Healthy-Healing Colorful Vegetable Soup

Beets are amazing! I bought some about a month ago and forgot about the 4 small ones that just sat there, waiting, in the bottom corner of my vegetable drawer. I scrubbed and cut away a little bit of outer dried area at the top, but they were just great, without being peeled!

Slice or chop everything shown. Melt some of Costco's amazing Kirkland brand Organic Ghee in a big pot, then start with the scrubbed, unpeeled vegetables that require the most cooking, the Brussels sprouts and carrots.

Then the can of tomatoes, cauliflower, beets and green cabbage - (tucked in there at the top center) - about 1/3 of a medium head. I omitted the onion, (shown in the photo) to make it a healthy meal option for my dog also.

After all this sauteed until crisp-tender, I added the chopped fresh spinach, seasoning, some filtered water and a big serving spoonful of chicken Better Than Bouillon, but if you want this to be vegetarian, use the vegetable version. Obviously, the beets have done their thing with their pink carotene. . .but. . .who doesn't love bright pink soup? . .😃. . .Lin

Spicy Beef Pho Type Soup

As I was heading to the lake this afternoon, I was craving Beef Pho. The tiny city where my condo is located has a great Asian take-out place.

Then, the plan changed, and I decided to stop at Super One for ingredients to make my own. I've rarely had authentic Pho, so I'm not remembering how this compares, but it sure worked for me!

6oz. rice noodles
TOASTED sesame oil
2 stalks celery
a few small carrots
4oz. mushrooms
6oz. marbled black Angus beef steak
4-5 green onions
2 big cloves garlic

2T Tsang spicy Szechaun sauce
3±T beef Better Than Bouillon
1/2-1t garlic salt
1 packed cup of rough chopped *cilantro

Bring 4 quarts of water to a rolling boil. While you're waiting for that to start, slice the meat and vegetables. 

Add the noodles to the pot, you won't exactly 'cook' them...just cover the pot and turn off the heat -do not drain- this will become your beef broth. Stir fry the celery and carrots in the sesame oil until snapping, lightly brown, and tenderize.

Add these to the pot of noodles and water. Drizzle another 2T of the oil into the hot pan and stir in the mushrooms, cooking them until they start to turn golden brown then add them to the pot.

Repeat this process with the beef, adding a little of the garlic. Stir this just until the edges brown, but the pieces are all medium rare. 

Add the green onion and rest of the garlic to the beef, sizzle a couple more minutes, then put that into the pot. Simmer everything another 5 minutes then stir in the *cilantro or flat leaf parsley.

 🍲 Serve this up in big bowls 🍲 . . .Lin

Whole Grains, Lentils and Greens

¾c basmati brown rice

⅓ yellow pepper-chopped

5 cloves of garlic-minced

2T black truffle EVOO

¾-1t Penzeys California Seasoned Pepper

3c fresh cold filtered water

½c quinoa, millet, buckwheat mix

½c brown or green whole lentils

2t Better Than Bouillon soup base

1 bunch of dinosaur kale

Sometimes I revert back to my vegetarian-vegan ideals and all I want is some really good grains and greens! Today is one of those days. Sauté the first group of ingredients, adding just a little water at the end, when everything starts browning, to prevent it from sticking. Next add the quinoa mix, the rest of the water, lentils and the BTB soup base - I always have several flavors, but for this, mushroom sounded good.

Wash the kale first in warm soapy water, then in cold water until the water is clear. De-vein the leaves by pulling or cutting them away from the center stalk and throw that away or out for your bunnies and squirrels. Bundle the leaves together, slice them and cross-cut the slices if they're too big. Add them to the pot. Stir this, cover and let it simmer slowly until the water absorbs, the grains are tender and the kale is nicely cooked.

Add the sliced cilantro leaves and stems, cover to keep everything warm. Fluff it up and check the seasonings just before serving.

Mmmmm, Grains and Greens! 😊 Lin