Sweet Sensational Vegetables

Prep Time

5minutes

Prep Notes

Almost everyone craves sweets. Rather than depending on processed sugar to satisfy cravings, add naturally sweet foods to your daily diet to satisfy your sweet tooth. Sweet vegetables soothe the internal organs of the body and energize the mind. And because many of these vegetables are root vegetables, they are energetically grounding, which helps to balance out the spaciness people often feel after eating other kinds of sweet foods. Adding in sweet vegetables helps to crowd out less healthy foods in the diet.

Cooking Time

15 minutes

Yields

Varies

Ingredients

Use any combination of the following sweet vegetables:

corn, carrots, onions, beets, winter squashes, sweet potatoes, yams, turnips, parsnips, rutabagas red radishes, daikon, green cabbage, burdock.

Directions

1. Use any combination of the sweet vegetables mentioned above.

2. Chop the vegetables into bite-sized pieces.

3. Use a medium-sized pot and add enough water to barely cover the vegetables. Cook uncovered on medium heat until they soften and can be pricked with a fork, about 15 minutes. Check the water level while cooking, and add more water if more than half of the water is gone. Stir occasionally. The softer the vegetables get, the sweeter they become but avoid overcooking. (They should not become mushy; overcooked vegetables lose color and nutrients.)

4. When the vegetables are cooked to your satisfaction, remove the vegetables from the pot using a slotted spoon and place in a bowl. Season to taste with spices, salt, or seaweed. Or for added protein, add tofu or a can of beans.

5. Enjoy! The leftover cooking water makes a delicious, sweet sauce and is a healing, soothing tonic to drink by itself.

Notes

Other cooking methods include steaming, roasting, and stir-frying. Sweet vegetables can also be simmered and pureed to create a soup, or you can simply eat them raw, grated in a salad. Be creative!