You can now find this recipe on Our Growing Edge, a monthly blogging event showcasing the side of us that is still learning and experimenting! 

This recipe is one of my favorite winter comfort meals! Simply mix it up and leave it to simmer the flavors together. I cannot believe it took me this long to throw these flavors into a soup. Nutty peanuts, fruity basil, spicy chili paste and creamy coconut milk all combined to make a simply delicious and heart warming stew. 

Peanuts, a southern staple and an essential ingredient in many thai inspired dishes. These delightful nuts actually grow in the ground as roots and have been used for thousands of years by South American tribes. Peanuts are packed with antioxidants and healthy fats making them an excellent addition to any heart healthy diet. Recent studies have also discovered that peanuts may help reduce the risk of stroke, Alzheimer's, gallstones and colon cancer. 

Chickpeas are a healthy foodie's best friend, I have added them to everything from sandwiches to desserts! Eating at least one cup of beans per day has proven to help suppress appetite, lower bad LDL-cholesterol levels and help control blood sugar levels. Chickpeas provide a hefty dose of both fiber and protein which helps keep you full longer. These delicious beans also have a very neutral flavor making them an easy addition to any meal! 

Gluten Free, Vegan

Ingredients:

1 large onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 large zucchini, chopped 

3 cloves garlic, minced 

28 oz stewed tomatoes 

3/4 cup filtered water 

2 cups cooked chickpeas

1/3 cup creamy unsw organic peanut butter

3 tbs thai green chili paste

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp chili powder 

1 tbs sriracha sauce (or 1/4 tsp cayenne) 

1 cup light coconut milk

juice of two limes 

2 handfulls fresh chopped basil or 1 tbs dried basil

crushed roasted peanuts for garnish

fresh chopped basil or cilantro for garnish 

Instructions:

For the slow cooker, add all ingredients to the cooker and thoroughly mix to combine. Set the temperature to low and slow, cook for about 6 - 8 hours or until all veggies are cooked through and all flavors are intertwined. Finally, add in the coconut milk and lime juice, stir to combine. Serve garnished with chopped peanuts and fresh herbs. Enjoy! 

For the stovetop, in a pot heated over high heat, add your chopped onions, bell pepper, zucchini and garlic along with 1 tbs coconut oil. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the onions are soft. Next, toss in the cumin, thai chili paste, chili powder, salt and pepper. Briefly stir ,then add in the stewed tomatoes, chickpeas, peanut butter, sriracha and 3/4 cup filtered water. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 20 - 30 minutes or until all flavors are fully developed. Finally, stir in the coconut milk and lime juice. Serve garnished with chopped peanuts and fresh herbs. Enjoy! 

Post by: Rebecca 

Fall, the season of beauty, the season of warmth. I can’t wait until it gets cold enough to sit in front of the warm fire while reading a good book. Fall also comes with much inspiration, the vivid colors and smells bring me recipe ideas every day!

I love making raw granola, it’s almost impossible to mess up! You can customize it to your liking or add in what’s in season. This recipe was just another one of my random ideas (I usually just throw things together when making raw granola). You might be thinking, “I’ve heard of raw foods before, but what’s that all about?” Well raw foods are an easy way to get the optimum amount of nutrients from what you eat. When you cook most foods, some of the vital nutrients get eliminated. One example is honey; we all know the benefits of honey. When honey is heated (just like many commercial honeys are) it loses its healing properties, which completely defeats the purpose of eating it. To steer clear of this problem, opt for Local raw untreated honey. Raw foods do require a little more prep work than other recipes, but if you plan ahead and do a bit each day you won’t feel overwhelmed at all.

This recipe includes several types of grains, buckwheat, quinoa and oat groats. All of these grains can be found in the bulk bins at your local health food store or whole foods. You can also buy them online but since they are so easy to find I recommend looking for them at the store first. Soaking these grains releases the nutrients even further and allows them to be digested with ease. Quinoa, oats and buckwheat are all very high in protein (quinoa being the highest) compared to other grains. Alike other grains these are also high in fiber. Orange juice adds a slight tart flavor while balancing out the maple syrup, which naturally sweetens and adds an almost candy like flavor (love maple syrup!). Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 cup raw buckwheat - not kasha which is toasted buckwheat (soaked, sprouted and dehydrated)

½ cup raw oat groats (soaked, sprouted and dehydrated)

½ cup raw quinoa (soaked, sprouted and dehydrated)

1/4 – 1/3 cup maple syrup

Juice of one medium orange (about 1/3 cup juice)

3 tbs coconut oil, lightly melted

3 tbs filtered water 

1-2 tsp vanilla

½ tsp pink Himalayan sea salt

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp cardamom

¼ - ½ tsp nutmeg

½ cup raw walnuts

¼ cup dried organic cherries or raisins (unsweetened)

Instructions:

I suggest starting this recipe two days in advance. Follow soaking and sprouting instructions below for the seeds, keeping them separated. If you don't have a dehydrator see note.*

Grind the oat groats along with ¼ cup quinoa in a high speed blender and blend (grind) into flour. Combine all the dry ingredients with the fresh flour.

Next add the maple syrup, oil, water and orange juice (squeezing pulp out of the orange also) to the dry ingredients. Stir to combine and add more maple syrup or orange juice if needed. To finish it off, add in the walnuts and dried fruits, fold to combine.

Spread on lined dehydrator trays and dehydrate at 115F degrees for about 8 hours or overnight. Break into chunks in the morning and enjoy! This granola keeps in a sealed container for up to a month (I use mason jars). 

* If you don’t have a dehydrator, just skip the soaking and dehydrating part, instead toast the granola in the oven after combining the ingredients. I have never tried this in the oven but I would recommend toasting it at 200F degrees for about 45 minutes or until crunchy, stirring frequently. Someone tell me if this works out for you!

Sprouting may seem hard but with the right planning and prep work, it’s easy. Most every seed, bean, nut and grain will sprout, and you don’t have to buy those seeds that actually say “sprouting seeds”! Before you begin, make sure your seeds/ grains are good quality and are truly raw.

1st: measure out however many seeds you want to sprout and lightly rinse them off.

2nd: get out a mixing bowl and pour in the rinsed grains

3rd: cover the grains with filtered water and soak them for at least 24 hours (sprouts need 24 hours of soaking time but for regular soaking overnight will do)

4th: after the seeds are well soaked, rinse them again and transfer them to a glass jar (I use ball jars)

5th: make sure there is some moisture but not too much liquid and cover with plastic wrap or cheese cloth.

6th: if using plastic wrap puncture it with a knife after covering the jar

7th: let sit for at least 1 day (check my sprouting chart below for times) rinsing every morning until sprouted!

8th: after your seeds are sprouted use them as soon as possible or keep in the fridge for up to 4 days. Use in granola, in salads, on yogurt and much more!


Below is a sprouting chart which shows what seeds you can sprout and how long to soak and sprout them. 

If you plan to sprout an ingredient that is not on the chart just follow the soaking time for the most similar item and let it sprout until it has little white “tails” (sprouts) on it.

*if you let the seeds sprout too long they will begin to ferment and become bitter, so make sure you watch them closely, follow the sprouting time and rinse them at least once a day.