Roasted Squash and Carrots
Ingredients:
1 whole butternut squash cut in quarters- remove seeds and compost or save to roast
3 med/large carrots or 6 small ones. Rinse and peeled tops chopped and cut in half to roast ( small ones can be roasted whole)
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp sea salt
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp paprika
½ tsp dried thyme
½ tsp dried marjoram
2 tbsp of Grapeseed Oil
Roast for 30 mins 425 degrees, until they are golden tender. Scoop out the flesh of butternut squash to eat. Enjoy!
Nutritional Magic:
Butternut squash and carrots are both nutrient rich, slightly sweet and really nourishing seasonal vegetables. These babes can be easily roasted for meals all week. I like to get a bunch of carrots and squash this time of year and use them for soups, salads and meal add’ins. You can roast them with any fresh herbs or easy salt, pepper and olive oil. Set a timer and get other things done. Also for anyone intimidated by cooking, roasting is a really fun way to try cooking different vegetables with out fucking them up too much. They make your kitchen in fall and winter smell divine. Like you made a big home cooked meal, because you did. They are great for kiddos and little one’s intro soft food. When I was a family cook making baby food and early teething veggies, roasted veggies were one of my go-to’s because the whole family could eat them.
Squash and carrots can be found this time of year at local farms, farmer’s markets, and grocery stores. You can even get them frozen. Access what and how you can. They keep all winter in cold/storage which makes them wonderful winter vegetables. They both offer high levels of Vitamin C and antioxidants, especially beta carotene. Good for our eyes and cells, inflammation, heart and digestion. Carrots also offer dirt minerals and root chakra nourishment. Butternut squash gives a nice sweetness ( helps balance blood sugar) and sacral chakra nourishment. Roasted together they balance eachother out in texture and flavor. Energetically warming and enhanced with the thyme and paprika, they offer a sweet and savory palate balance and whole food nourishment for these wild times. I love them left over and added to salads the next day to warm them up, tossed in massaged kale and left over croutons and adorned in olive oil or blended into soup. They are also great sides for potlucks and dinner parties. You can save the seeds from the butternut squash and roast them for snacks or add to salads. However you enjoy them, please share, make it magical and have fun roasting!
Slow Cooked Navy Beans in Herbs and Tomatoes
Ingredients
1 cup navy or cannelioni beans dry and soaked overnight or during the day
6 cups of water
1 tsp of kosher salt or sea salt
To Cook Beans:
After soaking beans overnight in water drain the liquid and then add them to a large soup pot. Add 1 tsp sea salt, a piece of kombu seaweed if you have it for extra minerals and 6 cups of water. Bring to a boil and then lower heat to between medium and low setting and cook until beans are tender about 1 ½ hours. Watch them and add extra water if needed. Cook until beans are tender.
Beans cooked in Herbs and Tomatoes
Ingredients
Cooked beans or two cans of beans
3 small yukon potatoes
3 cloves of garlic
2 tomatoes
1 onion
1 tsp dried marjoram
1 sprig of rosemary
1 sprig of thyme
1 tsp of tomato paste
1 tsp of salt and black pepper
4 cups of water
2 tbsp of olive oil
Directions
Chop and prepare all your ingredients: onion, garlic, tomatoes and potatoes. Finely chop onion and garlic, dice tomatoes and cut up potatoes in diced sized pieces for even cooking. Try to make sure they are evenly sized.
Heat a large stew pot on high and add two tablespoons of olive oil. After 1 min add the onion and garlic, cook and stir. When it starts to sizzle and onions are getting softer add in the tomatoes and tomato paste, mix well and cook for 1 min. Then add the herbs to your, mix together and cook for 3 mins. Next add the potatoes and cook for 3 mins. Then add the water and beans, salt and black pepper. Bring it to a boil and then lower to simmer and cook for 40 mins until potatoes are tender. Taste adjust salt and pepper if needed. Serve with a grain or as a stew alone.