Happy Moon Food babes. This week includes three recipes to make one meal or add in to other meals. Artichoke caper sauce, roasted asparagus and pickled red onions. Full Recipe, moon notes, music links and ways to support below. Big love and full bellies to you. xoxo
Artichoke Sauce:
1 14 oz can of artichokes
3 tbsp cashew cream or dairy free sour cream
1 tbsp of capers + 1 tbsp caper juice
1 tbsp vegan mayo
1 tsp yellow mellow miso
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
Prep Notes: Drain/rinse artichokes. Prep your cashew cream earlier if you are making your own (1 cup soaked + 1 cup filtered water and pinch of salt. Blend on high until smooth. Make sure to soak cashews for 2 hours. Save extra for meal that week or freeze it). I really like forager sour cream but feel free to use whatever you like. Use small capers in a jar with their juice/brine.
Direction:
-Blend all ingredients on high speed in a blender or food processor until it is smooth. Test taste to adjust your salt and lemon if you want. If you are sensitive to salt and need to monitor for health reasons I would eliminate the 1/4 tsp of sea salt since the capers and miso will provide enough. You can always add more if needed.
Roasted Asparagus
Ingredients:
1 bunch of asparagus (10-12 stalks)
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 -3 tbsp olive oil
Prep: Rinse your asparagus and towel dry-especially if you are getting bunches from farmers market or local farm stand.
Heat oven 375 degrees
Cook Time: 13-15 mins ( I like 13 bc I want them bright green and crunchy. You may want them a little more cooked and so add extra couple mins for softness if you desire(.
Roasting Directions:
-Line your baking sheet with parchment paper or use the silicone sheets you see in the photo. Make sure the asparagus has a little space between them. Slice off the bottoms ( about 1 inch) it can be a little tough to chew. Or maybe you want to keep them as is. Again, enjoy as you like.
-Drizzle olive oil counting to 3 over the asparagus or measure 1 tbsp. The key is to do both sides. So give them a little roll so all the asparagus is dressed in olive oil. Drizzle, roll and drizzle. If you want to measure it is about 1 tbsp per side for a bunch of asparagus .
-Sprinkle 1/4 tsp of salt or 3 good sized pinches on top of each side ( do the rolling method again). Crush black pepper in my opinion is the best so grind that all over both sides as well/ 3 grinds will give you about 1/4 tsp.
-Roast in the oven for 13-15 mins.
-Remove, cool and then place on top of a bed of arugula or lettuce of your choice or none and adorn the asparagus with as much as you want of the artichoke and caper sauce. Top with pickled Ume red onions ( next recipe). You can save the roasted asparagus to add in other meals that week. I think it would be divine in an omelette, on top of pasta or as an extra veg side dish. Eat it all too if you want!
Ume Plum Pickled Red Onions:
Ingredients
1/2 red onion
Ume Plum Vinegar
Mason Jar with secure lid
Directions:
Note: This recipe is more eye ball than exact. I like to make sure there is at least a 1/4 inch of liquid above the onions so they are fully immersed. You can use a spoon or mortar to press them down too. I like Ume plum vinegar because it is very rich in healthy probiotics and doesn’t need a sugar because it comes from a fermented plum. Look for ume plum vinegar in health food store, best place is a Japanese food market or online. I use it for special meals and when I’m needing extra immune defense in cold season.
-Slice red onion in half and then into a quarter. Thinly slice each quarter size into half moon strips. You could also chop in pieces. I like thin halved slices.
-Fill your jar with sliced onions ( if you are able to use a jar that holds the amount you want to make). Cover jar with a tight sealing lid. Place in the fridge and let them soak up all the flavor over night or you can enjoy them after two hours of pickling.
-I love these on top of the roasted asparagus salad but also on avocado toast, rice bowls, pasta, salad, veggies, savory oatmeal, or anything that tastes good with onions. ENJOY
This is another building salad that offers you different options to enjoy. Make them all. Or maybe just roast the asparagus. Make a small salad or big salad. Measure out each ingredient as you want. Enjoy!
Nutritional Notes:
This meal is rich in vitamins, fiber, minerals, skin, bone, heart and brain nourishment, fermentation, probiotics, cellular support and most importantly flavor. Chew well, make it magical and always-share!
Some love notes on asparagus: Asparagus is rich in vitamin C, A and K. All good love for your skin, immune system, bones, muscles and heart. Asparagus may make you pee smell a little funky thanks to a special enzyme. It is just the nutrient magic working in your system to heal and clear. Something to consider-if you are dealing with dehydration you may want to talk to your health practitioner about this veg because it is a diuretic. It can really help support your bladder and urinary tract as well as digestive system and more but may not be so good if you are dealing with dehydration. Always check with your healing practitioner if you are unsure. Asparagus is also rich in folate-really good for people who are trying to get pregnant or are pregnant. Folate supports cell and brain development. Asparagus also helps lower blood pressure, nourishes our bones and is a magically delicious vegetable that makes it’s entrance for this special time of spring and then it is done. Energetically asparagus takes time to grow (3 years) and then it has its moment. In the three year process it needs to bloom and die off and the sugars do some plant Magic in order for us to enjoy its gifts. I love it’s growing lessons. It is held by the earth and grows reaching for the sun. It helps us feel nourished, clear and awakened. Find it at your local farmers market or farm stand if you can. Work with what you can access. If you subscribe to my newsletter you will get extra deets on the magic of asparagus this week. There will also be Moon Scopes and extra recipes. I hope you sign up!
