Therapeutic Botanical Recipes Photo by Juliet Blankenspoor. CHLA/Jill Madison – recipes cited as needed Recipes suitable for ages 5 yrs +, inquire with your PMD if unsure of any ingredients Contents 1. Begin: Stimulate Appetite & Digestion 2. All Four Sides: Two Cool & Two Warm, for all Seasons 3. Mains: Vegetarian or Omnivore 4. Refreshments: Restorative, Reviving & Soothing 5. Finishing: Carminative or Sweet: Closing the Meal 6. Culinary Herbal Liquids & Extras: Broth(s), Oil, Vinegar, Honey, Finishing Salt & Sprinkles 7. Herbal Safety Reference 1. Digestives - Begin with a food or beverage to stimulate digestion and appetite. Illness, stress, sweet foods, large snacks and beverages can dampen the appetite. Children also go through cycles in their eating habits, both enjoyment of eating a gentle stimulation of the digestive juices may support a less-enthusiastic appetite. If lack of appetite is accompanied by weight loss – seek MD consult. Appetite Elixir Tea Ginger Sage Chamomile Lemon Balm Dandelion root Tulsi Orange peel Cinnamon Turmeric Cardamom Play with various combinations and use ~3 different herbs for a balanced flavor. Can leave out any ingredient you do not have or do not like and may add honey to taste if needed. Use either dried or fresh herbs. If using fresh, mince finely and use total 1 tbsp herb + 8 oz water. If using dried, use total 1-2 tsp + 8 oz water. Pour just boiled water over your herbs of choice and let steep 5-15 minutes. Serving: ~4-8 ozs depending on age. Give ~20 minutes prior to a meal. Touch of Bitter Salad Combine your favorite kitchen lettuces with additional bitter greens to taste. Chop the bitters finely to not dominate overall flavor. Start with 4 parts tender lettuces. Add 1 part ‘bitter’ greens: arugula, dandelion (spring/smaller leaves are more tender), endive, chicory, radicchio, watercress, spinach, mizuna. Dress with quick vinaigrette: 3 parts olive oil + 1 part lemon juice or red vinegar/apple cider vinegar your choice, add bit of minced fresh parsley, minced orange peel, bit of mustard (to emulsify) – shake all ingredients vigorously in a lidded jar. Taste and adjust if needed. If you have the time, you can even add minced shallot! Consider adding a chopped grapefruit section on the side to really dive into the land of bitter. 2. All Four Sides: Two Cool & Two Warm, For All Seasons. Cool Pumpkin Seed Blend (from Alchemy of Herbs by Rosalee de la Foret) This herby protein dip is a delicious change from hummus or ranch for your fresh veggies, you can even spread on a sandwich. Choose veggies of choice to serve, or cracker, your choice! Consider cucumber, carrots, zucchini, cauliflower, broccoli, jicama, cherry tomatoes, etc. 1.5 cups unroasted pumpkin seeds, soaked overnight and drained 2 tbsp seaweed flakes - dulse or kelp or nori 1-2 minced garlic cloves 1-2 tbsp tamari, soy sauce, or coconut aminos 1 tbsp turmeric powder 1 tsp cumin powder 2 tsp paprika powder ½ tsp black pepper 1 cup broth of choice, or water 0.25 cup olive oil or other oil of choice Salt to taste Garnish with chopped fresh tender herbs: whatever you have on hand (parsley, basil, cilantro, sage, thyme, dill, etc.) 1. Place pumpkin seeds through black pepper in a food processor or blender. 2. While food processor is running, add olive oil and broth. 3. When ready to eat, stir in salt to taste and add chopped herbs if using. Cool Crispy Colorful Salad 1.5 cups thinly sliced green cabbage 1.5 cups thinly sliced red cabbage 1 carrot grated or cut like matchsticks 0.5-1 cup loosely packed chopped tender herbs: chives, parsley, cilantro, basil, green onions, dill 2-4 tbsp chopped almonds or cashews or sesame seeds or nigella/kalanji seeds 1. Combine the above veggies with your clean hands in a bowl. 2. Use the dressing from the salad on the previous page, and massage into the cabbage to soften. Parsley and Mint Soup (modified from The Herbal Kitchen by Jerry Traunfeld) This gorgeous green soup can be served warm or cool and can be adjusted for allergies (i.e. substitute cow’s milk cream with plain coconut cream or almond yogurt, even cooked mashed potatoes!). 3 cups sliced leeks 2 tbsp unsalted butter (or olive oil, or other fat of choice) 4 cups broth 1 tbsp rice 1-2 dried slices astralagus root 4 cups loosely packed parsley (or half/half with cilantro) .5 cup loosely packed mint Salt (to taste) and pepper 0.25 cup cream Garnish – choose edible flowers from list in presentation if you have them 1. Combine leeks and butter in your soup pot over medium heat, stir until wilted ~3 minutes. 2. Add broth, rice and astralagus, bring to a boil then cover and simmer on low for ~20 minutes. 3. Stir in parsley, mint, pepper and turn off heat. Remove astralagus as it won’t blend well. 4. Puree in batches in your blender or use an immersion blender. 5. Pour back into soup pot, stir in the cream or substitute, and taste. Add salt and garnish. Roasted Root Vegetables Red, white, fingerling, or sweet potatoes – Carrots – cut into ~0.5 inch rounds cut into ~0.5 inch cubes Red Onion – cut into half moons Jerusalem artichokes or sunchokes – cut into ~0.5 inch cubes Turmeric or Ginger root – cut into matchsticks Beets – cut into ~0.5 inch cubes Burdock or parsnip or turnip root – cut into ~0.5 inch cubes 1. Preheat oven to 400F. 2. Choose 3-4 of the hardy tubers above, no reason to use all ingredients. Do include at least turmeric or ginger. 3. Chop enough tubers to cover a roast or sheet pan, not too crowded! 4. Drizzle with ~3 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp honey or maple syrup if needed (if you’d like an alternate sweetener, use a chopped apple), salt and pepper to taste. Choose to add any hardy herbs or spices that you like: rosemary, sage, cumin, garlic, thyme, nigella/kalanji, Toss with your hands or a spoon to combine. 5. Bake for ~30 min, stir, and continue to bake if not fork-mashable. Cover with foil if getting burnt and not cooked thoroughly enough to finish. 3. Mains: Vegetarian or Omnivore. Whole Grain + Lentil Crock Pot, Insta-Pot, or Stove Top Combo This is a go-to busy weeknight dinner that has endless iterations. I use an Insta-pot however you can use any similar crock pot, or a regular soup pot on the stove as well. Whole grain of choice: sorghum, barley, 1 whole piece whole kombu kamut, teff, amaranth, quinoa, rice (white, brown, black, red) Hardy herbs of choice: suggest savory herbs Lentil of choice: red, green, black Hardy vegetables of choice: my favorites are dried mushrooms as I rarely have fresh, Broth of choice or water but your choice (shiitake, reishi, oyster, morel, chanterelle, etc.) 1-3 dried astralagus slices 1. Saute a generous serving of olive oil, add hardy herbs of choice (dry or fresh): bay, thyme, rosemary, etc., black pepper & salt to taste (or you can wait to salt at the end) 2. Once herbs are fragrant but not burnt - add 1 cup lentils + 1 cup grains, 1 bunch brassicas (kale or collards or broccoli rabe or cauliflower cut into bite size pieces or wild fresh nettles if you are lucky to find them) + 1/2 cup or more dry wild mushrooms, stir to coat in the oil. 3. 6-8 cups of water or broth, stir to mix. 4. If using an Insta-pot- Put the lid on, hit multigrain or bean. Either is fine, you need ~35-40 minutes. 5. If using the stove top, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for ~40-50 minutes, check that grains/lentils are soft enough to your taste. Certain grains will take longer (whole kamut and wild rice) compared to quinoa. Certain lentils (green), will take longer than red. 6. When cooked, taste, and add salt, pepper, additional oil, butter/ghee to taste. If dry, add more water or broth and stir until the texture you like. Roasted Fish with Herby Pesto + Sautéed Dandelion/Collard Greens + Starchy Side of Choice. (Pesto modified from Alchemy of Herbs by Rosalee de la Foret) This is another go-to busy weeknight dinner that has endless iterations. Honestly, I rarely buy fresh fish 2/2 cost and time (I don’t like to shop on weeknight) – so it’s handy to have a bag of individual fillets in the freezer. Usually we do rice as it is a favorite, although potatoes, or quinoa or sorghum are also great choices. Fish fillet: suggest wild caught salmon, cod, or if you prefer tilapia – truly any fish of choice and quantity depends on how many you are cooking for. I do 4 oz per adult, modify as needed. Herby Pesto: 2 cups chopped fresh dandelion leaves or blanched nettles (squeeze out water), if you’d like milder flavor add a handful or more basil 3 garlic cloves, chopped 1 tbsp lemon juice Zest of 1 lemon 0.5 cup olive oil or other vegetable oil of choice (walnut, flax, grapeseed, etc.) 0.5 tsp sea or other salt 1 tsp turmeric powder 0.5 tsp black pepper 0.5 chopped pine nuts or other of choice (walnut, cashew, almonds, etc.) 0.25 c grated parmesan cheese or leave out if non-dairy Sautéed Greens: 1-2 bunches greens of choice (we eat about 1 bunch per adult, do more or less pending how many you are cooking for) – I like 1 bunch dandelion + 1 bunch kale.