Although icy drinks and chilled meals feel refreshing, they can briefly slow the early stages of digestion because the gastrointestinal tract operates at about (37 °C / 98.6 °F). Research has shown that liquids served cold (around 4 °C / 39 °F) empty from the stomach more slowly than those at body temperature, while warmer drinks (37–60 °C / 98.6–140 °F) pass through more quickly during the first 10 to 20 minutes before the stomach reheats everything to body temperature (Sun et al., 2012; Wisen & Johansson, 1992). Extremely cold water (about 2 °C / 35.6 °F) has also been found to alter gastric motility and reduce subsequent food intake in healthy young men (Sakamoto et al., 2021). This suggests that consuming foods closer to body temperature may support smoother early-phase digestion, even during hot weather, by working with rather than against the body’s natural thermal balance.
This week's featured recipe is a vegan walnut meat pumpkin chili, celebrating the beginning of Fall. Chili is a versatile meal that can be prepared using many types of ingredients and produce. See below how Roots ‘n' Fruits prepared this recipe.
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Recommended Ingredients:
- Organic Kidney Beans (1 Can)
- Vegetable Better Than Bouillon
- Organic Crushed Tomatoes
- Small Organic Pumpkin – Local Farmers Market
- Organic Bell Pepper – Local Farmers Market
- Walnut Taco Meat by Walnut Life (Small Business & Offers Online Orders)
- Organic Red Onion – Local – Farmers Market
- Organic Chipotle Powder by Mountain Rose Herbs
- Vera Salt (Miroplastic-free & Third-Party Verified) (Sourced from springs in Spain far from human activity and pollution)
- Organic Avocado Oil
Recommended Cookware & Kitchen Tools:
- FSC & Unbleached Parchment Baking Paper
- Mora Ceramic's Porcelain Bowls
- All Clad's Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl
- Baking Soda (for removing pesticides/herbicides from produce)
- Mora Ceramic's Non-Toxic Baking Dish
- 360 Cookware's 3.5 Quart Sauté Pan with Cover (Use code ROOTSNFRUITS to save 20%)
- All Clad's Stainless Steel Kitchen Gadgets
- Kitchen Aid's Stainless Steel Handheld Blender
- Anchor Hocking Measuring Cup
- Food Storage: Libbey's Glass Lead-free 3.2-Quart Covered Container
- Filtered Water: See Roots ‘n' Fruits Recommendations for Household Water Filtration Systems
Instructions:
- Take the baking dish and line it with unbleached parchment baking paper. Cut the small pumpkin in half, remove the seeds and place the pumpkin on the parchment paper. Bake for 45 minutes at 415 degrees F.
- Once the pumpkin has finished baking, take the mixing bowl and fill it with 2 liters of filtered water. Add two tablespoons of baking soda and place the organic produce in the water for 15 minutes.
- Soaking apples in a baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) solution for about 12–15 minutes has been shown to remove around 96% of surface phosmet residues and about 80% of surface thiabendazole residues, though small amounts that penetrate the peel remain, and this method has not been shown to remove glyphosate (Yang et al., 2017, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, PMID: 29067814).
- Once the pumpkin has cooled for 10 minutes, scoop and add to the mixing bowl and use the handheld stainless steel blender to pulse the pumpkin into a purée
- Remove the organic produce after 15 minutes, rinse with filtered water and chop to your size preference
- Set low to medium heat to 360 Cookware's sauté pan, add three tablespoons of avocado oil and allow to heat up (2-3 minutes)
- Add the chopped fresh produce to the sauté pan, add a pinch of Vera Salt and stir until translucent
- Once the produce is translucent, add the walnut taco meat, 1/2 tablespoon of organic chipotle powder and 1/2 tablespoon of Vera Salt. Add a dash of avocado oil if desired
- Sauté the produce and walnut meat for 4 – 6 minutes
- In a measuring cup, add 1 cup of filtered water and 1 tablespoon of the vegetable better than bouillon. Mix the contents and add to the sauté pan.
- Drain and add the organic kidney beans, add the can of crushed tomatoes and add 1/2 cup of pumpkin purée. Mix all of the ingredients until well incorporated
- On low to medium heat, allow to simmer for 30 minutes while mixing every so often
- Once finished, serve in Mora Ceramic's non-toxic glaze stoneware bowls
Happy Fall and bookmark the Roots ‘n' Fruits blog for weekly nourishing recipes with non-toxic kitchenware recommendations!