12 Soups in 12 Months: Beef Stew

Soup number three is a stew rather than a soup, but healthful, nourishing and comforting for this month that can be challenging for us. Ahh, March. Gotta love you: so close to spring but always with that "surprise" dump of snow - as if we didn't know it was coming. As if to say "see you next season, suckas!"


This dish was not on my lists of soups to make, but it was delicious nonetheless.

Recipe:

Chop up two white onions, four potatoes and 2 tablespoons of minced garlic and place in the bottom of slow cooker. Make a simple rub (salt, pepper, paprika,, garlic, etc) for the pot roast, rub it on the roast and then place the roast in slow cooker. Cook on high for a few hours adding broth to keep it from drying out. Add mushrooms, broccoli, cauliflower and frozen peas and cook on low for another four hours or until the meat is  thoroughly cooked. Once the meat is cooked, remove from slow cooker and cut it up into bite-sized pieces. Take the liquid from the slow cooker and put it into a roasting pan on the stove to make a gravy. I used Bisto powder but you can make your own gravy. Add the meat and veggies back in and let simmer. That's it, easy!

If you feel like "treating" yourself, have some fresh-baked bread and butter. I packed up the leftovers into a few tupperware containers and froze for easy lunches. 

I'm leaning towards a yummy looking chicken and noodle soup for April. 

12 Soups in 12 Months: Pumpkin Soup with Spiced Croutons

Here's soup number two for my 12 Soups in 12 Months challenge!

Ingredients

2 medium carrots, sliced
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2  15 ounce cans pumpkin
1  32 ounce carton reduced-sodium chicken broth
½ cup half-and-half or light cream
½ cup water
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Salt
Ground black pepper
1 Recipe Spiced Croutons

Directions

1. In a large saucepan cook carrots in hot butter over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add onion, celery, and garlic; cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

2. Stir in pumpkin, broth, half-and-half, water, maple syrup, and pumpkin pie spice. Heat through. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

3. To serve, top soup with Spiced Croutons and celery leaves.

Spiced Croutons

Ingredients
3 cups 1-inch bread cubes
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
2 tablespoons butter

Directions

In a bowl toss bread cubes with pumpkin pie spice. In a large skillet cook bread cubes in hot butter for 8 minutes or until toasted, turning occasionally.

Clean Eating: Satay Chicken

I've been trying to incorporate "clean eating" into my routine as much as possible since the beginning of January, with no specific goal other than feeling better. It's been a great experience so far - learning about benefits of coconut oil and its many uses (and tastes yum, too!)

So what exactly is clean eating? As taken from the Clean Eating Magazine:
“The soul of clean eating is consuming food in its most natural state, or as close to it as possible. It is not a diet; it's a lifestyle approach to food and its preparation, leading to an improved life - one meal at a time.”

Eat five to six times a day
Three meals and two to three small snacks. Include a lean protein, plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, and a complex carbohydrate with each meal. This keeps your body energized and burning calories efficiently all day long. This was not hard for me to do as I am usually hungry, especially when avoiding breads and other foods that make me feel bloated and gross.

Drink at least two liters of water a day
Preferably from a reusable canteen, not plastic; we're friend of the environment here! Limit your alcohol intake to one glass of antioxidant-rich red wine a day. I don’t know that I’m up to two liters, but definitely 7 cups. So I’m nearly there. It takes some adjusting before your bladder stops waking you up 20 times a night to go pee. And YAY, wine!!

Get label savvy
Clean foods contain just one or two ingredients. Any product with a long ingredient list is human-made and not considered clean.

Avoid processed and refined foods
This includes white flour, sugar, bread and pasta. Enjoy complex carbs such as whole grains instead. This was easier to do than I thought it would be, mostly because of the immediate difference it made from not consuming these foods!

Know thy enemiesSteer clear of anything high in saturated and trans fats, anything fried or anything high in sugar. You can still have bacon, and coconut oil is truly yummy and versatile!

Consume healthy fats
Try to have essential fatty acids, or EFAs, every day. I take mine in the form of Evening Primrose Oil, every day after dinner. This also helps with mood stability.

Learn about portion sizes
Work towards eating within them. And slowing down while eating your food. Take time to enjoy it!

My first “clean” recipe was Clean Satay Chicken. It was delicious, easy to make and gentle on the belly. 
 

Recipe
2-3 Chicken breasts, sliced
1 small head broccoli, cut into small florets
1/2-1 zucchini, sliced
1 large carrot, sliced1 teaspoon crushed chilli
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoon crushed garlic
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 spanish onion, finely chopped
1.5 tablespoons coconut oil
Juice of half a fresh lime
3 tablespoons natural crunchy peanut butter
2 tablespoons coconut sugar or stevia
3 tablespoons shredded coconut
1 teaspoon soy sauce (optional)
2 cups water

Heat fry pan, add the coconut oil, coriander, cumin, garlic and red onion and fry for about 30 seconds. Add the peanut butter, chilli, lime juice, Stevia, coconut and soy sauce and stir. This will form a paste. Gradually add the water, about 1/2 cup at a time till you get the sauce to a consistency that you like. (more water = runnier sauce)

Simmer for a few minutes and turn heat off and set aside. In another heated pan, place a little coconut oil and a little garlic. Add the chicken and brown it up. Add the vegetables and stir fry for a few minutes. Pour over the sauce and heat for about 1-2 minutes. Serve this in a bowl with some brown rice or quinoa. Enjoy!

Green Energy

Earlier in January I promised to talk about my experience with “green energy” and the effects of incorporating more greens into my daily regimen. This was part of my 2013 (and on) commitment to better health. It's one of the small (and easy) steps I could make to achieve that.

We are now nearing the end of January and I am proud to report that I have stuck with this new healthy habit! In addition to adding greens to my diet, for a month I also cut out cola, coffee, breads/pastas, sugars, processed food and fast food. Yes, I slipped a couple of times but overall I'm amazed at my strength!

So what exactly is green energy and why was I so eager to give it a try? Well, according to Lee Holmes, a guest blogger on the Wellness Warrior:

“Green juices are the best medicine we can give our bodies, and are particularly beneficial for those who have digestive system or mal-absorption issues. Juice is easily absorbed as juicing breaks down the cell walls of fruits and vegetables so that they are pre-digested already. This means that the power-packed nutrients are getting directly into your system.

 Juicing is also a wonderful way to ensure that we are consuming our recommended servings of greens too. Let’s face it, no one wants to be eating four cucumbers and three bunches of spinach at 7am, but juicing enables us to get a healthy amount of vegetables in one go to power-up the day.

 Another benefit of using greens in juicing is that it oxygenates the body due to the addition of chlorophyll and enables us to release stored toxins in our bodies. Chlorophyll helps in neutralising the pollution that we breathe in every day. If you are a smoker (or have been in the past) it’s a fantastic supplement for your diet. When you ingest chlorophyll, your haemoglobin count is elevated and as a result of this, you’ll find that your circulation improves and you’ll have much more energy. Not only is it a blood enricher with special nutrients that build iron, it also cleanses and improves the health of the intestines, uterus, and lungs.”

The first paragraph alone convinced me to give green juice a try. Any way I can help my body to absorb nutrients and give my digestive system a break at the same time – I will take it!

I tested out three different brands of bottled green juice. I chose to buy bottled juice instead of spending the money to buy an expensive juicer then possibly realizing this wasn’t for me.  I also chose organic brands with the ingredients clearly labeled.

Happy Plant Extreme Green

This was one of the last products I tried. I was a bit skeptical, because the expiry date was nearly a month after the "open" or "purchase" date. Hmm. It did taste great, though!

Bolthouse Farms

This product was tasty and delicious. No negative review here. I actually alternated this one with Arthur's (below). The juice is "best" one week after opening. I stuck to that and all was well.

Arthur’s Smoothies

Again, similar great taste and one week expiration date after opening.

So what's the big deal, you ask? I started noticing differences within the first 2 days. This is not a joke or over-exaggeration! I have nothing that I am trying to sell here - only one hundred percent shared experience. I've been energetic in the morning and those post-lunch-time-sleepy-times have all but dissapated. Sugar was hard to cut down, but the green juice is so tasty...almost too good to be true.

I have to admit, I have gotten much of my motivation from the Wellness Warrior. She is smart, Australian and beautiful (inside and out)! I follow her blog and learn new things every week. She also has a free downloadable green juice/smoothies cookbook. Check it out at the link above.

You can buy the above products at pretty much any grocery store (I am in Canada so I can't speak for other parts of the world). They weren't terribly pricey, especially considering how long they last. One botte and I'm good for the week. I just chug a bunch at breakfast. This is probably the most lazy way to go about it, but at least I'm trying. I keep a bottle in the fridge at work and a bottle in my home refrigerator.

What are your green energy habits? I would love to hear from you and share green juice recipes!

Hope your bellies are comfy,

Sher



12 Soups in 12 Months

While making my turkey veggie rice soup the other night (really good on the belly or during a flare) I thought maybe I should challenge myself to something cooking-related. My favorite go-to meal during the winter is soup. Easy to digest, full of nutrients and electrolytes, and warms you to the core.  

I’ve picked 12 soups and will make one per month for the year 2013. Other than the soup I made this week (featured below) which is my own recipe, the rest are new to me. I don’t have a particular order – will just pick based on how I feel that month.

TURKEY VEGGIE RICE SOUP

PUMPKIN SOUP WITH SPICED CROUTONS

TOMATO GARLIC SOUP WITH FENNEL

PUMPKIN-GINGER SOUP

BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

INDIAN CAULIFLOWER SOUP WITH GARAM MASALA

EASTERN EUROPEAN BORSCHT

TWO-PEA SOUP WITH PORK

EASY TOMATO SOUP

FRENCH ONION AND BEEF SOUP

CURRIED VEGETABLE SOUP

CHICKEN BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

TURKEY VEGGIE RICE SOUP

1 turkey  carcass & meat (I froze mine from xmas until I was ready to make soup; skin is optional)
2 cups broth (chicken or veggie – your choice/preference)
4 cups water
salt
pepper
cut up veggies: carrots, onions, celery, japanese zuchinni
TBS minced garlic
TBS butter
2 cups wild rice
2 bay leaves

1. Dice all your veggies, add to soup pot with garlic, spices and bay leaves and butter. Saute until onions are nearly transparent.
2. Put in turkey carcass and slowly add broth and water, while bringing to a boil. Let boil for about 20 minutes then turn down to simmer for another 45 minutes (covered).
3. Remove turkey skin, fat, bones and unwanted parts with tongs (will be hot!). Discard. Stir it all around to break apart the turkey meat that fell off the bone and carcass.
4. Add uncooked rice and let simmer for another 30 minutes.
5. Cool and enjoy! My soup ended up being more like a stew because the rice absorbed a lot of the water, but I like it that way. To make it soupier, just add more water to it.

Please enjoy these recipes and feel free to pass them on. Feel free to post your favorite soup recipes or what go-to foods you prefer during a flare. I can try making the dishes you post (if they are not too complex, lol) and then I will feature some on my blog (with photos and credits to you).

Pumpkin Pancakes!

Pumpkin Pancake Recipe

1 cup whole wheat Sunny Boy pancake mix
1 egg
1 cup milk or milk alternative
pinch of nutmeg
pinch of cinnamon
½ cup pumpkin puree

Whisk ingredients together. Batter will be pretty dense because of the pumpkin. Cook like normal pancakes (there may or may not be surface bubbles, just keep close watch to not burn the pancake).

Serve with real maple syrup, fresh raspberries and pecans. Mmm mmm good! These were yummy and easy on the tummy.

Those Xmas Pounds...

I've Already Lost the Xmas Pounds
Just catch the flu! My new year’s gift was the flu. Vomiting and diahrea for 24 hours straight. That put me into a flare. I’ve been on 3 days only fluids.

I took this “opportunity” to try Electrolyte gastro rehydrating crystals. It's supposed to be  "an easy-to-use rehydration drink that quickly restores vital minerals and body water lost through vomiting."

  
It kinda tasted like the 4 litres of golyte you are forced to drink when prepping for a scope. So I didn’t manage to drink much, but hope it helped.

Each sachet of Electrolyte gastro contains:
Sodium Chloride..............................0.47 g
Sodium Acid Citrate.........................0.53 g
Potassium Chloride.........................0.30 g
Glucose (from corn syrup)...............3.56 g

Other than that I stuck to ice water and weak chamomile mint tea with honey. It’s comforting to the tummy and contains no caffeine. 







And Boost. When it’s really chilled, I can stomach it.

I’m slowly getting better and the turkey pounds have vanished. How's that for seeing the silver lining?

Next time I will be talking about my newest journey: green energy (juicing). Stay tuned and keep coming back!