).

Plate the veggies, risotto and chicken separately and eat by candlelight.

Here’s the beef on beef

Beef gets a bad reputation. But all foods have positive attributes to contribute.

Over consumption of grain feed, antibiotic loaded red meat from high fat, char broiled or well done cuts is not healthy. However, lean cuts of organic, grass fed beef eaten in moderation are an excellent source of many nutrients.

Beef is an great source of protein providing 20-30 grams of protein in just 4 ounces. Beef is also an excellent source of vitamin B12 and a very good source of zinc and selenium. Plus, beef is a good source of riboflavin, vitamin B6, niacin, iron, and phosphorous.

And - contrary to popular opinion - red meat has no greater effect on blood cholesterol than the same amount of chicken or turkey.

The negative effects of eating red meat are not simply from the meat itself. There is some evidence that the manner in which the meat is prepared determines the negative health effects of eating red meat. Studies show that eating meat that has been cooked very well done had 50 to 220% greater risk of contributing to a negative health outcome than eating red meat cooked rare or medium.

Avoid broiling or grilling at high temperatures and avoid eating red meat cooked very well done. Keep your consumption of red meat like beef to 3-4 oz daily (about the size of a deck of cards) and eat only certified organic meat.

Beef is warming to the body, strengthens and builds the blood. Beef raises your life energy and is a good food to use in frail and emaciated conditions. If there is general weakness, beef will build strength.

Grain fed vs. Grass fed

Grass fed animals are usually healthier and have a healthier fatty acid profile, which contributes to less of a inflammatory effect in you when you eat meat. Grass fed meat also has higher concentrations of conjugated linoleic acids, which are fatty acids known to decrease cancer risk and may help people maintain a healthy weight.

When animals are grain fed the health benefits in the fat of animals greatly diminishes and contributes to pro-inflammatory, immune diminishing effects.

Grass fed animals are sometimes but not always, free range. And sometimes but not always, organic. Free range animals are healthier than those kept in confined quarters. If they are organic it means that the grass they feed on is grown without pesticides or chemicals - either on the plants or the soil itself.

The ideal is to buy and eat meat that is from an organic grass fed, free range animal. Check out your local Whole Foods Market or other trusted organic grocer for options.

Vegetarian Protein Sources

Many of you find it hard to get enough protein in your diet. Below are some sources of protein you may not have thought of.

Legumes
• Black beans - about 9 – 13 grams of protein per 1/2 cup
• Garbanzo beans - about 9-12 grams of protein per 1/2 cup
• Navy beans - about 9 grams of protein per 1/2 cup
• Aduki beans - about 9-14 grams of protein per 1/2 cup
• Kidney beans- about 13 grams of protein per 1/2 cup
• Black eye peas - about 8-12 grams of protein per 1/2 cup
• Split peas - about 14 grams of protein per 1/2 cup
• Fava beans - about 8-11 grams of protein per 1/2 cup
• Lentils - about 9-15 grams of protein per 1/2 cup
• Lima beans - about 7-10 grams of protein 1/2 per cup
• Mung means - about 7-12 grams of protein per 1/2 cup
• Pinto beans - about 8-12 grams of protein per 1/2 cup
• Great northern - about 8-12 grams of protein per 1/2 cup
• Soybeans - about 17-24 grams of protein per 1/2 cup

Grains and cereals, etc.
• Quinoa has about 13 grams of protein per 1/2 cup dry
• Barley - has about 10 grams of protein per 1/2 cup dry
• Corn meal/ polenta/ has about 8-11 grams of protein per cup dry
• Amaranth has about 14 grams of protein per 1/2 cup dry
• Buckwheat (not a true wheat) has 3 grams of protein per 1/2 cup cooked
• Millet has about 4 grams of protein per 1/2 cup cooked
• Rye has 15 grams of protein per 2/3 cup dry
• Teff about 10 grams of protein per 1/2 cup dry
• Wheat - has 10-16 grams of protein per 1/2 cup dry
• Pasta – has about 5-8 grams of protein per 3/4 cup cooked
• Rice - has about 3 grams of protein per 1/2 cup cooked
• Wild rice - has about 4 grams of protein per 1/2 cup cooked
• Spelt - has about 12 grams of protein per 1/2 cup dry
• Triticale - has about 13 grams of protein per 1/2 cup dry
• Bulgur - has about 3 grams of protein per 1/2 cup cooked
• Oats - has about 3 grams of protein per 1/2 cup cooked
• Potato flour - has about 4 grams of protein per 1/2 cup dry

Nuts
Also, you can use nuts more to increase your protein count. Nut butters are especially good.
• Hazelnut butter
• Almond butter
• Macadamia butter

Here is an online source for finding a variety of healthy nut butters to include in a rotation diet: www.futtersnutbutters.com. I have not tried them all yet myself but I have read a number of good reviews about them. You can get organic nut butters in all flavors and these are made without added sugar and without dairy products. And they sound yummy.

Favorite Breakfast Recipes III

“Anti-pasta” Breakfast

Arrange on a platter:
• Slices of fresh tomato
• Thin slices of crispy cucumbers
• Thin slices of avocado
• A mixture of green and black olives
• Thin sliced hormone and antibiotic free Virginia baked ham- (any kind of favorite sliced meat would work)
• Thin slices of fresh mozzarella
• Very thin slivers of onion sprinkled on top
• Drizzle with olive oil
• Sprinkle with wine vinegar
• Salt to taste
• Fresh herbs sprinkled over the top – rosemary, oregano, thyme and basil

We like to bring our Mediterranean style dishes out to our gazebo at the edge of the woods. Engaging in a lively conversation and breathing in the aroma of the fresh food in the fresh air makes it all taste better.