Flowfit

Everyone knows chicken soup soothes the soul, but it also soothes what ails you.  Well, thanks to Alicia Silverstone, I’ve discovered that you don’t need chicken fat to create an equally delicious, nutritious and literally healing soup.  This soup was inspired by Alicia’s “Magical Healing Soup” from her book, The Kind Diet.  For me, this soup is never the same thing twice – if I have broccoli I add that, bok choy – awesome!  Just take a look and add whatever veggies you have on hand, keeping some colours in mind as you go.  Remember, each wonderful colour of vegetable has a different variety of minerals and nutrients!

Healing Soup:

• 3 carrots, peeled and cut into bite sized pieces
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 3 potatoes, chopped (I like to leave the peels on for extra texture)
• 1 1/2 cups chopped cauliflower
• 1 cup chopped cabbage
• 3 cups baby spinach
• 2 cartons vegetable broth (or 6-8 cups broth of choice)
• 1 good sized piece of ginger (about 1 inch by 2 inches, cut into 3 pieces)
• 1 bunch cilantro
• 1 bunch parsley
• 1 clove garlic
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper

Heat oils in heavy bottomed soup pot.  Add onions, celery and carrots and saute on medium heat for approximately 5 minutes.  Add garlic and saute for 1 minute.  Add remainder of vegetables (except spinach) and enough broth to completely cover vegetables.  Stir and bring to boil.  Reduce heat to medium low, add parsley, cilantro and ginger.  Simmer uncovered for 30 – 45 minutes.  I like my vegetables to still have a good firmness to them, but if you prefer them softer, cook a little longer.

Remove from heat, toss in spinach and lemon juice, stir, cover and let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

Time to go fishing!!

Remove parsley and cilantro with tongs.  Fish out ginger – biting into that wouldn’t be too nice.

Serve up steaming hot.  It’ll do ya good.

And it’ll also cure a hangover ;o)  Honest…

YUM!

Okay, I’ll admit it…..I LOVE FRENCH FRIES!

Everyone has their vices.  For some of you it’s coffee or wine.  For many it’s chocolate!  But for me, it’s fries all the way baby!  Crispy, steamy, salty.  I love it all.  Yes, I know they are not healthy, deep fried in all that beastly saturated fat.  I still crave them, dream about them and… indulge once in a while.  Yep!  I do.

That said, I’ve been patiently and repeatedly trying to recreate a healthier version at home.  One that equals the deep fried variety I love so much.  Try as I may, I just wasn’t successful at recreating that perfect crispness on the exterior and steamy fluffyness on the interior.

UNTIL NOW!

And the best thing?  It’s easy!!

Oven Baked French Fries:

Serves 4 (or two french fry lovers)

• 3 large baking potatoes, washed
• 2 tbsp peanut oil
• Sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Cut washed potatoes in half lengthwise.  Then cut each half into 6 – 8 more pieces.  Lovingly and carefully hand dry each piece with a clean tea towel.  I know – but trust me, THIS is the important part.  What can I say, I love em and it’s worth the effort!  Toss dried potatoes on cookie sheet with peanut oil.  Ensure the potatoes are not touching each other and there is a lot of room so they get crispy and don’t steam.  Place in oven and bake for 10 minutes.  Remove from oven, shake to release.  Try one with a spatula, if it doesn’t come up easy, put back in oven for a few minutes and try again.  When they are ready, flip each piece.  Back into oven for another 5-10 minutes.  Watch carefully as you don’t want to over cook them.  Once finished, remove from oven and immediatly sprinkle with sea salt and pepper.

You can thank me later.  Get out your favorite topping – ketchup, mayo, vinegar, etc.  I like mine as is with an extra bit of sea salt.

YUM!

Come on… dare ya to try them!

This week was my first fall share with Plan B for 2010.  As I’ve mentioned before, I love the fall shares!  Wednesdays have become our favorite day of the week… waiting for the truck to arrive, dragging in the box and finally, opening up our box of goodies and eyeing for the first time what we will have to create with!  The not knowing what will be waiting inside is half the fun!  Every Wednesday, I have no plans for dinner.  I patiently wait and get my inspriation from the goodies found inside our home delivered box of fresh organic produce.

I needed something quick and easy for dinner before going out to a friends house for the evening.  Opening the fridge I saw I still had some veggies begging to leave this world before they shrivelled up.  I think they’d be happy going out this way ;o)

Autumn Soup

• 2 leeks, white parts only
• 2 carrots
• 3 stalks celery
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 cups chopped potatoes
• 1 cup chopped butternut squash (or whatever squash you have on hand)
• 1 zucchini
• 2 cups napa cabbage or chinese lettuce
• handful fresh “living broccoli” (from this weeks delivery – didn’t you just love em?!) – Can substitute fresh parsley
• juice of half lemon
• shot of sherry (optional)
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 4 cups broth of choice (chicken, vegetable)
• 1/2 cooked chicken breast (optional)
• pinch of powdered sage
• sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper

To prepare leeks, chop off green end and root end.  Cut in half diagonally.  Rinse well under running water to remove any dirt. Slice halves into 1/2 inch pieces.

Heat large soup pot on med/high.  Add olive oil, followed by leeks, carrots, celery, squash, sage and garlic and salt and pepper to taste.  Cook stirring frequently for about 10 minutes.  Do not brown – you want to sweat the veggies.  Add the broth, potatoes, lemon juice and sherry.  Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes or until potatoes are cooked through.  Taste as you go and add more salt if needed (it’ll depend on the broth you used).

Once potatoes are cooked through, remove soup from heat and add zucchini and Napa cabbage – stir and cover (also add cooked shredded chicken at this point if using).  Let sit for 5 minutes and serve!

Add fresh broccoli sprouts and a sprinkling of salt and pepper to serve.  Goodness in a bowl.

YUM!

Life expectancy would grow by leaps and bounds if green vegetables smelled as good as bacon. – Doug Larson

For the love of veggies –

They’re good for you and over a flame they taste like candy – well not literally, but certainly sweet.  Everything from asparagus to eggplant, peppers, tomatoes, broccoli, carrots, zucchini…. the list goes on and on….all come to life when grilled – seriously!

I’ve never eaten a veggie I didn’t like… well, let me rephrase that… I’ve never eaten a properly prepared veggie I didn’t like – especially when grilled!  The combination of flavours – smokey carmelized crunchy juiciness – YUM!!  It’s natural goodness at it’s best.

I often read varying reports of just how many vegetables you should consume each day.  While you may question the amount necessary to get in all your vitamins and nutrients, one thing is absolutely certain – your mother was right!  Vegetables are good for you!  There is no question in that.  Veggies are rich in fibre, vitamins and minerals, and beneficial in hydration (veggies have a high water content).  A diet that includes a rainbow of veggies is simply smart.

I know so many people (shocking to me) that do not like veggies – children especially.  I would have to guess that this is largely do to how they are prepared and presented.  Vegetables offer their own natural sweetness.  Boiling them should be a crime!  So please hear me… DO NOT BOIL YOUR VEGGIES!  Potatoes of course are the exception.  With summer upon us… get outside!  Use your grill!  If you don’t already have a grill basket – go out and get one.  Try mixing a variety of colours and textures.  Toss them all together with some good quality olive oil, sea salt, cracked black pepper and something acidic like citris or balsamic vinegar.  Add in some herbs and garlic and presto!  Dee-lish!

The most wonderful thing about vegetables for me is, they are food from the earth.  Directly from the earth.  How great is that?

Veggies – go out and get some.  Have them for dinner tonight!

YUM!

Tell me…. did your mom ever say, “eat your veggies”?  Have you ever told  your children to, “eat your veggies”?