WORLD FAMOUS Super-Power Chicken Soup

Tags

AIP, Autoimmune Protocol, Best Chicken Soup Recipe, Chicken Soup, Comfort Food, Healthy Soup, Immune Boosting Soup, Paleo, Winter Warmer

 

(Image by TSL)

I’m currently on the Autoimmune Protocol, a nutrient-rich elimination diet that removes foods that irritate the gut, cause gut imbalance and activate the immune system. You can read more about the protocol and why I’m doing this here.

The cool thing about being famous is traveling. I have always wanted to travel across seas, like to Canada and stuff. (Britney Spears)

I think I mentioned making my world-famous-at-Casa-TSL chicken soup for my sister last week. It’s a bit of a winner because it tastes good AND is chock-full of super-power boosting nutritional goodness. Especially good when you feel a little under the weather. And, at this time of the year (down here, anyway) this soup is a great preventive measure against the winter sniffles.

There’s a reason chicken soup has reached cult status around the world, but perhaps most famously with Jewish mamas. It is the ultimate comfort food when made from scratch for someone you love. I made it for my sister after her return from hospital (although I’m a little surprised she had any room for soup after scoffing down all those gingerbread men…!) But, even making the soup for someone gives you a feeling of warmth and love. Amazing how food can do that…

While this recipe seems a little longer than my usual numbers, the process is very simple. The first stage is making the base stock (which can be prepared in advance) followed by throwing all the ingredients together for the soup. This is best done just before eating because there are a number of fresh ingredients (like garlic, ginger and turmeric) full of immune-boosting, anti-inflammatory goodness.

Gotta say – this is a very pleasant way to spend a couple of hours on a wintry weekend afternoon, too. And, your home will smell amazing!

• Servings: 6
• Time: 2 hours
• Difficulty: easy-peasey
• Print

Ingredients

For your base stock:
1 x whole happy chicken (mine was 1.3 kilos)
2 x large onions, finely chopped
1 x large carrot, cut into three pieces
1 x large stick of celery, cut into three pieces
The finely chopped stalks of one bunch of flat leaf parsley
1 x teaspoon finely chopped thyme
1 x Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
A small handful of wakame, or other sea vegetables (optional*)

For your soup:
2 x litres of chicken stock
2 x cups chicken meat, shredded
2 x stalks celery, finely diced
1 x large carrot, finely diced
1 x leek, halved and finely sliced
4 x  cloves garlic, minced
2 x teaspoons ginger, finely grated
1 x teaspoon fresh turmeric, finely grated
1 x bunch flat leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped (Use the tops of the stalks you put in the stock)
1/2 x bunch coriander, finely chopped
1 x Tablespoon coconut oil or lard
generous seasoning of sea salt and pepper

Method

For your base stock:

1. Pop your chicken in a large stock pot, with the veggies, herbs, vinegar and sea vegetables. Cover with cold filtered water.

2. Bring to the boil and then immediately reduce the heat to a strong simmer. Cook for 90 minutes. When the meat starts to separate easily from the bone, your chicken is cooked.

3. Remove the carrot and celery pieces and discard. Carefully remove the bird from the stock.

4. Once cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bone. You’ll need a generous couple of cups for the soup. Any leftover shredded chicken can be popped straight into the fridge. Either discard the bones or keep for further stock.

5. You’ll need a couple of litres of stock for the soup. Any leftover can be popped straight in the fridge or freezer for other cooking.

For your soup:

6. Heat your fat in the bottom of a largish pot. Add your finely diced celery, carrot, leek and simmer for 3-5 minutes until the vegetables have softened.

7. Pour in your stock and add the chicken meat. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for about 10 minutes. Your vegetables should still have a little crunch, but be cooked through.

8. Add the garlic, turmeric and ginger. Simmer for another minute or two. Season generously with sea salt. Taste for seasoning.

9. Remove the pot from the heat and stir through the coriander and parsley. Serve immediately.

E N J O Y !

* Wakame is my favourite sea vegetable (sea weed). It is naturally high in iodine. I add it to soups, stocks and braises.

 

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‘I can’t believe they’re AIP-friendly’ Chewy Gingerbread Men

Tags

AIP, Autoimmune Protocol, Cookies, Dairy Free, Gimgerbread, Gluten Free, Paleo, The Primitive Homemaker

(Image by TSL)

 

I’m currently on the Autoimmune Protocol, a nutrient-rich elimination diet that removes foods that irritate the gut, cause gut imbalance and activate the immune system. You can read more about the protocol and why I’m doing this here.

I had all these plans for the blog this week. Ideas for posts kept popping into my head at the most unlikely of times. And, I’m finally back – firing on all cylinders – in the kitchen again after the big move into the smaller wee place. So, there really has been no excuse for not being more organised. I’m not even really sure what happened.  So today, I start with an apology…

Sorry! I don’t know where the week went.

My little sister is undergoing a routine medical procedure today. It involves fasting because she’s having a general anaesthetic. She’s just back from holidaying overseas and has jumped straight into the autoimmune protocol. So, I figured some chicken soup was in order. And then, I thought about the awful gluten-filled biscuits and sweet, milky cups of tea they give you when you’re just out of your anaesthetic – Ugh! – and I just had to make these wee gingerbread beauties.

A much better alternative to the hospital-provided snack-age AND AIP-friendly, to boot!

(Image by TSL)

I can’t take any credit for this recipe. That must all go to the very talented Tyler over at The Primitive Homemaker. You can find the recipe for these lovely wee Chewy Ginger Thin Cookies here. They are a doddle to make, contain only four ingredients, and are a scrummy treat with just the right about of crunch, ginger and sweetness.

Thanks Tyler!

ROCKING Fennel and Apple Slaw

Tags

AIP, Autoimmune Protocol, Coleslaw, Healthy Salad, Linga Longa, Paleo, Pork, Salad, Winter Salad

(Image by TSL)

I’m currently on the Autoimmune Protocol, a nutrient-rich elimination diet that removes foods that irritate the gut, cause gut imbalance and activate the immune system. You can read more about the protocol and why I’m doing this here.

You can never put too much pork in your mouth as far as I’m concerned. (Lewis Black)

I love pork. I r e a l l y love it. And, not a week goes by that we don’t pick up some cut of the best-pork-in-the-whole-world from the lovely team at Linga Longa. I’m not kidding – their pork is so good that I’m salivating just thinking about it… It just melts in your mouth.

And don’t even get me started about their bacon.

The Linga Longa stand is our first stop during our weekly jaunt to the farmers market at Eveleigh. And, I would still love them, even if they didn’t tell me every week that Bella is their favourite market dog!  Anyhoo, this week I picked up 2.8 kilos – that’s just over a whopping 6 pounds for you Americans! – of pork neck. I guess-timated that this amount of meat would just squeeze into my Le Creuset… It did, but it was a tight fit!

Now, I’m no expert (and I’ll be confirming this with Greg from Linga Longa on Saturday), but I’m pretty sure that this is the very same cut as the ‘Boston Butt’ I keep reading about in all the U.S. recipes for pulled pork.

Pork Neck = Boston Butt?
(Image from here)

I ended up making a very tasty pulled pork with my ‘Boston Butt’. I’ll post the recipe after I’ve tweaked it a bit more. Of course, it may take a wee while – I have an awful lot of meat to get through!

It almost goes without saying that coleslaw is the traditional accompaniment to pulled pork. The thing is, the temperature has suddenly taken a dive here, so I played around with a slaw that might just be considered a tad more wintery. Apples marry so well with pork, and so does fennel – seems almost logical to pair them both up in my slaw.

(Image by TSL)

Don’t just eat McDonald’s, get something a bit better. Eat a salad. That’s what fashion is. It’s something that is a bit better. (Vivienne Westwood)

For this recipe, it definitely helps if you have a mandolin. You could chop the apples and fennel by hand, but so MUCH easier (and faster) with a mandolin…

ROCKING Fennel & Apple Slaw

• Servings: 4
• Time: 20 minutes + sitting time
• Difficulty: easy-peasey
• Print

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 x small or 1 x large granny smith apples
1 medium head of fennel
1/2 x small red onion
1/8 cup best quality EVOO
1 x Tablespoon freshly chopped flat leaf parsley

Method

1. Pop your lemon juice in a medium-sized bowl.

2. Peel and core your apples. Julienne into match sticks using your mandolin. Toss the apples in the lemon juice (this stops them from browning).

3. Wash and julienne your fennel. Add to the apples.

4. Remembering to change the blade on your mandolin, finely slice the red onion Add to the apples and fennel.

5. Add the olive oil and parsley. Season well to taste.

6. Leave for at least 30 minutes before serving. (All slaws improve in flavour after sitting!) Check seasoning once more.

6. Serve with a generous dollop of coconut yoghurt and raspberry sauce.

E N J O Y !

This recipe features in the Phoenix Helix AIP Recipe Roundtable.

KNOCK OUT Plantain Hotcakes with Raspberry Sauce and Coconut Yoghurt

Tags

AIP, Autoimmune Protocol, Breakfast, Brunch, Dairy Free, Grain Free, Hotcakes, Paleo, Pancakes, Pikelets, Plantains

(Image by TSL)

I’m currently on the Autoimmune Protocol, a nutrient-rich elimination diet that removes foods that irritate the gut, cause gut imbalance and activate the immune system. You can read more about the protocol and why I’m doing this here.

I don’t have to tell you I love you. I fed you pancakes. (Kathleen Flinn, Burnt Toast Makes You Sing Good: A Memoir of Food and Love from an American Midwest Family)

When I was a little girl and my parents were going out for the evening, it was traditional for my Mum to make pancakes for my sister, brother and me. No take aways for us, thank you very much. She used to make her pancakes à la minute*. And, except for the first one in the batch (which is never perfect), they were seriously good. So good that my sister, brother and I used to gobble them down and then argue over who was due the next pancake.

Mum is originally from Germany. Her pancakes definitely lean more towards the thin French crêpe than the fluffier American flapjack or hotcake. And, she served them with lemon juice and sugar. Just thinking about them now makes me want to be back in the kitchen with Mum making pancakes…

But, that’s not going to happen. I’m in Australia. She’s in New Zealand. And, regular pancake batter is full of dairy, eggs, sugar and gluten… (sigh).

But AIP-friendly plantain hotcakes are another story…

Now, as a rule, I’m not really a sweet breakfast kind of girl. I definitely prefer a savoury start to the day. Of course, LM needs no excuse to indulge in sweets at any time of the day. AND I have been promising him plantain hotcakes for months. Ever since I first spotted a recipe for AIP-friendly pancakes on the Paleo Mom’s blog. The problem was, the recipe calls for black plantains. That is to say – über ripe ones. And usually my plantains don’t last long enough to get past the green stage.

But! – LM bought me a few plantains a wee while ago. Because my kitchen was in such disarray after our move, I threw them into the back of the fridge and forgot about them. How fortuitous…

(Images by TSL)

And, these wee beauties are pretty scrummy as a weekend brunch option. I will definitely be waiting for my plantains to blacken in the future so that I can whip up some more. Next time, I’m thinking stewed rhubarb and apple with vanilla coconut cream…

These hotcakes are so easy to make. Really. And, if I wasn’t on the autoimmune protocol, I might play around with the spices and adding some sultanas or nuts for flavour and crunch.

• Servings: 8 hotcakes
• Time: 45 minutes
• Difficulty: easy-peasey
• Print

Adapted from a recipe by The Paleo Mom

Ingredients

Raspberry Sauce:
1 x cup frozen raspberries
1 x Tablespoon maple syrup

Plantain Pancakes:
2 black plantains
½ tsp ground mace
½ tsp ground Cinnamon
3-4 Tbsp extra virgin coconut oil

1/3 x cup coconut yoghurt

Method

1. Pop your frozen raspberries and maple syrup into a small pot. Give it a stir to combine. Heat over medium heat until bubbling. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Give them a good stir until pureed. Set aside to cool.

2. Peel and roughly chop your black plantains. Throw them into a food processor and give them a good whiz. Add your spices. Whiz again until thoroughly mixed.

3. Heat half of the coconut oil in a non-stick fry pan over medium heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low.

4. Spoon 1/4 cup-sized portions of the plantain batter into the frying pan. Using a spoon, spread them into your desired shape and thickness. I easily managed four hotcakes in the pan at a time, so two batches.

5. Cook for 7 minutes on the first side (I used a timer and kept an eye on them. You don’t want the temperature too hot). Flip them over and cook for another 7 minutes on the other side. Add more coconut oil to the pan before cooking subsequent batches.

6. Serve with a generous dollop of coconut yoghurt and raspberry sauce.

E N J O Y !

*to order

Healthy Homemade Fruit Gummies

Tags

AIP, Autoimmune Protocol, Gelatin, Healthy snacks, Healthy snacks for children, Homemade jelly, low sugar snack, Nutrition

(Image from here)

I’m currently on the Autoimmune Protocol, a nutrient-rich elimination diet that removes foods that irritate the gut, cause gut imbalance and activate the immune system. You can read more about the protocol and why I’m doing this here.

Don’t you wish you could take a single childhood memory and blow it up into a bubble and live inside it forever? (Sarah Addison Allen, Lost Lake)

My first memory of gummy bears (or, in my case, the original Gummibärchen) is the packets of them that used to arrive as part of birthday or Christmas parcels from my Omi in Germany. She sent the best parcels…

Gummibärchen
aka Gummy Bears
(Image from here)

Did you know the gummy bear originated in Germany?

Here’s a bit of trivia for you – Hans Riegel, a confectioner from Bonn, created the original Dancing Bear (Tanzbär) after being inspired by the trained bears seen at street festivities and markets in Europe through to the 19th century. Those poor bears. The original was much larger in form than its later successor, the wee Gold-Bear (Goldbär), which hit the market way back in 1967.

The traditional gummy bear is made from a mixture of sugar, glucose syrup, starch, flavouring, food colouring, citric acid, and gelatin. Clearly not the best option for those who are concerned about the levels of sugar, additives and preservatives they consume…

It’s the gelatin bit I’m interested in

Specifically, gelatin from grass-fed, pasture raised animals to ensure you are not exposing yourself to even more added hormones, pesticides and heavy metals.

Great Lakes Gelatin & the Gummylicious Homemade Gummies
(Image by TSL)

But what is gelatin? Really, it is just a dehydrated powder made up of the bones, cartilage, collagen and minerals from cows (or pigs). It is a great source of amino acids, which support a healthy mood, strong bones, smooth skin and proper muscle synthesis. I use the Great Lakes gelatin, always from the red container when making jelly of any description (the green container is collagen hydrolysate and doesn’t set). It is quite expensive, but one can lasts an awfully long time.

Homemade fruit gummies are ridiculously easy to make. And, because you can use cool shapes to make them more interesting, I reckon kids will love them. They are a great way to get some seriously healthy goodness into them without having to resort to bribery! Gummies have similar benefits to bone broth – they sooth the gut.

GREAT if you’re on the autoimmune protocol, too.

I had picked up a few wee moulds from Ikea last time I was there, getting lost in the labyrinth of Scandi’ homewares. I must have been channeling my nephews and niece at the time. They (the moulds, not my nephews and niece!) had been languishing unused in the back of a kitchen cupboard and I found them as part of our recent move. Just perfect for gummies…

Sidebar…

Last week I made the very tasty ‘Chocolate’ Raspberry Pudding from over at A clean Plate (Christina has a great blog – do check it out!). It was one of those great finds you make while on the AIP. Avocado is great in mousse! Who knew? Anyway, I woke up the next morning to an outbreak of my autoimmune symptoms. At the time, I attributed it to the carob in the recipe. Apparently, it is possible to have an allergic reaction to carob. And, maybe I do, but now I’m wondering if it may be that I overdid the sugar on that particular day… It is possible I may have snuck in an extra Orange Macaroon Ball (or two) that day and then had the date-sweetened pudding. Perhaps I need to be extra vigilant about my sugar intake…

All of which led me to my homemade gummies. While not sugar-free, they are small and you can add as much or as little sweetener as you like. And, as long as you don’t eat ten in one sitting (not advisable!), they will satisfy your sweet tooth in a healthy way.

I started with raspberry and pomegranate gummies and then whipped up some blueberry and coconut, too. I kept mine pretty simple, but you could always add vitamins – like Vitamin C – or probiotics (just make sure you add then probiotics after heating). I think next time, I may play around with some kefir or kombucha infused gummies. That way I’d get a double hit of gut-healing good stuff – gelatine and probiotics!

TSL's Healthy Homemade Fruit Gummies

• Servings: 32 jellies (in my Ikea moulds)
• Time: 45 minutes
• Difficulty: easy-peasey
• Print

Ingredients

For Raspberry & Pomegranate Gummies

1/2 cup frozen raspberries
1 Tablespoon Maple Syrup (or honey) + more to taste
1/2 cup + 1 Tablespoon raspberry and pomegranate juice
3 Tablespoons powdered gelatin

For Blueberry & Coconut Gummies

1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1 Tablespoon Maple Syrup (or honey) + more to taste
1/2 cup + 1 Tablespoon coconut milk
3 Tablespoons powdered gelatin

Method

1. Lightly oil your moulds.

2. Place your frozen berries, maple syrup or honey and tablespoon of juice/milk in a small pot over a medium heat. Give it a good stir. When the fruit is fully defrosted and the mixture starts to bubble, either transfer to a beaker and use an immersion blender to mix or, mix in a blender/food processor and transfer to a jug.

3. Using the same small pot, over a low heat, whisk your juice/coconut milk with the gelatin until fully dissolved.

4. whisk your gelatin liquid with your pureed fruit. Carefully pour the mixture into moulds and place into the fridge. The gummies will take between 15 and 30 minutes to set.

5. Remove from the moulds. Gummies will keep stored in an airtight container in your fridge for up to two weeks.

E N J O Y !

 

This recipe is featured over at the Phoenix Helix AIP Recipe Roundtable #31.

Too Many Balls in the Air…

Tags

Apologies, Blogging holiday, Funny Picture, Juggling, Life

(Image source unknown)

Do three things well, not ten things badly. (David Segrove)

What with trying to squeeze all my worldly goods into a new smaller home (frankly, it’s not going to happen! I have too much stuff), AND keeping up with the study, AND a commitment I made to myself to get back on track with the Autoimmune Protocol (now on day 10), there hasn’t been much blog activity here in TSL land. Apologies.

I’ll be back on track soon. Promise.