6 Culinary Tips to Enjoy Whole Food S.O.U.L. Food with 2 Simple Recipes

When we cook and enjoy eating real whole foods we have the opportunity to create a wide variety of tasty, beautiful, colorful, local, in-season dishes.

• Cook with variety. You can cook the same foods different ways – raw, steamed, roasted, blended - and enjoy very different, delicious meals.
• Eat with the Season. When we eat real whole foods, we have the opportunity to eat in tune with what’s in season, and enjoy the food that nature naturally creates for us in the geographic area where we live.
• Eat with Color. By incorporating whole foods into our life, we easily enjoy the infamous "rainbow of fruits & veggies" that we hear about so often, getting a variety of nutrients and phytonutrients (natural plant chemicals).

6 Culinary Tips to Create Beautiful & Tasty Whole Food S.O.U.L. Food

1. Buy as fresh as you can. Shop at local farmers’ markets and eat local and with the season. Learn more about why farmers’ markets and CSA’s (Community Supported Agriculture) are good you and your local farmers.
2. Chop food different ways. Practice your knife skills. Enjoy different textures and visual appeal. Make your veggies rustic or classic.
3. Try a variety of fresh organic herbs. Experiment with lemon basil, parsley, lemon balm, or cilantro. Add fresh herbs to your salads, roasted root veggies and even avocado salsa.
4. Experiment with spices. Freshly grind your spices or toast them in a sauté pan to bring out their flavor and aroma. Add freshly ground cinnamon to your morning smoothie. Add toasted cumin to your bamboo steamer carrots. Enjoy the beautiful aroma and impactful taste.
5. Have fun with a rainbow. Try rainbow carrots, rainbow Swiss chard, or a rainbow of heirloom tomatoes. You’ll enjoy beautiful, colorful food, and eat an array of different phytonutrients.
6. Use mineral-rich sea salt or Himalayan rock salt. Salt brings out the natural flavor of veggies. Be light on salting your food to taste the beauty of the food. Try not to add so much salt that you actually taste salt in your dishes.

"Many people believe that eating real whole foods is only eating food like raw carrot sticks, raw celery sticks, an apple, or a banana. However, cooking and eating real whole foods is way more than that." Melanie Albert

Whole Food S.O.U.L. Food Wednesday Action:
Go to a Farmers’ Market & Cook Organic Roasted Roots & Spaghetti Squash

With our Whole Food S.O.U.L. blog we invite you to take action with your whole foods eating behavior.

Our Challenge for you this week is to visit a farmers’ market, buy spaghetti squash or sweet potatoes and try the Organic Roasted Sweet Potatoes and/or Spaghetti Squash Recipe, adding in any of your favorite spices or herbs.

Our Whole Food / S.O.U.L Food Wednesday Recipes for the Week

Simple way to enjoy sweet potatoes with your favorite aromatics, spices or herbs.

Organic Ingredients

• 4-6 medium sweet potatoes
• 2 TBSP organic extra virgin olive oil
• 1-2 tsp sea salt
• 1-2 tsp black pepper
• 1-2 TBSP of extras: minced garlic, dried lavender, cumin seeds, or your favorite

Simple Steps

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Dice sweet potatoes into cubes or French fry shape.
3. Mix olive oil, sea salt, black pepper and your favorite aromatics, spices or herbs.
4. Toss sweet potatoes and organic olive oil mixture.
5. Lay sweet potatoes on parchment lined COOKIE sheet.
6. Bake for about 15 minutes.
7. Flip sweet potatoes and bake for about another 15-20 minutes.

Try spaghetti squash instead of spaghetti and enjoy it with different roots or tomatoes.

Organic Ingredients

• 2 medium (about 4 pounds) organic spaghetti squash
• 3-4 TBSP organic extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp marjoram
• 1 tsp oregano
• Or, 2 tsp of your favorite herbs
• 1 tsp sea salt
• ½ tsp black pepper

Simple Steps

1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Cut spaghetti squash lengthwise and remove seeds.
3. Place all ingredients in a bowl and stir.
4. Drizzle organic olive oil and herbs on the spaghetti squash.
5. Lay the spaghetti cut side down on parchment lined COOKIE SHEET
6. Bake until squash gives slightly to touch.
7. Remove from oven and let cook for about 10 minutes.
8. Use a fork or spoon to scrape inside of squash. It will look like yellow spaghetti.
9. Enjoy with roasted root veggies or roasted organic tomatoes.

Enjoy.

Share your Organic Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Spaghetti Squash creations on Facebook:

www.facebook.com/SWIHA and www.facebook.com/9Ways90Days