15 Minute Spring Rolls

Spring Rolls

I don’t share a lot of raw food recipes. Typically, raw food is reserved for those hot summer days and I recommend balancing raw with cooked foods and warming foods to promote health digestion from an East Asian Medicine perspective. My relationship with spring rolls began in my friends' (extremely hot) Minneapolis apartment where I crashed as a college social work summer intern. I was sloughing very sweatily back and forth to downtown Saint Paul daily on my Trek mountain bike (lol). Turning on the oven when I returned home wasn’t an option. My roommate would often save me with spring rolls from the yummy Thai place she served at. At the time they seemed like a delicacy, nothing I would be able to make myself. Now if I have the ingredients, this is a go-to quick healthy summer meal. This recipe is meant to be a guide and something you can prepare quickly after work or a busy summer day. They can be adjusted to be vegan or vegetarian friendly. You can substitute chicken for shrimp, tofu or tempeh or just use vegetables. Don't be intimidated by the spring roll wrapper part. It's basically like "hey put me in warm water for a few seconds and pat dry." I used the brand Blue Dragon.

Ingredients:
Shredded chicken
Cucumber
Purple cabbage
Avocado
Herb mix: Cilantro, thai basil, mint (option to add shiso if available)
Dipping Sauce: 2 tbsp sesame oil, 1 tbsp fish sauce, 1 tbsp chili paste, 2 tsp lime juice
Spring Roll Wrappers

Directions: Prepare shredded chicken or protein of choice (I pulled mine off of a Rotisserie). Cut cucumbers into spheres, mandoline purple cabbage super thin and cut avocados into half moons. Set aside. Chop equal parts fresh herbs, set aside. Whisk or ninja all ingredients for the sauce (feel free to adjust the ratios to your liking). Follow directions on your spring roll wrapper package and assemble how you'd like!

Spring Mushroom Side

Mushrooms and walnuts with za’atar and fresh herbs

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650 grams of any mushroom, cut into 1 1/4 inch wedges
200 g of onion or shallot
150 g of toasted walnuts chopped
2 TBS freshly chopped chives
1/4 cup of olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
salt and pepper
1 tbsp za’atar
2 tsp lemon juice

1. Preheat over to 450

2. In a large bowl, mix the mushrooms, onion/shallots, walnuts, oil and garlic with salt and pepper. Spread on large parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes, until veggies become caramelized. Remove from oven, allow to cool.

3. Place mushrooms into a large bowl and mix in the chives, za’atar, lemon and an additional 2 tsp of olive oil. Enjoy as a side dish with fish, tempeh or chicken or as a savory breakfast idea with eggs.

adapted from: Ottolenghi Simple

Winter Squash Soup

Immediately after the weather dipped below freezing, I started to crave a silky butternut squash soup. Recipes I found online were either super boring, or filled with 2 cartons of cream or both. I wanted to create a dairy free soup recipe with a bone broth base that drifted from the classic herbal combinations like sage, rosemary and thyme. Luckily, I have a professional chef in my house to taste test. This one turned out great. Its perfect to freeze and has lots of healing gut foods. From TCM food therapy perspective, its nourishing for the spleen and stomach and warming. I hope you enjoy.

Ingredients

(*This is a larger batch to allow for plenty of leftovers to freeze, optional to cut recipe in half.)
3.5 lb of winter squash varieties (we used butternut, kabocha and acorn)
2 red onion
5 garlic cloves
1.5 oz fresh ginger
2 tbsp coriander
2 tsp cumin
1 quart bone broth or chicken stock
1 can coconut milk
1 tbsp lemon juice
salt to taste
Fresh Cilantro
Toasted Slivered or chopped Almonds

Peel skin from squash, cut squash into smaller chunks. Set seeds aside to save as these are super tasty and a great source of zinc! Slice red onions. Heat coconut oil on medium in your soup pot of choice. Add onions, cook for 2 minutes until onions become more translucent. Add squash. Increase heat to medium-high being careful to avoid burning. Cook until squash begins to lightly brown. Stir in ginger and garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Deglaze pot with 2 TBSP of apple cider vinegar. This step will elevate the toasty squash notes and deepen the flavor profile. Stir in coconut milk and bone broth, bring pot to a low simmer and add in remaining spices and some salt. Simmer until squash is tender. Blend well with soup wand or Vitamix adding in 1 TBSP of lemon or lime juice. Salt to taste.

Option to top with toasted almonds and fresh cilantro before serving.

Curried lentils and sweet potatoes

5-6 servings
Time: 1 hour

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, ghee or coconut oil

• 1 medium onion, chopped small

• 4 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 1-inch piece ginger root, peeled and grated

• 1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala

• 1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder

• 1 jalapeño pepper minced

• 4 to 5 cups bone broth or stock as needed

• 4 cups of sweet potatoes cubed

• 1 1/2 cups dried lentils 

• 1 bay leaf

• 2 bundles of Swiss chard, center ribs removed, leaves thinly sliced

• Salt and pepper to taste

• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

• Finely grated zest of 1 lime (optional)

• Juice of 1/2 lime

• 1/3 cup toasted slivered almonds (optional)

• 1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions, for garnish (optional)

In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and saute until translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, garam masala, curry powder and jalapeno. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

Stir in 4 cups broth, lentils and bay leaf. Increase heat to high and bring to a simmer; reduce heat to medium, partially cover, and simmer for 5 minutes. Add sweet potatoes and simmer for another 20 minutes. (If lentils seem dry, add more broth if needed) Stir in chard and salt and pepper, and continue cooking until lentils are tender and chard is cooked, about 30 to 45 minutes total.

Just before serving, stir in most of the cilantro, lime zest and juice. Spoon into a large, shallow serving dish. Garnish with almonds, scallions and the rest of the cilantro (optional).

(This recipe was adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Almond Butter Blondies

Gluten Free Almond Butter Blondies

Ingredients

• 1 (16 ounce) jar creamy roasted almond butter

• 1 TBS coconut or almond flour

• 1 TBS Teff Flour (blood building!)

• ¼  cup honey

• 2 large eggs

• ½ teaspoon salt

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1/3 cup dark chocolate (80% or above)

• 1/4 cup cacao nibs (optional)

• 1 TBS Ghee or Coconut oil

• Optional: Mix in 1/2 tsp of chia seeds and/or top with flaky sea salt towards end of baking
  

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, with a hand blender, mix almond butter until creamy

2. Mix in honey and eggs

3. Fold in flours, salt and baking soda

4. Combine ingredients thoroughly

5. Mix half chocolate and all of cacoa nibs into batter

6. Pour batter into a well greased 9 x 13 baking dish

7. Sprinkle the other half of the chocolate on top of the batter

8. Bake at 325° for 25-30 minutes or until tester comes out fairly clean

(Recipe adapted from Elana’s pantry)

Summer Sardine Salad

I feel a bit hypocritical writing about salad. If you’ve been a nutrition patient of mine for more than five minutes you know that I almost always recommend reducing cold and raw foods to support the digestive system. This wisdom has been passed down to me from many of my East Asian Medicine teachers and mentors ( I really hope none of them see this) and for the most part, its super useful advice. BUT I do think there is a time and a place for salad (summer) and there are countless ways to “warm” it up to support our guts ability to actually digest and assimilate the nutrients we’re consuming.

Listen, I’m not going to overcomplicate things with a recipe outlining specific amounts of ingredients for a salad. We’re encouraged to toss salads and that translates to me as “toss it together”. I do hope this post helps release you from the boredom of mixed greens with Italian dressing or raw spinach with ranch (my moms go to). The versatility is intended to get your creative wheels spinning. Don’t like olives? Use capers. Vegetarian? Substitute tempeh or almonds. Hate bitter greens? Use romaine. The combinations are endless. My hope is to allow you to increase the nutrient density, diversity of foods, digestibility and overall flavor of your salads this summer!

Ingredients:
1/2 tin of shelf stable sardines

Handful of Olives of Choice, halved
Toasted Pumpkin or sunflower seeds
Greens mix (i’ve been loving a mix of arugula and mustard greens)
1-2 scoops of hummus
1 small tomato chopped or sun-dried tomatoes
Olive oil and Vinegar or salad dressing of choice
1 TBS chopped dill
Optional: serve with toasted bread, side of broth or crackers

Note: We could almost call sardines a superfood due to their high levels of omega 3 fats and selenium. Sardines can also help regulate hormones, reduce cholesterol and support the health of your hair, skin and nails. Tinned fish with bones are also high in zinc, calcium and B12 which are common nutrient deficiencies globally.

Herbaceous Green Sauces

I adore sauce. I love the tang, the spice, the never too much garlic… the brightness of fresh garden herbs. In spring and summer I often blend up green sauces in my “magic bullet” aka tiny blender or food processor to amplify a simple meal. They are extremely versatile and can keep in the fridge for about a week. They pair beautifully with meat, fish and veggie dishes while offering nutrient density and often digestive support. Fresh herbs are packed with vitamins and antioxidants. Even if you don’t care much about all that, they truly taste amazing. Here are some of my favorite flavor combos. Don’t overthink the “recipe” part. Its basically blending herbs, oil, acid and alliums to taste. If you dream up a good combos, send them my way!

Unami
3 anchovy filets
Mint
Parsley
Oregano
Cilantro
Shallot
Chives
Lemon
Olive Oil
Salt to taste

Heat
Oregano
Jalapeno
Cilantro
Garlic
Lemon
Olive Oil
Apple Cidar Vinegar

Aromatic
Ramps
Chives
Parmasan
Olive Oil
Lemon
Garlic
Toasted Pine Nuts, walnuts or sesame seeds

Golden cauliflower breakfast

Before you read the ingredient list hear me out. This does NOT take a long time, especially once you’ve found your groove. The first time you make anything takes a bit more time of course, but its about developing routines and patterns so you can cook quickly and skillfully without compromising taste or nutrition. One of the most impactful things you can do for your health is to reduce sugars and refined carbohydrates, especially on an empty stomach. Insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes is so incredibly common in the United States. There are many contributors of course but starting our day off with fruit juices, cereals, coffee, pastries and toasts is a nightmare for blood sugar regulation. Symptomatically blood sugar dysregulation may show up as: fatigue, irritability, feeling hungry shortly after eating, spikes and dips in energy and trouble focusing. It’s not to say we can never enjoy these foods (I’m a sucker for a properly baked scone personally), but what we combine these foods with and when we eat them is so important. A great first step is to add some protein and quality fat into your breakfast, even if all you have time for is a piece of toast. For example, eating toast with nut butter is soooo much better for our blood sugar levels than a plain piece of toast or toast with jam. We will discuss more on blood sugar soon. I came here to share my current breakfast companions to hopefully assist you in reimagining what breakfast can be. I promise you we can veer away from feeling stuck in the arbitrary rules of what a standard American classic breakfast should look like (pancakes, toast, cereals)…there are no rules!

2 cups cauliflower chopped into bite sized pieces
Enough ghee or cooking oil to coat pan
1/4 red onion
1 garlic clove
2 BIG handfuls of spinach or dark green of choice
1 tbs dill or cilantro (fresh)
1-2 eggs
1 piece of GF or sourdough toast with ghee or butter

Optional additions: chopped mushrooms, green beans, bell peppers

Directions: Bring oil to medium/high heat in skillet. Add cauliflower to sear. Begin to cook one side for 2 minutes until you see some browning. Add in onions, stir. Key: you want the cauliflower to end up golden brown on the sides. Nobody likes a mushy or undercooked cauliflower. Cooking it this way gives it a meaty texture that brings out the nutty and savory flavors of the cauliflower. Avoid over stirring it basically. Add in garlic towards the end and finally the greens a minute or two later, reducing heat until they are gently sautèed. Cook your eggs, toast your toast you get the idea and enjoy together. Nothing in this recipe is remarkable but mostly its quick and when the cauliflower/garlic/onions are cooked properly its delicious. I find this breakfast to be energizing and satiating without being overfilling or causing massive spikes and dips in energy.

Preparation: 10-15 minutes

Herby Spring Asparagus

In March we welcome in the liver season. As we transition towards spring, you may have noticed your body waking earlier, a few more birds chirping, your brain daydreaming of beautifully bold colored vegetables from the farmers market…subtle energies awakening again.
From a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Perspective spring is related to the liver, or wood element. This Five Element perspective provides us with a special lens to view the seasons. This lens provides insight and wisdom on how to care for our bodies and brains throughout the ever shifting seasons. Our body's requirements in August are quite different from January for example.
During liver season our bodies appreciate a higher ratio of plant based foods, herbs and sour foods like pickles, lemons, sourdough bread and leeks. Think green! The season asks us to keep things moving if able. Practices like dancing, hiking, playing with your kiddos and yard work are welcomed. It’s best to wrap up any dinner or snacking a couple hours before bed and to avoid overeating foods that stress the liver like caffeine, alcohol and sugar.
Finding outlets to nourish emotional health is also wise. Our emotions impact every aspect of us, even our organs. Journaling, seeking out counseling, stretching (especially twists), regular acupuncture and practicing deep breathing all support our liver health (which supports our emotional health)!

Photo by Photo by Alisa Golovinska

Roasted Asparagus with capers and herbs

Ingredients:
1 lb Asparagus (woody ends removed)
3 tbsp ghee
salt and pepper
2 garlic gloves chopped fine
1/4 cup of sliced or slivered almonds
3 tbsp capers
1/2 cup of chopped dill
1/4 cup of chopped flat parsley
1/4 cup of chopped currants (optional)

1. Mix asparagus with 1 tbsp of ghee or healthy oil of choice. Add salt and pepper. Arrange on a large baking sheet aligned with parchment paper. Roast for 5 minutes. Remove from oven. Mix in chopped garlic, continued to roast for 3-6 more minutes until garlic is golden brown and asparagus is soft, beginning to brown in places (being mindful to not over bake).

2. Place remaining ghee into small saucepan and place over medium/high heat. Stir in slivered or sliced almonds, stirring frequently until almonds are golden brown. Pour over asparagus evenly.

3. Mix in fresh capers, chopped dill, parsley and currants.

Serve warm next to white fish, chicken or tempeh.
(this recipe was adapted from Ottolenghi; Simple)

Fermented Green Beans

Lacto fermented Dilly Beans
By: Agricola

3 TBS Kosher salt
4 cups of water
5-6 dill sprigs
4 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1 TSP of black peppercorn
1-2 TBS of dried red chili flakes
1 pound of green beans trimmed

Directions: Stir salt into 4 cups of water until dissolved. Set Aside. Dived herbs and spices evenly between two quart jars. Tightly pack beans into jars. Fill jars with brine solution, stopping 1 inch from the top of the jar. Set small glass jar filled with water and sealing (or another type of weight) on top of beans to help submerge them in the brine. 

Loosely cover the jars with cheesecloth and set aside in a cool room temperature for 7-10 days. After 7 days, taste a bean. If it tastes ripe (and tangy) enough for your liking seal jars and transfer to the fridge. 

PS: If you see any mold beginning to grow on the top of the brine, simply scrape it off. As long as the vegetables stay submerged under the brine and not exposed to air, they are fine.

Versatile Radish Salad

This recipe was slightly adapted from healthyish.

Ingredients

lb. mixed radishes (farm fresh radishes are best)
Kosher salt for seasoning
1/2 lemon or whole lime
1 oz hard sheeps cheese like manchego or parmesan
1/2 cup fresh basil or dill
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
Flaky sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup of Toasted pine nuts or slivered almonds

Prep

Step 1

Thinly slice half of radishes on a mandoline and place in a large bowl. Leave remaining radishes whole if small, or slice in half or into wedges if larger and place in same bowl. Season lightly with kosher salt and squeeze and scrunch radishes several times with your hands to work salt into flesh. Squeeze lemon halves to get 3 Tbsp. juice; save one half for zesting later. Add lemon juice to bowl and finely grate half of cheese over radishes; toss well to coat. Using a fork, crumble remaining cheese into bowl. Add basil and 2 Tbsp. oil, toasted nuts and toss again. Taste and season with more kosher salt if needed.

Step 2

Transfer salad to a platter. Drizzle with more oil, sprinkle with sea salt and pepper, and finely grate zest from reserved lemon over.

Nettle and goat Cheese eggs

Nettle and Goat Cheese Egg Bak

5 large eggs
½ cup of goats cheese (hard or soft)

½ cup red bell pepper

2 cups of raw nettles, spinach or chard
 ¼ tsp Cumin
1/2 tsp Coriander
Salt and Pepper to taste

1 yellow onion sliced
3 cloves garlic minced

Optional: top with freshly chopped chives or cilantro

-Preheat oven to 350

-Caramelize onions in sauté pan on low (about 15-20 minutes), add garlic during last 2 minutes. Turn off heat, add in greens to lightly cook with remaining heat, sprinkle spices and stir.
-While onions are caramelizing, crack eggs into a mixing bowl, chop cheese and red bell pepper into desired size. Whisk into eggs, add salt and pepper to taste.

Optional: mix in cilantro and/or chives

Add ingredients from sauté pan to the mixing bowl, stir and pour into 12” buttered pie dish.

Bake for 20 minutes or until egg is cooked through.

Serve with side of fresh greens and toast.

Benefits

Nettles are rich in iron, vitamin A and magnesium. Nettles are commonly used for supporting lactation, treating iron deficiency, allergies as well as joint pain.

Crushed Zucchini

Slightly adapted from Ottolenghi Simple

Crushed Zucchini
3 large zucchini
4 tbsp Ghee
6 cloves of garlic with skins
2 tsp of dried herbs (opt: parsley, mint, dill, thyme)
2 tbsp chopped mint
1 tbsp of chopped dill
1 tbsp of parsley
1 tbsp of lemon juice
1 cup of toasted almonds, chopped

Preheat oven to 425

1. Place zucchini in a bowl with dried herbs and melted ghee, salt and black pepper. Mix and transfer to a medium baking dish; the zucchini should form a single layer, cut side up and sitting slightly overlapping. Bake for 15 minutes, add garlic cloves and bake for another 15 minutes until zucchini softens and is golden brown. Set in colander and press zucchini a bit to release some of their liquids. Let cool.

2. Transfer contents to mixing bowl and squeeze garlic cloves out of their skin. Mash everything together with a fork- Stir in herbs and lemon juice and serve.

3. Sprinkle toasted nuts on top

Blood Building Muffins

Muffins for supporting blood deficiency and reducing stress and anxiety

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Teff Flour-
3 pitted dates chopped
1 cup Almond Flour
3 Organic Eggs
¼ cup Goji Berries Chopped
¼ cup Walnuts chopped
1 TBS Molasses
1 TBS Chia Seeds
½ cup Oats
2 TBS Almond Butter
3 TBS coconut oil
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt

Optional: add fresh ginger for more warmth and spleen support if patient is having digestive issues

 Beat 3 eggs until yolks fully integrate with whites. Add 1 TBS of molasses, 2 TBS of raw local honey and 2 TBS of almond butter. Mix well. Chop 3 dates fine, and ½ cup of raw walnuts to your size preference. Add all dry ingredients (except walnuts) to wet ingredients, mix well. Place batter in lightly buttered muffin tin or muffin cups.  Sprinkle walnuts on top and bake at 350 for 14 minutes. Insert toothpick in muffin to see if it comes out clean. If not, bake for 2-3 more minutes before removing from oven. Remove muffins from tin, allowing them to cool. Optional to enjoy with organic butter or ghee.

TCM Dietary Therapy Information

Gou Qi Zi (Goji Berry) Supports Blood and Yin Deficiency, tonify liver and kidney (sweet and neutral)
Da Zao: Nourish Blood and calm the spirit, tonify spleen qi (sweet and neutral)
Molasses: Nourish blood (sweet,warm)
Teff Flour: Blood Building
Eggs: Nourish Yin and Blood (sweet and neutral)
Chia Seeds: Nourish Yin, support spleens digestive function

These muffins work synergistically to nourish and build blood in the body. They assist in nourishing yin and calming the spirit. The sweetness of the muffins nourish the spleen, support deficiency and nutritional density support blood building. The muffins strengthen qi and blood, improve spleen function as well as supporting liver, heart blood. When yin and blood are nourished and the body is not deficient of blood the patient should experience restful night sleep, healthy joint function, reduced stress and balanced energy in the body.

SSX of Blood Deficiency: Fatigue, pallor, constipation, anxiety, dry skin, palpitations, dizziness.

Breakfast Hash

I think its important to know how to cook without following a recipe step by step. Recipes can be restricting and also intimidating. A hash is a great place to get your creative juices flowing without much risk. Breakfast hash is EXTREMELY versatile and difficult to mess up. As always, if you’re stuck, shoot me an email and I’ll be happy to help you along. I’ve left you some flavor combinations below but don’t let me hold you back.

Hash Basics

• Bring butter, ghee or animal fat to medium heat in your favorite skillet

• Toss in hearty veggies like: potatoes, parsnips or beets + additional spices

• Cook on low heat covered for five minutes

• Add your choice of onions/shallots/fennel/spices and stir in a couple splashes of liquid to keep veggies from sticking (I like to use bone broth or vinegar like red wine, apple cider or balsamic). This allows your harder veggies to soak up these yummy flavor as they soften. its important to not cook potatoes too quickly otherwise the outside will burn and inside will still be hard. Also vinegar will give your veggies a delicious glaze.

• Once softened, add in your more delicate veggies like; cauliflower, broccolini, cabbage cook on medium/high until golden brown. (I like to add a few (or more than a few) cloves of minced garlic towards the end to avoid burning. Getting your potatoes crispy and your veggies golden brown is key. Otherwise you got a veggie mush on your hands which is no fun.

• Add in any additional greens to cook gently for one minute while you add salt and pepper too taste.

• Toppings: eggs, sausage, goat cheese, smoked meats, tempeh, chimichurri, fermented sauerkraut or kimchi.

Variations

Fennel and Spinach

Red Cabbage, dill and smoked whitefish

Sweet Potatoes and Broccolini

Red Onion, Romanesco, purple potatoes

Kale and mushroom

Tempeh, sweet potatoes and chard

Red pepper, potatoes, avocado and spinach

Ginger and Green Onion Tea

This ancient herbal remedy is a wonderfully easy tea to sip on when you begin to feel the onset of a cold or flu. Ginger (sheng jiang) and Green Onion (cong bai). The dosing is flexible but I recommend simmering the ginger prior to the green onions. If you have been sick for a few days, this isn’t the herbal concoction. Its better to consult with an herbalist to receive an appropriate prescription depending on your symptoms and health history.

Benefits

-Warms the lungs and stops cough

-Induces light sweating

-Strengthens Immunity

-Battles onset of cold and flu like symptoms

-Alleviates Vomiting, Nausea, diarrhea and abdominal pain

-Reduces phlegm and mucous

Directions

Add four cups of water to sauce pan and bring to a low simmer. Chop two, one inch chucks of ginger (with skin) and place in saucepan. Allow ginger to simmer for 10-15 minutes. Chop approximately 3/4 of four green onion sprigs leaving out some of the delicate greener tops but keeping the roots! Add to saucepan and let simmer for 5 more minutes. Strain tea and enjoy.