When time permits, I love to use Saturday afternoons to play a bit with new recipes. This past weekend, I found myself exploring new territory as I experimented with this comforting Haitian meal. It was interesting to discover how such familiar ingredients as polenta, black beans and coconut milk can be brought to life in a completely different context. This meal was simple to prepare, and the beans could certainly be prepared in advance. Enjoy!  

Sos Pwa Nwa

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 scallions, chopped
• 1 cup dried black beans, rinsed
• ½ cup coconut milk
• ½ tablespoon unsalted butter
• ½ tablespoon finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• ½ chicken bouillon cube
• Salt, to taste  
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper  

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan or pressure cooker over medium heat. Sauté the onion, garlic and scallions until golden, about 8 minutes. Add the beans and cover with 2 inches of water.   Bring the water and beans to a boil over medium-high heat, cover, then cook until the beans are soft, adding water if needed, or cover the pressure cooker and process for 20-25 minutes. 
2. When beans are tender, uncover and remove from heat. There should be some water remaining, not quite enough to cover them, if there is an excess, drain it off. 
3. Pour beans and cooking liquid into a high-speed blender. Purée the beans until smooth.
4. In the cooking pot, over low heat, add coconut milk, butter, bouillon cube and chopped parsley. Add beans and bring to a gentle simmer. 
5. Cook the bean purée until it’s the consistency of rich gravy. (Adjust with water or coconut milk if necessary.)  
6. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
7. Warning: This mixture is so yummy on its own you may be tempted to stop right here and eat it all with your tasting spoon. But don’t, you will miss the full effects which are more than worth the wait!

Mayi Moulen

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 cup coarse yellow cornmeal
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• ½ teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme  

1. Heat the oil in a heavy medium saucepan over medium heat, and sauté the onion and garlic until barely golden, about 6 minutes. Add 4 1/2 cups water, and bring to a boil.
2. Pour in the cornmeal in a thin stream into the boiling water, stirring constantly, and add the parsley, thyme, salt and black pepper. Continue to stir for a few minutes to avoid lumps.  
3. Lower heat to a gentle simmer. Cook uncovered,  stirring occasionally, until the cornmeal is tender, with a soft but not runny consistency, 20 to 25 minutes. Adjust with more water or salt if necessary.
4. Spoon onto a large serving platter or individual plates, topping with a layer of sos pwa nwa, sliced avocados and chopped parsley  

Enjoy!

There was a time in my life when every Friday night was pizza night. Every Thursday evening, I would put my Kitchen Aid to working kneading the dough, giving it a slow rise in the fridge overnight. An hour before dinner, I would set out the dough to bring it to room temperature while skillets on the stove sizzled with fresh tomato sauce, onions, peppers, spinach and mushrooms. It was quite the event, and quite the meal.

That was many years and dietary changes ago. Then, at the start of quarantine, my daughter Kate gifted me with a kitchen scale and Aran Goyoaga’s Cannelle et Vanille: Nourishing Gluten-Free Recipes for Every Meal and Mood. Before long, a similar scene was recreated in my kitchen, and the results were amazing.

Here I share the crust recipe from Goyoaga with a few adaptions. I will say, however, I have since made two adaptations. One is to replace the brown rice flour and some of the water with brown rice sourdough. The other is to use some quinoa flour along with the sorghum. I wouldn’t skimp on the overnight rise, but if you must, at least allow it up to 6 hours in the fridge. I also recommend a pizza stone.

Ingredients

Enough for 4 individual pizzas

• 4.5 tsp dry yeast
• 5 cups filtered water
• 1.5 tsp sugar, maple syrup or honey
• 210 g brown rice flour or brown rice sourdough
• 210 g sorghum flour (or a mix of sorghum and quinoa flour)
• 120 g tapioca starch
• 120 g potato starch
• 4 T psyllium husk powder
• 3 tsp kosher salt (adjust to taste)
• 3 T olive oil

Directions

1. Proof yeast with 250 ml warm filtered water (110 degrees F). While waiting, measure out dry ingredients into the bowl of your mixer.
2. When yeast is ready, add along with olive oil and water, 1 cup at a time, as the amount needed will vary. Begin mixing with dough hook on low speed to combine all ingredients. This dough should be wet but hold together well in a large mass. Add flour or more water to adjust.
3. Place in a well-oiled bowl, cover, and put away in the fridge overnight for a beautiful slow rise.
4. Remove an hour before baking. Preheat oven to 475 degrees F.  
5. When ready, divide into four pieces and roll on parchment paper that has been dusted with any of the flours you have handy. 
6. Slide crusts into the preheated oven onto the baking stone or heavy baking sheet.
7. After 12 minutes of baking, top the crust with your own version of sauce, any variety of sauteed veggies… and if you are a vegan cheese lover, be sure to splurge on this mozzarella.
8. Return pizza to oven and bake another 10 minutes or so depending on the thickness of the crust.  I like making this pizza in a rectangle and serving each one on its own board. 

Enjoy!

Learn about the Beech tree, the potential healing actions of the Gemmotherapy extract made from Beech Tree Buds, and how this extract can be viewed through the lens of Asian medicine.

Gemmotherapy extracts are a unique botanical therapy, originating in Belgium,  that utilizes the meristem cells of trees to restore immunity. Discover the healing potential of these individual extracts through the lenses of your hosts, herbalist Teri Brooks, Gemmotherapy expert and health coach Lauren Hubele, and acupuncturist Maegan Lemp.

Learn about the Heather Shrub, the potential healing actions of the Gemmotherapy extract made from Heather Shrub Shoots, and how this extract can be viewed through the lens of Asian medicine.

Gemmotherapy extracts are a unique botanical therapy, originating in Belgium,  that utilizes the meristem cells of trees to restore immunity. Discover the healing potential of these individual extracts through the lenses of your hosts, herbalist Teri Brooks, Gemmotherapy expert and health coach Lauren Hubele, and acupuncturist Maegan Lemp.

If you have never been a sweet potato fan, here is the recipe to change your mind. And if you already have a fondness for this tuber, you are really in for a treat. This recipe has all of my favorite elements: a short ingredient list, herbs to enhance flavor and a hands-off cooking method. So here you are, with my compliments.

Ingredients

• ½ cup olive oil
• Herbes de Provence
• Sea salt 
• Fresh sprigs of rosemary
• 2 large or 3 medium orange-fleshed, Garnet or Jewel sweet potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1.5-inch cubes 

Directions

Heat oven to 450 degrees F. Put potato chunks in a large bowl, season generously with salt and toss to coat. Leave for a few minutes to let potatoes absorb the salt. Then add herbs and olive oil, tossing to coat well (be sure not to skimp on the oil as it can be strained and saved after cooking for future use). Allow to set 15 minutes while prepping a salad or other dish to accompany the potatoes. 

Transfer potatoes and oil to a large cast-iron skillet or heavy roasting pan. Keep to a single layer, using two pans if necessary to avoid crowding. Be sure there is oil in the bottom of each pan.

Place pans in oven and roast 15 minutes, until potato chunks are well browned on the bottom. With a metal spatula, carefully turn chunks over. Reduce heat to 400 degrees, and continue roasting until potatoes are well browned and the inside is tender (about another 15 to 20 minutes).

Because I am a sauce fan, I had planned to serve these with this vegan aioli, but they needed nothing extra. Absolutely divine all on their own!

Learn about the Lithy Shrub, the potential healing actions of the Gemmotherapy extract made from Lithy Shrub Shoots, and how this extract can be viewed through the lens of Asian medicine.

Gemmotherapy extracts are a unique botanical therapy, originating in Belgium,  that utilizes the meristem cells of trees to restore immunity. Discover the healing potential of these individual extracts through the lenses of your hosts, herbalist Teri Brooks, Gemmotherapy expert and health coach Lauren Hubele, and acupuncturist Maegan Lemp.

Learn about the Silver Lime or Linden Tree, the potential healing actions of the Gemmotherapy extract made from Silver Lime Buds, and how this extract can be viewed through the lens of Asian medicine.

Gemmotherapy extracts are a unique botanical therapy, originating in Belgium,  that utilizes the meristem cells of trees to restore immunity. Discover the healing potential of these individual extracts through the lenses of your hosts, herbalist Teri Brooks, Gemmotherapy expert and health coach Lauren Hubele, and acupuncturist Maegan Lemp.

Scan my recipe archive, and you will see for yourself that I am certainly a mushroom fan. A mushroom sauce of any kind has been a comfort food since I was young. And these days, comfort foods rate high on my list. This is a Nepalese dish, with slightly different seasonings to the Southern Indian dishes I usually cook, and I have fallen in love with the results. After tinkering with it these past weeks, it is finally ready to share. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Ingredients

• 2 pkg of organic mushrooms, wiped clean and thickly sliced
• Sunflower or coconut oil 
• 1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds 
• 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds 
• 1 teaspoon nigella Seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• ½ tea Nepalese pepper (Timur) or red pepper flakes
• 1 medium onion, peeled and finely sliced 
• 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger 
• 1-4 garlic cloves (according to taste)
• 2 large roughly chopped tomatoes 
• 1-2 serrano peppers or green chilis (according to taste)
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon coriander
• Salt (according to taste)
• 1 can full-fat organic coconut milk

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large heavy skillet and toast cumin, fenugreek, nigella and mustard seeds until they pop and are fragrant. 
2. Add onion to spices and cook until softened.
3. Add mushrooms, stirring well to coat with seasoning and saute until light brown. Turn off heat and set aside.
4. Add tomatoes, chilis, turmeric, cumin and coriander powders, ginger and garlic to a blender, processing well to make a paste.
5. Mix tomato and seasoning paste with mushrooms over medium heat, stirring well. 
6. Pour in coconut milk, bringing to a gentle simmering boil. Then cover and reduce heat, cooking for 10 minutes to blend flavors. 
7. Test seasonings, adding salt adjusting to taste.
8. Serve with steamed rice. 

Enjoy!

Learn about the Walnut Tree, the potential healing actions of the Gemmotherapy extract made from the buds of Walnut Tree, and how this extract can be viewed through the lens of Asian medicine.

Gemmotherapy extracts are a unique botanical therapy, originating in Belgium,  that utilizes the meristem cells of trees to restore immunity. Discover the healing potential of these individual extracts through the lenses of your hosts, herbalist Teri Brooks, Gemmotherapy expert and health coach Lauren Hubele, and acupuncturist Maegan Lemp.

Quercus pedunculata or Quercus robur, commonly known as English Oak, is a species of flowering plant in the beech and oak family Fagaceae. It is native to most of Europe west of the Caucasus. The tree is widely cultivated in temperate regions and has escaped into the wild into scattered parts of China and North America. In North America, it is most commonly seen in the eastern and northwestern parts of the United States and in southeastern and southwestern Canada, where it tolerates a wide array of conditions and is extremely hardy. 

Quercus pedunculata or Quercus robur is one of the oaks most widely celebrated in literature; it has wood of exceptionally high quality for the manufacture of furniture, and it previously was the most important wood used in the manufacture of wooden sailing vessels in Europe.

Those who could benefit from Oak Bud extract may exhibit some or all of the following:

Women

• During pregnancy
• During the postpartum period
• During perimenopause, with afternoon exhaustion and mild depression
• Low blood pressure
• Upon early signs of mental or physical aging

Men 

• With exhaustion from physical or mental overwork
• Over 50 with afternoon exhaustion and mild depression 
• Low blood pressure
• Upon early signs of mental or physical aging

PRECAUTIONS:  If taking medication to lower blood pressure, be aware that Oak can influence and increase blood pressure. 

There is much more to learn about Oak as a Gemmotherapy extract, so be sure to listen to this 20-minute podcast. You will discover the primary and secondary actions of Oak Gemmotherapy extract and gain a clear picture of the various use cases of this extract.  

Consider subscribing now to my Restoring Immunity podcast on Spotify or ApplePodcast/iTunes. Or, if you prefer to watch videos, subscribe here to my YouTube channel.  

You can find Oak as well as other single extracts for purchase on my Immunity store.

Here’s a delightful guilt-free treat that you can even find time to make midweek. It’s also quarantine shopping friendly… is that a term yet? With only seven simple ingredients, you are almost sure to have them all on hand. It was a great save for me on Monday when Joachim’s birthday seemed to appear out of nowhere, and I was up against a packed schedule.

We can thank Brittany Mullins @Eatingbirdfood for inspiring this dessert and for her many spot-on gluten-free, vegan recipes. 

Ingredients

Crust

• 3/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
• 1 cup chopped nuts, consider pecans or walnuts
• 1 cup Medjool dates, pitted and soaked in hot water for 30 minutes
• 1–2 tsp lime zest
• pinch of sea salt

Tart filling

• 4 medium avocados, halved, pitted and peeling removed (about 2 cups avocado puree)
• 3/4 cup fresh-squeezed lime juice
• 1/2 cup honey or maple syrup (adjust to taste)
• 3 T coconut oil
• 2 tsp  lime zest

Directions

1. Drain dates and pat dry with paper towels. Place all ingredients in a food processor together until a dough has formed. 
2. Press into springform tart pan or six individual custard cups. Place in the freezer to set while you prepare the filling.
3. Blend avocados, lime juice, sweetener of choice, coconut oil and lime zest in food processor until creamy.
4. Remove crust from the freezer. Pour filling over the crust, smoothing out with a spatula.
5. Return to freezer until set, about 2 hours. Move to refrigerator or countertop to allow to soften before slicing and serving. Store any leftovers back in the freezer.

Enjoy!