winter – Page 5 – Strong Roots Nutrition

February 3, 2014

Lemony buckwheat pancakes with honey-vanilla whipped ricotta

Something new I've been playing with is freshly ground flour. My grain mill can turn grains and beans into flour in seconds, and products made with freshly-ground flour taste better and behave more like white flour (a bread baker's dream!). Now, you do not need to go out and buy yourself a grain mill in order to have great whole grain products. If dense products have ruined whole wheat flour for you in the past, whole wheat pastry flour might be worth a try. In my experience, fine-ground whole wheat pastry flour is more cooperative i[...]

side, soup, vegetarian, winter

January 27, 2014

Mushroom soba miso soup

Miso is fermented soybean paste made from mashed soybeans that have been mixed with salt and a mold culture and aged for 6-36 months. Yum? It may not sound appetizing, but fermentation is a natural process that simply involves bacteria breaking down and "digesting" carbohydrates. And bacteria aren't that scary. If you don't believe me, some fermented foods that you may regularly enjoy include sauerkraut, pickles, sourdough bread, beer, wine, and yogurt. Miso is used to give a rich depth of flavor to many foods, and it is a common base for soups[...]

fall, side, vegetable, vegetarian, winter

January 13, 2014

Roasted rainbow carrots with creamed honey and yogurt dressing

This time of year can generally be a tough time for creative recipes, but this week, creamed honey made its first appearance in my life. Sometimes it's a creative restaurant chef that transforms an ordinary dish into something exciting and new. Sometimes it's a beautifully-illustrated cookbook. Other times it's good company that makes all the difference. Inspiration can come from a vast array of sources, but when it shows up, it needs to be savored. It's usually delicious. Here's to finding new recipes to keep meals fun through the winter. Did you know t[...]

main dish, vegetarian, winter

January 14, 2013

Lentil “meatballs” with roasted broccoli pesto

Why lentils? Lentils are a great meat alternative, meaning they have good amounts of protein, iron, and zinc like meat, but 1) They're cheaper. A 16-ounce bag of lentils will probably run you $2. Compare this to ground beef, which is, on average, $3.80/pound. 2) They contain lots of fiber if you need it. 3) They have a much longer shelf life (you can keep them in your pantry).Fennel seeds are that sweet, licorice-y flavor that's characteristic of Italian sausage. A brushing of olive oil over your lentilballs help[...]