Magical Black Rice and Pumpkin Tamale with Superfood Cilantro Sauce

Just in the nick of time for All Hallows' Eve, festive black and orange tamales. Black rice and pumpkin are known in Chinese medicine as being particularly appropriate for the autumn and winter months. Pumpkin is grounding and rich while black rice nourishes the kidney's. Learn more about all the amazing health benefits of pumpkin here. Black foods have become quite hip over the last few years as they offer a striking and unique contrast within a meal. The trick (or is it treat?) with ebony food is to pair it with brightly colored accents -- the pumpkin works beautifully in this role. The tamales are topped with a bright and spicy cilantro sauce. As seen in How to grown your own superfoods this winter, cilantro "controls blood sugar, detoxifies heavy metals and possesses strong antibacterial properties." This is certainly a food you will want to enjoy often for its impressive health benefits.

Now for a few words about the recipe. To ease the rolling of tamales, make sure to use the rice while it is still warm. It is actually an enjoyable and easy process once you get the hang of it. The sweetness of the pumpkin off-sets the tartness of the cilantro-lime sauce while the black rice adds an earthy flavor. You will have plenty of roasted pumpkin left over to enjoy as a side or in another creation of your choosing. This is also a perfect entrée for those of you who are partaking in Dia de los Muertos festivities. Wishing all an inspired autumn.

Magical Black Rice and Pumpkin Tamales with Superfood Cilantro Sauce

Serves: 6

*As always, organic ingredients are best for flavor, nutrition and health

Ingredients...

3 cups short-grain black rice

3 1/4 cups water

Small sugar pumpkin, peeled, seeded and cubed in 1-inch chunks

1/4 cup coconut oil

One bunch of cilantro

4 cloves of garlic

1/4 cup pumpkin seeds

Juice of two limes

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 cup olive oil

Sea salt to taste

Unbleached parchment paper

Method…

Cut parchment paper into (6) 4x6 inch rectangular pieces of parchment paper.

Combine rice with water and a pinch of salt in a 1-quart saucepan. Bring to a slow simmer and reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and cook for 45 minutes until water is completely absorbed. Let sit five minutes a fluff. Set aside covered.

While rice is cooking, roast pumpkin cubes. Preheat oven to 375ºF. Place a 9x12 baking dish and the coconut oil within the oven. Leave just long enough to melt the oil -- about 3 minutes. Remove and toss with pumpkin cubes and a pinch of salt. Return to oven and roast for 35-40 minutes until cubes are golden brown and soft throughout. Set aside and let cool.

Meanwhile, create the cilantro sauce. In a food processor fitted with the metal S-blade, blend cilantro, garlic and pumpkin seeds until a smooth. Add lime juice, cayenne, olive oil and a pinch of salt. Blend until creamy. Set aside.

To assemble tamales, place one piece of parchment on a heavy cutting board. Spread one cup of rice over entire parchment save 1/2 inch around. Place a strip of pumpkin lengthwise along the center of the rice. With the side closest to you, roll up parchment, rice and pumpkin until both sides meet. Press down gently to seal the seam. Set aside and continue with 5 remaining wrappers.

When it is time to serve, tenderly unwrap each tamale onto a plate. Drizzle with cilantro sauce. Share with those friendly goblins, witches and spooks whom you love. Joyful feasting!

"I would rather sit on a pumpkin and have it all to myself 
than be crowded on a velvet cushion."

                                                      -Henry David Thoreau

Friendly Sage Braised Artichokes with Garlic

This recipe is dedicated to a very unique friend, Denise. I will forever associate her with artichokes -- especially those of the braised kind. I have known Denise for about ten years now, connecting with her during a time when nutrient dense, health enhancing food was incredibly important for her family. Throughout the years we have kept in touch, she even 'adopted' a Staub cast-iron pot of mine for several years while I was traveling and living abroad. Denise continued the tradition of braised artichokes during all those years I was unable to. Through a turn of events over the last month, the pot landed back in my kitchen after seven years. I have to say, this first batch of braised artichokes cooked in the Staub were amazing -- that pot is pretty much fool-proof and a joy to use. Thoughts of Denise and her family were a constant companion while preparing this delicious vegetable -- I just wished we lived closer!

On a nutrition note, artichokes are a terrific food for the liver -- helping to cleanse the organ and keeping it healthy by encouraging bile flow. They are also high in antioxidants and fiber. Studies show that artichoke leaf extract is an anti-tumor tonic for breast and prostate cancer along with leukemia. Simply eating the the meat of the leaves and the artichoke heart will provide these health benefits too.

As for the artichokes themselves, this recipe can be prepped in no time flat -- it is mainly the slow cooking that requires a bit of patience. But the wait is worth it. Always choose artichokes with tight leaves and little or no purple blemishes. The cut end of the stalk is a good indicator or freshness -- light green is best. As always, choose organic for health and flavor.

Friendly Sage Braised Artichokes with Garlic

Yield: 2 servings/4 quarters each

Ingredients

2 large globe artichokes

Juice of one lemon

1 cup vegetable broth, freshly made if possible

1/2 cup dry white wine

2 tablespoons of olive oil

3 cloves fresh garlic, crushed

4 leaves fresh sage, roughly chopped

Salt and Pepper to taste

Method

Fill a large bowl with ice water and half the lemon juice. Set aside. With a butter knife, pry the small leaves off the bottom of the artichoke -- only those that are inedible without meat. Next, using a sharp chef knife, slice the top inch off the artichoke as well as the stem where it joins at the base of the globe. Clip each leaf with kitchen shears, about 1/2 inch down -- just enough to remove the sharp point. Now quarter the artichoke lengthwise. Take a small pairing knife and remove the white thistle material from each quarter, making sure to leave the heart-meat intact. As soon as the quarter is primed, place in ice-water to prevent browning.

While the artichoke quarters are soaking, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add garlic and sage. Sauté until fragrant, about one minute. Drain artichokes and add to pot along with vegetable broth, white wine and remaining lemon juice. Toss artichokes well and cover. Cook for one hour, turning artichokes occasionally to infuse with seasoned cooking liquid. Prick with fork to test for doneness -- artichokes should be tender throughout. Enjoy with abandon.

     "Eating an artichoke is like getting to know someone really well"

-Willi Hastings