This recipe is an adaptation of one I first made about 30 years ago (in my vegan days) from The American Vegetarian Cookbook from the Fit for Life Kitchen by Marilyn Diamond. Better hot but also good cold IMO!
There have been many incarnations of this soup in my life, including as a staple at the health food deli where I worked–along with a catering job–to finance an 8-week trip to an ashram in India (that, my friends, is a story for another time.)
Lately I’ve simplified the soup to the bare bones for a quick and delicious low allergen side dish. Sometimes I have this with a side of tempeh, sometimes chicken, and it’s a really great side with salmon.
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I used to spend a great deal of time trying to convince my patients how important it is to eat breakfast. The studies point to many reasons why this is the case. I even have a litany of those reasons listed in my breakfast recipe eBook.
The not-breakfast people would fight me tooth and nail. I fought myself tooth and nail.
The truth?
I abhor breakfast.
Not simply ‘I’d prefer not to eat it’ but when I do make myself eat it I have to choke down every single bite. And then I feel sick for hours. One of my patients recently referred to my distaste of breakfast as my “dirty little secret.” I’d hardly call it that, but I’ll give her that it’s not my thing.
In my practice I espouse day in and day out that there is no one answer for everyone. That what is important for one person may not be for another. That said, there are some universal truths about nutrition.
- It’s best to eat real food.
- Sugar is addictive and causes inflammation, too much is bad for you.
- Drinking water isn’t something you can skip because you don’t feel thirsty.
- Don’t stuff yourself until you feel so full you can’t fit another bite in.
And there may be some things that apply to most people.
- Vegetables and protein should be the foundation of your diet.
- Rarely eat anything that is processed.
- Eat a wide variety of foods.
Many of the things we read that we should do may not be as important as Facebook or popular blogs and magazines tell us. Each person has individual needs for her health. Don’t fall into a trap of judging yourself because you don’t follow the ‘rules’ you see.
- You probably don’t need to do a detox (taking a break from crappy food and being attentive to what you put into your body is another story altogether.)
- Not everyone needs to avoid gluten.
- Coffee not only won’t kill you, but it appears it is actually good for your cardiovascular health.
So, who should eat breakfast?
The simple answer is some of you.
It’s best to eat breakfast if you:
- have high or low blood sugar.
- tend to get hungry and then make poor food choices.
- have a hard time hitting your calorie goal for the day.
- need to take a medication or supplement that should be taken with food.
- get hangry, sad, irritable, anxious, or otherwise emotionally out of balance when you don’t eat.
- actually want to eat but “don’t have time.”
- feel better when you eat breakfast (duh, right?)
So, if you fall into one of those categories, please do eat breakfast. Plan ahead. Make it mostly protein and veggies. And try to sit and eat rather than grabbing and eating on the go if you possibly can.
For the rest of you, the rest of us. A green tea with milk (hemp milk for me, please,) a cup of coffee with cream, hot water with lemon, some protein powder in water or unsweetened faux milk. Any of these things, are all good.
My single caveat is If you’re at risk for getting a late lunch or you get hungry mid-morning, make sure to have a snack on hand.
The most important things?
Eat when you’re hungry. Eat enough food. Make it real food. And enjoy it.
Yours in Health,
PS you can still download my breakfast recipe eBook even if you don’t eat breakfast, because breakfast for dinner is the best.
When I was in acupuncture school we had a class on Chinese Medicine dietetics. I called it ‘Chinese Home Cooking.’ My herb professor hosted this class at his home, and his wife would cook samples of all of the meals we discussed. Each meal would be made with a specific intention for addressing imbalances. Many of them contained super-foods such as goji berries that are a standard part of Chinese cooking. These foods are just becoming popular in the states over the last few years. You can hardly open a magazine without reading about them!
I’ve sadly lost the recipe packet from the class (hmmm, maybe I’ll email some of my classmates, hadn’t thought of that until now) but have recreated a few of my favorites in my very own kitchen.
This dish is easy to make, and filling. It fits squarely into both a vegan, and a paleo diet. It contains goji berries, one of my favorite super-foods, and walnuts, which have been shown to be good for your brain.
From a Chinese medicine perspective this dish is warming and tonifying but balanced enough that it’s really good for just about anyone, especially in cooler weather.
Ingredients
- 2 cups walnuts
- 2-3 leeks (depending on size)- sliced thinly. Halve the leek lengthwise, wash it well as leeks are notorious for holding onto dirt in the middle, then chop into thin half rounds.
- 1/2 cup goji berries
- 1-2 TBSP olive or sesame oil
- 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
Instructions
- Toast walnuts. There are two ways to do this:
- The first is in the oven. You can broil ( I cannot tell you how many times I’ve caught a tray of nuts on fire doing this so I don’t actually recommend it) or put in the oven at 350 degrees for about 10-15 min. Watch them closely. Set aside when done.
- Or what I do: Warm up a large dry pan, lay nuts in a single layer and stir until they are a golden brown and you can begin to smell the aroma of the toasted nuts. Should be faster than the oven, and less of a fire hazard! Set aside when done.
- In a large frying pan (you can use your nut pan if you went that route) add 1-2 TBSP of olive or sesame oil over medium heat. Warm oil and add leeks. Cook down until they’re soft and starting to turn a light golden brown then add 2 tsp of toasted sesame oil and cook until the leeks are just starting to brown.
- Add goji berries to cooked leeks, cook until soft.
- Stir in walnuts.
That’s it! This dish is meant to be served warm, but I like it cold as well. It’s a great side dish with a beef or chicken stir fry, or on its own for meatless monday. 🙂
Yours in Health,
My first day as a vegetarian was in spring of my freshman year in college. A high school friend was visiting and I ordered a hamburger at Friendlies (an East Coast mid range diner type of place.) My friend looked at me, slightly disgusted “you mean a flesh burger?” Uh…make that a grilled cheese. I spent the better part of the following decade a strict vegan, including cooking in a macrobiotic restaurant and helping my ex-husband open an ill fated vegan restaurant at the current location of the Slide Inn in NE Portland.
Over time I found that the lifestyle wasn’t right for me, health wise (full story here), but I’m still always thrilled to find a vegan restaurant that can really, I mean really do food. Pure Food and Wine in NYC, Natural Selection in PDX, a few remarkable places tucked away in unlikely places– the countryside in England, a spa in Mexico.
Tonight in my own hometown of Portland, OR, at a restaurant called Farm Spirit, I had an experience that topped, by a league, every vegan meal I’ve had. Not exaggerating. And now that I’m stopping to think about it, I can safely say that this meal topped most of the meals I’ve had in PDX, period.
Owner Chef Aaron Adams and his team: Chef Ricardo, Chef Timothy Dearing and Chef Taylor Brigman served us a tasting menu full of exquisite combinations that were not only delicious (I had not one complaint about any of the 10 courses) but were also artfully prepared and yes, gluten-free for those of us who requested the accommodation. There was an optional wine pairing which we didn’t choose but my husband did sample a few of the options a la carte from the “Salubrious Pairing” including the Lemongrass-Mint-Anise Sparkling Tisane and a glass of the Huckleberry Kefir. Chef Ricardo was kind enough to have a discussion with me about how to feed the Kefir grains (I’ve always called them babies but from the look he gave me when I called them that I’m thinking that was maybe just a pet name from my kefir baby mama…awkward.) as I have serially killed every batch I’ve ever had.
Chef Aaron called out each plate with detail about sourcing and ingredients before we were served and generously explained how they prepared the dishes where we inquired. This was more than a meal, it was an experience. Here’s the menu.
Autumnal Salad: Matsutake | Roots | Mache | Erba Stella | Celeriac Pureé | Allysum | Sorrel
Roast Parsnip | Spiced Yogurt | Apple Pureé | Parsley | Licorice Mint
Sunchokes | Garlic Cream | Chrysanthemum | Cress Flowers
Escarole | Chanterelle | Leek | Smoked Walnut Milk
Maitake Mushroom | Farro (quinoa for GF) | Savoy | Onion Pureé
Roast Eggplant | Smoked Eggplant | Smoked Tomato Jam | Swiss Chard | Savory Sauce | Seeds
Asian Pear | Lunga di Napoli | Chickweed
Unripe Poached Persimmon | Carmel Broth | Hemp Granola
Hop Syrup Quinoa Cake | Stewed Raisins | Sweet Potato Fluff | Anise Hyssop
The chefs finished the meal off with coffee or tea and sent us home with a yummy sweet treat to-go.
The meal wasn’t inexpensive but after we were done all I could think was that it was half the price it should have been. My only slight complaint was that the seating is linear, at a bar, and it a bit difficult to include our entire party of 4 in our conversations. My husband was left out a bit, and I was so busy with the food and our friends I kind of missed that. Bad wife. Still, an apology or two later, well worth the trip– but next time I’d probably go with just my husband or a friend instead of a couples night out.
But I digress. Let’s get back to the food. Each dish was well balanced and the perfect size for a tasting menu. I wish I could tell you that one dish or another was my favorite but they were all so unique and delicious it’s impossible. I even ate most of the dessert. And I don’t like dessert. You’re just going to have to go yourself. Maybe I’ll see you there!
Yours in Health
Fall is here, are you ready?!
In Portland fall is officially here but our summer weather hasn’t gotten the memo yet. That hasn’t stopped the fall colds and respiratory infections from hitting in earnest. I’m leaving for Turkey for a real vacation in a week (I know, a real vacation!) so I’m doing everything I can to keep my immune system in tip top shape even though everyone seems to be coughing up a lung all over me…including my son and husband.
Here are my top five tips- not in any particular order, for the record.
1. Get your vitamin D tested. You’ll note I didn’t just say “take vitamin D” and that’s because everyone needs a different amount of vitamin D to keep them at the ideal level (right now I shoot for 50-70 for most patients but it may vary depending upon your genetic dispositions and other health issues.) I take 5000 iu daily and my most recent lab test has me at 68. My 50 lb nine year old takes 2000 iu daily and his level is around 40.
2. Wear a scarf. In Chinese medicine the ‘external pernicious influences’ or colds and such, get access when your neck is chilled. I’m not sure about the logic but it does seem to me that when I keep my neck covered I’m less likely to get sick. This year I bought some really really soft scarves that I can wear with just about any outfit. After all, fashion.
3. Drink water. Keeping hydrated will help fluids stay mobile in your sinuses and your ears. Your immune system will work better when you have enough water. I’m about to launch my 7-day energy infusion again (more about that later) and one of the days I’ll be giving tips about how to get more water in your life.
4. Get rest. I’ve been saying this for years and a few weeks ago a study was released showing that if you get less than 6 hours of sleep you’re over 4x as likely to catch a cold! I would bet that for those of us who generally do better with more sleep the statistic is even higher.
5. Watch your sugar. From what we understand sugar may decrease your body’s white blood cell function. White blood cells are responsible for destroying viruses (this is a simplistic explanation but good for now) so we really need them functioning fully. Most of us notice we feel better when we eat less sugar anyway, right?
6. Wash your hands. No joke. Wash your hands. Sanitize surfaces if you know there have been sick people around and about. I always err on the side of safety here, as my son and I both have asthma which can turn a cold into a weeks-long train wreck.
Ooh, that reminds me of a story. Once, a few years ago I was waiting at a United lounge for a long layover on my way to New York for work. Before I sat down, as usual when I travel, I was wiping the seat down with a sanitizing surface wipe. The guy next to me said “Oh, so good you’re doing that, you should have seen the guy who was sitting there a few minutes ago!” I looked up and responded “Wow, was he coughing or just sick?” “Both!” I kept wiping then looked up at him and he was smiling. “You’re messing with me aren’t you?” Well, he was. It was hilarious.
And I’m still going to keep wiping down surfaces when I travel. Easy enough, really. And as you might have figured out by now I’m not exactly worried if people think I’m a little on the off beat side because, well you know, I am.
In Health,
I grew up under the watchful eye of a stay at home mother, an architect father, a sassy housekeeper, a posse of siblings and a dog named Tiger. In other words, my babysitter was The Brady Bunch, aka channel 5.
Every day at 5pm, rain or shine, before my actual parents came home from work I would curl up in my parents’ bed with a Tab (or Pepsi Light) and a pre-dinner snack of bologna and Kraft American cheese. Stacked. Cheese, bologna, cheese, bologna, cheese, cut into a 4×4 grid with 16 toothpicks, one in each square. For real.
I wish I could say that this was my TV for the day (or the least healthy thing I ate but that’s another story) but prior to this I also watched two hours of soap operas and continued to watch TV while I did my homework, then through dinner, after dinner, before bed and even while I fell asleep. I had a TV in my bedroom…and my bathroom. It was the norm at the time. My parents did the same thing, as did most of my friends. We are the TV generation.
But even though I was allowed as much TV as I wanted, my parents had a hard and fast rule that I was not to ask for anything because I saw an ad for it on TV. What this meant was that I would never, ever, be the owner of a Chia Pet.
Now as an adult even though I could have as many Chia Pets as I want, I put the seeds to a much better use . . .
Chia Pudding
Be sure to plan in advance for your chia pudding craving as it takes at least 2 hours to set, ideally longer. Many recipes have a variety of ingredients and various sweeteners but I like to keep it basic so I can doctor it up to my whim and fancy. Below you’ll find my basic recipe for chocolate chia pudding, for those who know they want chocolate sweet goodness.
Basic Chia Pudding
Ingredients:
• 1/3 cup chia seeds
• 2 cups any kind of milk or faux milk. I like to use Pacific hemp milk but you could also do this with coconut milk, almond milk, rice milk, you name it.
How to Make it:
1. Put the milk in a mason jar or other jar with a lid.
2. Slowly pour the chia seeds into the milk.
3. Shake well.
4. Refrigerate and leave for at least 2 hours. I like to leave it overnight.
If it’s too thin for your taste, add more chia and let sit another hour or so. Too thick? Add more milk. Note the amount you add so you can reproduce your favorite texture the next time!
Once it’s done you can add whatever you like to sweeten or embellish. I prefer less sweet so I’ll usually add just a dribble of maple syrup and some nuts. For my little one I might add bananas and hazelnuts with some cacao nibs. My husband likes blueberries and honey. Below is a list of optional add-ons but really there’s no limit to what you could put in there!
- Fruit of any kind either mashed and mixed in or cut up into small chunks
- Nuts of any kind
- Cacao nibs
- Coconut shavings
- Sweetener- maple syrup, honey, stevia, coconut nectar, or even sugar. Pretty please for the love of health don’t use artificial sweeteners. Please.
- Perky’s chia cereal (like grape nuts in texture…almost)
- Vanilla or other extract (almond etc)
Chocolate Chia Pudding (instead of mousse!)
Chocolate Chia Pudding (instead of mousse!)Ingredients:
• 1/3 cup chia seeds
• 2 cups unsweetened vanilla Pacific hemp milk, coconut milk, or nut milk
• 2 TBSP coconut sugar
• 1/8 cup hot water
• 1 TBSP unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp natural vanilla extract
How to Make it:
1. Put the cocoa powder and coconut sugar into a mason jar
2. Add the hot water and whisk until the solids are completely dissolved
3. Add the vanilla extract and the faux milk
4. Slowly pour the chia seeds into the jar
5. Shake well
6. Refrigerate and leave for at least 2 hours. If you can shake it up every 10 minutes for the first half an hour the end result will be more smooth.
You can add any of the ‘extras’ above. We like crushed cashews and shredded coconut! Chia is chock full of nutrients: fiber, calcium, omega-3 and more. Experiment and let me know how it goes!
This is an extremely healthy snack or dessert if you keep the sweet to a minimum (click here for my favorite tips and tricks to keep your sweet cravings at bay!).
Enjoy!
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