Nourish the Budding Lotus

2 Potato Gratin with Veggies

Spring is definitely in full swing.  In Boulder the tulips are in full bloom, the daffodils are strong and healthy, and the buds on the apple trees, crab apples and more are in bloom.  I have even see the lilacs and forsythia starting to tell their spring story.

Inspired by the fresh life of spring, C. and I have decided to do a mini cleanse to feel that freshness ourselves.  We too are shedding the layers of winter, emotionally and physically, and are ready to feel a little lighter with the change that is coming for us this spring.  Knowing that this month is going to be a big one for us with packing, moving and re-adjusting for the summer to our new living situations, we thought a cleanse would boost our energy for what is ahead.

Every year, and maybe more than once per year, we follow the Heart of Nourishment cleanse developed by Hale Sofia Schatz.  This is a wonderful cleanse which we discovered while reading her book If the Buddha Came to Dinner: How to Nourish Your Body to Awaken Your Spirit.  It is one of the most compassionate cleanses that I have experienced so far, and am happy to return to it every time I am ready for a cleanse.  Her writing is beautiful, her stories are moving, and she presents a cleanse which is accessible, and flexible…an opportunity to offer yourself some personal time of self-care.  I could go on and on really, but I think you get the idea.  I like her approach and her cleanse.

The first phase of the cleanse is a time when you are consuming only fruit and vegetables, and not in combination with each other.  So it is also a great time to be creative in your cooking skills and come up with some new recipes.  Using what we had in the fridge, I came up with this yummy new recipe for 2 Potato Gratin with Veggies.  C had caramelized some onions the day before, and using some spinach and mushrooms with the potato combination, we were ready for a yummy casserole.  Whether you are on a cleanse or not, I definitely suggest you try this savory treat!

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2 Potato Gratin with Veggies

5 white mushrooms
1 sweet vidalia onion, sliced
1/2 lb. baby spinach
1 medium sweet potato
1 medium red potato
1 t. dried thyme
2 T fresh parsley, chopped
olive oil

Heat oven to 375 F and lightly oil the bottom of a 9 inch Pyrex pie plate with olive oil.

Grate the red potato into a bowl and season with salt and pepper and the fresh chopped parsley.

Heat 2 T olive oil in a sauté pan over medium/high heat, and adding the sliced onion cook for about 5 minutes stirring occasionally.  Turn the heat to low and continue to caramelize the onions for about 30-40 minutes.  The onions will not brown like they would with butter, but they will still have a lovely flavor.  Once the onions are done, put them aside.

Using the same pan sauté the sliced mushrooms in a tablespoon of olive oil, a few twists of ground pepper and coarse sea salt.  Cover with a lid on low-medium heat.  If the mushrooms do not release a lot of liquid you can add a few tablespoons of water to get them to moisten.  After about 5 minutes add the spinach, mixing it with the mushrooms.  Cook until just wilted and take the combination off the heat.

Slice the sweet potato in 1/8 inch thick wheels.  Cover the bottom of the pie plate with the sweet potato wheels layered so that you don’t see any of the glass bottom.  Sprinkle with the dried thyme.

Next distribute the spinach and mushroom mixture and and juice from the sauté on top of the sweet potatoes.

For the third layer evenly distribute the caramelized onions over the spinach.

Lastly, add the grated red potato and parsley over the onions.

Cook in the oven for about 30-45 minutes.  The gratin will be ready when the grated potatoes are nicely browned.

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Let me know what you think!