Category: Paleo

Perfect Pesto, Every Time

2/18/2019

No need for measuring cups and spoons- our wild weed pesto is as versatile as it is tasty. We encourage you to use your senses to make this tasty green dip rather than relying on exact measurements. There are three reasons for this:

1. It makes you a better cook, forcing you to rely on your self rather than exacting measurements.

2. It brings you back into your body- when we learn to taste the food and medicine we make as we make it, we connect with it in a whole new way, learning how to trust our senses.

3. We make this pesto seasonally- if the chickweed is overflowing, we substitute this early spring green in place of fall's kale or summer's basil. Humans have survived for so long because we are adaptable; when we allow ourselves to be adaptable with recipes, realizing that we don't have to run to the grocery store every other day to get the exact ingredients, new creations are found... and you will save money and have more fun!

Herb Girls' Wild Green-sto (Green Pesto)

Plants in the “wild” (or your backyard!) have more vitamins and minerals than those grown commercially and organically (although organically-grown crops are typically more nutrient-dense than commercial). This is because wild plants have to create all their own defenses since no one is looking after them and providing them nutrients and protection.

Over time, we have selectively chosen those plants that are the juiciest and tastiest for cultivation, but in the process, we have bred out some of their wild medicine. For example, crabapples foraged in the wild aren’t as tasty as a Honeycrisp from the store, but they have way more phytonutrients (Check out Eating on the Wild Side by Jo Robinson for more information on this).

Furthermore, when you begin to rely on food close at hand- no matter how small or infrequent- you ARE doing your part to reduce your carbon footprint. A lot of times, we can become overwhelmed with the environmental degradation going on around us that it makes us feel helpless... don't live into this defeatist mentality! There are many things you can do! But we must remember that this planet is perfectly designed and incredibly resilient, responding to the smallest, most incremental shifts. Also remember that if everyone makes little changes here and there, this adds up to massive shifts over time!

A simple way to ensure you are getting some wild plant power every day + reducing your carbon footprint is to include some foraged plants in your daily life. This is very easy and tasty to do with our green-sto.

3 handfuls arugula or spinach
1-2 handfuls wild plants like violet leaves, nettle, dandelion leaves, yarrow, chickweed, young sassafras leaves, young hibiscus leaves, and/or young sourwood leaves
1/4 c tahini
1/3 c olive oil
1 handful pumpkin seeds
1 handful walnuts
1 tsp miso
1 squeeze dijon mustard
juice and zest of 1-2 lemons
½ c frozen peas (the sweetness really balances the bitterness of wild herbs)
Sea salt and crushed black pepper to taste

Add all ingredients to a blender/food processor and blend until smooth, adding more or less olive oil, lemon, or salt to get the right flavor profile. Store in bulk mason jars in the freezer or spoon into silicone ice cube trays for individual servings.

Carrot Fries with Coconut Mustard Aioli

12/19/2018

Coconut Mustard Aioli:
3/4 cup coconut cream
3 tablespoons dijon mustard
1 small clove garlic, grated (optional for low FODMAP people)
Generous dashes of coconut aminos
1-2 tsp. Curry powder
Pinch sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Roast Carrot Fries:
10 carrots, halved and quartered lengthwise (½”-1 width)
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
A few sprigs fresh rosemary, finely chopped 2 tsp cumin Hefty pinch sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. For the aioli: In a small bowl, stir together the coconut cream, dijon mustard, and coconut aminos, curry, and a generous grinding of black pepper. Set aside while you make the fries.

For the fries: Toss the carrots with the olive oil, herbs, spices, salt and pepper on a baking sheet with silicon pad ("Sil Pad"- this is a great investment!). Spread evenly and bake on middle rack until crisp and golden, tossing the fries once halfway through, 18 to 20 minutes total. Transfer the fries to a serving plate and serve with the aioli.

Flour-free Blender Bread

12/14/2018

We can't get enough of this bread... can we even call it bread? With no flour but all the delicious fluff, this bread offers the warm crusty satisfaction of a hearty sandwich loaf with none of the associated bloat, puffiness, inflammation, and blood sugar spikes. We love it toasted with a great glob of grass-fed butter and a sprinkling of sea salt.

6 large eggs
1/4 c olive or sesame oil
½ cup tahini (on the runnier side is best)
1 tablespoon coconut sugar or maple syrup
1 c raw cashews
½ c raw pumpkin seeds
2 tsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
Sesame and/or flax seeds to garnish

Preheat oven to 350. Line a standard loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving enough hanging over the edge to pull out the bread when it’s ready.
Add all ingredients in listed order and blend well in blender or food processor - you want a completely smooth, creamy batter. You will likely need to scrape down the sides. Use a spatula to empty mixture into your lined loaf pan. It will be sticky! Wet your spatula and smooth out the top, or pick up the pan and drop it a few times on a hard table to even out the batter.
Top with sesame and flax seeds and put on middle rack in oven for 40-45 minutes. It is done when the top is golden brown and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes and then use overhanging parchment paper to transfer to marble slab or wire rack (you can also transfer to cutting board, it just won’t dry as quickly or evenly). When completely cool, you may slice and serve. I like to slice a piece as I need it and keep the whole loaf stored in the fridge in an airtight bag. Just make sure it is completely cooled before storing. It will last on counter for 3 days or in fridge for over a week, but you will eat it all before that time comes!

Paleo Pumpkin Pie with Pumpkin Seed Crust

9/24/2018

Fall approaches and we turn to our bight orange friends for cool weather comfort. Luckily this pie is so guilt free and packed with carotenoids that we even enjoy it for breakfast!

Pumpkin Seed Crust:
-1 c pumpkin seeds
-1 c oats
-1 tsp ginger
-2 tbsp molasses
-10 tbsp butter
-pinch sea salt
Filling:
-2 c pumpkin puree
-2 eggs
-1/3-1/2 c coconut cream
-1/3 c honey, coconut sugar or maple syrup
-1 tbsp cinnamon
-1 tsp ginger
-1/2 tsp nutmeg
-1/2 tsp cloves
- hefty pinch sea salt

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spread the pumpkin seeds and oats on a baking sheet and toast for 5 to 8 minutes, until you smell them and they are slightly toasty. Transfer to ninja blender and pulse until texture of graham cracker crumbs. Pour into a bowl and using your hands, mix in melted butter and molasses and pinch sea salt. Pat this mixture firmly into the bottom and sides of a 10-inch pie pan and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Bake the crust for 15 minutes and remove from oven. Reduce oven heat to 350 degrees.
Mix the pumpkin, eggs, cream, syrup, spices and salt. Pour into the baked graham-cracker crust and bake about 45 min, until the filling is set. 5 min before it's ready, remove from oven and decorate with raw pumpkin seeds.
Cool to room temperature before serving. Serve with coconut cream and molasses drizzle mmkay.

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Welcome to the Herb Girl's Blog

Perfect Pesto, Every Time

Herb Girls' Wild Green-sto (Green Pesto)

Carrot Fries with Coconut Mustard Aioli

Flour-free Blender Bread

Paleo Pumpkin Pie with Pumpkin Seed Crust

Eileen Brantley & Amy Wright

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