Two Healthy and Delicious Dishes from Joaninha’s Recipes For a Good Life

 

We reviewed Recipes For a Good Life when Oakland author Joaninha published her healthy eating cookbook in 2024. Joaninha has graciously shared two more of her vegan and gluten-free recipes, a winter squash soup and a sauté of sweet potatoes, kale, and walnuts over brown rice, both perfect for those times in the winter season when we need something healthy, warming, and delicious.

Recipes from Joaninah’s Recipes For a Good Life, Available at the Food Mill, 3033 MacArthur Blvd, Oakland, Payn’s Stationary, 1791 Solano Ave, Berkeley, and online here.

Winter Squash Soup 

This filling, deep-orange-colored soup brings sunshine to your table on a cold winter’s day. The prominent ginger warms the body and soul. Serve as a starter or as the centerpiece of a meal with some steamed greens alongside and garlic toast.

Serves 4–6

• 2 tablespoons olive oil or ghee
• 2 onions, chopped
• 1 tablespoon peeled and finely grated fresh ginger
• 1/4 cup (1 1/2 oz/45 g) crystallized ginger, rinsed and chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 pounds (500 g) butternut or other winter squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch (12-mm) pieces. 5 cups (40 fl oz/1.2 l) broth or water
• 1 cup (6 fl oz/180 ml) coconut milk
• Chopped fresh marjoram or cilantro, for garnish

In a medium soup pot, melt the ghee over medium heat. Add the onions, fresh ginger, crystallized ginger, and salt. Sauté until the onions are translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in the squash, then add the broth and bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook until the squash is very tender, about 20 minutes.

Purée the soup with an immersion blender or in small batches in a blender. Return to the saucepan, stir in the coconut milk, and pass through a sieve into a bowl. Before serving, return to pan and heat gently over medium-low heat. Pour into soup bowls and garnish with fresh marjoram or cilantro.

Variation: Preheat oven to 325°F (170°C). Line a sided baking sheet with parchment pa- per. Halve squash, remove seeds, and place face down on baking sheet. Bake for 50 to 70 minutes or until skin starts to brown. When cool, spoon squash out from its skin. Add to sautéed onions and proceed with recipe method.

 

Sautéed Sweet Potato, Kale, and Walnuts over Brown Rice 

The flavors and textures of these vegetables with the walnuts offer pleasing contrasts in this easy-to-make meal. The sweet potato, kale, and walnut mixture can serve as a side dish without the rice.

Serves 2

• 3/4 cup (7 oz/220 g) short-grain brown rice 1 1/2 cups (12 fl oz/375 ml) water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil or ghee
• 1 medium orange-fleshed sweet potato, peeled and diced into 3/8-inch (1 cm) pieces or spiralized
• 1 bunch of kale, stemmed and cut into 1/2-inch (12-mm) strips
• 1/4 cup (2 fl oz/60 ml) water
• 1/2 cup (2 oz/60 g) walnuts, broken into pieces and soaked overnight 1/4 teaspoon salt

Rinse the rice twice and drain. In a medium saucepan, combine the rice, water, and salt. Bring the water to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the water is completely absorbed and the rice is tender.

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat and sauté the sweet potato for 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the kale and sauté for 3 minutes. Add water and cook for 5 more minutes or until the sweet potatoes are tender. Stir in the walnuts and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, just long enough to heat the walnuts. Add the salt and serve over the cooked rice.

Note: When sweet potatoes are organic, leave the skins on.

Spiralizer variation: Heat oil, add the kale and then sauté for 2 minutes or until the kale starts to soften. Then add the spiralized sweet potatoes and walnuts and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes or until the sweet potato spirals are tender.