I ate some really yummy and pretty healthy food this past week... Nettle Soup, a slight modification of the white pasta recipe (which tastes just like alfredo sauce without any of the mucus forming junk) found on Traci's blog here, and strawberry shortcake!
First Nettle Soup.
Every spring I try to make nettle soup at least once or twice or more if I can find a good plentiful patch of safe nettles. Kassie Vance wrote a fabulous thesis on Stinging Nettle and its benefits. Just an excerpt is posted here. Please read the rest on Herbal Legacy!
"Because of its many nutrients, stinging nettle is traditionally used as a spring tonic. It is a slow-acting nutritive herb that gently cleanses the body of metabolic wastes. It is one of the safest alteratives, especially in the treatment of chronic disorders that require long-term treatment. It has a gentle, stimulating effect on the lymphatic system, enhancing the excretion of wastes through the kidneys.
Nettle’s iron content makes it a wonderful blood builder, and the presence of vitamin C aids in the iron absorption. As a hemetic (an herb rich in iron), this is an excellent herb for anemia and fatigue, especially in women. It “promotes the process of protein transanimation in the liver, effectively utilizing digested proteins, while simultaneously preventing them from being discharged through the body as waste products.”"
I make it by putting several chopped onions and minced cloves of garlic in a soup pot and sautee for a few minutes on medium heat while I chop 5-6 ribs of celery and 1-2 carrots (you don't want too many carrots or your soup will not be a beautiful green). Add those veggies as well as 5-6 medium sized potatoes, and about 6-8 cups of water. Let simmer until veggies are soft. Add in 4-5 cups of washed nettles. Blend. I like to not cook the nettles more than putting them into the hot water and then blending because otherwise they lose some color and the soup is not so pretty. Also, less cooking= more nutrition! This last time, I added a 1/4 bunch of parsley with the nettles. For a more creamy soup, add some cashews or soaked almonds to the blender (preferrably a blendtec or vitamix type). You can always vary the spices, add a little sea salt, or more/different veggies.
Modified alfredo sauce
I used extra virgin olive oil because that is all I have, apple cider vinegar, and added "pasta sprinkle" from penzeys instead of the prescribed spices. I also cut the salt in half. (BTW a few days later I made it again and added a clove of garlic- super yum)
Strawberry Shortcake
I modified the recipe for Cream biscuits from the Joy of Cooking cookbook.
2 cups sprouted grain flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup full fat coconut milk (Thai coconut milk has no preservatives and is full fat) (the contents of the can into the blender and blend well before using)
1/4 -1/3 cup rapidura
4 T coconut oil and 2 T Earth Balance (you don't have to use the Earth Balance but I did this time)
Mix the dry together then cut in the oil to small pea size. Mix in the milk. Then place on a cookie sheet and bake until done at 350- be sure not to overbake because otherwise the biscuit will be too tough/crisp
Blend the rest of the coconut milk from the can with 2/3 of a pound of strawberries and 1/4 cup honey and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Adjust sweetener if needed. Slice the rest of the strawberries and mix with sauce. Serve over shortbread.
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