Sick Soup

The day's assignment: a simple loop run at training pace; longer but not exceptionally fast.

Along with the regular group I set out for the run.

After each step, I found myself sliding my tongue over my teeth.  After each mile, I noticed.   After each half way mark, I questioned myself: your breathing is good, your muscle's are fine, are you hungry?

As each stride became a fight, I struggle to form the logic behind the excuse: my face hurts.

It was my first sinus infection and to me it made no sense, but hundreds of tooth-achey steps later I've developed a punch packed all natural team:  ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, ACV, and (of course) netti pot.

Oh, and soup, lots and lots of soup.

Like this one that helped me survive my first cold of the season.  A turmeric and ginger boosted base that will help raise your immune system while fighting inflammation, the warming cayenne in the broth will help melt your nose off your face, and the silken tofu will help keep you full while giving you an energy boost - so you can lace up your shoes a little tighter and keep striding!

Silk Soup with Ginger and Turmeric

Ingredients

• 3 c veggie broth
• 2 T grated ginger
• 2 t turmeric
• 3 cl garlic, minced
• 1/2 t cayenne powder
• 1/4 c soy sauce
• 1/4 T rice vinegar
• 1 block silken tofu
• 2 servings rice noodles
• 2 c mushrooms, sliced
• 1 large carrot, grated
• 1/4 c parsley or cilantro
• 1/4 c scallions
• 1-2 limes, juiced and zested

Combine

1. Bring the broth, ginger, turmeric, garlic, cayenne, and soy sauce to a boil in a large pot over high heat.
2. Crumble the tofu into the pot and continue to boil for 15 minutes then reduce the heat to medium and simmer for another 15 minutes.
3. Add the mushrooms, carrot, and rice noodles and boil for another 5 minutes.
4. Stir in the parsley, scallions, and lime.
5. Serve and enjoy!

Sunshine Soup

This weekend finally marked the official change of seasons for me: I dragged boxes of sweaters out from under my bed, I brought of my heaviest down blanket, and I almost had my first-of-many near death experiences by way of going to bed in my freezing apartment with shower hair.

In addition to waking up with a serious case of bed head and an even more serious neck cramp, I found myself seriously grateful for dusting off my soup pot while taking a break from being buried beneath fluffy knitwear.

I decided to kick the soup season off with one of my simplest but favorite recipes.

Reading through the ingredient list you may notice it sounds a little different compared to most soup recipes, and I'm more than certain you're questioning the use of OJ, but a recipe followed from an aged index card never lies!

Although the orange stands out on the ingredient list, it acts as more of a background player in the actual soup itself.  It creates a beautiful aroma to help draw your hand towards the spoon, then creates this platform of brightness on which a hint of smoky paprika and herby parsley play.  Although there is a definite sweetness from the tomato, potato, and juice, their varying levels of acidity complement each other laterally rather than building up and are balanced out by a subtle hint of peppery spice.

So trust me when I say this bowl is different in a good way!

Sunshine Soup

Author unknown

Ingredients

• 2-3 T olive oil
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1/2 jalapeno or 1/2 t red pepper flakes
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 small sweet potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 can of diced tomatoes, with the juice
• 4 c water
• 3 t salt
• 1 t smoked paprika
• 1/2 t cumin
• 1/2 t black pepper
• 1 orange, juiced and zested
• 1 can black beans
• 1 c packed parsley leaves, roughly chopped

Combine

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat until it shimmers.  Add the onion and jalapeno and cook for 3 minutes.
2. Add the garlic and sweet potatoes and cook for another 2-3 minutes until the garlic is fragrant.
3. Add in the tomatoes with the juice, water, salt, and spices.  Bring to a boil for 10 minutes then simmer for 20 minutes.
4. Stir in the black beans, orange juice, and orange zest and simmer for another 10 minutes.
5. Mix in the parsley and enjoy!

Summer's End Salad

Although the superstitious part of me is hoping that putting it in writing will create some sort of jinx, if this week's weather is here to stay we may be feeling the official beginning of Summer's End

Shoving as many loads of heat wave worn laundry into my grandma cart as it can carry, I feel as if I could embrace sweater weather with the welcome flick of the fan's off switch; but my sea shore loving heart is not quite ready to let go of the pink tinted tan lines, melty ice cream cones, and adventurous summer nights.

What better way to turn cheek to the cold breeze sweeping through our windows with the impending change of seasons than by celebrating summer with a salad like this?

It's simple and clean because we're of course not ready to turn our ovens on, yet packed with some of the months finest flavors a la peach, tomato, parsley, and is enough to fill your dinner plate (and belly) but light enough to let you compete with the slightest sign of returning humidity.

And with the heat seemingly retreating and days shortening, it seems there is no better thing to ask for than a moment to relax without bathing in our own sweat, to take a deep breath of the cooling evening air, and to enjoy a good eat.

Summer's End Salad

inspired by Cohen

Ingredients

• 1/2 tomato
• 1/2 peach
• Big handful of mixed greens
• 3-5 sprigs of parsley
• 1/4 lemon, juiced
• Olive oil
• Salt, as desired
• Pepper, as desired
• Feta, as desired
• Hazelnuts, chopped, as desired

Combine

1. Slice the peach and tomato.
2. Chop the feta and hazelnuts.
3. Gently toss the greens with lemon, oil, salt, and pepper.
4. Gently toss in the peach and tomato.
5. Sprinkle with feta and hazelnuts.
6. Enjoy!

Jerk

Sometimes life throws a curve ball your way, causing you to lose a few steps backwards, to lose endless hours of sleep, and to take too many deep breaths to count.

Sometimes life is a jerk.

Lately, this is what life feels like: a series of extreme days, nights, and weeks, most of which seem to be countered by some strange and equally extreme blessings, but nonetheless, riding out a chunk of life on a roller coaster will most definitely earn you some grey hairs.

Although I'm not usually one to count my blessings, nor to dwell on my spites with life, getting dragged through the muck lately has lent cause for reminiscing on equally stressful but blessed times, like these same weeks last year, when I picked up life as I knew it, pulled out half my hair, and stumbled my way to a little Caribbean neighborhood in New York that instantly became second home.

Maybe it's because atop the list of life's latest stresses is the fact that I'm once again leaving the nest, but this jerk salmon dream bowl seemed like the perfect fit for a time like this.

It's not because I grew up eating jerk anything, it's because this is a small ode to what made Brooklyn taste as familiar as home - a plate full of flavor, texture, and freshness.

So soak some jalapeno in pineapple juice to kill it's kick, use whatever sauce spice level you can tolerate, let the jerky moments go, and absorb a little taste of what I call home.

Jerk Salmon With Green Rice and Pineapple Pico

Ingredients

For the pico:

• 1/2 c pineapple, diced, with extra juice from cutting board
• 1/2 jalapeno, minced
• 1 T shallot, minced
• salt, just a pinch

For the salmon:

• Salmon (2-4 portions), skin on or off
• Jerk marinade
• 2 T coconut oil
• a pinch of salt

For the rice:

• 3-5 T coconut oil
• 3 small cloves garlic, minced
• 1 T shallot, minced
• 1 c short-medium grain rice
• 1/2-1 t salt
• 1-2 lemons or limes, 1 juiced, 1 sliced (optional)
• Warm water as needed
• 1 c basil, finely chopped
• 2 c parsley, finely chopped
• 2 c spinach, finely chopped
• 1/4 c coconut milk, shaken well

Combine

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Combine the ingredients for the salsa in a small bowl and set aside for at least 20 minutes.
3. Stir the jerk, oil, and salt together in a separate bowl, then add the salmon to the dish and gently toss it so it is well covered in sauce, adding more if needed.  Let marinate while refrigerated for 30 minutes.
4. Heat the coconut oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat until just shimmering.
5. Add the garlic and shallot and saute for 1-2 minutes, stirring semi-often to avoid burning.
6. Add the rice and salt and saute for 3-4 minutes, stirring gently but well so the grains are well coated in oil.
7. Add the citrus juice, and citrus slices if using, cook until the juice is evaporated then turn the heat up to high and add 1 cup of water.
8. 
   
• Stir continuously as the water bubbles off, then add half a cup of water.  Continue this process for about 40 minutes.  Each time the water cooks off you'll notice that the water seems "thicker" as the starch from the rice meddles with it.  When the rice is ready it will be soft enough to eat but firm enough to not fall apart, and there should be enough "sauce" to hold the ingredients together.
• After you add two or three half-cups of water, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  This usually takes 10 minutes, after which you should place the salmon on the sheet and bake for 20 minutes - this is roughly how long it will take the rice to finish cooking.
9. Add 2 tablespoons of water, the coconut milk, and the greens, stirring as the water cooks off.
10. Add a large scoop of rice to a bowl, top with a piece of salmon, and a spoonful of salsa.
11. Enjoy!

They Say

Bad things come in threes so when I was crippled by a severe back injury, had my entire wallet stolen, and came down with that crazy flu induced sinus infection thing that's going around I knew a wave of bad luck had hit me.

I'm still not sure how I offended the universe to this extent, but one thing I do know is how to handle this kind of karma.

It's highly recommended to start by counting your blessings and letting the thankfulness for having health insurance, a super helpful bank, and a Neti Pot soak into your soul, and to end with some killer karma soup.

Okay so maybe that ending is most helpful if your third misery was being sick AF but still, this soup is delicious AF so I'm pretty sure it's a good ending anyways.

Why so good?

Because it's loaded with goodness like detoxing turmeric, cinnamon, and parsley, hearty chick peas and red daal, and of course coconut milk because every bitter heart needs a little sweetness.  All these little gems come together with enough strength to counter act a heavy dose of badness, or at least to fill a super hungry belly and make you feel royal AF while eating it!

Royal Karma Soup

Ingredients

• 1 T mustard seeds
• 2 T olive oil
• 1 jalapeno, diced, optional
• 1 inch red onion, diced
• 2-3 small carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1 can of diced tomatoes, with juice
• 1 can of chickpeas, rinsed well
• 1 c daal (red lentils)
• 1 t red pepper flakes
• 2 t turmeric
• 1 t cumin
• 1/2 t garlic powder
• 1/2 t cinnamon
• 1/2 t ginger
• 1-2 t salt
• 2 cans of water
• 1/2 c coconut milk
• 1 bunch parsley, chopped

Combine

1. Add the mustard seeds to a large pot over medium heat and toast for a minute or two before adding the oil.
2. When the oil is hot you will hear the mustard seeds snapping, at this point add in the jalapeno, red onion, and carrots and saute for 3-5 minutes until the pieces are just starting to soften.
3. Add in the rest of the ingredients except the coconut milk and the parsley.
4. Bring the liquid to a boil for 10 minutes, then reduce to a simmer and add in the coconut milk.
5. Continue to simmer for 20 minutes, stirring a few times before it is done.
6. Add in the parsley and serve immediately or store in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Note

At first the soup will look very broth-y but once the daal is cooked and coconut milk is added they will fill up the space and make a thick but not-too-thick soup.

A Leap of Faith

Moving to Brooklyn on a leap of faith has meant a month filled with lots and ups and downs and running around

 Back and forth from MA to NY, back to back interviews, and back to not having a grocery routine has left me grabbing granola bars for lunch and protein shakes for dinner.

Somewhere between endless errands and escaping the sweaty subway with my pencil skirt stuck to me, I managed to explore the endless markets in my area and sit down for a savior of a meal.

This tabbouleh is your standard recipe topped with roasted tomatoes and seasoned, roasted chickpeas for a little extra twist and a welcome back to the grind!

Roasted Tomato and Chickpea Tabbouleh

Ingredients

• 1 pint cherry tomatoes
• 1 T olive oil
• 1 T balsamic vinegar
• 1 can chickpeas, rinsed very well
• 2 t turmeric
• 2 t oregano
• 1/2 t pepper
• 1 t olive oil
• 1 c bulgur + boiling water as needed
• 3/4 c shallots, finely chopped
• 3/4 c english cucumber, chopped
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1/2 c olives, sliced
• 1 bunch flat leaf parsley, stemmed and chopped
• Feta, salt, pepper, as desired

Combine

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees, line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, and boil some water.
2. Toss the cherry tomatoes, oil, and vinegar together until well combined and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.  Scatter the tomatoes on baking sheet number one and start roasting - these need a total of 20-35 minutes of roasting.
3. Toss the chickpeas with the turmeric, oregano, pepper, and oil and scatter on baking sheet number two - these need just 10 minutes total of roasting so you can put them in when the tomatoes are half way done, or put them in now and remember to take them out.
4. While you wait cover the bulgur with boiling water until the water line is two inches higher than the bulgur.  Set aside for 15 minutes.
5. Wash and chop the shallots, cucumber, olives, and parsley.  Toss with lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
6. Drain any excess water from the bulgur then toss it with the parsley mixture,
7. Top with chickpeas, tomatoes, and feta and enjoy!