Heart Ground Woman — Sarah Entwistle with a savorous and nutritious recipe
Sarah SHARES A GLIMPSE INTO becoming a chef and her journey toward finding energetic and supportive food without having to sacrifice flavor and enjoyment
“Something clicked and I felt at home working in the kitchen and creating a beautiful meal for my family. That was the first time I discovered that cooking is the medium in which I express love to myself and others.”
chef, writer and traveller
Sarah Entwistle is a private chef in New York City. After graduating from culinary school in 2018, she worked in the prep kitchen at Gramercy Tavern to get a taste of kitchen life. Shortly after, she started as a Recipe Developer in the test kitchen at Blue Apron and worked her way up to Culinary Manager over the course of three years. During this time, she started working as a freelance private chef for an agency called The Culinistas in both NYC and the Hamptons.
Sarah is very passionate about sustainable food systems.
She spent the summer of 2021 working and living on a farm in Tuscany. When she returned stateside, she accepted a new position as the Chef Services Director for The Culinistas, managing over 100 active chefs on the platform and helping the business transition to a chef-driven approach.
In November 2022, she moved to Rincon, Puerto Rico for the winter season to work as the lead chef at a farm-to-table café called Cosecha. In addition to food, Sarah is a passionate writer and traveler and has had a few pieces published in both Eater and Tasting Table.
When she’s not in the kitchen, Sarah loves spending time outdoors and especially loves snowboarding, hiking, and tennis.
You can find her on IG @sarbear390 or at www.sarahentwistle.com.
words from sarah
First, given that every day we start over, every day is an amazing opportunity, as Mary Oliver will ask us, It may come as a surprise that I didn't grow up in a culinary household but there was always something that drew me to food and cooking. As the oldest of three, I was tasked with the role of caretaker for my younger siblings and would oftentimes be in charge of after-school snacks - our favorite was frozen french bread pizza that was reheated in the oven.
One day when I was about 12 years old, I was looking through an old cookbook and decided I wanted to follow the recipe for Filet Mignon with a Bourbon Cream Sauce. My mom indulged my enthusiasm and took me grocery shopping for all of the ingredients, not expecting much from a young girl who had never really cooked before. But that night, shortly after flambéing the bourbon, something clicked and I felt at home working in the kitchen and creating a beautiful meal for my family. That was the first time I discovered that cooking is the medium in which I express love to myself and others.
That said, it took me a long time to break old habits and understand how to properly nourish and feed my body. Growing up in the '90s/early 2000s with two working parents, I've eaten my fair share of "fast food". It was a lawless time where purple ketchup was a staple at the dinner table and middle school girls were following the Atkins diet. As a busy athlete who played multiple sports, I never really thought much about nutrition as I could pretty much eat whatever I wanted.
Fast-forward to my early 20s, I started my career in the financial industry and was clocking very long days to keep up with the demands and expectations of my job. This rarely left time for me to cook and I was pretty much subsisting on take-out and other prepared foods. I was burnt out, both physically and emotionally, and knew I needed to change my lifestyle. After five years, I decided to take a risk, switch careers, and enroll in culinary school to pursue my passion for food.
Becoming a chef and developing a deep interest in food has opened my eyes to the pitfalls of our current food system and how important it is to take control of what we're putting into our bodies. I was lucky enough to spend the summer of 2021 living on a farm in Tuscany and working in both the kitchen and vegetable garden. Italians put so much care and pride in growing high-quality ingredients and I love how they value connection through food. This experience was very powerful and shifted my mindset about what and how I eat.
I'm currently drawn to foods that will energize and support me without having to sacrifice flavor and enjoyment.
When cooking, I always look to source high-quality, minimally processed, organic ingredients when possible. I also aim to balance protein, carbs, fat, and fiber to leave me feeling full and satisfied.
Pumpkin Lentil Curry with Kale, Chickpeas & Fried Sage
On that note, I'm delighted to share one of my favorite fall dishes with you.
The pumpkin and coconut make it feel indulgent and creamy but the recipe is entirely gluten, dairy, and sugar-free.
You are also getting a good source of protein from lentils, chickpeas, and bone broth. Pumpkin, the star of this recipe, is not only delicious but also rich in beta-carotene and magnesium, which are both useful in reducing inflammation. I love eating curry and soup during this time of year as the weather changes and we enter into the cozy, autumnal season. I especially love to start the day by consuming these foods for breakfast – a very gentle way to wake up your stomach and nourish it with healthy ingredients. It also keeps well as leftovers and continues to develop flavor as it sits in the fridge (best if eaten within 4-5 days). Enjoy!
Serving Size: 4-6 servings
Ingredients:
2 TBL red curry paste
1 can coconut milk
4 cloves garlic
1 knob ginger
1 lemon
2 cups bone broth (grass-fed preferred)
1/3 cup cashews
Olive or avocado oil
Salt
1 can chickpeas
1 can pumpkin puree
1 cup green lentils
1 bunch Tuscan kale
1 handful of whole sage leaves
Method
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Wash and dry your produce. Rinse and drain the chickpeas. De-stem the kale; thinly slice into ribbons. Roughly chop the garlic. Peel and finely chop the ginger. De-seed and quarter the lemon.
Step 2
Place the cashews on a parchment-lined sheet pan and toast in the oven for 6 to 8 minutes, until golden brown and fragrant. Remove and let cool. Once cooled, roughly chop.
Step 3
Rinse the lentils. Place in a small pot with 1 cup of bone broth and 1 cup of water. Season with salt and bring to a low boil; reduce the heat to a simmer and cover with a lid. Let cook for about 20-30 minutes, or until the lentils are cooked through and the broth has been absorbed.
Step 4
Meanwhile, heat enough oil to coat a medium-sized pan until glistening. Add the whole sage leaves and fry for about 2-3 minutes or until crispy and lightly browned. Reserving the oil in the pan, remove the leaves to a paper-towel-lined plate and immediately season with salt. Once cooled, crumble into small pieces.
Step 5
In the pan of reserved sage oil, add the chickpeas and kale and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until slightly softened. Add the chopped garlic and ginger and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Add the curry paste and stir for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until fragrant and combined. Add half a can of the pumpkin puree (reserve the remaining for another use), coconut milk, and remaining broth, and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the liquid has been reduced by half. Add the juice of 2 lemon wedges and stir to combine. Taste then season with salt and pepper, if desired.
Step 6
Plate the cooked lentils and finished curry in a deep bowl and garnish with the fried sage and roasted nuts. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil and a crack of black pepper;