Jerusalem Artichokes and Braised Kale Rice Pilaf

It should have been my celebration meal.

Smoked bison loin, watercress salad, corn succotash and sunchoke soup.

I was in DC for the Marine Corps Marathon. But I wasn’t running the race. Three months earlier I sprained my ankle, making it impossible to train for 26.2 miles.

The trip to DC became memorable for other things, particularly a trip to the Native American Museum. Spectacular exhibits, even more spectacular food. The Mitsitam Cafe serves all foods indigenous to North America. It was there that I had my first taste of sunchokes, also known as jerusalem artichokes.

Jerusalem artichokes are not artichokes at all or even in the same plant family. They are the roots of sunflowers and get their name from a faulty Italian translation, “girasole artichoke.” Girasole translates to sunflower and I have no idea how that turned into jerusalem. And the artichoke is an even bigger mystery. I think sunchoke is the more appropriate name.

Whatever you call them, they are mighty tasty, like a cross between an artichoke and a starchy potato. One cup is rich in potassium too, containing 650 mg.

For the March edition of the Local Eats Project, I went back to our historical roots, deep into the soil with beautiful jerusalem artichokes paired with red kale and brown rice.


Here are the farmer market ingredients I took home:

2 lbs jerusalem artichokes        $10.00    ($5.00 per lb)
1 bunch red kale                   $4.00   ($4.00 per bunch)
3  shallots     $1.85    ($4.00 per lb)

TOTAL $15.85 (to serve 6 people)

 

I’d love to see your Local Eats Project recipes! Post the recipe, photos and cost of your meal on your website or any social media site and share the love of local food. #localeatsproject

Enjoy!

Jerusalem Artichokes and Braised Kale Rice PilafJerusalem Artichokes and Braised Kale Rice PilafJerusalem Artichokes and Braised Kale Rice PilafJerusalem Artichokes and Braised Kale Rice PilafJerusalem Artichokes and Braised Kale Rice Pilaf

Jerusalem Artichokes and Braised Kale Rice Pilaf
Serves 6
Nutty, comforting flavors of jerusalem artichokes, kale and creamy rice.
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Prep Time
30 min
Cook Time
35 min
Prep Time
30 min
Cook Time
35 min
Ingredients
  1. 2 lbs jerusalem artichokes/sunchokes - chopped
  2. 2 cups kale - stems removed and torn into pieces
  3. ½ cup shallots - sliced
  4. 1 cup vegetable or chicken broth
  5. ½ tsp salt
  6. ½ tsp garam masala
  7. ¼ tsp black pepper
  8. 1 tbsp olive oil
  9. PILAF
  10. 1 ½ cups brown rice
  11. 3 cardamom seeds
  12. 1 cinnamon stick
  13. 1 bay leaves
  14. ½ tsp salt
Instructions
  1. Begin by preparing the rice. Soak in a mason jar with 1 ½ cups water for 30 minutes.
  2. While the rice is soaking, place the jerusalem artichokes, kale, shallots, broth and ¼ tsp salt in a large pot. Bring to a low boil.
  3. Reduce heat to low and stir in the garam masala, pepper and the rest of the salt. Partially cover pot and simmer for 15 minutes.
  4. Make a spice bag with the cardamom, cinnamon and bay leaf. I do this with a piece of cheese cloth tied up with cooking twine.
  5. In a large pot, bring 4 cups of water to a boil. All the salt, spice bag and rice. Reduce to simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes. Rice is done when you can fluff it with a fork.
  6. Remove from heat and combine the rice with the vegetables.
  7. Drizzle olive oil over everything and toss together.
Sparkle Kitchen https://sparklekitchen.com/
Jerusalem Artichokes and Braised Kale Rice Pilaf

Wellness Beets Episode #38: Sugar and the Holidays, Energy Robbers, and The Art of Pampering

Come Chat with Us on Social Media. We love hearing from you!

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UPDATES
Brittany talks all about her Local Eats Project and how she’s going to be posting 1 recipe per month made out of local foods; she asks everyone who wants to join her to do so! Use the hashtag #localeatsproject on social media to follow along.  Brittany is also doing the 21 Day Sugar Detox/Whole 30 starting on November 30th. She’ll be doing an periscope and Instagram post each day on the topic.

Alex talks about finishing up the Toxic Home Makeover and the new Skin Care Guide her and Megan of GingerNewtrition have coming up. She also talks about her upcoming Periscope series (her handle is @digprimal over there) and how people can benefit from all that information.

 

SUGAR, ALCOHOL AND THE HOLIDAYS 
We talk about how we deal with extra temptations and indulgences in the holidays. We talk about abstaining, minimizing, and picking healthier options and how you can change between these choices throughout the season! We also discuss the benefits of focusing on making connections and being close with family and friends throughout the season…and why that can be better for your health than choosing stricter lifestyle choices.

Choffee Recipe

 

ENERGY ROBBERS DURING THE HOLIDAYS 
We talk about common energy robbers present at all times but often get worse with the holidays with visiting family, setting traditions, and your own obligations.  We talk about identifying, eliminating, and modifying energy robbers. We also talking about taking time to do these activities and then checking in with yourself over the course of the holidays (or in general). Brittany additionally discusses setting boundaries and sticking to them.

 

THE ART OF PAMPERING
We get into how we feel about the importance of taking care of yourself and setting aside time to pamper yourself silly.  We talk about the health benefits of this as well as how recharging it can be so that we can be our best for the loved ones in our lives. We share our favorite pampering activities, such as spa days (like this bentonite clay mask and revitalizing scalp treatments), dinners out, and curling up by a heat source with a book.

We love questions! Send us yours at [email protected]

Did you enjoy this podcast?

If so, please leave a review for us in iTunes and subscribe to get the latest episodes!

We are super grateful for you helping us get the word out!

 

 

Episode #37: Thanksgiving, Eye Health, Composting, and Sleeping Pills

WILD ZORA SPONSORSHIP

Wild Zora Meat & Veggie Bar

Alex and I are always looking for nutrient-rich, real food snacks we can enjoy on the go. So we’re thrilled to have Wild Zora as an official sponsor of the podcast. A complete and balanced snack is more than just meat, Wild Zora Meat and Veggie Bars include a balance of grass-fed or naturally raised meats mixed with one serving of certified-organic fruits and veggies. Every bar is super nutrient dense and 100% real food. Go over to WildZora.com to check out all their yummy flavors and stock up on their high-quality snacks.

 

UPDATES
Brittany talks all about her Local Eats Project and how she’s going to be posting one recipe per month made out of local foods; she asks everyone who wants to join her to do so!

Megan of GingerNewtrition and Alex have released the new version of the Toxic Home Makeover, along with an 8 week video mini-course that helps you implement all of these changes in a methodical and stress-free manner. Grab your guide and join us over on our Instagram accounts (digprimal and gingernewtrition) for the 30 day Toxic Home Makeover Challenge that we’re posting on every single day in the month of November.

 

EYE HEALTH QUESTION 
“Hi ladies! I’d love to hear your thoughts on how to maintain good eye health. I’m 28 years old but after my son was born last year my vision drastically took a nosedive. Even the optometrist is quite surprised. Even if I can’t reverse the damage already done, I would love to know what vitamins and minerals go into maintaining as good of eye health as possible. Thanks!” – Caitlin

-We answered by addressing nutritional options to focus on, such as omega 3 fatty acids, vitamins C and E, zinc, and vitamin A. We also discuss good eye hygiene with glasses and contact lenses and then dig deep into getting eye exercises to give our peepers a break from the constant screen time we expose ourselves to, for most eye and visual conditions make sure you treat them with visiclear pills.

 

COMPOSTING
We get into the details behind all the different ways you can compost. We discuss everything from working with your local farmers market to keeping earthworms in your kitchen to building your own compost in your backyard! It’s easier than you think and can be helpful in cutting down on the waste you throw away.

Find the best composting system for you. Brittany’s article explains all the options:

 

SLEEPING PILLS 
We discuss why so many people are dependent on sleeping pills, including sleep disorders, sleep hygiene problems, and lifestyle considerations.  We then talk about natural sleep aid options such as melatonin, valerian root, chamomile, essential oils, magnesium oil, epsom salt/bentonite clay baths.

 

We love questions! Send us yours at [email protected]

Did you enjoy this podcast?

If so, please leave a review for us in iTunes and subscribe to get the latest episodes!

We are super grateful for you helping us get the word out!