Foraging: Stinging Nettles

Since moving to the state of Washington, I have been swept away by the foraging possibilities - both abundant and nearby. I have been devouring all kinds of information on the subject, learning about different things to look for by season. Winter is over here in the Pacific North West, and that means yummy stinging nettles are in their prime.

Stinging nettles - which lose their "sting" after being cooked for one minute - are easy to identify, and deliciously yummy. They remind me of spinach, but maybe a bit woodsier. I now substitute them for pretty much any dark leafy green veggie in recipes. Not only are stinging nettles pesticide-free gifts of nature, but according to my research, they are also a nutritional powerhouse, chock full of all the dark-leafy-green veggie benefits including iron, calcium, and folic acid.

In early spring, we donned long sleeves and pants, gloves, and boots, and ventured down to the nearest trails to pick our first lot. A modest half grocery bag's worth.

Never having cooked with Stinging Nettles before, I wanted to tread lightly. Even my husband (who generally does not get as excited about food) was all too eager to help me pick them, probably in large part for the fact that he got to jump into the weedy shrubs, thorns and brambles and be a little boy again. And we had two other adorable helpers.

You are supposed to harvest only the top two or three bracts of the plant while they're still young, so they have a chance to keep growing (at which point you can go back and pick more yumminess!) and snip off the leaves to cook with.

Unable to avoid curiosity, we cooked up that first batch immediately. Oh.So.Tasty! You cook them for a minute (which will disable the sting), then however your recipe calls for your leafy greens to be cooked.

It cooks down almost exactly like spinach, in the fact that it loses as much water.

Since then, we have gone back again and again and have picked many more bags full. Boy-oh-boy we have discovered a whole new world and have had so much fun experimenting with it in different dishes. Stinging nettle and garlic homemade deep dish stuffed crust pizza, anyone?

Or, simply tossed into boring old spaghetti sauce? Or, perhaps a semi-foraged version of delicious Indian Palak Paneer? The possibilities are endless. Thank God for these simple delights of nature.

Sweet Potato Latkes

I love latkes. Regular potato latkes. I have also never met a sweet potato we didn’t like. Stay with me, I have a point.

All of a sudden, a craving for crispy potatoes hit. Easily fixed. A quick glance in the pantry confirmed only one small lonesome Yukon Gold potato, BUT…an ample supply of plump sweet potatoes. So...Sweet Potato Latkes here we come!

The following isn’t so much a recipe, as a suggestion of directions. The key is to squeeze all moisture from the grated sweet potatoes, otherwise they will not crisp up and turn golden brown as beautifully as they should. Other ingredients you might include with two grated sweet potatoes: ¼ cup finely chopped onion, scant 1/3 cup all purpose flour, 2 eggs, salt and pepper, and of course some oil and a cast iron skillet for frying.

Peel. Grate. Squeeze. Mix. Fry. Eat.

Sweet Potato Latkes

I like that this dish is not as heavy as sweet potato casserole or as greasy as fries. Rather, they end up some happy place in between. And fairly light if you only eat one or two – which may be challenging given how tasty they are! Plus, they just look special and different. Perhaps fancy enough for an appetizer, or to add a crisp element to a meal if you need that. Enjoy!

Wishing everyone a beautiful Spring.

Banana Nut Pancakes, the Lazy Girl's way

Banana pancakes are good. Nut pancakes are better. When you put them together, they're great. But when you want to enjoy a quiet, lazy Saturday morning, and still make the most of the day, you get this. Banana Nut Pancakes, courtesy of the Lazy Girl (that would be me).

Banana Nut Pancakes

How do I make this happen, you might ask? Start with any pancake batter of your choice. Slice up a ripe banana or two, and find some nuts. Proceed to pop all but half the amount of banana slices in your mouth, then save the rest for your pancakes. (After all, that was the original intent except for the fact that banana slices are so yummy.)

Top each pancake like a pizza with a few banana slices, and a sprinkling of nuts just after you put some batter in the pan. Like so.

Flip and cook as you would normally. 

Easy, caramelized, deliciousness. Genius, no? Drizzle on maple syrup. Or don't...feel free to be boring like that. Enjoy!

Black Bean Tortilla Soup...in a Crock Pot!

I recently met a few people who do not own slow cookers or crock pots. How can this be? If you are one of those people, I highly recommend getting one. In fact, ask for a crock pot this next Christmas. I inherited mine from my mother-in-law. It’s a circa 1970s original Rival "crock pot" that weighs about as much as I do, and I absolutely love it. It is an integral part of my kitchen, and gets heavy use in the fall and winter months. Combine this genius little invention with a delicious soup recipe and I’m all set. This black bean tortilla soup is not only nutritious, delicious, so easy to make in a slow cooker, and cheap, it’s also completely vegetarian – actually vegan! (Well…beans have other “benefits”, of course.) Talk about your healthy comforts.

Black Bean Tortilla Soup

You will need:
1.5 cups dried black beans, soaked overnight
1.5 cups of any combination of finely chopped onions, bell peppers, celery, carrots, etc.
1 can diced tomatoes, juice and all
1-2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tbsp of bottled chipotle sauce
½ tsp cumin powder
6-7 cups of veggie stock
1 tbsp of olive oil
Optional – salt if needed (we skipped)

Toss everything into your slow cooker / crock pot, cover, turn on “low”. Then walk away. (Or go to work!) Come back after 9-10 hours. It should be ready to eat and delicious. Give it a good stir before serving. Optional - top with tortilla chips, cilantro, and/or avocado. We did all three and it was fabulous. Enjoy!

P.S.: you can also cook on “high” for 4 hours, then “low” for 2 hours.

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween, all!  Aren't these little owl cupcakes cute? 

Have a safe evening out there!

Pumpkin Dumplings

Last Saturday, we visited this farm. They have all the lovely Fall-type activities including a big pumpkin patch, gigantic corn maze, apple orchard, and a petting zoo (for the child inside all of us). Bonus you get a stunning view of snow-capped Mount Baker towering in the horizon. So this is one of my new favorite places to visit seasonally in the state of Washington. We came away from the crisp autumn afternoon warmed with fresh hot apple cider, happily hugging our stash of fresh picked apples and pumpkins that will probably feed us until next year.

I have a love affair with pumpkins. I know I've shared some favorite pumpkin recipes before, but now I have a new one to add to the list, pumpkin dumplings! (By the way, the secret reason for all this experimentation is to get my husband to eat pumpkin in various forms, so I can continue to cook it. He hates pumpkin pie with a passion. I know, he's crazy right?) 

So, pumpkin dumplings...here we go! If you're a fan of pretty much anything mixed with pasta sauce, you'll love this.  This sort of looks and tastes like gnocchi, except it tastes a bit like pumpkin too. Making it is as easy as can be.

Pumpkin Dumplings

This portion serves 8, which makes about the equivalent of cooking up an entire box of pasta.

You will need:

2 eggs
2 cups pure pumpkin (pureed with a little water if its too firm)
3 1/4 cups flour
pinch of nutmeg

Mix everything together in a large bowl until well incorporated. I like my large spatula and wooden spoon for this. The dough will be sticky, that's okay. Bring a big pot of water to a boil, add salt when boiling, and drop the dumplings one teaspoon at a time into the boiling water. Let them rise to the surface and cook another minute like that. Should take about 2-3 minutes total. Scoop out with a slotted spoon when done. When all dumplings are cooked, you're all set. But, when you're ready to eat them, sauté them up with a teensy bit of olive oil and butter, mix with any kind of green leafy veggies that you like, top with plenty of freshly cracked black pepper, freshly grated parmesan, and serve hot. Enjoy!

Portobello Mushrooms, Stuffed with Goat Cheese and Kale

Portobello mushrooms. Those things that are as meaty and delicious as steak, without actually being steak. We love Portobello mushrooms but at our place they must be reserved as special treats since they cost a pretty penny. Their size makes them a perfect little appetizer, first course, or light dinner. This method is fancy looking, yet easy to make.

With all that said, these should not be cooked any old way either. They must be fussed over and treated like the kings and queens they are.  (Do not stomp them into a casserole, that’s what plain ole button mushrooms are for!) We like keeping it simple. For dinner last night, we stuffed these beauties with a little goat cheese, chopped up kale (fresh from the garden out back), plenty of freshly cracked black pepper, an assortment of herbs, and one egg to bind it all together.

Portobello Mushrooms, Stuffed with Goat Cheese and Kale

Pile the mixture high into the mushrooms, lay on a foil lined cookie sheet, and bake at 400 F for about 15 minutes, or until the kale starts to crisp up and turn golden-brown. Done. My husband called it “wow”.  (And he never says wow.) Enjoy!