 Now it seems a bit out of season to be posting an immune boosting soup when its supposed to be spring but hey its been really cold in Glasgow and poor Laura has swollen glands and a stinker of a cold. Sometimes the change in temperature, returning from sunny holidays to the cold of Glasgow can take a bit of adjusting to!
Laura also has exams all week so she's a bit stressed too, which doesn't help. So I've been making her apple kuzu drinks ( a macrobiotic drink which is very strengthening and soothing), giving her ginger compresses, to speed the healing process and I specially made a big pot of the most healing soup on the planet, and its also rather delicious. The best kind of medicine!! This soup is crammed full of all sorts of antioxidants, anti-inflammatory compounds and vitamins, it will literally stop any infection in its tracks. It’s absolutely brilliant for relieving the symptoms of colds and flu, will put your immune system into super-drive and send all those “nasties” into oblivion; it also tastes great and is really easy to make. Both shitake mushrooms and goji berries contain a similar polysaccharide which stimulate the immune system by causing an increase in the production of white blood cells. Garlic is the mother of all natural antivirals; it is also antibacterial and antifungal. Ginger is a strong anti-inflammatory and also stimulates circulation which increases the rate at which white blood cells move around the body fighting infection and removing waste products from infected tissues. Chilli has painkilling properties and can thin out mucous making it easier to remove from the body. Sweet potatoes contain various anti-inflammatory compounds including beta carotene/flavanoids. Turmeric is an incredible anti-inflammatory agent due to a group of chemicals called curcuminoids - as good as many powerful drugs, including hydrocortisone, but with none of the nasty side effects. Coconut milk is full of good fats which are antifungal, antibacterial & antiviral. So you really can't fail to feel better if you fill yourself up with this most soothing, healing, nutritious soup. Your immune system will thank you! Ingredients · 1 red onion, chopped · 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped or crushed · 3 medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed and cut into small dice · 1 red or green chilli, finely chopped · 1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and chopped · 1 punnet shitake mushrooms or 2-3 dried shitakes soaked in hot water for 30minutes · 1 handful of goji berries · 500ml vegetable stock · 1 can coconut milk · 1 tablespoon coconut or olive oil · 1 level teaspoon turmeric sea salt & freshly ground black pepper to season Method 1. Add the finely chopped onion, ginger and chilli to a pan with a tablespoon of oil and sauté for a few minutes until the onion softens. 2. Slice the shitake mushrooms. If using dried, discard the stalks which are tough and bitter. 3. Add the mushrooms, diced sweet potato, goji berries, garlic, turmeric, coconut milk and stock. 4. Bring to the boil, and then gently simmer for about 20 minutes until the sweet potatoes are soft. 5. Puree with a hand blender, season with sea salt and enjoy! I'm happy to report that Laura is feeling much better now! .......your health in your hands.....
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 I've had a lovely week, it was my birthday and I was spoilt rotten with flowers, chocolate and Prosecco, three of my favourite things!
I have to admit the after effects of too much chocolate and wine are not great but sometimes worth it! So I thought I'd share one of my favourite healthy chocolate truffle recipes. These truffles are delicious, pretty much free of everything bad for you, incredibly quick and easy to make. In fact they are so delicious it's hard to believe they are packed full of healthy ingredients. They are a perfect wee sweet treat to end a meal, and make a fabulous last minute Christmas gift for a health conscious friend.! These truffles are vegan so dairy free, contain no saturated fat or added sugar. All the sweetness comes from the dates and coconut, both natural ingredients with health benefits. I love dates, they are deliciously sweet and although they are fairly high in sugar, they more than make up for it with the dazzling array of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fibre, supporting health on so many levels. The walnuts and sunflower seeds add protein, fibre, minerals and omega 3 fats so these truffles can definitely be enjoyed guilt free! Medjool dates are the king of dates and are sweet, caramelly and moist and are always my first choice. Deglet Nour Dates are also delicious. Lidl are selling them for £1 a bag just now and they are also pitted which saves you precious time! It's well worth having a few bags on standby. Some of the dates are really quite dry and need to be soaked before you can use them and they are never sweet or sticky enough, don't buy them! You really need a food processor to make these. The dates need to be blitzed to a paste, although I guess at a push you could use a hand blender. Dates are so sticky though you would have to do it in batches and blitz the nuts and seeds first. Always make sure there are no stones in your dates, that could wreck your processor. Another point to note, for those of you lucky enough to own a Vitamix, don't use it for dates! They are just too sticky and there was a horrible burning smell from mine when I tried it You have been warned! If you have any sweet superfood powders like lacuma or maca, you can add a spoonful to up the health benefits even more. Chia seeds are also a good addition! These truffles are best kept in the fridge to firm them up. I'm not too sure how long they will keep, ours are always scoffed within a few days, but I guess they would be fine for a week or so! Preparation: 30 minutes Makes: 20 bite size truffles Ingredients
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. ......your health in your hands......  This is one of my absolute favourite winter soups, its just so nourishing, creamy and delicious. I adapted the recipe from a macrobiotic one and it just ticks all the boxes for me on flavour and nutrition. I served it last night to my guests at the launch of my Gourmet Vegan Supper Club and everyone thought it was delicious and much more interesting than leek and potato soup! In Scotland, a soup thickened with oatmeal is called a ‘brose’. Oats can lower cholesterol due to the high amounts of soluble fibre and are easy to digest. Books have been written on the benefits of coconut but 3 key benefits are in lowering inflammation, boosting your immune system and boosting metabolism. Leeks and garlic fight infection and combined with ginger make this an inflammation busting super soup! The addition of coconut and lime gives this soup an exotic twist and it tastes absolutely delicious! Give it a go and impress your family and friends!
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Janice
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