The Answer to my Prayers: Primal, Savory, Hearty Nut Loaf

Damn good. Nut Loaf.
Been dreaming about it for a few weeks....and as it goes, need is the mother of invention- or a hungry belly.  My fridge is down to hummus, eggs and nuts...and preserved lemons.  But I'd purchased the makings for this loaf a few weeks ago.  

So- to work I got- and out came a hearty, savory, sweet, firm, chewy loaf- takes to hummus quite well...or your own toppings of choice- butter, nut butter, cheese and apples, sausage and brie- or what have you.
Its grain free- gluten free- dairy free- primal friendly- and very adaptable to your tastes.

Recipe for Darcey Blue's Savory Nut Loaf


2 c almond meal
2 c toasted walnuts
1.5 c toasted pecans
1/2 c dried fruit (cranberry, sultanas, raisins, apricots, even sun dried tomatoes should you choose)
1.5 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 c olive oil (or butter, or coconut oil)
lemon zest (or try orange zest)
4 eggs, beaten
2 tbsp water


toast your nuts, and cool.  pulse coarsely in your food processor or blender- not to powder, just to small chunks.
Mix almond meal, nuts, fruit, salt, baking powder, and zest together in a large bowl.  Beat eggs, oil and water together, and fold into the nut mixture.  


Pour into your greased loaf pan, and bake at 375 degrees F for ~ 35 min.  Let rest and cool for an hour or so before slicing into the loaf.

Store in the fridge, unsliced. Slice off a thick slab as needed to go with soup, hummus, fruit and cheese or what have you. Its great plain too.

other options- add pepitas and pine nuts, or acorns, or dried apricots, or sundried tomatoes, or olives, or cinnamon and clove, or rosemary and lemon peel and black pepper ..or ...or... the possibilities are endless....

perfect to serve with  little tea.


Interested in finding out more about delicious, nourishing foods, herbal medicines, nature connection, opportunities for herbal/nourishment mentorship or creating a personalized natural wellness program with Darcey Blue- be sure to sign up for my newsletter- where you get all the details first, and specials just for newsletter subscribers!

The Incredible Edible Egg Yolk

  The incredible edible egg. Breakfast staple, bakers friend, chicken embryo.  If you are like me, following a whole foods, healthy protein and fat rich diet, while restricting your sugars, grains, and starches- you probably eat a lot of eggs.  Sometimes, even I get tired of eggs at breakfast.  Sure you can scramble, you can fry (in bacon grease even), you can poach, boil, or make an omelette or frittata.  But if that variety isn't cutting it anymore- here's a few more ways to incorporate the nutrient rich egg yolk into your daily life.

Egg yolks are the most nutrient dense part of the egg, weather it be chicken, duck, goose, quail or any other kind of egg you like to eat.  Egg yolks are rich in B vitamins, folate, Beta-Carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin D, Calcium, Phosphorus and Selenium plus loads of brain nutrients choline and lecithin. The yellower the better, so get your yolks from happy chickens that root around eating bugs, seeds and things, not soy feed.  Bonus, eggs from birds fed their natural diet (not soy or corn feed) are rich in omega 3 fatty acids.

Not to worry about the cholesterol and saturated fats in egg yolks, modern science is telling us that sugar, refined carbohydrates and transfats are a more deadly culprit in causing heart disease.

Studies have shown that eating a breakfast high in protein, especially with eggs, can help with weight loss, and a high protein breakfast will set you up for a day without sugar & carb cravings and crashes, full of healthy energy, clear thinking mind and even blood sugar, but don't stop at breakfast.  Eat your yolks any time of day.

here's some ideas to get you started.  Have others? Please share!

1. Make Mushroom Gravy (or add it to any gravy you like)
2.  Make Craving Killer Hot Cocoa- whip up an egg yolk with your cocoa powder, add hot milk or water and a splash of coconut oil! Frothy chocolatey goodness- kills a sugar craving in a hurry.
3.Make Egg Nog- not just for the holidays anymore!
         And you don't need to add the alcohol if you just want a  nourishing delicious drink.  I prefer my nog warm, but I think I'm the only person who does.  But here's a quick and dirty and delicious dairy free nog.
                              Warm in a sauce pan:
                                2 c almond milk
                                1/2 c coconut milk or cream
                              Whisk in 4 egg yolks
                                Beat 2 egg whites until soft peaks form, and fold those into the nog just before serving.
                                Top with generous and fresh ground nutmeg, clove and cinnamon to taste.
                                 You may sweeten this if you like with stevia, honey, cane sugar etc.
4. Stir into soup!
           Any soup is enhanced by dropping a fresh egg yolk into the steaming hot bowl of broth.  Stir it around, or leave it be.  It adds body, flavor and nutrients to any soup.  Here's a recipe for Avgolemono soup- Greek egg and lemon soup.
5.  Make hollandaise sauce.  Top veggies with this deliciate and delicious and nutritious sauce.
6. Make custard- pumpkin or coconut, or even herbal infused custard (lavender is delicious!)
7.  Stir into hot cereal.  If you still like a hot bowl of 7 grain cereal on cold winter mornings, one way to up the  nutrient content and protein content of your breakfast is to stir that yolk right into the hot steaming cereal in the bowl.  One or two yolks according to taste.  You can do this with whole beaten eggs as well.
8.  Make mayonnaise.  Bacon mayo is even better than regular, or lard.  Just don't use corn, soy or canola oil to make it.  If you like, you can be creative and add garlic, black pepper, basil or lemon and mint for delicious flavored aioli.

or you can put it in your hair.  Yup, thats right. Egg yolks in your hair.  It makes an amazingly conditioning hair treatment all on its own, but I like to add some honey, and a touch of coconut or jojoba oil to the egg, whip well, and apply generously to damp hair and leave on for an hour or so  (you can add a drop of lavender, rosemary or other essential oil if you desire.)  Rinse thoroughly, but don't shampoo it out, else you loose many of the conditioning benefits of the treatment.

Now, enjoy your eggs!

                                

Healing Foods : Medicinal Mushroom Gravy

Yes, gravy!
Several weeks ago I had dinner with Margi Flint in Marblehead, MA and she made a lovely roast chicken stuffed with herbs, and a most delicious medicinal mushroom gravy.  So she gets credit for the idea, but here's my version that I made to dress our pork roast the other night.

Mushroom teas and extracts take a lot of work to prepare, and aren't always very delicious, but lucky for us Mushroom Harvest has a wonderful ready made, pre-cooked blend of 14 deeply healing medicinal mushrooms as a powder, ready to use in various ways.  Not only is it tasty (much like shitake in flavor- which it contains in spades), but very versatile and easy to use.

Here's the gravy that can be used for roasted veggies, roasted meats, potatoes, rice, or what ever you like gravy on.  Bonus is- it's gluten and dairy free!!


1 c roasted meat drippings
(or sub 1 cup of warm bone broth or seaweed broth and a couple of spoonfuls of fat of choice- butter, ghee, coconut, olive, lard)
3 tbsp cold water or broth
1 heaping tbsp 14 mushroom blend powder
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp tapioca starch
1-2 cloves crushed garlic
1 tsp salt
pepper to taste

Mix all the ingredients except cold water, egg yolk, and tapioca.  Warm until bubbling gently.
Mix tapioca starch, egg yolk and cold water in a cup until dissolved.  Pour slowly while stirring briskly into the bubbling gravy.
Gravy will thicken quickly.  Remove from heat and serve!



Delicious medicine fit for everyday table use!

(edited to add the suggested egg yolk. it is MUCH BETTER with egg yolk!!)

Spiced Apple Salad and the Healing of Food

Obviously it's been a long time since I wrote about herbal medicine or plants in general. It isn't because I have not been working with them, in fact I've learned monumental amounts. It's just, as my mom would say, 'anacana' - translation: on account of nothing. In other words, it's just because that's how the cards have fallen.

Often in life I feel like the ideas I have are brilliant, but then I'm not fast enough at pursuing them and they get used up by someone more savvy or opportunistic than I. Such is life.

In addition, I'm time compromised. And we all know how that goes, I don't have to explain.

So my post today is a little different but every bit relevant. It's about food.

As long as I can remember I've dubbed myself as "hating to cook". Which has made it exceedingly difficult to feed two growing children, a husband on occasion, and daily, myself. Growing up I learned simple basics to my benefit: how to cook soup, eggs, and make a great sandwich or salad. But that's it. Jump forward to having two small children and absolutely no idea how to not burn meat, shop frugally at a grocery store, or make a meal while managing children, you've got a recipe for a dis-empowered kitchen wishes-she-were-a-goddess woman.

I've burnt countless chicken breasts. I've ruined plenty of rice. I've eaten dinner for breakfast and breakfast for dinner. It wasn't until I made a commitment to cooking that anything changed.

But it wasn't easy. I'm a very busy woman! I work part time, take my children to learning co-op, I teach plants, I teach dance, and I try to write now and again, and I've got an apothecary and a household to manage. So you can see it's additional pressure to feed good meals to my loved ones.

But... I love food. I've never had any "food issue", so I don't have any eating stuff to deal with. I love food of all kinds and have always had the taste for healthy, well rounded foods. I love to eat and have always been active and never had any weight issues. So again, my problem was solely the fact that I HATED COOKING.

It was arduous. Laborious. Boring. Painful. Hopeless. Confusing. A waste of time.

And while I cannot say it's all better now, I can say I've come a very, very long way.

I'll mention here my Medicine Woman Mentorship. I'll mention it because one of the main thrusts is being in touch with one's senses and the birthright to take good care of ones self. Within my lesson work (and I'm still near the beginning) I am asked about my commitment to myself. It was clear to me that by not feeding myself, not engaging my senses and nourishment through the very basic human actions and needs, I was avoiding nourishment, pleasure, and pro-active healing.

The other note I'll make here is that my husband, as well as my children - miraculously - have a gift in the kitchen! Yes, my kids have been lucky to receive amazing cooking lessons from close friends/chefs in my community, and to learn plenty from Dad, but they just have it - the patience, the instinct, the love, and the uncanny ability to read and understand a written recipe from a cookbook. This has been (while slightly frustrating) an unsuspected inspiration.

And so within both my MWM as well as my monthly women's circle, I declared that I needed to both embrace and cultivate my inner Kitchen Goddess. I needed to find the woman in me that could infuse my food with both magic and skill. This was couple of years ago.

It's been a long journey and I'm still at it. I have a lot to learn. I've held to a Soup-Monday tradition for a while now, which helps keep me learning new recipes and by making it a routine I can count it as a required activity rather than something unimportant. I have tried my best to invite my hunter friends to feed me locally hunted venison, teach me about the animal and the different cuts, and had some healthfully harvested roadkill such as groundhog which was hit cleanly by an employee while I was at work. I've tried with the help of a talking thermometer to learn how long to cook meats, and I've enjoyed the benefit of finally cooking chicken well even if I'm not spoken to. I've cooked roasts, fish, acorn oatmeal, roasted potatoes, and many other dishes to a "T".

I'm proud of myself. While I cannot say I want to spend every day in the kitchen, I can say I'm no longer scared of it, and sometimes even really love it. Like today when I invented this spiced apple salad to take along for lunch tomorrow.

Sometimes eating disorders are not about getting fat or skinny, they are about not knowing how to cook, and not having the time in this fast forward life to do it. Sometimes they are about fearing the GMO's and learning to get outside to forage and to find local CSA's, farmers, or hunting. They really are about healing our relationship to eating, nourishing, taking, feeling, life, death, growth, creativity, and the intimacy therein. They are about consuming - the kind of consuming that was known before it was evil.

The moments I take in the kitchen, when given the time and spark, are sensual moments not too unlike my herbal potions or dance movements. They are moments that use to deplete me, and now feed me. And my family. They are organic, sensory, delicious moments.

~~~~~

Apple~ Spice Salad

5 ripe cubed apples

1/3 cup slices almonds

1/3 cup chopped dried cherries

1 Tbsp chopped crystallized ginger

1 whole fresh squeezed lemon, or more if desired

3 Tbs herbal infused honey (I used sage and monarda, you can use what you like)

1 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Stir well and enjoy

~~~~~

Healing Foods: Beet Kvass

In my continuing effort to keep up with blogging, I've decided to create a new series based on my deep love of food as medicine. I love the medicine plants that we use as teas, tinctures and salves, but I also love the food plants, and believe that the deepest most effective healing begins with NOURISHMENT, and we nourish ourselves with food three or more times a day. I'm entitling it Healing Foods, and will cover one food or preparation method in each post that you can use to create nourishing and delicious food medicines! If you have anything you'd like to see in particular, please let me know and I'll try to cover it!

For now, let's begin with Beet Kvass!
Beets
Element: EarthTaste: Sweet
Thermal Nature: Neutral to warm
Pitta -
Vata -
Kapha +

Beets, an often disliked root vegetable is sweet, earthy and rich in betaine, folate, beta carotene, vit C, iron, calcium, magnesium, and potassium. Betaine, a compound found in beets (also inbroccoli, spinach and shellfish) protects the liver from damage and aids in the production of antioxidants in the liver. It is also protective for the cardiovascular system. Not suprising then, that Chinese food energetics say that the sweet, mineral rich root clears the liver of stagnant or congested qi and blood. I use beets frequent

ly when addressing liver congestion or digestive weakness related to the liver. Beets will help stimulate the liver to produce fluids, and flush old blood out. Beets are a wonderful food to support the liver and digestion and they help maintain regular elimination. Some people find that eating beets turns stool or urine bright pink or red (this is called Beeturia), and is nothing to worry over. Beets are excellent for building healthy, rich blood for those with "blood deficiency" or anemia. I like to eat beets around the time of my moon cycle to aid the liver in detoxifying estrogen and other end

ogenous hormones, and to replenish my blood with iron and other minerals.
Beets are considered detoxifying and cleansing to the blood, strengthening to the heart and cardiovascular system , calming the spirit or "shen", moistening to the digestive system and other mucous tissue.

Beets are sweet and thus are rich in natural sugars, which for some people, especially those with insulin resistance, need to be taken in moderation. Beets also contain oxalic acid and if eaten in large amounts can inhibit calcium absorption. So, eat beets, but don't over do it.
My favorite way to eat beets is when they have been lacto-fermented! The process for beet lacto pickles in not much different than making kvass, but for today, we will just cover Kvass. Kvass- fermented beverage traditionally made with bread, comes from Russia, but for many of us, fermented or not, bread is not an option. Plus beets have such wonderful properties on their own, thus emerged Beet Kvass. Lacto-fermentation of beets frees up the minerals and vitamins into a h

ighly bioavailable form, helps to populate the digestive tract with beneficial flora, and changes the sweet flavor of beets into a refreshing blend of sweet, sour and salty. Fermentation also helps to break down some of the

sugars in the roots. Sour and salty flavors

are cooling and refreshing, and help the body hold on to fluids. Beet Kvass is a wonderful way to use excess beets, and provide your family with the benefits of healthy lacto-fermented

foods and the minerals and healing properties of beets. I recommend starting with just 4-6 oz of Beet Kvass per day, until your body gets acquainted with it. The sign you've had to much is loose stools. We used to joke in my family after drinking fresh beet juice "look out below." Kvass will keep you regular, and is a simple, healthy and

gentle remedy for occasional constipation safe for all ages, a daily support to improve liver health and digestive function, and a rich source of highly assimilable nutrients and probiotic bacteria.
Beet Kvass

• 1- 1/2 gal canning jar
• 3-4 medium beets (more makes a stronger brew, less a weaker brew- this is flexible)
• 3 tbsp sea salt
• 1/2 gal clean water (not chlorinated)

Procedure:

1. Clean your beets to remove any traces of dirt. Remove the greens and reserve for cooking.
2. Chop the beets into quarters or eighths- smaller pieces will ferment faster. You may leave the skin on, and use the long, skinny root tip as well.
3. Place beets and salt in the jar.
4. Top with enough water to fill the jar and stir briefly to dissolve the salt.
5. Cover the jar loosely with a cloth and rubber band, or clean paper towel underneath the ring portion of the jar lid.
6. Place in a warm spot in the kitchen where it will not be disturbed.
7. Let ferment for 3-5 days. You may want to taste test your kvass after 3 days (I use a metal bombilla). It should be salty and sour, and a little bit fizzy. If it isn't sour yet, let it continue to ferment. Keep in mind that warmer temperatures and small pieces of beets will speed up the fermentation process. If it is chilly out it will take longer.
8. Once it has reached your desired level of tartness, you may place the jar with a clean lid in the fridge, or strain the beets from the liquid and store. There may be a layer of white slime or mold on the top of the liquid. Just skim it off and the liquid beneath is delicious and healthy.
9. Eat the beets- chop them into salads! Healthy lacto-fermented beets. Alternatively, you can make a second batch of kvass with the beets, which will be milder.
10. Serve cool, in small portions 4-8 oz. 1 or 2 servings a day according to tolerance. May also be diluted with water, and a splash of lime juice added.
    

Variations: Some people use whey from raw milk or yogurt to inoculate their kvass. I find this is not necessary and not ideal if you are dairy free. You may need to favor using more salt if you do not use whey. If you prefer a less salty drink, you can use less salt (2 tbsp) but you may have more slime develop on the top. Often I innoculate my kvass with the juice from lactofermented sauerkraut instead. I also like to include digestive supporting carminative spices in my kvass during the fermentation to add variety and further stimulate the digestion. My favorites are cardamom or fresh ginger, but you could use fennel, anise, caraway or dill seed, black pepper, star anise, or allspice.



Resources:

Healing with whole foods: Asian traditions and modern nutrition. Paul Pitchford

www.joyfulbelly.com