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Herby Turkey Greens And Beans Soup

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This Herby Turkey Greens And Beans Soup has tons of protein and lots of healthy greens and herbs… who could ask for anything more?
Herby Turkey Greens And Beans Soup

It’s winter here in New York, but spring is on the way. I can feel it. It’s that weird time of year when it can be snowing, freezing, and windy one day and then springlike the next day. With these warmer days and it now staying light outside until a whopping 5:30pm, spring is in the air. But it’s still soup season. Okay, it’s always soup season here, but this soup really does take both spring and winter into account.

To me, winter means soup. Hot comforting soup. It also means blankets on the couch in front of the fireplace and Netflix. Add a cozy bowl of soup to that picture and that’s movie-like to me.

Spring means fresh herbs. It also means the fresh smell of morning dew and new beginnings. Add a bowl of this delicious soup and a good book, and that’s also perfection to me.

So, this is the perfect seasonal soup for this weirdo of a season.

It’s also the perfect nutritional  mix. It’s got turkey and beans for protein. It’s got tons of leafy greens for… well, everything. And to make it the best soup ever, it’s got a whole boatload of fresh herbs. Soup is the perfect dish to experiment with and make it however you like it. So, just because I used turkey, it doesn’t mean you need to use turkey. I have also made this with ground chicken. And I’m sure lamb would be so awesome. And just because I used collard greens and kale, again, you do you. Chard would be great here as well. Or mustard greens — any green that’s kind of sturdy will do. That being said, wilty soft spinach sound pretty good too…

My favorite part of this recipe, the thing that truly makes it extra special is the huge amount of fresh herbs that we add at the end. So fresh, so delicious, so healing. I used dill because I love the taste. I also used parsley. Again, at the risk of repeating myself, have it your way.

I need to give credit to The New York Times for the original recipe. That’s where I got the idea to really cram all those herbs into this Herby Turkey Beans And Greens Soup; it’s a genius idea.

Here’s your challenge: Every single time you cook a big pot of anything, add as many leafy greens and fresh herbs as you can. They make everything better.

Herby Turkey Greens And Beans Soup

This recipe has a lot of healing ingredients:

Turkey is a healthy meat. Make sure you buy organic turkey whenever possible. Recent research has shown turkey helps lower the risk of pancreatic cancer; however I did read some research that suggests that if you eat the skin along with the meat, some of this value is reduced, so don’t eat too much skin — this recipe uses ground turkey so it has no skin involved… Turkey also has a great protein-to-fat ratio, so it keeps you feeling full with less potential for weight gain. It’s also rich in vitamins and minerals, especially vitamin B and selenium. And, in Chinese medicine, turkey is thought of as a qi-booster, so it can be good for low energy levels.

White beans are good at boosting energy and calming the mind. They can help improve your memory and can lower cholesterol. And, they are a great source of protein.

Kale is everywhere these days. And there’s a lot of mixed reviews on whether it’s worth the hype. I like to use it sometimes, but not in every recipe. This dark leafy green is a great source of fiber and calcium. It’s also rich in many minerals, including magnesium, iron and potassium. One serving contains 200% of the daily requirements of Vitamin C and 180% of Vitamin A.

Collard greens are great for you. They help build strong bones, lessen constipation, help reduce stress and act as a detoxifying food. They have almost no calories but do have a lot of fiber. They contain vitamins A, C, and K and are filled with minerals like calcium and manganese. One of the best things about collards is that they are great at preventing the buildup of bad cholesterol.

Dill is considered a chemoprotective in that it can help neutralize some carcinogens. It also helps fight bacteria in the body.

Parsley has been shown to reduce tumors in the lungs and to neutralize the effects of carcinogens, including cigarette smoke. It is high in vitamins A and C, and is good for your heart. This herb is also a natural breath freshener. So, if you have a chance to use more than a few sprigs as a garnish, go for it.

Garlic is amazing in its antiviral and antibacterial capabilities. Garlic is actually a Chinese herb (Da Suan). It’s used to kill toxins and parasites and also to reduce swelling in the body. It’s what I call a great “A” herb: anesthetic, antibacterial, anti fungal, antioxidant, antiviral, etc.

Bone broth is filled with bone marrow and essential fatty acids — these things promote optimal brain health. It also contains glycine, which is an amino acid that helps with memory, concentration, stress, and focus. The glucosamine in bone broth can reduce inflammation and strengthen the bones. It’s also great for your skin, hair, and nails. This is a great thing to use for a quick soup base, or to just sip on during the day.

Herby Turkey Beans And Greens Soup

Herby Turkey Greens And Beans Soup
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Recipe type: gluten free, grain free, dairy free, nut free, simple, comfort food
Cuisine: soup, stew
Author:
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 8
This Herby Turkey Beans And Greens Soup has tons of healthy protein and lots of leafy greens and herbs.
Ingredients
  • 2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 med onions, chopped
  • 2 med carrots, peeled and chopped
  • salt and pepper
  • 2 Tbs tomato paste
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • big pinch dried hot red pepper flakes, or to taste
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 10 smashed garlic cloves
  • 1 lb ground turkey
  • 6 cups bone broth
  • 3 15-oz cans white beans
  • 1 bunch black kale, thick stems/veins removed and discarded, leaves roughly chopped
  • 1 bunch collard greens, thick stems/veins removed and discarded, leaves roughly chopped
  • 1 cup fresh dill, chopped
  • 1 cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • juice of 1 lemon
Instructions
  1. In a large heavy pot, heat the olive oil over med heat.
  2. Add the onions and carrots and a sprinkle of salt and cook, stirring often, about 8 minutes, or until slightly softened.
  3. Add the turkey, seasoned with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring and breaking up the meat until the turkey starts to get some color, about 7 minutes.
  4. Add tomato paste, cumin, red pepper flakes, chili powder, and garlic cloves. Cook stirring, about 5 minutes.
  5. Add bone broth and beans. Cook, uncovered, 20 minutes.
  6. Add leafy greens and cook another 15 minutes or until the collards are softened.
  7. Stir in fresh herbs and cook another 3 minutes.
  8. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice.
  9. Ladle into bowls and enjoy!

 

Pork And Sauerkraut Stew

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This Pork And Sauerkraut stew is the coziest dish you will ever eat… and your digestive system will thank you.
pork and sauerkraut stew

This dish feels like a throwback to olden times. The times when grandmas were in the kitchen cooking all day long and the delicious aromas wafted all through the house and pulled you toward the stove. And if you were lucky she let you lick the spoon or gave you a taste from the bubbling pot.

At least that’s what my imagination conjures up. I had two amazing grandmas. One of them didn’t cook like this. I remember visiting  her in Florida and she’d be cooking a whole beef tongue. I remember loving this meat, until I saw it sitting there unsliced on the counter. That tongue would have probably been great in a stew like this, but I don’t remember this kind of cooking happening in her house. My other grandma was a spitfire. My memories of her are mostly around her apartment in Manhattan. She lived life to the fullest. Dancing and clubbing and telling us all of her stories about growing up in a very large family in South Africa. I think she would have loved this stew, but the only thing I ever remember her cooking was spaghetti and meatballs. But that’s a really happy foodie memory for me.

Anyway, if you make this dish, which I really think you should, I bet it will give you some kind of old time foodie feels too.

Okay, back to this dish…

I was looking for something to cook that would showcase the amazing sauerkraut I had in my fridge. Now that we live on the North Fork of Long Island amidst the farms and the vineyards, my cooking style has expanded. A few months ago I was a part of a sauerkraut-making event at a local farm. By the by… did you know that sauerkraut is made with just cabbage, salt, and water? You could have knocked me over when I found that out. I mean, put the big L on my forehead… I had several pretty expensive artisan krauts in my fridge at the time. Really, a good fermented raw sauerkraut can be made for pennies a jar. Who knew…?

This amazing Pork And Sauerkraut Stew is made with boneless pork, sausages, and sauerkraut. When I was perusing recipes on my favorite blogs, I found many versions of this classic stew. I made it my own and I hope you do too.

pork and sauerkraut stew

There are lots of healthy ingredients in this recipe for Pork And Sauerkraut Stew:

Pork strengthens the digestive system, helps with constipation, and can moisten a dry cough and other dryness in the body. It’s also good to strengthen your qi and give you energy.

Fermented foods are rich in probiotics, are easily digestible, and provide healthy digestive enzymes to your system. Sauerkraut is fermented cabbage. This is a great way to keep healthy — when your gut is healthy, you are healthy, your skin shines, and you have more energy. Simple, but true!

In Chinese medicine, we use prunes to reduce stomach acidity and to help smooth the digestion. The claim to fame of the prune is that it helps fight against constipation. This is true, and when you clear your intestines, you are also taking a great step toward preventing colon cancer. These dried plums also are great for your vision and they have enough potassium to make them an official heart-healthy food.

Bone broth heals your digestive system. It is filled with collagen and gelatin. Both of these substances, when slowly heated for an extended period of time, have been shown to actually heal your gut lining. The glucosamine in bone broth can reduce inflammation throughout your body and it can also strengthen your bones.

It really is true that an apple a day is a good thing. Apples help to strengthen your heart. They are also good for your digestion and they can help eliminate mucus when you have a cold. So, the combination of apples and cinnamon together are great for this time of year when everyone seems to be getting sick. Apples have a high antioxidant content, especially Granny Smiths and Red Delicious. This, combined with the fact that they have a lot of healthy fiber, is why apples are good at fighting Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and some cancers. They have also been shown to help ward off diabetes, high cholesterol and gallstones.

pork and sauerkraut stew

Pork And Sauerkraut Stew
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Recipe type: dairy free, gluten free, fermented, nut free, comfort food, stew, soup
Cuisine: stew, soup, comfort food
Author:
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 6
This Pork And Sauerkraut Stew is the coziest food you will ever have... and it's healing too.
Ingredients
  • ¼ oz dried porcini mushrooms (soaked in 1-1/2 cups boiling water for 1 hour) NOTE: do not discard the soaking liquid!
  • 6 slices bacon, sliced crosswise into ½ inch pieces
  • 1-1/4 lb boneless pork stew meat, cut into bite size cubes
  • 3 sausage links, seared in a pan until almost cooked through (use whatever sausage you like)
  • extra virgin olive oil, if needed for pan
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 tsp caraway seeds
  • 2 med onions, chopped
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 8 whole alllspice berries
  • ½ cup tomato paste
  • 3 Tbs flour (all purpose, gluten-free, rice flour... whatever you have)
  • 1 qt fermented sauerkraut
  • 8 pitted prunes, chopped
  • 6 cups beef bone broth
  • ½ cup sherry
  • 2 green apples, peeled and diced
  • ½ cup yogurt (optional)
Instructions
  1. Cook bacon in a large heavy pot, then remove it to a plate.
  2. To the fat in the pan, add the boneless pork. Cook, stirring, over medium heat until brown on all sides. Remove and add to the plate with the bacon.
  3. Add the sausage and stir until seared on all sides. Remove from the pan and cut it into slices.
  4. Add caraway, allspice, bay leaves, and onions. Stir about 5 minutes, or until softened and starting to brown. Add tomato paste and stir about 5 minutes.
  5. Add flour and stir 2 minutes.
  6. Add sauerkraut and stir for 1 minutes.
  7. Add meats back into the pot.
  8. Add mushrooms and their soaking liquid.
  9. Add prunes.
  10. Add stock and wine and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 40 minutes.
  11. Now add the apples, stir, recover, and cook on low heat for an additional 40 minutes, or until the pork is tender.
  12. Ladle into bowls and garnish with a dollop of yogurt if you like that kind of thing.

 

Vegan Butternut Squash And Bean Chili

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This Vegan Butternut Squash And Bean Chili is so delicious and so comforting. Nobody’s going to miss the meat in this one!

Vegan Butternut Squash Chili

Fall means big pots of warming comfort food on the stove. It means soups and stews and homey foods. It means chili. Lots of chili.

A few months ago, Steve and I moved out of Manhattan and bought The Harvest Inn in wine country on the North Fork of Long Island. I guess most people know this already, but for those who don’t, I’m telling you now because I am sitting here trying to create a recipe for some type of breakfast chili — so far it’s been pretty fun experimenting, and eggs really do seem to go pretty well with chili… but that’s for another time…

This chili, this Vegan Butternut Squash And Bean Chili is not a breakfast chili… it’s a perfect football Sunday, snuggling on the couch with a blankie pot of chili.

I’m not one for re-making the same foods all the time. And sometimes this is to my detriment. I’ll create a recipe, cook it up, serve it to willing (or even not-so-willing) participants and then even if they love it, sometimes they’ll never see it again. Yes, it’s a problem. Well, it can be a problem for my eaters, not for me…

Anyway, I make lots of chilis. Did you know you can make chili out of anything? Yes, literally anything.

If a steaming bowl of chili gives you all the good feels, try some of these favorites of mine: Pork Chili With Bok Choy, Vegan Beet And Butternut Squash Chili, and Black Bean And Pork Chili.

Okay, back to this particular chili… tis the season for everything winter squash. So, it’s got to go into a chili. I mean, it only makes sense. Oh, and you really can substitute any winter squash or pumpkin that you like. A cheese pumpkin would be awesome. I say that with a big smile on my face because last week I bought and roasted a cheese pumpkin for the first time ever and now I’m a huge fan. Really, it’s pretty awesome that no matter what you put into your simmering pot of chili, it always ends up tasting awesome. So, even though when we think of eating seasonally, oftentimes we think of big fruit and veggie platters or salads, eating seasonally is the forte of a chili cook.

I know that it could be a concern of football Sunday fans that a pot of vegan chili may not be what your guests are looking for me. We are a big football Sunday house here, and trust me when I tell you, that nobody will be unhappy with a big bowl of this Vegan Butternut Squash And Bean Chili. I make this and serve it with a big dollop of plant-based yogurt or sour cream on top and omg when you stir it, it gets all creamy and even more amazing.

Also, I love to top it with diced avocado, shredded vegan cheese, and even sourdough croutons.

It’s 8:00 in the morning as I type this, and I want chili. Ugh… I ate the last bowl that was left in my fridge yesterday afternoon. I spent the last 3 days in Manhattan, came home ravenous, opened the fridge and there was one bowl left. Score!

Vegan Butternut Squash And Bean Chili

Here are some of the great healing ingredients in this Vegan Butternut Squash And Bean Chili:

Butternut squash is more than just a delicious vegetable; it’s really good for you. It’s a good fever reducer, it can lessen stomach pain and it can be a comfort during pregnancy when the baby feels like she’s doing acrobatics. It’s also rich in carotenoids and Vitamin B6. This means it’s good for your heart and can help lower bad cholesterol. And, because butternut squash can help reduce inflammation in the body, it benefits almost everyone.

Onions are great for your immune system; they are a natural antihistamine. Recently, I recommended that a patient with bronchitis put sliced raw onions in her socks when she went to sleep… she woke up so much better. (I know I’ve told you this before, but it really is awesome!) Onion is a superhero in the food world!

Turmeric is actually a Chinese herb (Jiang Huang). It is great for reducing inflammation throughout the body. If you suffer from aches and pains in your joints, try turmeric. It can help relieve menstrual pain and some other abdominal pains but, if you are pregnant, ask your doctor before you eat too much turmeric.

Garlic is amazing in its antiviral and antibacterial capabilities. It’s also a Chinese herb called Da Suan. It is used to kill toxins and parasites and also to reduce swelling in the body. It’s what I call a great “A” herb: anesthetic, antibacterial, anti fungal, antioxidant, antiviral, etc….

In Chinese medicine, black foods are known as the best foods to strengthen the body and nourish the blood. We recommend them for many people who suffer from chronic lower back pain, knee pain and infertility. Black beans have the highest amount of antioxidants of any bean, they are high in fiber and are good for the heart.

White beans are good at boosting energy and calming the mind. They can help improve your memory and can lower cholesterol. And, they are a great source of protein.

Bell peppers help with indigestion. If you are feeling bloated and full from over-eating a lot lately, consuming bell peppers will help reduce this feeling. They are also good for blood circulation and research has shown that they are good for people with a low appetite or anorexia.

Vegan Butternut Squash Chili

Vegan Butternut Squash And Bean Chili
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Recipe type: vegan, vegetarian, nut free, gluten free, grain free
Cuisine: chili, stew, soup
Author:
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 6
This Vegan Butternut Squash And Bean Chili is perfect, simple comfort food. It will warm you up and make you smile... and it makes for great leftovers.
Ingredients
  • 2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 med onion, chopped
  • 1-1/2 lb cubed butternut squash
  • 7 garlic cloves, smashed
  • 1 bell pepper, chopped
  • sea salt, to taste
  • ½ tsp chipotle chili powder
  • 1 Tbs chili powder
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 28 oz can whole tomatoes
  • 1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 15 oz can white beans, drained and rinsed
  • 2 cups vegetable broth
  • 5 oz baby spinach
  • Optional toppings: diced avocado, vegan shredded cheese, dairy-free yogurt
Instructions
  1. Heat the oil in a large pot, over medium heat.
  2. Add the onion and sauce 3 mins, then add the squash, garlic, bell peppers and salt. Cook, stirring, 5 mins.
  3. Stir in the chili powders, cumin, and turmeric. Cook, stirring, 1 minute.
  4. Add the bay leaf, tomatoes with their juices, beans, and broth.
  5. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer, covered, about 30 mins or until the squash is tender -- check on it often so it doesn't overcook.
  6. When the squash is tender, add the spinach, stir, and cook just until wilted.
  7. Ladle into bowls and top with yogurt, avocado, and cheese.

 

 

Healthy Gumbo

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This Healthy Gumbo recipe really is amazing. It’s got all the taste of a traditional gumbo, but no gluten or other unhealthy ingredients. This one’s a crowd pleaser every time!
Healthy Gumbo

If you are anything like me, after the holidays, all you want to eat is something that doesn’t taste like traditional holiday food. After Thanksgiving, I don’t want anything that resembles turkey, cranberry sauce, etc. After New Years, all I want is something healthy. You get what I mean…

This Healthy Gumbo takes me straight back to New Orleans, which is a place that I love. I love the food, of course, but even more, I love the people. Friendly people, delicious food, fun bars, oysters in the street… what’s not to love. I love foods that bring back fond travel memories and this is a great one.

A pot of gumbo is one of the most comforting things you can make. The aroma, the taste, the Louisiana feels… it’s all so good. And, it has none of the flavors of my traditional holiday foods. And it’s kind of odd, but I find that even people who don’t usually love spicy foods, love this gumbo. You can make it as spicy or as mild as you like, but I like mine fairly spicy so that’s how I make it and nobody complains.

This year, I made a big pot of this Healthy Gumbo after Thanksgiving. I cut up my leftover turkey and tossed that in. On a non-leftovers weekend, it’s also easy to roast some chicken and use that, or even easier: grab a cooked rotisserie chicken and ta-da… an easy-peasy  meal awaits.

I like to use pre-cooked sausage to make this soup even easier to prepare. You can use rice in your gumbo if you are a purist, but I like to use cauliflower rice. Honestly, absolutely nobody knew it wasn’t real rice when I served it to them.

And, what is really awesome is that this soup, even though it’s spicy and loaded with goodies, does not upset my digestion because it has no gluten and no other ingredients that upset my digestion.

If you love spice like I do, you should also try my recipe for Spicy Chickpea Turkey And Tomato Stew!

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healthy gumbo

healthy gumbo

Steve loves this Healthy Gumbo so much, he offered to be the model, so you know it’s got to be great!

Here are some of the amazing healing ingredients in this Healthy Gumbo recipe:

Onions are great for your immune system; they are a natural antihistamine. Recently, I recommended that a patient with bronchitis put sliced raw onions in her socks when she went to sleep… she woke up so much better; they actually can rid the body of bacteria. (I know I’ve told you this before, but it really is awesome!) Onion is a superhero in the food world!

Ghee is one of the best fats to cook with. Ghee is a clarified butter that has had the milk solids removed and it is lactose free. And, it has the delicious taste of butter.  It has a high smoking point, and it doesn’t have to be refrigerated. I recommend buying organic ghee if possible. It contains conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) which has been shown to lower the risk of heart disease.

Bell peppers help with indigestion. If you are feeling bloated and full from over-eating a lot lately, consuming bell peppers will help reduce this feeling. They are also good for blood circulation and research has shown that they are good for people with a low appetite or anorexia.

Bone broth is filled with bone marrow and essential fatty acids — these things promote optimal brain health. It also contains glycine, which is an amino acid that helps with memory, concentration, stress, and focus.  You can make your own bone broth, but you don’t have to anymore. Bone broth is now available in tons of markets. (See the recipe below for the awesome ready-made bone broth I used in this soup recipe.) It’s sold in boxes just like chicken or vegetable broth. The glucosamine in bone broth can reduce inflammation and strengthen the bones. It’s also great for your skin, hair, and nails. This is a great thing to use for a quick soup base, or to just sip on during the day. Sometimes I’ll have a hot cup of bone broth first thing in the morning for a quick healing pick me up.

Hot peppers contain more vitamin C than any other vegetable and they are good at fighting off the common cold. So, if you like spice, as I do, use a generous amount of whatever hot pepper seasonings you like.  In the recipe below, I put down Creole Seasoning as an ingredient, but oftentimes I will make my own and amp up the cayenne and smoked paprika. The main component of hot peppers is capsaicin. Capsaicin actually works with your body and mind to make you feel happy. It’s also good for reducing swelling and can relieve arthritic joint pain. If you have high blood pressure, check with your doctor before eating too many hot peppers because they can actually raise the blood pressure in some people.

healthy gumbo

Healthy Gumbo
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Recipe type: gluten free, nut free
Cuisine: soup, stew, comfort food
Author:
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4
This Healthy Gumbo is so simple and delicious. It has all the taste and feel of a traditional Louisiana gumbo, but it's gluten free and healing.
Ingredients
  • 3 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
  • 12-oz fully-cooked spicy sausage links (I used chorizo), sliced
  • 1 med onion, chopped
  • 2 celery stalks, chopped
  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped
  • sea salt and black pepper, to taste
  • 8 Tbs ghee (or can use unsalted butter)
  • 5 Tbs gluten-free flour (I used white flour, but I assume other flours would work well too)
  • 2 cups cooked chicken or turkey, diced or shredded
  • 1 Tbs Creole seasoning
  • ½ tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 qt chicken bone broth
  • 2 cups cauliflower rice
  • 1 bay leaf
Instructions
  1. Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium heat and add the sausage,
  2. Saute, stirring often, until the sausage browns a bit.
  3. Using a slotted spoon, remove the sausage to a bowl.
  4. Add the onion, celery, and bell pepper to the pot. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, about 5 mins.
  5. Using a slotted spoon, add this mixture to the sausage in the bowl.
  6. Add 4 Tbs ghee or butter to the pot. Whisk in the flour. Continue whisking for about 6 mins, or until the flour gets to be a medium brown color.
  7. Now add the sausage and veggies back into the pot. Stir to combine. Add the Creole seasoning and the smoked paprika, and stir well.
  8. Add the cooked chicken or turkey and stir to coat.
  9. Add the bone broth and the bay leaf to the pot.
  10. Stir in the cauliflower rice.
  11. Cover and simmer 10 mins. Then uncover and simmer 10 mins.
  12. Ladle into bowls and enjoy!

healthy gumbo

 

Borscht With Beef

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This Borscht With Beef is a deliciously healing classic soup filled with beets, cabbage, and beef. It’s kind of a cross between a hearty beef stew and a cabbage soup. It is amazing and even non-beet-lovers will ask for a second helping.

borscht with beef

I was working with a client a few weeks ago who had really high blood pressure. Now, I’ve always known that beets are great to lower blood pressure but it wasn’t until we actually tested it out that I was truly awe inspired. This wonderful woman came to me willing to do anything she had to in order to feel better. She is my favorite type of client.

I always ask on my initial questionnaire if there is anything you won’t eat. She responded with only two things that she couldn’t                 get down, and one of them was beets.

So, we worked around the beets. And she did amazingly well… her progress was inspiring.

Over the course of a few weeks, I mentioned beets again. I had an intuition or an instinct that beets were the answer to some of her health issues. Well… intuition plus scientific knowledge…

She was game. So I sent her the beets recipe that helped me get my daughter to eat them. And she made it. She ate the beets and she actually loved them. Then she took her blood pressure. The numbers had dropped significantly after only one serving of beets!

She took the bull by the horns and started making more recipes with beets and her blood pressure is now under control. Anyway, this recipe for Borscht With Beef was inspired by this amazing woman who thought she didn’t like beets but loved cabbage soup. It’s delicious. It’s healing. It’s simple. And it tastes like home.

By the way, just as an aside… beet juice is now being given to athletes to increase athletic performance, so you’ve really got to try this Borscht With Beets!

If you like this recipe, you’ll also love my recipe for Beet Sweet Potato Soup.

borscht with beef

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borscht with beef

Here are some of the amazing healing ingredients in this Borscht With Beef recipe:

Beets are SO good for you. I try to find ways to fit them into my meals as much as possible. Really… many times a week. Beets nourish blood and tonify the heart. Athletes are starting to drink beet juice as a form of endurance therapy. They are anti-carcinogenic, good for anemia, and relieve constipation. I also think it’s a great idea to eat them raw sometimes because their amazing goodness is even more pumped up this way.

Beef is good for a lot of ailments. It’s good for edema/swelling in the body, it helps many people with their weak back and knees and, believe it or not, it’s good for that bloated, distended feeling we sometimes get in our stomachs. In the olden days, beef was stewed for hours so that the liquid could be sipped to combat chronic diarrhea. I recommend using grass-fed organic ground beef whenever possible.

Bone broth is filled with bone marrow and essential fatty acids — these things promote optimal brain health. It also contains glycine, which is an amino acid that helps with memory, concentration, stress, and focus.  You can make your own bone broth, but you don’t have to anymore. Bone broth is now available in tons of markets. It’s sold in boxes just like chicken or vegetable broth. The glucosamine in bone broth can reduce inflammation and strengthen the bones. It’s also great for your skin, hair, and nails. This is a great thing to use for a quick soup base, or to just sip on during the day. Sometimes I’ll have a hot cup of bone broth first thing in the morning for a quick healing pick me up.

Scallions are one of my favorite ingredients. In Chinese medicine, the root of the scallion is a healing herb (Cong Bai). I always keep scallions on hand in my refrigerator so that I can whip up a batch of cold and flu fighting tea (scallion roots and ginger) the second anyone feels that scratchy throat coming on. It helps the body sweat out toxins. Scallions are antiviral and antibacterial; they are good for the common cold and general nasal congestion — just don’t eat too many if you have a fever. I toss the roots into this soup and let them infuse the liquid.

Cabbage can help control a cough and lessen the symptoms of the common cold — in olden times, cabbage tea was given to people who had contracted the whooping cough. It’s also good to combat constipation and hot flashes.

Carrots help strengthen the organs in your body. They also are good for the eyes (this is their claim to fame) and they promote healthy digestion. Many moons ago, people used to make carrot tea to ward off measles and to prevent cancer. Carrots help detoxify the body and in today’s world of Chinese medicine, they are prescribed to ease constipation and tonsillitis.

Garlic is amazing in its antiviral and antibacterial capabilities. Garlic is actually a Chinese herb (Da Suan). It’s used to kill toxins and parasites and also to reduce swelling in the body. It’s what I call a great “A” herb: anesthetic, antibacterial, anti fungal, antioxidant, antiviral, etc….

borscht with beef

Borscht With Beef
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Recipe type: soup, stew, comfort food
Cuisine: paleo, whole30, gluten free, grain free, nut free, dairy free
Author:
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 8
This Borscht With Beef is like a delicious cross between cabbage soup and beef stew. It is so healing and so comforting.
Ingredients
  • 2 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 lb beef stew meat
  • sea salt and black pepper
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 6 cups beef bone broth, divided
  • 3 cups water, divided
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds
  • 3 medium/large red beets, peeled and diced
  • 3 scallions, sliced, roots retained and added to the soup
  • ⅓ cup fresh dill, snipped or chopped
  • 3 medium carrots, peeled and diced
  • ¼ cup raw apple cider vinegar
  • ½ medium head savoy cabbage, thinly sliced and broken into shreds
  • 6 garlic cloves, smashed
  • 1 med baking potato, peeled and diced
  • non-dairy yogurt, for topping
Instructions
  1. In a large soup pot set over medium heat, heat the oil.
  2. Season the beef with salt and pepper.
  3. Add the beef to the oil, in a single layer, turning to brown all sides. You will probably have to do this in batches, removing the first batch to a plate to do the second batch.
  4. When the beef is all browned, return all of it to the pot and pour in 3 cups of bone broth and 1 cup of water. Add the fennel seeds. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer, cover the pot and cook for 1 hour.
  5. Add the beets, scallions (with the roots), carrots, cabbage, garlic cloves, and potatoes.
  6. Add the remaining 3 cups bone broth and add about 2 more cups of water so that the ingredients are covered with liquid.
  7. Cover and let simmer 30 mins.
  8. Remove from heat and stir in vinegar and dill.
  9. Ladle into bowls and top each serving with a dollop of yogurt.
  10. Enjoy!

Mung Bean Coconut Curry

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This mung bean coconut curry is the best curry you will ever have… it makes a lover out of people who think they don’t like curries. You have to try it!.
mung-bean-coconut-curry

When I was writing my book — The Chinese Medicine Cookbook, I necessarily had to test out tons and tons of recipes. I tested everything from smoothies to stews to salads. But I wanted to make sure that I included a lot of recipes that used traditional Chinese ingredients as a way to pay homage to the culture that created my love for Chinese herbs and healing.

This recipe for Mung Bean Coconut Curry is one of those recipes.  I’m not sure I had ever really enjoyed mung beans before I created this recipe. The closest I had ever come to feeling love for this ingredient came in the form of pasta. The first grain-free pasta I ever had was mung bean fettuccine and it really was love at first sight for me.

Mung beans are such a healing ingredient. A lot of uncomfortable conditions are caused by us retaining too much heat inside our bodies; mung beans release excess heat. This is a really good thing!

But, here I was trying to create a recipe with actual mung beans. These beans are sold in bags like any other dried bean — they are pretty little green things but I truly didn’t know where to start… and then I saw an amazing recipe by Katie of Hey Nutrition Lady and I knew this awesome recipe was where I would start.

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Honestly, when I was putting this recipe together, I figured nobody in my house would be thrilled about mung beans when I served it. So, I decided on a curry, because… well… I love curry but when I serve it here at home everyone puts on “the face”.  This seemed like a great opportunity for me because if nobody was going to like it anyway, it might as well be something I like but don’t get to make too often.

Here’s the kicker: I ladled a bowlful for Steve and put it in front of him. He asked no questions so I told no lies. He slurped this bowl up like it was a bowl of his favorite Cheeseburger Soup. `When the bowl was licked clean, I said: “I’m surprised you liked that so much… you don’t usually like curry.” His response: “I don’t like curry but this isn’t curry.” So, there you have it. Make this Mung Bean Coconut Curry and serve it to everyone… just don’t tell the haters what it is!

mung-bean-coconut-curry

Here are just some of the amazing healing ingredients in this Mung Bean Coconut Curry:

Mung Beans clear heat from your body; they help reduce acne and can help clear up other skin conditions.  They are also great to help rid  your body of toxins. In China, mung beans are a staple in most kitchens and are eaten often because they provide so many health benefits.

Garlic is amazing in its antiviral and antibacterial capabilities. Garlic is actually a Chinese herb (Da Suan). It’s used to kill toxins and parasites and also to reduce swelling in the body. It’s what I call a great “A” herb: anesthetic, antibacterial, anti fungal, antioxidant, antiviral, etc…

Ginger is also a Chinese herb. In it’s raw form it’s called Sheng Jiang. This herb is especially good during cold weather months and also during seasonal changes. So, when winter is trying to turn into spring, and we (those of us on the east coast) get some of those cold, raw, damp days, ginger will make you feel better and will help boost your immune system. And, when summer is turning into fall, or fall is turning into winter,  those are great times to add ginger into your diet, to prevent those winter colds that seem to pop up often. Old folklore shows that ginger was rubbed on scalps to stop baldness. And, in some circles, a ginger paste is still rubbed on arthritic joints to stop pain (don’t try this at home unless you are diagnosed with a cold-condition by an acupuncturist or herbalist).

In Chinese medicine, we use coconut to strengthen the body, reduce swelling, and stop bleeding. Coconut kills viruses, bacteria, and parasites. It’s good for all types of infections and viruses in the body, including the flu, bronchitis, tapeworms, urinary tract infections, and herpes. And perhaps most importantly, it helps you keep your mind sharp and it makes it easier for you to focus. I like to use full-fat canned coconut milk for this curry.

In Chinese medicine, we use tomatoes to aid in digestion and to help detoxify the body. They are also good to combat excess cholesterol, lessen inflammation and curb asthma. Tomatoes can also quench thirst, and they can help fight some kidney infections.

Onions are great for your immune system; they are a natural antihistamine. Recently, I recommended that a patient with bronchitis put sliced raw onions in her socks when she went to sleep… she woke up so much better; they actually can rid the body of bacteria. (I know I’ve told you this before, but it really is awesome!) Onion is a superhero in the food world — especially when you eat it raw, so be sure to also add some raw onion into your diet whenever you can.

mung-bean-coconut-curry

Mung Bean Coconut Curry
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Recipe type: curry, comfort food, stew, soup
Cuisine: paleo, vegetarian, whole30, vegan, gluten-free, grain-free
Author:
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4-6
This mung bean coconut curry truly is an all-purpose curry; even self-proclaimed curry haters will love it!
Ingredients
  • 2 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
  • 10 garlic cloves, crushed
  • ¼ cup chopped red onion
  • 1 14-oz can chopped tomatoes
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 2 inches of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
  • sea salt and black pepper, to taste
  • ¼ tsp (or to taste) cayenne pepper
  • 4 cups water
  • 1 cup dried mung beans
  • 1 13.5-oz can full fat coconut milk
  • 1 lime, cut into wedges
  • 1 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped
Instructions
  1. In large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat until hot.
  2. Add the garlic and onion, and saute, stirring, 3 mins.
  3. Add the tomatoes, cumin, ginger, salt and pepper, and cayenne.
  4. Cook, stirring often, 5 mins.
  5. Pour in the water and stir in the mung beans.
  6. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let simmer for 30 mins.
  7. Then, uncover the pot and let simmer an additional 15 mins, or until the mung beans are softened.
  8. Turn off the heat and stir in the coconut milk.
  9. Ladle into bowls and garnish each bowl with lime wedges and lots of cilantro.
  10. Enjoy!

mung-bean-coconut-curry

Baked Eggplant Chickpea Skillet

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I was craving veggies, but also comfort food… so I made this baked eggplant chickpea skillet for dinner. It’s like a cross between eggplant parm and a Moroccan chickpea stew and it hits all the right spots!
baked eggplant chickpea skillet

I’m not sure why, but every time I see a food described as a “skillet” I think it must be awesome. I’m a sucker for any type of breakfast skillet on any menu anywhere. So, when I have the chance to actually describe one of my dishes as a skillet, you can be sure I’m going to go for it. So, here’s my baked eggplant chickpea skillet.

People always ask me: “What are you?” in terms of my diet. I’m not sure what to answer anymore except that “I’m whatever is good for me at the time.” Last week I was on a meat kick and I made a huge meatloaf and a chicken curry dish and the biggest piece of salmon you’ve ever seen. The best part was that this big protein-fest made for the best leftovers ever. But now, I still have some left in the fridge, and I really can’t even look at it anymore. I mean, there’s only so many times I can eat the same thing no matter how many creative ways I re-invent it. And some of the ingredients I used aren’t dog friendly… ugh. Note to self: scale down on the number of servings!

Last night was my niece’s engagement party. It was soooo nice. A few of us wanted to eat a light dinner beforehand so we wouldn’t pig out on all of the enticing appetizers. I opened the fridge, looked in, saw all of the same food, and I just couldn’t do it. I so wished I had already made this baked eggplant chickpea skillet so that we could sit there with a bunch of forks and dig into that skillet! (By the way, the Poke bowls we ended up ordering in were so good!)

This week I’m feelin’ the veggies and I want to cook some vegan dishes, and even though I wished this food had been ready to eat last night, I’m happy it’s here today! This dish is healthy, clean, and comforting all at the same time. The first time I made this dish it was because I had seen a recipe for an eggplant and chickpea casserole from The New York Times and I just had to make a version of it.

Did you know that in Chinese medicine we use chickpeas to elevate the mood? Haha, I know that’s a pretty random thought here, but I just think it’s so awesome… And, this dish did make me happy…

It’s not quite prime farmers market season yet here in New York, so when I shopped for this dish I went to Whole Foods. They had more different types of eggplant than I’ve ever seen in one place. And they were so pretty. It took me awhile to choose which ones I wanted but I ended up choosing some long thin, light purple Japanese eggplants because there are no bitter seeds and the skin is really thin and not too noticeable. If you have a picky eggplant eater, I highly recommend this variety.

But… ooh, the white and neon purple striped eggplants… oh my! They are just so pretty. I’ll have to try those next time…

If you are a skillet freak like I am, you should also try my recipe for Vegan Skillet Zucchini Parmesan.

baked eggplant chickpea skillet

baked eggplant chickpea skillet

Here are some of the awesome things this baked eggplant chickpea skillet can do for you:

In eastern medicine, eggplant is added to the diet when there is pain in the body because it’s great for relieving pain and reducing swelling. It’s especially good to eat eggplant when you are experiencing some nasty digestive issues. It relieves stomach pain, helps with dysentery, diarrhea, and painful urinary conditions. Eggplant has also been used topically to treat frostbite and canker sores… talk about a multi-tasking vegetable…

In Chinese medicine, we use tomatoes to aid in digestion and to help detoxify the body. They are also good to combat excess cholesterol, lessen inflammation and curb asthma. Tomatoes can also quench thirst, and they can help fight some kidney infections.

Chickpeas actually help calm the spirit. They relieve anxiety and soothe irritability… it kind of makes you realize why hummus is so popular…

Garlic is amazing in its antiviral and antibacterial capabilities. Garlic is actually a Chinese herb (Da Suan). It’s used to kill toxins and parasites and also to reduce swelling in the body. It’s what I call a great “A” herb: anesthetic, antibacterial, anti fungal, antioxidant, antiviral, etc….

Onions are great for your immune system; they are a natural antihistamine. In the winter, I eat lots and lots of onions… I guess I should feel sorry for the people close to me! Recently, I recommended that a patient with bronchitis put sliced raw onions in her socks when she went to sleep… she woke up so much better; they actually can rid the body of bacteria. (I know I’ve told you this before, but it really is awesome!) Onion is a superhero in the food world!

Basil has anti-viral and anti-bacterial capabilities. It also is good for settling your stomach, and it’s good at lessening the symptoms of the common cold and its accompanying cough. Basil is a spiritual herb — the scent actually calms you; you can boil some in a pot and let the aroma fill the air, you can just leave some around the house, you can toss a bunch in your bath water (I love to do this), or you can use an essential oil with basil to get some great calming effects.

baked eggplant chickpea skillet

baked eggplant chickpea skillet

Baked Eggplant Chickpea Skillet
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Recipe type: stew, skillet, vegan, Moroccan, paleo
Cuisine: recipe adapted from: The New York Times
Author:
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4
This dish is warming, comforting, healing, and it's vegan. The sauce is slightly Moroccan in flavor and it compliments the eggplant so well. And it comes in a skillet!
Ingredients
  • 3 medium, thin, Japanese eggplant, sliced in half vertically, then sliced horizontally into ¼- to ½- inch thick half moons
  • extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing the eggplant
  • For sauce:
  • 1 medium onion, cut in ½, then sliced thin
  • 1 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
  • 5 garlic cloves, smashed
  • sea salt and black pepper
  • 1 28-oz can chopped tomatoes
  • 1 Tbs tomato paste (I love this one -- it comes in a jar!)
  • 1 tsp coconut sugar (here's an organic one)
  • ¼ tsp cinnamon
  • 6 fresh basil leaves
  • 1 15-oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained (here's a good brand)
  • additional basil leaves, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
  1. Preheat your oven to 450°F.
  2. Line a baking sheet with foil.
  3. Brush the foil with some oil.
  4. Lay the eggplant out on the oiled foil. Brush the eggplant with more oil. Sprinkle with salt.
  5. Place the tray in the oven and bake for 15 mins.
  6. Remove the tray from the oven, fold up the foil around the eggplant, crimping all sides so that the eggplant is completely enclosed, and let it sit for about 20 minutes.
  7. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F.
  8. Meanwhile, make the sauce:
  9. Heat the oil in an ovenproof skillet over medium heat. (If you don't have an ovenproof skillet, use a regular one and then before you put it in the oven, transfer everything to a baking dish.)
  10. Add the onion to the skillet, and saute until it begins to soften, about 3 mins.
  11. Add the crushed garlic, and saute, stirring, 30 seconds.
  12. Add the tomato paste, and cook, stirring, 1 minute.
  13. Season with salt and pepper.
  14. Add all the remaining sauce ingredients, except the chickpeas, stir to combine, and simmer, uncovered, 15 mins.
  15. Stir in the chickpeas and the eggplant.
  16. Place the skillet in the oven and cook, uncovered, for 50 mins.
  17. Remove the wilted basil leaves, if you want (I actually like to eat them) and replace them with fresh basil leaves for garnish (optional).

baked eggplant chickpea skillet

Sweet Potato Apple & Swiss Chard Stew

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sweet potato apple & swiss chard stew

The second that it started to feel like fall was finally in the air, I started clicking through all of my favorite blogs and sites and I happily flipped through my favorite beautiful cookbooks looking for inspiration for what kind of soup or stew to make. This sweet potato apple & swiss chard stew was the perfect choice.

I can sit on the couch with cookbooks surrounding me and lose all track of time. Same thing with sitting with my laptop perusing food blogs and recipe sites. Yup, I can be a couch potato to the max — it’s one of my best talents!

But, whoever said couch potatoes are not productive, has not seen some of the results of my expertise in this area. Because I come up with my best recipe ideas when I’m in full-on couch potato mode (maybe even with a cheesy romantic movie playing in the background on TV)…

This is one of those dishes that you are so happy to have leftover in the fridge. And, it’s so good that even when the days grew hot and humid again here in New York, we still happily ate the hot stew. And, if you’ve ever been in New York City on a really hot and humid day, you know how good this sweet potato apple & swiss chard soup must be if we ate it on some of those days!

It’s quite the mental picture: we came in from the heat and humidity outside, stood in front of the cool refrigerator in our stuck-to-our-backs clothing, pulled out the big pot. And we heated it up. And we stood there, eating it with sweat stuck to us. Wow, that’s a pretty awful picture… but I’d do it again in a second…

A few days earlier, when I thought fall might be upon us (which, by the way wasn’t even close to fall yet — it got to be really hot out later…), I found a genius recipe from one of my fav blogs: Contentedness Cooking. So, I want to give credit for the original recipe to Florian; it’s an awesome recipe.

If you want another great recipe that shows off sweet potatoes, try my Stuffed Sweet Potatoes.

sweet potato apple & swiss chard stew

sweet potato apple & swiss chard stew

Here are some of the reasons this sweet potato apple & swiss chard stew is so awesome and healing:

Sweet potatoes are good for your digestive system. They can be good for both constipation and diarrhea. These orange gems also help rid your body of excess water, are good for breast health, help people with diabetes and actually can help ease night blindness. In olden times, it was common in China to rub mashed sweet potatoes on poison insect bites to remove the toxins. I haven’t tried this, but if you see me looking a tad orange, this will be why…

It really is true that an apple a day is a good thing. Apples help to strengthen your heart. They are also good for your digestion and they can help eliminate mucus when you have a cold. So, the combination of apples and cinnamon together are great for this time of year when everyone seems to be getting sick. Apples have a high antioxidant content, especially Granny Smiths and Red Delicious. This, combined with the fact that they have a lot of healthy fiber, is why apples are good at fighting Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and some cancers. They have also been shown to help ward off diabetes, high cholesterol and gallstones.

Swiss Chard can help detoxify your body. It contains large amounts of minerals including iron, pottassium, and magnesium. It’s got lots of fiber and can help reduce inflammation.

Onions are great for your immune system; they are a natural antihistamine. In the winter, I eat lots and lots of onions… I guess I should feel sorry for the people close to me! Recently, I recommended that a patient with bronchitis put sliced raw onions in her socks when she went to sleep… she woke up so much better; they actually can rid the body of bacteria. (I know I’ve told you this before, but it really is awesome!) Onion is a superhero in the food world!

Turmeric is actually a Chinese herb (Jiang Huang). It is great for reducing inflammation throughout the body. If you suffer from aches and pains in your joints, try turmeric. It can help relieve menstrual pain and some other abdominal pains but, if you are pregnant, ask your doctor before you eat too much turmeric.

Cashews are really a multi-tasking nut. I use them all the time so I say it all the time: Cashews have a lower fat content than most other nuts. Most of the fat in cashews is unsaturated and is made up of oleic acid; this is the same acid that is found in olive oil, making these nuts a heart-healty choice. For this stew, I sprinkled cashews on top of each bowl before serving, and it really elevated the taste… so don’t skip this step!

In Asian medicine, we use coconut to strengthen the body, reduce swelling, and stop bleeding. Coconut kills viruses, bacteria, and parasites. It’s good for all types of infections and viruses in the body, including the flu, bronchitis, tapeworms, urinary tract infections, and herpes. And perhaps most importantly, it helps you keep your mind sharp and it makes it easier for you to focus. I like to use full-fat canned coconut milk for this stew.

sweet potato apple & swiss chard stew

Sweet Potato Apple & Swiss Chard Stew
5.0 from 1 reviews
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Recipe type: stew, soup, paleo, whole30, vegan, vegetarian
Cuisine: recipe inspired by: Contentedness Cooking
Author:
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4-6
This is the perfect Autumn stew... or thick soup... whatever it is, it's healing and warming and delicious!
Ingredients
  • 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 apples, peeled and diced
  • 1 tsp curry powder
  • ½ tsp turmeric powder
  • sea salt and black pepper, to taste
  • 1 large head Swiss chard (I used rainbow chard), sliced into ribbons
  • 2 cans full-fat coconut milk
  • 1 cup raw cashews
Instructions
  1. Heat coconut milk and sweet potatoes in a large soup pot over medium heat. Let cook for 5 mins.
  2. Add remaining ingredients, except cashews, and cook about 15 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are cooked through.
  3. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle each bowl with a big fistful of cashews.
  4. Enjoy!

sweet potato apple & swiss chard stew

Paleo Chicken Pot Pie Soup

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I bet you didn’t know that potatoes can relieve some inflammation in your joints are they are good for constipation…
paleo chicken pot pie soup

Everyone always assumes that I grew up in a foodie home. Ummmmmm… not so much. I can’t even begin to tell you the amount of frozen food I ate as a child. I remember frozen chicken pot pies. The ones that were tiny little frozen rocks with a thick crust and a gummy filling. As a kid, I think I must have thought they were good. But as an adult, I can’t even imagine eating one now. But a good pot pie… well, that’s a great thing. Enter this amazing paleo chicken pot pie soup.

I found the original recipe for this soup on a great blog called My Heart Beets. It’s a great recipe. I changed it up just a bit to make it a little more healing for Steve, who has a really obnoxious cold and cough that just keeps hanging on. But Ashley did an awesome job with this genius recipe.

We were on vacation in Mexico last week and it was so warm and beautiful. When we came home all I wanted was anti-Mexican food. I never thought I could have too much guacamole and too many margaritas, but it happened. So, this paleo chicken pot pie soup was just perfect!

This soup is creamy (but there’s no dairy) and rich and garlicky and healing. It’s just so comforting. And, it’s nothing like those frozen brick-like pot pies from my childhood.

This recipe is also super easy because it’s made with a rotisserie chicken. So, no excuses… come on, you’ve got to try it…

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For another creamy and warm paleo dish, try my recipe for Creamy Lentil And Kale Stew.

I’m on a big customized-recipe-creation kick right now… let me customize a recipe for you that will work for whatever’s going on in your body now… I’m such a geek that I really do get excited about doing this. I’ve got a soup with your name on it…  So CLICK HEREto be taken directly into my calendar to sign up for your free phone consultation.

paleo chicken pot pie soup

The ingredients in this soup with heal you:

Chicken is something I push people to buy organic if possible. Organic chicken is a great, healthy protein to give you energy, lessen the pain of some types of arthritis, and boost your system when you are particularly weak — like after surgery or childbirth. People who have some conditions that we consider “excess heat” conditions should limit the amount of chicken they eat. So, if you have an illness that gives you a bright red tongue or severe dryness in your body, check with your doctor first. For example, if you have a lot of burning stomach acid, you should avoid chicken for awhile…

Garlic is amazing in its antiviral and antibacterial capabilities. Garlic is actually a Chinese herb (Da Suan). It’s used to kill toxins and parasites and also to reduce swelling in the body. It’s what I call a great “A” herb: anesthetic, antibacterial, anti fungal, antioxidant, antiviral, etc….

Scallions, as I tell you often, are one of my favorites. In Chinese medicine, the root of the scallion is a healing herb (Cong Bai). I always keep scallions on hand in my refrigerator so that I can whip up a batch of cold and flu fighting tea (scallion roots and ginger) the second anyone feels that scratchy throat coming on. It helps the body sweat out toxins. Scallions are antiviral and antibacterial; they are good for the common cold and general nasal congestion — just don’t eat too many if you have a fever.

Onions are great for your immune system; they are a natural antihistamine. Recently, I recommended that a patient with bronchitis put sliced raw onions in her socks when she went to sleep… she woke up so much better; they actually can rid the body of bacteria. (I know I’ve told you this before, but it really is awesome!) Onion is a superhero in the food world!

Potatoes are good at soothing ulcers and neutralizing acid in the stomach and they help relieve constipation. These tubers also can help relieve arthritic inflammation. So, even though sweet potatoes are thought of as the white potato’s more nutrition sister, regular old potatoes can be just what the doctor ordered.

Carrots help strengthen the organs in your body. They also are good for the eyes (this is their claim to fame) and they promote healthy digestion. Many moons ago, people used to make carrot tea to ward off measles and to prevent cancer. Carrots help detoxify the body and in today’s world of Chinese medicine, they are prescribed to ease constipation and tonsillitis.

Celery actually helps stop bleeding — so if you or anyone you know has just had surgery, start adding celery to your dishes! Celery is also great to help lower blood pressure and it’s been known to help with insomnia.

paleo chicken pot pie soup

If you make this Paleo Chicken Pot Pie Soup, please be sure to let me know in the comments below. I love hearing how you like a recipe, and I love to answer your questions! If you make it, be sure to take a photo and tag me and post it on Instagram.

Paleo Chicken Pot Pie Soup
Print
Recipe type: paleo, comfort food, soup, stew, whole30
Cuisine: recipe adapted from: My Heart Beets
Author:
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 6
This soup is like a creamy chicken pot pie... without the crust or the dairy. It's so comforting and satisfying. Oh, and it's easy to make too!
Ingredients
  • 1 rotisserie chicken, skinned and shredded (preferably organic)
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 8 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 2 Tbs grass-fed butter or ghee
  • sea salt and black pepper
  • 2 lb yellow potatoes (half of them peeled and roughly chopped; the other half cut into bite-size pieces)
  • 2 cups chicken broth (I used bone broth)
  • 3 large carrots, peeled and sliced
  • 2 celery ribs, chopped
  • 3 scallions, sliced
  • 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
  • 1 tsp fresh sage, chopped
  • 1 tsp dried dill (use fresh if you have it)
Instructions
  1. Heat the butter in a large soup pot. Add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring, 3 minutes.
  2. Add the peeled, roughly chopped potatoes and the broth.
  3. Season with salt and pepper.
  4. Simmer, covered, about 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
  5. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the potatoes and onions to a blender and set aside to cool slightly.
  6. Whiz them up until nice and creamy.
  7. Add the carrots and celery to the broth in the pot.
  8. Add the bite-sized potatoes.
  9. Add the contents of the blender.
  10. Simmer, covered, about 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
  11. Add the chicken, scallions, and herbs and cook another 5 minutes.
  12. Ladle into bowls.
  13. Enjoy!

 

paleo chicken pot pie soup

Creamy Lentil And Kale Stew

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This creamy lentil and kale stew will warm you up and keep you healthy…

creamy lentil and kale stew

I follow lots of vegan food bloggers, and let me just say that so many of these blogs are drool-worthy. As soon as I saw a recipe for lentil stew from Veggies Don’t Bite I knew I’d be making it soon. This recipe is awesome. I learned from Sophia’s awesome blog that the original recipe is from one of my all-time favorite vegan blogs, Oh She Glows… wow, these women are talented.

Anyway, I made the recipe with a few minor changes (because I’m just always have to take a little creative license…). It’s so good. I use cashews in so many recipes, but I would never have thought to use them here! This stew is so creamy (thanks to the cashews) that it tastes like heavy cream was added… but it’s vegan and so healthy!

Creamy lentil and kale stew is just that. It’s creamy. And it’s filled with lentils and kale. And lots of turmeric. And delicious veggies and spices. This is great on a cold winter day.

Right before I started typing this post, I went into my fridge and took out the leftover stew and transferred it to my freezer because I cannot even think of getting rid of it even though there’s a good chance that everyone here would throw things at me if I served it again this week. Sometimes something is just so good that I can eat it over and over again all week long. My family… not so much…

You also really should try my recipe for Lentil Vegetable Soup.

creamy lentil and kale stew

creamy lentil and kale stew

There are lots of awesome healing ingredients in this creamy lentil and kale stew:

Lentils help lower cholesterol, manage blood sugar levels, are high in vitamin B and protein, and have hardly any fat. They are a good source of long-term energy and are very high in fiber. These tiny legumes also help with digestion and they are the perfect protein to eat in the summer because they actually clear the body of excess heat; long ago, cold lentil soup was prescribed for patients with heatstroke or fever.

Turmeric is actually a Chinese herb (Jiang Huang). It is great for reducing inflammation throughout the body. If you suffer from aches and pains in your joints, try turmeric. It can help relieve menstrual pain and some other abdominal pains but, if you are pregnant, ask your doctor before you eat too much turmeric.

Kale is everywhere these days. It is extremely nutritious, and because it to so popular you can find it already washed and prepared in lots of markets. My cheat for this recipe was that I bought this kale already cut up and washed at the market. If you are using a whole bunch of kale, make sure you clean the leaves thoroughly and remove the center thick stems if they bother you (I don’t like to eat these think stems when they are raw). This dark leafy green is a great source of fiber and calcium. It’s also rich in many minerals, including magnesium, iron and potassium. One serving contains 200% of the daily requirements of Vitamin C and 180% of Vitamin A.

Cashews are really a multi-tasking nut. I use them all the time so I say it all the time: Cashews have a lower fat content than most other nuts. Most of the fat in cashews is unsaturated and is made up of oleic acid; this is the same acid that is found in olive oil, making these nuts a heart-healty choice. The cashews give this dressing a velvety, creamy texture.

Carrots help strengthen the organs in your body. They also are good for the eyes (this is their claim to fame) and they promote healthy digestion. Many moons ago, people used to make carrot tea to ward off measles and to prevent cancer. Carrots help detoxify the body and in today’s world of Chinese medicine, they are prescribed to ease constipation and tonsillitis.

Garlic is amazing in its antiviral and antibacterial capabilities. Garlic is also a Chinese herb (Da Suan). It’s used to kill toxins and parasites and also to reduce swelling in the body. It’s what I call a great “A” herb: anesthetic, antibacterial, anti fungal, antioxidant, antiviral, etc….

Celery actually helps stop bleeding — so if you or anyone you know has just had surgery, start adding celery to your dishes! Celery is also great to help lower blood pressure and it’s been known to help with insomnia.

Creamy Lentil And Kale Stew
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Recipe type: stew, comfort food, lentils, soup
Cuisine: vegan, paleo, whole30, vegetarian
Author:
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 8
This vegan, paleo-friendly stew is so creamy that you won't believe it's dairy-free. This one's a keeper... I'll be eating it all winter long!
Ingredients
  • ½ cup raw cashews
  • ½ cup water
  • 2 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 6 garlic cloves, smashed
  • sea salt and black pepper, to taste
  • 2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
  • 2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 2 tsp turmeric powder
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
  • ¾ cup dried french green lentils
  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • 1-1/2 cups water
  • 2 cups cleaned kale, torn into pieces
Instructions
  1. Blend the cashews with ½ cup water in a blender until smooth and creamy (I used my Vitamix -- I'm not sure how creamy this would get with a regular blender).
  2. In a large soup pot, heat the oil.
  3. Add the onion, garlic, celery, and carrots to the oil. Season with salt and pepper.
  4. Saute, stirring often, until the veggies are starting to soften, about 6 minutes.
  5. Stir in the thyme, turmeric, and cumin, and stir 1 minute.
  6. Pour in the tomatoes, lentils, broth, and 1-1/2 cups water.
  7. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered 30 minutes.
  8. Stir in the kale and the cashew cream and cook an additional 10 minutes.
  9. Ladle into bowls and serve with your favorite crusty bread (I used paleo toasted bagels) or a nice crisp green salad.
  10. Enjoy!

creamy lentil and kale stew