Broccoli and cheese soup

This was an experimental soup. It turned out pretty well on first try and I'll continue to play variations on this theme.

I used split mung dal (beans) to add a creamy consistency without using cream or flour. It's not as smooth as a true cream-based soup, but if you have time you can blend the dal once it is cooked, before adding veggies.

1/3 cup split mung beans and 1.5 quarts of water or broth. Bring to a boil and transfer to the crockpot. Add a small amount of sunflower oil or ghee, and simmer on high for about 45 minutes to an hour.

Heat 2 Tablespoons of butter, or ghee (clarified butter). Add 1 inch of leek or green onion, finely chopped (or a hefty dash of hing, if you don't want onions), and 1 celery stock, finely chopped. Add 1 -2 Tablespoons of Simply Organic All Purpose Seasoning, and sautée the mix until the leek and celery are soft.

Toss in a small handful of chopped parsley. Add a dash or two of black pepper, and half teaspoon of salt.

Add 1-2 cups of chopped broccoli florets and 1 chopped carrot, coat the veggies thoroughly with the spice/oil mixture and transfer to the crockpot, adding it to the mung dal.

I found a wonderful raw goat milk Italian herb colby at my local co-op. Cheddar or gouda could also be nice for this soup. Stir in 1-2 cups of grated cheese, and you're all set!

Ladle to the thermos, and turn the cooker to low for the remainder of the soup.

Hearty lentil soup

A cozy, nutritious soup for a cold, wet, winter day!

1/3 cup brown lentils or French lentils.
1/4 cup mix of brown rice and millet.
(Do I need to say it? Look for tiny rocks, and wash the lentils and grains thoroughly.)
1.5 quarts of water or broth.

Bring the lentils and grains to simmer on the stove top, then transfer to your slow cooker on high. Add about 1 teaspoon of extra virgin expeller pressed olive oil, and 1 large bay leaf, in the crockpot. Come back in about an hour or so.

Warm about 2 tablespoons of olive oil on very low temperature; do not let it get hot enough to smoke. Add 1-2 tablespoons of Simply Organic All Purpose Seasoning (if you're using water instead of broth, use more spice). When you smell the aroma, stir in finely chopped ginger root, and an ample handful of finely chopped parsley (Italian flat parsely or curly parsley). Add a dash of asafoetida (hing)—optional. (Everything is optional, of course...) You could use an "inch" of finely chopped leek or green onions instead of hing. If you've got fresh oregano, thyme, or marjoram, add about a teaspoon of finely chopped herbs for an extra flavorful stew.

Add 2 chopped carrots, 1 chopped medium potato, and a generous amount of finely chopped green kale. You could also add a little tomato puree, or 2-3 chopped sun-dried tomatoes. Add 1 teaspoon of mineral salt. Sautée until the kale wilts, then transfer to the crockpot.

If you're feeling abundant, add a handful of pine nuts—or sunflower seeds will do—for extra protein, a little crunch, and delicious flavor.

Important: Scoop out that bay leaf so that you, or your loved ones, don't get a nasty sharp poke in the mouth!!

Ladle up your soup, and away you go with thermos in hand. Or for those, like me, who commute from the home office down the hall, turn your cooker to low, and enjoy the aroma until lunchtime.

Spices for crockpot cooking

Here are the spices I keep on hand for a variety of soup recipes. (Generally, I use one well-rounded Tablespoon of any spice blend):

• "Smart Spice Mix", an ayurvedic blend from Dr. Lonsdorf's book The Ageless Woman. (See May 2009 Blog Archive for the recipe, and read the book for an understanding of medicinal properties of herbs and spices.)
  
• Lemon Curry powder from Frontier Herbs (an organic blend of turmeric, coriander, cumin, lemon peel, black pepper, freeze-dried whole lemon, cardamom, cinnamon, dehydrated garlic and red pepper/cayenne.)
• "All-Purpose Seasoning" from Simply Organic (a blend of black pepper, onion, garlic, parsley, celery seed, tomato powder, basil, thyme, sage, oregano, and coriander)
• Individual spices such as turmeric, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, black pepper corns.
• Maharishi Ayurveda Products (www.mapi.com) have spice blends called churnas. Easy to use, and delicious, churnas balance the mind and body according to the season or individual needs.
  

I also keep on hand:

• Fresh parsley is loaded with nutrients.
  
• Fresh cilantro aids digestions. Wonderful for Asian, Mexican, Middle Eastern, and fusion recipes.
  
• Fresh ginger root aids digestion and absorption, and reduces inflammation in the body. How to use: Grate it or chop finely. Add to the hot oil and sautée briefly before adding other spices and vegetables. Store ginger root in a paper bag in the fridge.
• One can of coconut milk, whole or lite, to use for Asian-inspired or creme soups.
• One small jar of Thai green curry paste.
  
• Brown mustard seeds. How to use: Heat oil on medium, and add 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds to hot oil. When they start to pop, reduce temperature and add other spices. (If using mustard seeds and ginger root, do the mustard seeds first, then ginger, then any other spices.)
  
• Hing, aka asafoetida, is a pungent powdered resin available in Asian groceries or well-stocked health food stores. Don't be put off by the smell; the flavor is wonderful! How to use: Add a dash after sautéeing other spices on medium/low heat. Make it brief. Don't let it burn... it's not pleasant.
  
• Natural mineral salt

Nice to know: Coriander seeds can be ground in a spice blender or "Magic Bullet" and used in Mexican, Italian, and Asian recipes. A dash of turmeric added to grains and lentils after they've cooked is a great way to incorporate it's anti-inflammatory benefits into any recipe. Black pepper, freshly ground, aids absorption of nutrients. Asafoetida is said to help reduce gas and lower cholesterol.

Keep all spices in air tight containers, not plastic baggies.

Spicy peanut broccoli soup, and a note about CSA's

Broccoli is one of my favorite vegetables. It's one of the most nutritious of veggies, and I find that it complements the flavors of spices beautifully.

For this soup I used red lentils and white basmati rice, but green French lentils would be nice, as would brown rice, quinoa, or millet. About 1/3 cup of each, washed, rinsed and then brought to simmer in 1.5 quarts of water. When it comes to a boil, I transfer it to the crockpot and let it cook on high for about an hour.

Then comes the fun part:

• Bring 2 Tablespoons of organic sesame oil to medium/high heat and then add a dash of brown mustard seeds. When they start to pop, turn the heat down to medium/low.
• Add a "thumb size" amount of fresh ginger root, finely chopped or grated.* Sautée for about 30 seconds.
• Add 1/2 teaspoon of red chilie flakes, or more if you like it hot. A dash of hing (asafoetida), or one inch of leek or a garlic scape—finely chopped—are also delicious, nutritious options. Sautée briefly.
  
• Stir in a heaping Tablespoon of organic peanut butter and blend with the spicy oil.
• Add 2-3 cups of prepped veggies and stir to coat the veggies with the spicy oil mixture.** I love the taste of broccoli in this soup, but zucchini, eggplant, green beans, and/or carrots are also great. (When using eggplant or green beans, add a small amount of water and allow them to cook for about 5 minutes, stirring a few times, before the next step.)
  
• Transfer the veggies and spice mix to the lentils and grains in the crockpot.
• Stir in one teaspoon of salt and a dash of turmeric.
• Toss in a handful of peanuts and fresh cilantro right before ladling the soup into your thermos.
  

*To keep ginger root fresh, store it in a small paper bag in the darkest part of your fridge — or peel and freeze to be grater-ready).

** A note about fresh vegetables and Community Supported Agriculture
I've seen time-saving suggestions to chop a week's worth of vegetables in advance. However, as soon as veggies are chopped, they begin to lose nutritional value. (Indeed, once they are picked they start to lose value.) Ayurveda recommends chopping vegetables freshly for each meal, but if you're like me, that's not a practical option. So, my compromise it to prep the night before.

Fresh produce has the best nutritional value and flavor. Short of growing your own garden, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farms are a great resource for the freshest vegetables. Members pay a subscription fee to a local farm, and during the growing season, receive a steady supply of produce. Although CSA's are winding down for the season in my area, this is a good time to look for one near you. They often offer discounts on early subscriptions for the next season. Joining an organic CSA not only means you can save a bunch of money on high quality food, it also strengthens your local economy, contributes to a healthier environment, and supports the people who are willing to go to all the "trouble" to grow our food! Check out the USDA site about Community Supported Agriculture, click here.

Check out Real Food Wednesdays hosted by kellythekitchenkop.com and cheeseslave.com

Autumn is soup season

As seasons change, you might notice your body making changes too. Here in Western North Carolina, fall came with the honking of geese, a deluge of rains followed by glorious, cool, sunny days, cascading leaves, and darker, sleepier mornings. And the subtle aching of my hip joints...

The weeks of transition from one season to the next is the best time to detox, to alleviate any imbalances that may have accumulated during the previous season, and tune-up our bodies for the coming months. Joints, in particular, can give us clues to our overall state of health. Arthritis, according to the natural health system called Ayurveda, indicates the build up of toxins caused by less-than-perfect digestion. Ayurvedic physicians recommend cooking with ginger and turmeric to cleanse impurities from our system, and improve digestion and absorption. Dr. Andrew Weil recommends the same spices as part of his "anti-inflammatory diet" to reduce arthritic pain (among many other benefits).

Warm vegetable soup spiced with ginger root and turmeric is an excellent way to lighten your diet during a seasonal cleanse. Soup for dinner is a good way to improve digestion and the quality of your sleep. (A heavy meal in the evening is not fully digested before going to sleep, which leads to toxins, says Dr. Nancy Lonsdorf, a medical doctor and expert in Maharishi Ayurveda.) An after dinner walk aids digestion, and is a peaceful way to connect with your spouse, kids, neighbors or your family dog.

Nia fitness helps me keep moving comfortably. On days when my hips feel a little creaky, an hour of Nia restores the bliss, and feels like a warm oil massage! (Which, by the way, is another recommendation from Ayurveda. I love MAPI's Joint Soothe massage oil.)

For more information about Ayurvedic recommendations for joint health, click here.
Also see Dr. Weil's website for information about the anti-inflammatory diet.

For soups made with ginger root and turmeric, and antioxidant rich vegetables, continue reading here!

Enjoy an invigorating autumn (or spring, if you happen to be in the southern hemisphere.)

Too hot for soup?

It's been awhile since I last posted... but yes, we've been enjoying the bounty of fresh, local, organic vegetables this summer. I love the bumper stickers, "Thousands of Miles Fresher"...

It's been too warm to eat hot soup for lunch... but continuing my campaign for fresh and fast, I've been making versions of all the preceding recipes without the soupiness, and using food-grade stainless steel containers instead of a thermos.

My first step is the grain and legume dish prepared with slightly more than 2:1 ratio of water to grain, which I bring to boil then transfer to the crockpot—an hour on high is just about right for rice, quinoa, millet, and lentils.

Half hour before departing for work, I heat 1-2 Tbsp of ghee or oil, grate some fresh ginger root, add a heaping Tbsp of whichever spice blend I'm using that day, and sautée the veggies. Add a small amount of water, just enough to cook the veggies. If I'm using the Thai curry paste, I'll use coconut milk instead of water. Takes about 10 minutes.

For extra protein, I add half a can of organic garbanzo beans, or toss in a handful of sunflower seeds, or pine nuts if we can afford to splurge that week. If I'm really on the ball I make a fresh cheese called panir. I'll save that for another blog entry...

Instead of a thermos I've been using stainless steel lunch containers with snap-on lids. They're lightweight, and don't pose the threat of toxins leaching from plastic containers. Health food stores carry these, or see www.happytiffin.com for nifty, stainless steel food containers.

Hubby especially likes it when I put a Dr. Kracker flatbread on top of the grain and veggies—the heat softens the impact of these delicious but exceedingly crunchy crackers! I like Dr. Krackers because they taste great, have no sugar, use only organic whole grains, and have a fairly high protein to carb ratio. Check 'em out at www.drkracker.com—"Home of the Uber Crunch".

Young Coconut and Date Smoothie

Okay, this isn't soup, but I can't resist sharing this delicious treat.

Coconuts are full of vitamins and minerals, lower in fat than whole milk and have no cholesterol. The juice is a wonderful "sports drink" with natural electrolytes. Fresh is best, so if you've seen those strange white coconuts in the store and wondered about them, give this a try.

Choose a white coconut (the green outer layer is cut away to reveal the white husk. Brown coconuts are simply more mature and dry). Avoid any that are yellowing, or look a little purple on the bottom. The bottom should be firm or slightly yielding but not squishy.

You'll need a hefty cleaver or large chef knife to open the coconut. Tell everyone to stand back and whack an opening large enough to get a spoon inside the shell. This is my hubby's job. He makes a square opening with four mighty blows.

Pour the juice into a blender. The meat is wonderfully scoopable, almost like pudding. Enjoy some as is, and add the rest to the juice, careful to remove any husk fibers. Add three medjool dates (pits removed) and blend.

It just might be the yummiest thing this side of heaven.