Lemony Lentil Soup

Ingredients:
1 onion, chopped
3-4 cloves of garlic, chopped
6 carrots chopped (or 1 yam)
2 cubes of organic vegetable cubes
1-4 cups of water
1 cup red lentils, rinsed
1 lemon, zest and juice
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:
1. Saute onion and garlic in butter/ghee/coconut oil or grapeseed oil.
2. Cook everything until soft, then puree.
3. Yummy.
 

Ginger, Apple & Squash Soup

A delicious mildly sweet soup with a kick. Excellent soup to introduce the Autumn season. 
When the colder and darker weather comes in it is important to eat seasonal foods high in potassium in order to signal our bodies to continue its production of Vitamin D. Vitamin D is very important for bone health. Osteoporosis is more prevalent in northern climates because during the fall and winter months our bodies produce less Vitamin D. In the spring and summer the sun signals our bodies to produce Vitamin D. As the sunny days decrease this signal decreases. Therefore, there are foods that are naturally grown in the fall that are high in potassium which signals our body to make more Vitamin D. 
Tropical foods grown in the summer actually decrease the production of Vitamin D because it is known that nature is smart and the sun will signal the body to produce the Vitamin D. One important seasonal fall food is squash. So enjoy the wonderful taste knowing that it helps to prevent osteoporosis. 
 

Ingredients:

1 large winter squash 
4 cloves garlic, peeled 
1 inch piece of fresh ginger, chopped 
2 large apples 
1 teaspoon salt 
3 cups water or vegetable/chicken stock 
Makes 4 servings. 
 

Preparation:

Carefully peel squash with small, sharp knife 
Cut squash in half and scoop out seeds. 
Continue to cut squash into smaller pieces until you have manageable cubes. (Always cut with flat side down.) 
Place in a heavy-bottomed pot. 
Add garlic, ginger and salt. 
Cover with water or vegetable/chicken stock and bring to a boil. 
Reduce heat and simmer until the squash is tender and easily pierced with the tip of a knife. 
Transfer to a food processor or blender and puree until smooth.

Chili Barbequed Beans

Ingredients:

Pick over and rinse:
2 c. navy beans. 
Cover with water and soak 8-12 hours or speed soak for a couple hours in the pressure cooker at low temperature.  Rinse beans and place in pot or pressure cooker. 

Add:    2 chopped onions
3 cloves garlic
¾ tsp dried rosemary leaves
½ tsp dried thyme
2 tbsp mild chili powder
2 c. water
2 carrots

Lock the lid of the pressure cooker into place and cook at high pressure 10-12 minutes OR cook on the stove top 60-90 minutes.  When the beans are cooked, stir in: 1/3 c. barley malt or maple syrup

2 tbsp prepared mustard
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
sea salt or tamari to taste.
Simmer, covered, until the flavours mingle, about 7-10 minutes. 

Can add a tsp Flax oil/ Udo’s oil onto each portion when serving.

Chicken Curry Soup

Adapted from Thu Nguyen's Vietnamese Style Vegetarian Curry Soup – Thanks LeighAnn for passing it on!
Prep time: 30 minutes Cook time: 1 hour 20 minutes Serves: 8

 Ingredients:

2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 inch piece ginger root, thinly sliced
1 stalk lemongrass, cut into 2 inch pieces
4 Tbsp curry powder
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 carrots, sliced
8 mushroom, sliced
5 cups chicken broth
5 cups water
2 Tbsp fish sauce
2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 bay leaf
8 small (or 3 large) potatoes, halved, quartered and sliced
2 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, sliced
1 can coconut milk
salt and pepper
Rice vermicelli, cooked

 Preparation:

1. Heat oil in a large pot.
2. Sauté onions with a bit of salt and pepper until soft.
3. Stir in garlic, ginger, lemon grass and curry powder. Cook for about 5 minutes to release flavors (it’s a good idea to turn on the hood fan for this part as it gets spicy smelling).
4. Stir in green pepper, carrots and mushrooms. Pour in chicken stock and water. Add fish sauce, pepper flakes and bay leaf. Bring to boil.
5. Stir in chicken, potatoes and coconut milk. Stir well to separate chicken and potatoes. Return to boil.
6. Reduce heat and simmer for 30-50 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.
7. Serve on rice vermicelli noodles.

Apple & Quinoa Salad

Serves 6 as a main-course salad

Ingredients:

Juice from 1 lemon 
1/3 cup (75 mL) apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup (125 mL) orange juice
1/3 cup (75 mL) canola or sunflower oil
1/3 cup (75 mL) honey
5 cups (1 L) cooked quinoa (see tip)
2 apples, cored and chopped
1 bell pepper, diced small
1 cup (250 mL) fresh corn kernels
1/2 cup (125 mL) dried cranberries
1/2 cup (125 mL) currants
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1 cup (250 mL) toasted, chopped pecans
1 cup (250 mL) fresh parsley and mint, chopped
sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 

Instructions

• Place lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, orange juice, oil and honey in a small bowl and stir to combine.
• In a large bowl, combine quinoa and all remaining ingredients well, then stir in dressing. Adjust seasonings and refrigerate until ready to serve

Tip: To cook quinoa, bring 4 cups (1 L) water to a boil in a wide-bottomed pot with a lid. Add a pinch of salt and stir in 2 cups (500 mL) quinoa. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook until all the water is absorbed, about 25 minutes. You can cook any amount of quinoa you like as long as you keep the 2:1 ratio of liquid to grain. It is also worth experimenting with other liquids such as stock or coconut milk.

Green Spring Soup

Ingredients:

6 cups water or broth
4 medium potatoes
¼ medium onion or leek chopped
3 cups kale or spring greens
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp olive oil
some braggs to taste

 Preparation:

1. bring liquid to boil
2. add potatoes, onion and salt cover
3. reduce heat and simmer until tender
4. add kale and garlic simmer until kale is tender and bright green
5. puree all together in blender
6. add olive oil before serving

serves 6

Empanadas

Ingredients:
Dry:

1 cup white rice flour
1 cup potato starch
1 cup corn starch
½ cup potato flour
½ cup sweet rice flour
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 Tablespoon xanthan gum

 Wet:
1 cup cold butter or shortening, cut into 16 pieces(pastry is more tender if you use butter, more crisp if you use shortening)

1 ½ cups ice water

 

Filling:

1 pound ground chicken
1 green onion, finely chopped
2 handfuls cilantro, finely chopped
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground coriander
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
½ tsp smoked/plain paprika

Preparation: 

Mix dry ingredients in a food processor. Add butter/shortening and pulse a few times until you have pea-sized bits of fat(if you don’t have a

Food processor use a pastry blender or a couple of knives). Dump the mix into a bowl and add ice water. Mix until it holds together; then shape into a disc shape with your hands, wrap with plastic wrap, and chill for 30 minutes. For the filling, mix all ingred. Together. Roll out dough and cut out circles about 3.5 inches across). Put about a tsp. of filling in the center, fold to enclose the filling and seal the edges by pressing with the tip of a fork. You can freeze these at this point, or bake at 400 F for 10 minutes or until the edges start to brown. Makes about a dozen.

 

Crock Pot Lentil Veggie Soup (Serves 8-10)

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Large Onion, chopped
2 Garlic Cloves, chopped
2 Leeks, chopped (use only the white and light green part of the leek)
2 Large Carrots, chopped
3 Celery Stalks, chopped
2 Bay Leaves
1 Tbsp Fresh OR 1 Tsp Dried Thyme
2 Tsp Kosher Salt
8 Cups Vegetable Stock (you could also use chicken stock)
1 32 Oz Can Chopped Tomatoes with juice
16 Oz Dried Lentils
2 Cups Kale or Swiss Chard, chopped
Accompaniments: plain yogurt(Bio K would be the best!), herbed goat cheese, feta cheese, or crème fraiche

Preparation:
1. Heat the oil in a sauté pan over medium heat and cook the onions for 4 minutes.
2. Add the garlic and cook an additional minute.
3. Place the onion mixture with the remaining ingredients in a crock pot and stir.
4. Cover and cook the lentils on high heat for 4 hours or low heat for 8 hours or until lentils are tender.
5. Top with desired accompaniment and serve.
* You can also place all of the ingredients in a large pot over low to medium heat and cover for 90 minutes or until tender.

Chicken Curry (Serves 4-6)

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp Curry Powder  
2 Tbsp Water  
1 Tsp Cumin  
3 Garlic Cloves, minced  
1 Tsp Tomato Paste  
3/4 Tsp Himalyan Salt  
1/4 Tsp Ground Pepper
1 Tbsp Coconut Oil/Ghee/Grapeseed oil/Olive oil  
1 Large Onion, chopped
1 Apple, cored, skin-on and cut into ½-1-inch cubes
1 Cup Carrots, cut into ½-1 inch pieces
1 Cup Celery, cut into ½-1 inch pieces
1.5 lbs Chicken, boneless/skinless breast and/or thighs, cut into ½-1 inch cubes (about the size of your apples, carrots and celery)
1 Cup Chicken Broth

Preparation:

1. Place the first 7 ingredients in a bowl, combine and set aside.
2. In a large skillet or pot over medium heat add 1 tbsp of oil and onions and sauté for 3-4 minutes until tender.
3. Add spice mixture to the onions and sauté another 30 seconds.
4. Add apples, carrots, celery and chicken and stir to combine to coat with the spice mixture and onions.
5. Add chicken broth, bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cover.
6. Simmer for 30 minutes until vegetables are tender and chicken is cooked through. Stir every couple of minutes to prevent the curry from sticking to the bottom of the pot/skillet.
7. Cool and serve over Jasmine or Basmati rice

 

Quinoa Mexican Style (serves 8)

Ingredients:

½ onion, chopped
1 tsp minced garlic
½ Tbsp olive oil
1 cup quinoa, rinsed in cool water
1 cup chicken/vegetable stock
1 cup drained, canned Italian plum tomatoes
1 cup tomatoe juice from canned tomatoes
½ - 1 whole jalapeno pepper (optional)
2 Tbsp chopped, fresh cilantro

 

Preparation:

Saute the onion and garlic, When onions are soft, add quinoa, chicken stock, plum tomatoes, tomatoe juice, and jalapeno pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat; cover and cook for about 10 minutes, until quinoa is tender. Sprinkle the cilantro over quinoa mixture and serve.

 

Ghee

Note: Ghee is referred to as “brain food” traditionally in Indian – it is the only fat that can be recommended without restriction for baking, roasting & sautéing .

 Ingredients:

1 pound organic unsalted butter.
It is best to use organic butter - it is healthier (being free of fat soluble chemicals/hormones) and separates easier in the making of ghee.

 Preparation:

Melt butter in the top pot of a double broiler . If you melt it on a pot directly on the stove you need to watch it more closely, stir, and make sure it doesn't burn.

Three layers will form:
1. Bottom: solidified gelatinous protein layer, slightly brown
2. Middle: clear golden liquid (the ghee itself)
3. Top: whitish-brown crust 
Prepare wide-mouth jars and strain ghee, when sufficiently cooled, through a fine sieve lined with a double layer of cheese cloth (or extra fine sieve). Making ghee from 1 pound of butter requires approximately ½ to ¾ hour.

 ** An alternate way would be to put the butter in a casserole dish and leave it in the oven at 300 degrees for 2-3 hours. **

Anti Inflammatory Diet

Try and eat only the following organically grown foods for the next 28 days. There is no restriction on the amount of food you can eat. The foods listed are only examples of foods to eat. Any food that is an allergen must also be avoided due to the inflammatory component of allergens.

 Steamed vegetables

• Steaming veggies improves the utilization of the food substances and reduces the initiating residue in the gut, allowing the GI mucosa to restore itself. Use minimal raw vegetables except as a salad.
• Eat a variety of any and all vegetables (except tomatoes, potatoes) that you tolerate. Yams, sweet potatoes, squash are allowed. Add your favorite spices to enhance the taste of these vegetables.
• Do not use aluminum cookware.

Grains

• Eat one to two cups of cooked grains per day of those you can tolerate.
• Allowed grains are: millet, basmati or brown rice, quinoa, amaranth, oatmeal, barley, buckwheat, rye, teff
• Other grain foods that may be eaten are rice crisps and wasa crackers

Legumes

• Eat a variety of any legumes that you are able to tolerate: split peas, lentils, kidney beans, pinto beans, soy beans, mung beans, garbanzo beans, aduki and azuki beans.

Fish

• Deep-sea fish (salmon, halibut, cod, sardines, tuna, mackerel) is preferred – no shellfish
• The fish should be poached, baked, steamed, or broiled.

Chicken/Turkey

• Eat only white meat and do not eat the skin.
• The free-range or organically grown chicken/turkey should be baked, broiled, or steamed.

Fruit

• Eat only 1 or 2 pieces of practically any fruit except citrus. If possible, it is preferred to eat the fruit baked (such as a baked apple or pear).

Sweeteners

• Very small amounts of maple syrup, rice /barley syrup, honey or stevia(1/4tsp=1c.sugar).
• Absolutely no sugar, NutraSweet, or any other sweetener is allowed.

Butter/Oils

•     For butter, whip 1 pd butter and 1 cup extra virgin olive oil.
•     Incorporate 2 Tbsp of Flaxseed oil / Udo’s oil into diet/day.

Herbal Teas & Good Water to Drink

•     Minimum of 6-8 glasses of spring, bottled, filtered or reverse osmosis water/day
•     Herbal teas – 2-4/day – best taken in evening and sipped slowly.

____________________________________________________________________________

For the time being, avoid the following inflammatory foods:

• Milk, cheese, eggs
• All wheat products, including breads
• Citrus fruits
• All caffeinated teas, coffee
• Alcohol
• Sugar, Nutrasweet
• Tomatoes
• Potatoes

• Corn Products
• Peanuts and peanut butter
• Red meat – esp. pork
• Fried and processed foods