Category: Recipe

Healing Turmeric Chicken Soup

It’s cold and flu season! There are many ways we can be proactive during these winter months in staying healthy.

  1. Water: hydrate with lots of pure water every day!
  2. Get outside for a few minutes to be active and get some vitamin D when the sun peeks through
  3. Choosing healthy foods + avoiding processed food as much as possible.

TURMERIC has been shown to dramatically increase the antioxidant capacity inside our bodies. Oxidative damage is believed to be one of the culprits behind early aging and many diseases. Turmeric also contains natural anti-inflammatory compounds!

GINGER has incredible infection-fighting abilities and can help clear congestion.

Ginger isn’t just a great spice to turn to when you’re already sick, it can actually help to keep you from getting sick in the first place! It’s gingerol compounds lower our risks of multiple infections.

MUSHROOMS have cancer-fighting properties. Mushrooms are immunity-boosters, they can help lower cholesterol, they’re high in B and D vitamins, and can help relieve inflammation. To take advantage of all the available health benefits of mushrooms, you really should cook your mushrooms.

GARLIC supplements are known to boost the function of the immune system. Garlic is very nutritious but has very few calories. Garlic is said to help reduce symptoms and severity of the common cold and flu, among many other health issues.

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

  • 2 Tbsps olive oil, avocado oil, unrefined coconut oil, or ghee
  • 2 shallots
  • 5 cloves fresh garlic
  • 1-1/2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs
  • 8 oz. mushrooms (I used brown beech)
  • 5 large carrots, peeled
  • 5 celery ribs
  • 1 cup uncooked brown rice
  • 6 cups chicken or turkey bone broth
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 Tbsps freshly grated ginger
  • 2-3 tsps turmeric powder
  • cayenne pepper, freshly ground black pepper and sea salt to taste, about 1/4 teaspoon each
  • 2-3 Tbsps freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • zest of 1/2 lemon
  • 2 Tbsps freshly chopped parsley, to garnish

Instructions:

  • Cut your chicken in half to cook faster.
  • Dice your carrots, celery, and shallots.
  • Mince or grate the garlic and ginger.
  • Heat oil in a large stockpot, over medium-high heat.
  • Add in the shallots and garlic; sauté for 3-4 minutes until softened.
  • Stir in mushrooms, carrots and celery, then continue to cook for another 5 minutes until veggies are tender-crisp.

Stir in chicken, rice, broth, water, ginger and turmeric powder. Season with some cayenne pepper, black pepper and sea salt to your taste. I added a teeny pinch of each.

Cover and allow to simmer on low for about 25-40 minutes or until chicken and rice is cooked and tender.

Remove chicken pieces onto a plate and using 2 forks, shred it just a bit.

Return shredded chicken back into your pot, along with the fresh lemon juice and zest; stir well.

Taste and adjust seasonings according to your taste.

Garnish the soup with chopped parsley and serve it piping hot.

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Ginger Sweet Potato Coconut Milk Stew With Lentils & Kale

This sweet potato and coconut milk stew is a glowing and mellow shade of orange with big, vibrant pops of green from kale and cilantro. We use lots of chili and ginger in this stew, along with a bunch of other spices. You get sweetness, spice, earthy vibes, creaminess, satiating texture from the lentils, and a good squeeze of lime rounds everything out. Rounding it out is key.

If you count common spices as one component (I always do hehe), this recipe hits at around 10-ish ingredients. It’s very simple to make, definitely hearty, and super accommodating for different dietary sensitivities. If a stew could have it all, this would be IT. For my taste, it has just the right amount of richness–a real flavour bomb with a deep health glow. Just the kinda thing I’m after lately.
SERVES: 4-6
NOTES:

  • Coconut milk is naturally sweet and so are sweet potatoes (obviously). I like to go in with a lot of dried chili to balance things out, but of course, add as much as you feel comfortable with.
  • If you don’t have Chard or mustard greens would also be delicious in place of the kale.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, small dice
  • ½ – 1 teaspoon dried chili flakes (I used Diaspora Co’s ground Guntur Sannam Chilli)
  • ½ teaspoon ground coriander
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
  • 3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1 ½ lbs (690 grams or 2 medium) sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1-inch pieces
  • ½ cup brown lentils, picked over
  • 4 cups vegetable stock
  • 13.5 oz (400 ml) can full fat coconut milk
  • 1 small bunch of kale, stems removed & leaves chopped (about 4 cups chopped & lightly packed kale)

GARNISH:

  • Chopped cilantro
  • Extra chili flakes
  • Lime wedges
  • Nigella seeds (optional)

Heat a large, heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium heat. Add the coconut oil to the pot and let it melt. Add the onions to the pot and stir. Saute the onions, stirring occasionally, until translucent and quite soft, about 5 minutes. Add the chili flakes, coriander, cumin, and turmeric. Saute spices until very fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the ginger and garlic to the pot and cook for another minute. Add a pinch of salt and pepper.

Add the sweet potatoes to the pot and stir to coat in the spices. Add the lentils to the pot and stir once more. Season everything liberally with salt and pepper. Add the vegetable stock and stir, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Place the lid on top of the pot and bring to a boil.

Once the stew is boiling, lower the heat to a simmer and set the lid slightly askew on top of the pot so that there’s a couple inches available for steam to escape. Simmer until the sweet potatoes are almost falling apart and the lentils are tender, about 30 minutes. The liquid should also be reduced by almost a third.

Add the coconut milk and kale to the pot and stir. Place the lid on top and continue to simmer the stew until the kale is wilted and bright green, about 3-4 minutes. Season the sweet potato and coconut milk stew again with salt and pepper. Bring the stew back up to a strong simmer and check for seasoning. Adjust with more salt, pepper, chili etc. if necessary.

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Mushroom Broth: simple way to absorb the many nutrients that mushrooms have to offer

Bone broth had a big moment. For the past few years, dieters and biohackers have embraced it as the answer to staying full, repairing muscles and improving health. Bone broth has been popping up in grocery stores and cafés, being served in drinking vessels instead of soup bowls. But now a new food fad is making its way onto the health and wellness scene: mushroom broth. This fungi-powered broth has comparable nutritional benefits, helping to improve gut health, boost the immune system and remineralize the body. Mushroom broth also has a beautiful savoury, nutty umami flavour. Delicious as a hot or cold drink, it can also be used wherever you would typically use stock, such as making soups and cooking grains.

Using mushrooms for their medicinal properties is nothing new, especially in Asia, where they have been used for centuries. While recent attention has focused on the immunological and anticancer properties of certain mushrooms, holistic nutritionists say they offer other potential health benefits, including reducing cholesterol, protecting the liver and having antihypertensive, antioxidant, antidiabetic and antiviral properties.

Medicinal properties are highly concentrated in certain mushrooms, such as reishi, chaga and shiitake mushrooms. If you’re unable to find them fresh, they can often be found dried in health food stores, whole or in powder form. Each type of mushroom is said to have its own unique medicinal properties. Reishi mushrooms are thought to have immune-boosting effects, chaga mushrooms are best known for being powerful antioxidants, and shiitake mushrooms are said to have antiviral properties. The mushrooms that you find in your grocery store may not be considered medicinal, but they still have lots to offer. Cremini, portobello, button and oyster mushrooms are also rich in vitamins and minerals. Making broth is a simple way to absorb the many nutrients that mushrooms have to offer.

Mushroom Broth
Servings: 8 cups

My philosophy when making stock is to use what you have. I keep ginger and miso in my house all the time, but if you don’t have it on hand, feel free to omit it. I also reserve the mushroom stems from portobello and cremini mushrooms that would otherwise get composted. Use dry shiitake mushrooms if fresh ones are too expensive. Feel free to add in dulse, fennel and parsnip to change up the flavors.

Ingredients

  • 8 cups water
  • 4 large reishi mushroom slices
  • 8 to 10 shiitake mushrooms
  • 1/2 cup dried chaga mushrooms
  • 1 small onion, roughly chopped
  • 1 cup celery with tops, roughly chopped
  • 1 cup carrots, roughly chopped
  • 2-inch piece fresh ginger, roughly chopped
  • 1 tbsp sea salt, plus more to taste
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tbsp white or red miso paste

Instructions:
Place all of the ingredients in a slow cooker on low. Cook for 3 hours, stirring once every hour. Strain contents through a sieve. Reserve broth. Discard everything except for the shiitake mushrooms, which can be saved for future dishes.

Cold Soba Noodles in Mushroom Broth
Servings: 2 servings. I love this dish cold, but feel free to warm the broth if you prefer hot soup.

Ingredients:

  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • 2 cups assorted mushrooms, sliced
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 180 g soba noodles, cooked according to package directions
  • 1/2 cup edamame
  • 2 cups mushroom broth
  • 1 sheet nori, cut into small squares
  • 1/4 cup green onion, sliced
  • 2 tsp sesame seeds
  • 2 tsp sesame oil

Instructions
Heat oil in a pan over medium high. Add mushrooms and salt; cook until brown and fragrant, about 4 minutes, stirring once or twice. Divide soba noodles between 2 bowls. Divide the cooked mushrooms, noodles, edamame, broth, nori and onion between bowls. Garnish with sesame seeds and a drizzle of sesame oil.

Image source: google

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Blend Turmeric + Ginger With Coconut Milk. Drink Before Bed To Flush Liver Toxins While You Sleep

We would like to share a bedtime beverage recipe that has an even stronger calming and soothing effect on your body and it is simultaneously packed with a myriad of healthy substances.

“Golden milk” as it is popularly called, is a mixture of turmeric spice, coconut milk, ginger and black pepper. Raw honey can be added to it for more sweetness and additional health benefits.

This amazingly delicious, aromatic and warming potion will wipe out any traces of anxiety and stress accumulated during the day with its calming effect, enabling you to fall soundly asleep.

But that is not all: while you are resting, the magical substances from the drink will continue to detoxify, restore and replenish each system of your body. If you incorporate it into your daily routine, you will definitely reap the amazing benefits over time. Why do we recommend this drink in particular? Let’s see.

What will you gain from drinking golden milk?
Turmeric is one of its main ingredients. If there is one spice that should be the staple product in every person’s kitchen, it is definitely turmeric.

This golden plant seems to be more valuable than gold when it comes to the number of medicinal activities it offers. It is also probably one of the most studied plants in the world.

More than 8 000 evidence-based studies have only confirmed what the ancient civilizations discovered centuries ago: turmeric has valuable properties that cover almost all health issues that a person might have.

Its main bioactive compound, curcumin, possesses more than 150 medicinal properties. It is among the most powerful anti-inflammatory natural agents. Inflammation is at the basis of numerous chronic illnesses, such as rheumatoid arthritis, peripheral neuropathy, stroke, diabetes, migraines, thyroid disturbances, obesity, and even cancer.

Scientific research has discovered that curcumin is able to hinder inflammatory passages and efficiently counteract the release of a protein that activates swelling and pain.

Curcumin has been also found to:

  • Act against bacteria and microbes
  • Destroy cancer cells and prevent the formation of tumours
  • Regulate blood sugar levels and prevent diabetes
  • Control cholesterol levels
  • Support hearth health
  • Promote the healing of wounds
  • Boost the immune system
  • Soothe the nervous system and promote cognitive capacities
  • Detoxify the liver

Turmeric is readily available, inexpensive, it does not have an overpowering aroma and it is easy to include into almost every meal.

What do we gain from coconut milk?
It is made up of medium-chain fatty acids that are extremely healthy for us.

They quickly provide our body and brain with energy, simultaneously promoting weight loss, regulating blood sugar levels and protecting our cardiovascular system.

Coconut milk splashes our system with precious antioxidants, vitamins C, E, and B, and minerals magnesium, potassium, iron and phosphorus. They boost our immune system, protect us from colds, flu and other bacterial infections, support the health of our bones and teeth, and calm our nervous system.

Coconut milk also promotes the absorption of nutrients in our body, including the fat-soluble turmeric in this drink.

What about ginger?
Ginger intensifies and empowers this drink as a wonder spice, a title it has definitely earned for the array of therapeutic uses. It has the scientifically-proven ability to destroy microbes, prevent cancer, alleviate pains, calm the digestive system and relieve nausea, promote circulation, reduce high blood pressure, and regulate insulin secretion, among others.Its power in curing respiratory illnesses is unmatched.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups coconut milk(or another type of milk according to your preference)
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1small piece of sliced ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper(this spice is added to significantly improve the intake of turmeric)
    raw honey to sweeten, optionally

*Note: If you suffer from intestinal ulcers, colitis and other intestinal problems, it is advisable to omit black pepper.

Instructions:

Whisk to combine all the ingredients in a saucepan, except honey. Cook them over medium heat until bubbles appear on the surface. Reduce the heat to the minimum and allow the flavors to blend for around 5 minutes. Then remove the ginger, add the honey and stir the mixture.

You can also sip the drink after rising in the morning to nourish and energize you, in which case you can also add cinnamon to give you an additional boost and sharpen your senses.

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Minestrone Soup Recipe for Boosting Your Health Benefits

Minestrone Soup has amazing health benefits. The rich in seasoned vegetables bring to this soup a great assortment of secondary metabolites with antioxidant benefits, as well as reducing oxidative damage and protecting and strengthening bones, liver, the kidneys and bloodstream. You can create a minestrone style vegetable soup that is low in fat and calories and rich in fiber and flavor.

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup elbow pasta
  • 1/3 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 1 large carrot, diced
  • 2 stalks celery, diced
  • 1/3 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 1 1/2 cups)
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil dried oregano
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1 28-ounce can no-salt-added diced tomatoes
  • 1 14-ounce can crushed tomatoes
  • 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 15-ounce can low-sodium kidney beans, drained and rinsed

 

Directions
Saute onion, garlic, celery and peppers in a bit of water or stock to keep the fat to a minimum. If you are comfortable adding a bit of oil, saute these aromatics in a small amount of olive oil. Add broth, canned tomatoes and their juice, and vegetables to your minestrone. Add green beans, squash and chopped leafy greens, like spinach, kale or cabbage. Simmer until the mixture is cooked through, recommends Weight Watchers. Season your soup with basil, oregano, garlic and rosemary or leave it simply seasoned with salt and pepper to add additional herbs and spices when you warm it.
 
Balanced with green and red veggies, homemade with low sodium and added legumes for protein. Simmered in a slow cooker for hours will reduce flatulence and increase flavour. Affordable healthy, low calorie meal that is delicious and nutritious at the same time!

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