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Braised Butternut Squash + Polenta: Fast Slow-Food

April 23, 2016 By Lauren

braisedsquashwebfinal

During nutrition workshops or consultations at some point the following question invariably comes up: how do I cook nutritious meals fast?

Maybe you, dear reader, are currently pondering the same thing.

I feel you.  All of you.  As someone who’s comfortable in the kitchen and who also really enjoys spending time there, I’ve definitely asked myself this question on many a tired Thursday night.  It’s a big one.

Everything’s moving at an increasingly rapid pace, culturally speaking.  We’re working longer hours to pay for growing expenses, spanning greater distances in shorter amounts of time, mining deeper for gases, rare metals, data.  The possibilities are limitless, expansive, vast, if only we had the time.  Time could be said to be our most precious commodity and we allocate it accordingly, seeking the fastest solutions for problems, not least such corporeal ones like what to eat tonight.

The free time we have is typically spent on leisurely pursuits—taking a walk, meeting a friend for a drink, and, more often than not, looking at a screen.  Whether it’s the news or a premium-cable series or a 90’s romcom or a video-game or an instagram feed from someone living in the wilds of Maine or Los Angeles, it’s no surprise that at the end of a long and stressful work day, we want nothing more than to plug into some other story to unwind.

And while there’s nothing inherently wrong w/ this, what’s happened is that the time for cooking, preparing a nourishing meal, has been reallocated and what nourishment we receive is a byproduct of convenience which, as we all know, is never what it’s cracked up to be (see: the tv dinner, the happy meal, the delivery pizza).

Cooking, in my opinion, is self-care just as stretching in the morning, showering on a regular basis, brushing your teeth, drinking enough water and getting some good sleep are; it should be part of our daily routine.  But it isn’t.  We’ve never been taught to integrate it into our routines as we have those other things which brings me back to that commonly-posed question.

How do I cook nutritious meals fast?  Where do I start?

Start here, with a butternut squash, some polenta, some spinach.  This is a recipe for what I like to call fast slow-food.  Fast because you’ll spend 15 minutes doing something–chopping or whisking or stirring.  Maybe 20 if you’re new to the kitchen.

Slow because the rest of the hour or so until dinner is served can be spent doing whatever it is you do to unwind.  Meanwhile a series of chemical reactions will be working for you, transforming squash, spinach, corn into nourishing meal.

There’s no secret trick or secret soy-based-shake for this.  Cooking takes practice and a bit of planning and, yes, a bit of time.  But by learning to make a few, simple recipes it will get easier and easier to incorporate them into your daily routine.  To make nutritious meals (relatively) fast.

Who knows?  Maybe the more time you spend in the kitchen, the more you’ll enjoy being there.  Dear reader, it happened to me.

Braised Butternut Squash + Polenta

Note: I haven’t cooked butternut squash in ages, mostly because I disdained peeling it.  B/c it’s braising for such a good amount of time, there’s no need to peel–the skin softens up beautifully and can be eaten.  Otherwise, you can easily scoop the squash from the skin. 

Adapted from Ottolenghi’s Plenty More

For the Squash:

  • 1 butternut squash, sliced in half lengthwise then sliced in 3 sections
  • 1/2 cup chicken bone-broth
  • 1 knob butter
  • 5 pods cardamom, crushed
  • 4 bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon whole black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
  • 1 teaspoon whole coriander seeds
  • 1 section of orange rind
  • couple of pinches salt
  1. Turn oven to 200C.  While oven heats, place squash bottom-side down in a large braising pan.  Pour broth over and add herbs and spices.  Add dabs of butter on top of squash.
  2. Place in oven and let braise for 45minutes-1hour, until soft. Occasionally, spoon broth over squash while braising.

For the Spinach:

  • 1 big bunch spinach, roughly chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 knob ghee
  • couple of pinches salt
  1. Place cast-iron pan on medium-heat.  Add ghee.
  2. Add garlic and salt and cook until fragrant.
  3. Add spinach and stir, cook for 10 or so minutes, until deep green.

For the Polenta:

Note:  For maximum digestibility I soak my polenta overnight in warm, lemony water. 

  • 3 cups chicken bone broth
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup course polenta
  • 1 knob butter
  1. Bring bone-broth and water to a boil in a large sauce-pot on the stove.
  2. Whisk in polenta and turn heat down to low.  Cover and let cook for 30-45 minutes, giving the polenta a good whisk every 10 minutes or so.
  3. Turn heat off and add butter, stir.

Layer polenta, spinach and squash on plate.  Serve w/ a good grate of parmigiano, glug of olive oil, and sprinkle of salt.

Filed Under: Plant, Recipes, Seasons, Spring, Vegetable Tagged With: braised squash, butternut squash, dinner, fast slow-food, lunch, polenta, simple, spinach, spring

Shades of Green Salad

June 4, 2015 By Lauren

mixin

In traditional Chinese medicine, Spring is representative of Earth, the wood element, and, in the body, the liver and tendons.  It’s said to create the color green, the sight of which “nourishes the soul through the eyes”, clearing the vision and the way towards new sight. (Pitchford, 317).

Geneva is currently teeming with green.  I notice that the tomato plants on our tiny balcony stretch taller each morning.  My legs feel less and less sore after every hilly bike-ride.  I dipped in the lake yesterday for a few fresh moments, and I’ll dip again today.  It won’t be long until a proper swim is within reach or stroke or paddle.

wildasparagus

This Winter was my first full Winter in Geneva, and it sometimes felt long, dark.  Untangling the threads of all of my interests, forging a path through what often feels like bramble hasn’t been easy, but where there is bramble there is also potential and as I’m submerged in so many shades of green this Spring my eyes no longer see only thorn, but white rose, sweet berry, and even sweet-berry-crumble with a side of raw cream.

The dietary recommendations for Spring, in traditional Chinese medicine, are to fill your plate with shades of green–sweet green, bitter green, pungent green, green that renews, that revitalizes–creating a “personal Spring within”.  (Pitchford, 317).  Not a tall order considering the bulk of market stands at the moment: asparagus, green peas, snow peas, sorrel, mâche, spinach, chard, butter-head lettuce, fennel, romanesco, kolhrabi, sage, mint, parsley, thyme–chartreuse, fern-green, hunter-green, jade, and on and on.

greenpeas asparaguss

Summer, in all its heat and expansiveness, is just a little more than two weeks away.  Soon there will be strawberries, and aubergines, and squash, and tomatoes, stronger legs and warmer waters and a path forged further ahead.

For now, a recipe with many shades of green for nourishing that personal Spring within.

sesame mix

What’s your favorite Spring-time green?

Print
Shades of Green Salad

Recipe adapted from Ottolenghi's Plenty More

Ingredients

    For the salad:
  • 10 asparagus spears, trimmed and sliced diagonally into 3 pieces
  • 100 grams or 2 handfuls green peas, shelled fresh
  • 100 grams or 2 handfuls snow peas, trimmed
  • 1 bunch wild asparagus (optional)
  • 1 bunch sorrel, sliced into ribbons
  • 1 shallot, very thinly sliced
  • 3 tablespoons sesame seeds
  • For the dressing:
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • pinch salt

Directions

  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with very cold water. Once water is boiling, place asparagus in pot and blanch for 3 minutes. Remove from water with a slotted spoon and place in cold water immediately. Repeat this process with green peas (blanch for 5 minutes), snow peas (3 minutes), and wild asparagus (1 minute). Drain everything and pat dry.
  2. Toast sesame seeds in cast-iron skillet on medium heat for 5 minutes or so, or until seeds start to brown.
  3. Mix together oil, honey, vinegar and salt in a small jar, shaking vigorously.
  4. Place the asparagus, green peas, snow peas and wild asparagus in a large bowl. Add sorrel, shallot, sesame seeds and dressing. Mix all together and serve.
3.1

 

Filed Under: Plant, Recipes, Seasons, Sides, Spring, Vegetable Tagged With: asparagus, greenpeas, greens, ottolenghi, salad, snowpeas, sorrel, spring, wildasparagus

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