Healing Soup

Healing Soup

by | Jan 6, 2015 | Kid-Friendly, Pasta, Rice, & Grains, Soup & Sandwiches, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian

Happy New Year!  I hope you all had a lovely and restful holiday season and most of all, a healthy one.  I had a nice stay-cation full of food, chocolate, and other goodies and spent lots of quality time with my family.  It was all fun and wonderful until my sister started sniffling.  Then my mom and dad started hacking a lung coughing.  Finally, my husband had the chills and a fever simultaneously.

That influenza outbreak hit my family and man oh man, did it hit them hard.   I have no idea how I managed to stay healthy surrounded by all these sickos but I did thankfully.  Maybe it was my constant and tireless Lysol-wiping and intense hand-washing or just dumb luck.  Who knows, it’s a Festivus miracle.

I tried to make some food that was easy on their sensitive systems and what I made for them was this soup.  Typically, my go-to for cure-all food is congee, but in the case of stomach flu, even soupy rice porridge can be too much for the system.

This healing soup is the simplest of soups and as a result, it’s easily digested by the body. Plus, it’s made with healthy and flavourful ingredients so it’s actually pretty tasty too – which is a total bonus because being sick sucks and at least your tastebuds can have a little enjoyment. Even if you are the sick one, you can potentially throw this together and feed yourself for the day.  All you do is throw everything in a pot and simmer for an hour.

Make a big batch and feed the family or freeze some for a flu-y day. Stay warm and well.

Wishing you all the best for 2015 and beyond.

Healing Soup | Freshnessgf.com

Healing Soup: Just throw everything in a pot and boil for an hour.

Healing Soup
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Healing Soup

This healing soup is the simplest of soups and as a result, it's easily digested by the body. Plus, it's made with healthy and flavourful ingredients so it's actually pretty tasty too - which is a total bonus because being sick sucks and at least your tastebuds can have a little enjoyment. Makes 3 to 4 portions.
Course: Soup
Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Keyword: gluten-free, kid-friendly, nut-free, pasta, rice & grains, vegetables, yeast-free
Author: ness

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 medium onion (diced)
  • 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger (finely minced)
  • 3 cloves garlic (finely minced)
  • 2 carrots (1/2" diced)
  • 2 stalks celery (diced)
  • 1/2 cup cooked rice (optional)
  • 6 cups vegetable or chicken stock (see recipe note)
  • Salt to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Put all the ingredients into a medium sized pot and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 hour covered until vegetables are very soft. Season with salt to taste.
Obviously, homemade stock is ideal but I used bouillon cubes for the soup pictured here.  I love organic low-sodium chicken and vegetable bouillon cubes from Harvest Sun. They're gluten-free and yeast-free too.  For a vegan/vegetarian version, use vegetable stock. Also, I like to add sweet potato or other root vegetables like parsnips, but honestly, I just use whatever combination I have that's handy.
Lebanese Rice, Lentils and Caramelized Onions (Mujaddara)

Lebanese Rice, Lentils and Caramelized Onions (Mujaddara)

by | Nov 4, 2014 | Main Dishes, Pasta, Rice, & Grains, Sides, Vegan, Vegetarian

How often do you try something new? Like new new? We all get stuck in our day to day routines and dare I say, ruts. I’m guilty of just grabbing the same-ish groceries week after week and making my same go-to meals or going out to dinner at my usual spots and ordering my favourite thing.

It had been a while since I actually tried something that tasted new. And then, I went for Middle Eastern food and tried mujaddara, rice with lentils and caramelized onions, and my tastebuds woke right up.  They went ‘ZING. That’s new’ and you know what? I really liked it. I mean LOVED it. And then I became a little obsessed with figuring out how to make it so I could eat it all the time.

Mujadara spices

Mujaddara spices: allspice, cumin seeds, ground cumin, garlic powder, cinnamon stick, cayenne, black peppercorns

Somehow in a span of a couple of weeks, this dish has become my new favourite comfort food.  It has a lot of winning qualities that I look for, like being naturally gluten-free, healthy, flavourful, and easy to make. It’s got this amazing blend of warm earthy spices blended in carb-y good rice, and protein-packed lentils for a complete meal.  And can we discuss the merits of fried onions for a minute? Caramelized onions make EVERYTHING taste better. It’s universal. From French onion soup to biryani, those brown, slow-cooked, flavour-packed onions are definitely a thing. My mom always told me that was the secret to delicious food, and my mama knows what’s up. Just be patient and don’t rush the cooking of the onions. You need to get them deep, dark golden brown but not burnt. Trust me, it’s worth every minute.

Lebanese Rice with Lentils and Caramelized Onions (Mujadara)

Lebanese Rice with Lentils and Caramelized Onions (Mujaddara)

Oh yeah, this dish is also vegan and dirt cheap to make. Gluten-free grocery shopping can cost a pretty penny so meals like this can really help offset those $8 loaves of bread and $9 bags of cereal.  Seriously, a little rice and a few lentils go a long way. I like to have this dish with a green salad on the side and/or with grilled vegetables and some yogurt raita on the side. I made this over the weekend and will be enjoying throughout the week. I’m not a huge meat eater but my hubby D definitely likes meat and he said this dish was so tasty that he didn’t miss the meat at all. That’s kind of a big deal.

Fun wikipedia fact: mujaddara is the Arabic word for “pockmarked” because the lentils among the rice resemble pockmarks.  Sometimes the ‘ugliest’ food is also the tastiest.

Lebanese Rice with Lentils and Caramelized Onions (Mujadara)

Lebanese Rice with Lentils and Caramelized Onions (Mujadara)
PRINT RECIPE

Lebanese Rice with Lentils and Caramelized Onions (Mujaddara)

It had been a while since I actually tried something that tasted new. And then, I went for Middle Eastern food and tried mujaddara, rice with lentils and caramelized onions, and my tastebuds woke right up. They went 'ZING. That's new' and you know what? I really liked it. I mean LOVED it. And then I became a little obsessed with figuring out how to make it so I could eat it all the time. Adapted from Aarti Sequeira
Course: Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Keyword: corn-free, dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, pasta, rice & grains, soy-free, yeast-free
Servings: 4
Author: ness

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 cup brown lentils (rinsed and debris removed)
  • 3 onions thinly sliced
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • ½ teaspoon black peppercorns
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon allspice
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne powder
  • 1 stick of cinnamon (about 3”)
  • 1 ¼ cup basmati rice
  • 2 ½ cups water
  • Sea salt
  • Chopped parsley and lemon to serve

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Add lentils to a small pot and cover with about one inch of cold water. Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer and cook for about 20 minutes, covered. Lentils should be cooked, slightly firm and not mushy. Drain and set aside.
  • Meanwhile, heat a heavy bottomed pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add oil and let warm slightly. Add cumin seeds and black peppercorns and fry for about 1 minute or until fragrant. Add onions, one teaspoon of salt, and stir to combine. Keep cooking and stir with a wooden spoon occasionally until onions are deeply browned and caramelized, about 25 minutes or so. Don’t rush this part and be careful not to burn the onions. Make sure to stir and scrape browned bits off the bottom of the pan. If onions stick, add a teaspoon of water and stir.
  • Once onions are browned, remove half the onions and set aside. Add ground cumin, allspice, garlic powder, cinnamon stick, and cayenne and stir, cook for about 1 minute. Add basmati rice and gently stir to coat with onion mixture, about 1 more minute being careful not to break the rice. Add water, lentils, 1 and ½ teaspoons salt and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 9 minutes. Remove from heat and keep covered for 15 minutes, letting residual heat continue to cook rice. The water should be completely absorbed and rice should be tender.
  • When ready to serve, gently stir rice and lentils together. Garnish with reserved onions and parsley. Serve with yogurt raita and a squeeze of lemon.
Adapted from Aarti Sequeira.
Baked Tortilla Chips

Baked Tortilla Chips

by | May 15, 2014 | Kid-Friendly, Mexican/Tex-Mex, Snacks & Appetizers, Vegan, Vegetarian

I have a food-fession:  I am obsessed with nachos. I spent almost an hour stuck in traffic today talking about food with my carpool and I would say a good chunk of it was about our mutual adoration of nachos. We discussed different kinds of nachos, how to make the perfect nacho, where the best ones in town are etc. And you can’t talk nachos without immediately craving them real bad right?

toritillas on board

Both of us are trying hard to be healthy so we both decided against immediately pulling over to indulge in happy hour nachos. But wait, I think there’s a way to shave a few calories off nachos – bake your own tortilla chips. I know I know, you’re probably thinking ‘who does this stuff?’ and ‘gimme a break, why bake them when you can buy them already made?’ I thought the same thing. Actually it never even occurred to me that you could make your own tortillas without deep-frying them. That is until I saw an episode of Rachael Ray and there she was, baking her own tortilla chips and making it look super easy and healthy.

tortillas ready to bake

I tried it and hot damn, these things were good. Crispy, crunchy, and super easy, just like she promised. So here’s the recipe for you folks.  Happy nacho eating to all, and to all a good night.

tortilla chips on tray

Baked Tortilla Chips | Freshnessgf.com
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Baked Tortilla Chips

I think there's a way to shave a few calories off nachos - bake your own tortilla chips. I know I know, you're probably thinking 'who does this stuff?' and 'gimme a break, why bake them when you can buy them already made?' I thought the same thing. Actually it never even occurred to me that you could make your own tortillas without deep-frying them.
Course: Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine: Mexican
Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Keyword: corn, dairy-free, fast, kid-friendly, nut-free, soy-free, tacos, tortilla, yeast-free
Servings: 2
Author: ness

INGREDIENTS

  • 6 Day old corn tortilla chips
  • Plain cooking oil
  • Sea salt (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly spray or brush each side of the tortillas with oil. Stack tortillas and cut into eighths. Place wedges in a single layer on baking sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Sprinkle with salt if desired.
Recipe adapted from Rachael Ray
Garlic Shrimp Pasta

Garlic Shrimp Pasta

by | Apr 1, 2014 | Fish & Seafood, Italian, Main Dishes, Pasta, Rice, & Grains

Spring is here! Smell ya later Old Man Winter. I’m so over you. I feel like everyone had a spring in their step today, the day was longer, and the city was a little happier. Didn’t you just feel like you had more time in your day? That being said, you probably want some quick weeknight meals so you can go out and enjoy what spring has to offer. I know I do.

garlic shrimp pasta ingredients

This is a fresh and light pasta that is packed with garlic-y, fresh lemon-y flavour with just a touch of heat. It’s a flavour combination that’s delicious and goes great on just about anything, especially shrimp. This dish is easy and fast to whip up, and perfect for lunch or weeknight supper.

Garlic Shrimp Pasta | Freshnessgf.com

People always ask if I cook every single night. Honestly, sometimes I go from making full on dinners to scraping together random meals out of whatever is in the fridge, to pulling out stuff from the freezer. Of course, there’s always a little take out in the rotation and the occasional grilled cheese sandwich.

Garlic Shrimp Pasta | Freshnessgf.com

I feel like a well-stocked pantry is your weeknight best friend. We usually have frozen shrimp in the freezer and lemon, parsley, dried pasta, and garlic on hand. So this is really a pantry meal that’s comforting, fresh, and fast. Like maybe if you had this stuff handy in your kitchen, you could whip this up after the gym or even a long day at the office. Happy spring y’all.

P.S. – To see what I’m cooking/eating, follow me on Instagram.

Garlic Shrimp Pasta | freshnessgf.com

Garlic Shrimp Pasta | Freshnessgf.com
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Garlic Shrimp Pasta

This is a fresh and light pasta that is packed with garlic-y, fresh lemon-y flavour with just a touch of heat. It’s a flavour combination that’s delicious and goes great on just about anything, especially shrimp. This dish is easy and fast to whip up, and perfect for lunch or weeknight supper.
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Diet: Gluten Free
Keyword: corn-free, dairy-free, egg-free, fast, fish & seafood, gluten-free, noodles, nut-free, pasta, rice & grains, soy-free, yeast-free
Servings: 2
Author: ness

INGREDIENTS

  • 8 ounces dried gluten-free spaghetti
  • 1 tablespoon vegan butter
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil (plus more for drizzling)
  • 4 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 1 teaspoon dried chili flakes
  • zest of one lemon (about 1 teaspoon)
  • 12 raw shrimp (peeled, de-veined and halved lengthwise)
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup flat leaf parsley (chopped)
  • Sea salt and black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package ingredients or until al dente. Drain and keep warm.
  • Meanwhile, heat a large frying pan on medium heat. Add butter and oil. Once the butter is melted, add garlic, chili flakes and lemon zest and saute for 2 minutes.
  • Add the shrimps and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until shrimps just turn pink and are tender. Do not over cook. Remove pan from heat and add in pasta, lemon juice, parsley and salt and pepper to taste. Toss to combine and serve. Drizzle with additional olive oil if desired.
I like using brown rice gluten-free pasta. My hubby likes it a lot too and claims that it tastes just like 'normal' pasta. Bonus is that brown rice has more nutritional value than some other corn pastas or white rice pastas.
Recipe adapted from Donna Hay Fast, Fresh, Simple
Pan Roasted Chicken with Fried Rosemary

Pan Roasted Chicken with Fried Rosemary

by | Feb 7, 2014 | Main Dishes, Poultry

When you think chicken breasts, do you think tasteless, dried out meat that needs, if not begs, to be smothered in sauce? I’m a totally a leg girl. Pass me the dark meat. I find it so much more flavourful, forgiving to cook, and cheaper.  So basically winning on all counts in my books.

Pan Roasted Chicken | Freshnessgf.com

But every once in a while, I cook chicken breasts again, and it’s almost always fried in some way. There’s something amazing that happens when you pan sear the meat and finish cooking in the oven that just traps in the juices. I remember making this for D and he couldn’t believe how moist it was. He said it was as good as restaurant chicken, which is a massive compliment coming from a foodie who eats out at fancy restaurants often enough to know.

chicken close up

Valentine’s day is around the corner (next week fellas!) and as a general rule, I like to avoid restaurants on this day. They tend to be super crowded, over-priced, and the service is almost always sub-par. Instead, we make dinner and pop a bottle of wine at home. If you plan to do the same, I recommend this chicken dish for a few reasons:

  • Making something with love is actually pretty sweet
  • It’s elegant yet casual, if that’s your thing, especially if your roast some rainbow carrots as a side
  • Fried rosemary leaves are awesome

carrots closeup

I’ve used boneless, skin-on chicken breasts, sometimes called supremes, for this recipe. My butcher shop likes to leave a little bone in there for aesthetics. To prepare, I just laid the breast between two pieces of plastic wrap and hammered it with the flat side of a meat mallet until fairly evenly thick (about 3/4″ or so).  You can also use the bottom of a frying pan or the flat side of a wine bottle. It’s great for getting out any aggression too.

I seasoned the meat with garlic powder, mustard powder, salt, and pepper, but you can really play around with whatever spices you like best. Next, it’s pan-fried, then baked. There are a few steps, albeit simple and easy ones, but it’s totally worth it.

Aggression out? Check. Delicious and elegant homemade dinner? Double check.

Pan Roasted Chicken | Freshnessgf.com

Pan Roasted Chicken | Freshnessgf.com
PRINT RECIPE

Pan Roasted Chicken

There's something amazing that happens when you pan sear the meat and finish cooking in the oven that just traps in the juices. I remember making this for D and he couldn't believe how moist it was. He said it was as good as restaurant chicken, which is a massive compliment coming from a foodie who eats out at fancy restaurants often enough to know.
Course: Main Course
Diet: Gluten Free
Keyword: chicken, dairy-free, egg-free, gluten-free, nut-free, poultry, soy-free, yeast-free
Servings: 2
Author: ness

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 boneless skin-on chicken breasts (preferably organic)
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 3 tsp mustard powder
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • Canola or sunflower oil for frying
  • 3 to 4 fresh rosemary sprigs

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Preheat oven to 350F
  • Pat chicken very dry with paper towel. Lay chicken breast between two large pieces of plastic wrap on a flat work surface. Using a mallot or flat bottom of a frying pan, pound chicken breast until it's fairly even in thickness, about 3/4 inch thick. Repeat with second chicken breast.
  • In a deep sided dish, mix together cornstarch, mustard powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Lay chicken breasts into cornstarch mixture and coat both sides. Shake off any excess powder.
  • Heat a large skillet or cast iron pan on medium-high. Add about 3 tablespoons of oil so there is a thin layer on pan. Lay chicken breasts in pan and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes each side.
  • Place chicken on a baking sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving. Fry rosemary leaves in leftover oil until crisp and golden brown and serve with chicken.

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