Nourishing chicken soup with fresh shiitake mushrooms broccoli and corn

Here is a special little soup I created for a client that needs nourishment and recovery foods for a long stint in hospital, pulling in all my food as medicine notes and experience cooking for different medical conditions I came up with this little gem that the family also enjoy.

*** Note for this recipe it helps to have chicken broth already premade, I make mine well in advance and freeze in portions and freeze for later use. ***


800g organic chicken breasts
8 fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced finely
1 teaspoon fresh ginger grated
1 lemongrass stick
1 fresh lime, juiced
1 litre home made chicken broth
300g organic broccoli, cut into florets
1 fresh corn husked
2 tablespoons tamari


Method

In a large pot add hot water and the lemongrass stick, infuse for 5 minutes, add the organic chicken breasts and poach for approx 12-15 minutes, checking at 12 minutes and making sure the thick part of the breast is cooked through.
Once done drain the chicken and lemongrass into a spider/sieve and reserve the water for use later.

Leave the chicken to cool slightly then when not to hot to handle start to shred into manageable pieces, the chicken should be very moist, that's why overcooking is not advised you need to check at 12 minutes when poaching.

Using the same cooking pot add the chicken broth and start to gently simmer, add the fresh shitake mushrooms and ginger and cook for 3 minutes until shitakes are softening. Add the corn cobs, fresh lime and tamari, taste and adjust for your palate. Simmer for a further 5 minutes, lastly add the shredded chicken and the raw broccoli and cook for a further 5 minutes. The add some of the reserved poaching chicken water to get the right consistency.

Enjoy by itself or with some biodynamic brown rice

Nutritional note about shiitake mushrooms - They are 6000 years old and have been used in asian countries as food as medicine for centuries, they are also sustainable as they are forest farmed, although you will hard pressed finding certified organic ones in Australia. Used frequently for cancer patients to boost immunity. Shiitake mushrooms contain all 3 b vitamins (b2, 5 and 6) vitamin d and maganese, and are a good source of dietary fibre. They are very soft to handle and to retain all there phytonutrient properties make sure you don't over cook them. We like to add them to soups and also gently fry in coconut oil for stir fries and fantastic with scrambled eggs!

Grain free way of eating

Many of my clients are keen on a Paleo diet and I pretty much follow weston price eating guidelines at home and with my clients with a slant on macrobiotics and whole foods. If your looking for grain free recipes tune in they will start to appear on the index down the side of the blog.

Cauliflower gratin with roasted walnuts, rye bechamel and pecorino

Because of the cold snap I bought up a whole organic cauliflower to squeeze out one more winter dish. It was pouring rain all weekend but I made it to French's forest markets on Sunday too do a quick shop to get the week started and pick up some la tartine spelt sourdough for my boyfriend's daughters (it's there favourite!)

Oh how I love cauliflower and use it alot, I couldn't think of a better recipe to share for the last cold days. I had it for lunch with some beautiful spicy lamb and beef sausages that I also bought at the markets from a lovely Algerian french man that is now selling them at his stall. You could eat this with some snapper or ocean trout or if your vegetarian serve it with polenta and sauteed spinach

The unique ingredients in this recipe are biodynamic rye flour and oat milk to make the bechamel. The roasted walnuts give it a crunchy texture and also extra protein if you are a vegetarian. If your vegan you can use extra virgin olive oil to make the bechamel. And I did use fresh thyme, rosemary and sage from my garden cut very small to add a delicate aroma


1/2 cauliflower cut up into small florets
1/2 cup raw walnuts (roast in oven for 5 minute on 170 degrees)
1 cup pure harvest oat milk or use organic cows milk
1 tablespoon organic butter or ghee
2 tablespoons rye flour (or you can use rice or spelt flour)
1 small garlic clove, chopped very fine or use garlic crusher
fresh herbs thyme, rosemary and sage (optional)
Some handful sourdough breadcrumbs
Grated pecorino


Firstly prepare your cauliflower and set aside. In a saucepan gently melt your butter and add in the flour to make the white sauce, with a balloon whisk keep stirring and slowly pour in the milk, keep stirring until it starts to thicken and look like a nice white sauce, turn off the heat and add the herbs and garlic stir well. In a pyrex or baking dish arrange the cauliflower and then completely cover with the bechamel, sprinkle on the breadcrumbs, roasted walnuts and pecorino and then cover in foil and bake on 180 degrees for approx 20 minutes, you need the foil so the cheese doesn't burn.

Serves 4

New season spring lamb loins with parsley pesto and cauliflower mash

Sometimes when I get home from cooking for my clients I crave simple and nutritious dinners that can be made in flash with minimal cooking method. On the weekends I like to make a fresh pesto with whatever herbs I have left over or growing in my garden. I particularly like to use parsley which is not common but delicious and also rich in iron and cleans the blood too!

All the little spring lambs have found there may to my butcher and these grass-fed loins are exceptional when cooked medium so that they are pink inside. The cauliflower mash is great for a low carb option and a good source of daily dietary fibre.

My new cook Susan who is a naturopathy student and a fantastic source of knowledge told me that lamb is also excellent for breastfeeding mamma's.

So have your pesto ready to go and this can be made in 20 minutes for a quick healthy weeknight dinner!


2-4 lamb loins
Organic ghee
1/2 head cauliflower (prepped into florets)
1 teaspoon sea salt and peppercorns to season
Fresh cumin seeds

In a mortar and pestle prepare your sea salt, pepper and cumin mix, set aside

In saucepan put a steamer basket and cook the cauliflower for 10 minutes, remove the steamer basket add your sea salt and pepper cumin mix and some butter mash until resembling a potato mash.

Serve on a plate with pesto and the lamb loins

Take a fry pan and heat the ghee, add the lamb loins and cook for 5-6 minutes each side. When done set aside for a further 5 minutes

Slow cooked eggplant with lentils and smokey paprika

This is the perfect vegetarian winter warmer, as winter winds down I still dream about slow cooking methods, lamb shanks and any grass fed lamb in a stew with a few spices. The recipe came together with all that was remaining in my fridge at the end of the week, as we wait for a new baby in our family everything has been on delay and soon I will be an Aunty again!

The nutritional benefits in eggplant are numerous, and even though its a deadly night shade it's great for people with no issues with inflammation, arthritis or acidity. Eggplant is used for women's health issues in chinese medicine and being 90% water hydrates and is low in calories. We love it at The Organic Cook and often just roast it with a light splash of extra virgin olive oil and celtic sea salt as a snack.



1 medium eggplant
1 cup brown lentils
2 cloves garlic, sliced finely
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
2 cups vegetarian stock (if not vego use beef broth for full flavour)
1 teaspoon celtic sea salt
1 can organic diced tomatoes
Some fresh herbs, we used thyme from our garden


In a medium saucepan heat a small amount of clarified butter or ghee and saute the garlic, gently so it doesn't burn.
Cut the eggplant into 2cm squares and add to garlic, stir around, add the tomatoes, stock and thyme stir around, add the lentils and smokey paprika and give one more good stir. Cook on a low simmer for 45-50 minutes. Enjoy with bio dynamic brown rice or a good quality sourdough, because we were hungry we had both!

Moroccan lamb with almonds and apricots

This one pot dish was made at my client Anna's house, she suggested I take a photo as it looked so nice in her french pillivuyt casserole dish. I cheated and used a herbies moroccan spice mix, but sometimes make my own spices more like a traditional tagine depending on time. This is a great meal for the family it's economical and can keep in the fridge for several days.
The longer you cook the lamb the more delicious it becomes and as in all the lamb recipes on this recipe blog this is top quality grass fed lamb from my local butcher. The delicate spices and dried fruits make for sweet based meat dish great for winter and building yin energy and strength as it is still so bloody cold!




500g grass fed lamb, you can get chops and dice yourself
1 cup brown lentils
3 cups beef stock
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons herbies moroccan spice mix
1 brown onion, diced
small amount of ginger grated
1 small sweet potato, skin on and diced into 1cm cubes
handful dried organic apricots (currently I use macro brand - economical!)
handful raw almonds
handful prunes

In a saucepan or casserole dish brown the lamb on all sides and set aside. In the same pot heat a little ghee and saute the brown onion adding the spices and ginger stir around and release the oils, put the lamb back in and add the stock, lentils and carrot, cook on a low heat for 1.5 hours or in the oven on 170 for 1.5 hours, then lastly at the 1.5 hour stage add in the sweet potatoes, apricots and almonds and cook for another 30 minutes. Serve with fresh coriander

Braised gingered grass fed lamb shanks with fennel

These lamb shanks were braised for 5 hours and they were well worth it.The meat was so tender and just fell of the bone, I can imagine they could be used in a ragu too. My boyfriend and I both love lamb shanks so I was wanting to experiment with some different flavours and this is the result. This week my clients also enjoyed this spicy, yummy shank recipe.
Slow cooked meats are great for fertility and building immunity. Weston Price suggests grass fed meat are high in omega 3's and also because the animals graze on grass they absorb the chlorophyll and minerals making it a healthier choice for cooking and nutrition. The stock can be saved and used again. I put mine into the freezer. The stand out ingredient of this is the balsamic vinegar which balances out the flavours. I did use a slow cooker in this recipe, but you don't have to a heavy cast iron pot is fine.


4- 6 grass fed lamb shanks (ask your butcher)
1 fresh fennel bulb, sliced thinly
1 cup or cooked chickpeas
1 litre beef stock (make your own or use massell)
2 sprigs rosemary
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
sea salt and pepper to season
2 tablespoon tomato paste
1 cup red wine
4 tablespoons fresh grated ginger
1 spanish onion, sliced thinly
4 garlic cloves, crushed
3 tablespoons organic clarified butter or ghee
1 teaspoon cumin seeds

In a fry pan gently seal the shanks on each side until brown, put them into the slow cooker or cooking vessel.
Put the the ghee/clarified butter into the same fry pan and saute the onion, fennel and garlic add the cumin seeds. Slowly pour in the stock, red wine and balsamic vinegar. Stir in the tomato paste and add the fresh ginger and fresh rosemary.
Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 2-3 minutes. Pour into the slow cooker and add the chickpeas. Braise these babies for 5 hours and serve with a grain and some fresh broccoli!

Roasted pumpkin, coriander, chilli and ginger soup

This soup is warm and spicy, great for this cold Sydney winter, you can eat it with sourdough as I have done or some brown rice and steamed broccoli. Organic japanese pumpkin is far more superior than standard pumpkin it is richer and sweeter in texture. If you would like protein, throw in some cooked cannelloni beans which thickens the soup

1kg organic japanese pumpkin, skinned and cut into chunks
ghee
1 brown onion
small know ginger grated
1/4 bunch coriander
1 small red chilli, chopped seeds removed
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 litre free range chicken stock
1 can organic coconut milk

On a baking tray put the pumpkin and rub some extra virgin olive oil and sea salt and pepper into the flesh, bake for 25 minutes on 170 degrees. In a fry pan add a little ghee and gently saute the onion, ginger and garlic.
In a large pot heat the stock and add the pumpkin, coconut milk and aromatics. Take a stick blender and puree if the soup is too thick just add little water until you get the desired consistency.

Spicy red lentil dhal with pumpkin

This recipe was inspired by my friend Christine from body business. Her partner Rennel is originally from Mumbai and learnt cooking from his mum and hospitality college, he is inspired by using spices in cooking for medicinal purposes like me and Christine says they have a pot of dhal going on the stove top every week.

This is my adaptation of Rennel's recipe and this week I made it for my clients and they all loved it. I hope you give it a go its very easy and delicious, I eat it with brown rice and steamed cauliflower. Red lentils are a great source of protein and are rich in two amino acids that are essential for a vegetarian diet. Because lentils are cheap they are also a great source of iron.


2 cups red lentils
1 cup organic pumpkin, skinned and diced into small cubes
1/2 brown onion, diced small
2 tablespoons ghee
1 small red chilli
1 teaspoon garam masala (spice)
1 teaspoon cumin. ground
1 cup organic coconut milk
1 teaspoon grated fresh turmeric
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
3 cups filtered water

In a medium saucepan gently heat the ghee and fry the onion, chilli, turmeric and ginger
Add the spices and stir around, put in the red lentils and pour in the water so the lentils are covered, add in the pumpkin and cook for 25 minutes on a low temperature. If the water starts to absorb the lentils add a little more and lastly add the coconut milk and stir around tasting and adding a little sea salt if needed.

Chicken, fresh turmeric, shitake mushrooms, tamari, lime and ginger chilli garlic hotpot with kale

This is a killer chicken hotpot, it will boost immunity, fight off any bugs and keep you strong and healthy. I even drank some left over broth, I just can't get enough of this yummy and extremely nutritious dish. My butcher at Richards meats cut the fresh bird into 8's (saves my knife) the skin on the bird adds a deep robust flavour. I browned the chicken in a saute pan and then finished the dish off in a slow cooker, alternatively you can use a stock pot. If you can cook this dish once a week over the cooler months.


1 fresh organic or hormone free chicken,
cut into 8
1 small knob fresh turmeric, sliced finely
4 garlic cloves, sliced finely
1 small red chilli, remove seeds and dice small
1 small knob ginger, sliced finely (don't worry too much about peeling the skin unless its not organic ginger)
1 litre free range chicken stock (I use pacific brand avail at always organics)
1/2 cup tamari (wheat free soy sauce)
2 carrots, peeled and cut into 6
1/2 bunch kale, roughly chopped
2 fresh limes, juiced
1 packet fresh shitake mushrooms, sliced finely


Heat a saute pan and brown the skin off the chicken, once done put into the slow cooker or stockpot.
In the same pan add the ginger, garlic, turmeric and chilli saute for 3-4 minutes adding a little water if it starts to burn.
In a small saucepan heat the chicken stock. Add all remaining ingredients except for the kale and carrot to the slow cooker and cook for 2 hours, at the 2 hour point add the kale and carrot and cook for a further 20 minutes. (You do this so the vegetables are fresh and crisp)
Taste and season accordingly, make a big pot of organic brown rice or basmati and enjoy

Date, walnut and raw cacao protein balls

These little balls of magic I created for my very special client Scott I have been cooking for Scott and his gorgeous partner Raelene for a month.

One of the main nutritional ingredients in this recipe is for brain health and the its walnuts. If you look closely at the walnut you will notice it actually looks like a brain, they are rich in essential fatty acids, vitamin e and also a good source of manganese and copper.

Raw cacao is also rich in minerals and there are studies linking it to increased memory and healthy brain function

These balls are so yummy and this recipe is very simple. Great as a snack to help you power on in the day.

1 cup fresh dates (take seeds out)
1/4 cup raw cacao ( I use loving earth)
1/2 cup organic shredded coconut to roll mixture in
1 cup raw walnuts
Organic coconut oil (optional)

Throw all these ingredients in to a food processor and whizz until mixture is like a dough then roll into small balls, roll in the shredded in coconut and keep in the fridge.

Burrawong baked chicken, roasted pumpkin, garlic spinach and cultured olive cheese

Yummo this is such a easy, delicious and nourishing meal, I got my butcher to bone the whole bird, I then seasoned it with sea salt, pepper some fresh rosemary from the garden and baked in moderate oven for 25 minutes, the roasted pumpkin started to caramelise ( the starch converted to sugar) I have been using the Babushka cultured cheese it quite a few recipes for clients it really is a beautiful and highly nutritional product click on the link for more info on cultured foods and probiotics, and the garlic spinach and slow cooked caramelised onions finished it off. The perfect weekend recipe. These burrawong chickens are all organic, pasture feed roaming free happy birds and you can taste it in every bite!