Fennel, Celery & White Bean Soup

This soup is inspired by Maggie Beer who is somewhat of an icon here in Australia. What I love about Maggie's cooking is that she is often bringing back into fashion ingredients that have fallen out of fashion. Her TV series 'The Cook and The Chef' has just come to an end. So this is an homage to Maggie.

She has a soup range which all sounds delicious but which I have not tried because she uses her own verjuice (which she has pioneered here) and I am not sure if it has histamines in it. It says it is unfermented but it is from grapes so I am nervous.

I have also altered the recipe to include more vegetables and this is where I ended up:

Ingredients (Preferably Organic):


1 Litre Chicken Stock
2 Small Fennels (bulbs only)
3 Stalks Celery (trimmed)
1 Clove Russian Garlic (2 - 3 if using traditional garlic) peeled
1 Tin Cannellini Beans (Drained)
1 Tablespoon Butter
1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
1 Teaspoon Fresh Thyme

Serves 4

I made this in my soup-mixer so I put all ingredients in and used setting 1. This was extremely delicious and had a very light licorice flavour from the fennels which seemed to be beautifully balanced by the acidity of the lemon and freshness of the celery. Delicious.

Parsnip & Parsley Soup

Photo Credit: Wedding Chicks

When I am looking for recipes I often just search the images and then look through if my eyes are drawn to it. That is how I found this next soup which is from Simpy Recipes.
Ireland is called the green country - and this soup is definately green. The author says that the soup is inspired by Ireland's green meadows and rolling hills which is Ireland.

Reading this recipe brings back very found memories for me of doing a staying at Ballymaloe and doing a pastry course with Darina Allen and then doing 'the Ring of Kerry.' Good times.

Ingredients (All Preferably Organic):

500g Parsnips (Peeled and Roughly Chopped)
1 Leek (White Parts Only Roughly Chopped)1 Strip of lemon zest Plus 1 Tbs Lemon Juice
1 Tbs Butter
2 Garlic Cloves
1 Litre Chicken stock
1 bunches Parsley
Salt & Pepper to TasteServes 4 People

The recipe for the soup maker is quite straightforward. Put everything into the soup maker (other than the parsley) and set to setting 1. The soup is ready for serving 25 minutes later. Add the parsley and process a further 20 seconds. Parsnips are often seen as old fashioned these days but the sweetness of the parsnips contrasts perfectly with the tartness of the lemon juice and parsley to make this a truly delicious soup. 

Sunshine Soup

This soup is inspired by Nigella Lawson's Happiness Soup which I have adapted to make it anti-inflammatory.

Nigella is known for her love of food, vocabulary, and life and that is what you have in Happiness Soup. For those without a soup maker you can do no better than to start with her recipe.

I am calling my version Sunshine Soup because just a few minutes of sunshine in winter makes the world seem like a better place.


Ingredients (All Preferably Organic):
Serves 2

280g Summer Squash (Roughly Chopped)
1 Small White Onion (Roughly Chopped)
1/4 Lemon (Zest Peel & Juice)
1 Large Russian Garlic Clove
1 Tsp Butter (Unsalted - Good Quality)
3 cm Tumeric (Peeled & Roughly Chopped)
120g Sweet Potato (Peeled & Roughly Chopped)
2 Cups Chicken stock
Salt & Pepper to Taste

For Serving:
1 Tsp Pesto Per Bowl or Fresh Basil (mine is straight from the garden).


The recipe for the soup maker is quite straightforward. Put everything (other than the pesto or basil leaves) into the soup maker and set to setting 1. The soup is ready for serving 25 minutes later.

The butter (or oil) and sweet potato (or oats) gives the soup a cohesive velvety texture. The lemon, garlic, and pesto or basil helps what is otherwise a fairly colourful but bland vegetable with big punchy flavours.

All of the ingredients are histamine free with the exception of the lemon juice which is controversial. Some lists include them. Some don't.  Personally I find I can tolerate lemon juice in small quantities.

All left-overs should be frozen immediately to prevent a histamine building.

The 30 Day Soup Challenge

Winter has come and it is dark so early now and my mind body and soul wants soup.

My childhood memories of cold days are football and soup. Lately, I have been inspired by a lot of the research on the role of stock in restoring the gut which is also known as the second brain.

Last week I saw a post on Sarah Wilson's blog about the Tefal Soup & Co soup maker. Sarah writes on autoimmune issues (not histamine intolerance) and is a constant source of inspiration.

Despite my initial hesitation to buy 'yet another electrical appliance' I purchased one today. 

The verdict: I love it. The huge plus is you get chef worthy results without the effort or mess. I came home, plugged it in, threw in ingredients, and left it. 25 minutes later I had a silky soup ready to pour and serve. 

So I am setting myself a challenge. 30 days. 30 soups. Starting today. 

The Value (and Savings) of A Good Butchere

A good butcher has been essential for me.

Key to eating with high copper is eating more meat for the zinc. Key to eating with histamine intolerance is ensuring that it is very fresh (no discolouration) and no chemicals to preserve it.

It took some time to find a butcher who actually butchers on premises and will cut to order. It seems strange to say that but that is the reality of the post supermarket world.

And making friends with your local butcher has other benefits. They will put aside the chicken carcasses for me (which still have so much chicken meat on them) and it makes the most delicious chicken stock.

Three huge carcasses cost me only $2.06 and has made the most amazing golden heart warming stock that not only adds flavour to any dish but nurtures the gut.

Who have you made friends with in your journey to wellness?

Planning For Joy

Part of the healing journey for me is reducing stress and that means not only dealing with the difficult bits but also fully experiencing joy.

As I have got older joy is no longer something I hope for but something I plan. As I open my eyes my mantra to start my day is "I am creating joy in my life"


Joy is something I take time to savour. When I experience it the feeling cascades through my body as a feeling of well being.It is a massage from the mind. 


On those days where joy feels so hard to find I pick up the cat and he will always oblige with a purr. That is my image of joy ... a purr with that full body contentment that joy brings ... which never disappoints.


As I fall into bed at the end of the day I reflect on '3 moments of joy' during the day. It reminds me of what makes me happy and makes me conscious to seek out those fleeting moments and savour them. 


What brings you joy?

Abundance

Abundant Organics

For me part of living with the reality of the 'no' list of foods is finding enjoyment in the 'yes' list.

Having grieved for a respectable time the removal of tomatoes from my diet (not to mention pumpkin, eggplant, and spinach) I am now inspired to find flavour and enjoyment in other vegetables.

Today I received my first delivery from Abundant Organics and it was abundant indeed. This is what greeted me this afternoon.

I now have a new obsession, some heirloom organic 'purple'  carrots (just see peeking out left bottom) not to mention those incredible spring onions! Purple carrots anyone?

[Since writing this post I have tried another organic delivery service Lettuce Delivery with a slightly wider variety but sadly not this freshness]