Dear Nutritionist, A friend has put me on to your column and I have enjoyed reading it this year and learning a little bit each week. She attended your soup class and shared some of the recipes. I was blown away! I was hoping for some more recipes if you have any you’d like to share. — Marianne
Dear Marianne,
Thank you for reading the column regularly and for writing in! I’m happy you like the soups! Everyone has a strength in the kitchen and soups are mine. When you’re a single parent in university you learn how to cook on a very lean budget and soups are the absolute best for that! Thus, I mastered them by necessity. There were years where the only fresh produce I could afford was the sale produce and soups are perfect for using those up quickly. I also fell in love with the story of Stone Soup and that inspired my first nutrition blog around sustainability and community food practices. For those who haven’t heard the story or forget what it’s about, I’m going to share it before a few simple recipes that will wow!
This story is considered to be an old European Folk Tale, but I am uncertain of the origins. It’s frequently told to children in school story time or to foster discussions around community. I think everyone can learn from it.
As the story goes, a stranger was travelling alone and came upon a small village. He needed a place to sleep and hoped for some warm food and was surprised to see all the villagers locking their doors to him as he passed. When he approached them they told him they were unable to help him - they had not a scrap of food to share. “We are poor and have nothing to give! Move on.”
The stranger thought about this and replied, “Oh, that’s OK. I have all I need here with me in my cloak for the grandest feast!” This perplexed the villagers. He had taken up in the town park and was preparing firewood. All I need is a cauldron, he muttered as he worked.
One villager volunteered her cauldron, so curious was she to see what he was making.
Other villagers came out to watch him as he pulled from his cloak, with great flourish, a silk bag. As they looked on, he pulled from it some ordinary looking stones and placed them in the pot. “Can anyone direct me to the water?” he asked as he worked. The villagers happily fetched water and poured it in the cauldron for him.
“What are you making?” they asked, in awe of the stones and ceremony of his labour. Stone soup,” he proclaimed, licking his lips and rubbing his hands. They were puzzled. “Have you never tried stone soup?” he asked. Why it’s the finest soup I’ve ever tried! If only I had a turnip, this stone soup would be better than all others I’ve made.
One person poked their head out of the crowd. “I have a small turnip,” sir. They ran to fetch it. He cut it ceremoniously, smiling widely. “Join me, my friend, for this fabulous soup!” he said when the villager handed the turnip over.
Suddenly every villager wanted to join in to taste this amazing soup they had never heard of. Each in turn came with something to contribute and sat around for hours chatting while the old man slowly and carefully prepared the soup.
It took time so while they waited, gathered, all the fearful townspeople began chatting and making merry. They told jokes and laughed together and had music and even some dancing. It was the best time they’d had a long time!
The town mayor offered to buy the special stones from the stranger by night’s end, so great was the soup and so fine the time they had making it. But the old man refused.
When everyone had contributed and it had cooked to perfection he shared it around and all were amazed at how flavourful it was. They declared it was the best soup they’d ever had!
That night the old man had many offers to stay as a guest in villager homes. As he left town the next day he passed some boys playing on the road. He reached in his pocket and removed the stones and tossed them to them. “You’re parting with your magic stones?” they quipped incredulously.
“The magic isn’t in the stones,” he replied, eyes twinkling. “These are normal old stones. The magic was all you, the people of this village.”
The story highlights the magic that happens when we come together to share what we have and the sense of abundance that sharing brings. In our culture, we equate this with Christmas, when we become more benevolent and concerned with sharing with those less fortunate in our society, and when we gather together to celebrate and feast with gratitude. I hope every person has a happy Christmas this year and community to share that with. Eating together transforms the way we serve and eat food, and the satisfaction we get from it.
Now onto our recipes!
This one is very simple, but delicious. It’s of Ukraine origin and makes use of inexpensive autumn veggies with Dill pickles for a lovely crunchy kick.
Beet, carrot, and dill salad
You’ll need equal parts:
- Beets, peel and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- Carrots, peel and dice into coins
- Crispy dill pickles with garlic; drained and diced into cubes
Plus:
- Avocado mayonnaise
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Sea salt
- Black pepper corn, ground
Directions:
Put beets and carrots in a bowl and pour oil over top and toss to coat. Use liberal amounts. (add potatoes if desired, cut into cubes also, with skins on) Salt and pepper lightly. More salt than pepper. Place the pot in the oven with 1/4 inch water on bottom and lid on top. Roast the veggies till al dante. Drain and refrigerate.Once cold, add dill pickles diced and pour olive oil mixed with mayo and salt and pepper over top. Toss to cover. Serve chilled. I have also seen this made by roasting the veggies whole, in skins in the oven, then dicing and serving with diced dill pickles and fresh dill mayo. It is a delight both warm and cold.
Broccoli, bacon, and grape salad (serves four)
This salad is an interesting mix of flavours and textures. It’s a big hit at our house and makes a lovely side dish.
- 2 cups broccoli florets, cut into one-inch pieces
- 1/2 pound natural bacon, cut into small pieces and cooked till crisp
- 1 cup sweetened or green sweet globe grapes, washed and cut in half
- 1 small red onion, diced fine
- 6 tbsp avocado mayonnaise
- 1+ tbsp apple cider vinegar, whisked into the mayonnaise
- 1 pinch sea salt, to taste
Instructions:
Cut and cook bacon till crisp. Remove and add to a bowl of onion, broccoli and grapes. Dust with sea salt and add mayo with apple cider vinegar whisked in (taste for flavour - should be slightly tangy). Toss in to coat salad. Chill then serve.
Egg taco bowl (serves two)
- 3-4 eggs, whisked w salt and pepper
- 2 cups ground beef, cooked with taco spice
- 1 cup kale or lettuce, shredded
- 1/2 cup salsa (preferably homemade)
- 1 cup diced avocado
- 1/2 cup homemade yogurt
- to taste taco spice (homemade)
- 1/2 cup diced tomatoes
- 3 spoons of pickled jalapenos
- 1 diced green onion
- 1/4 cup cheddar cheese (optional), grated
- 3 tbsp cilantro (optional), chopped, to garnish
- 4 tbsp black or green olives, sliced
Instructions:
Fry the beef with taco spice and keep warm. Blend the yogurt and jalapenos to make a nice sauce. Scramble the eggs. Lift into bowl. Fill with beef, shredded kale or lettuce, tomato, avocado, green onion, salsa, and drizzle with sauce. Garnish with olives and cilantro. Yum!
Amazing chili (serves a party)
This chili is more exotically spiced than normal chili and I’ve yet to meet a person who doesn’t rave about it. Think your chili recipe is the best? I dare you to try this one and decide for yourself if it isn’t even better! I make a huge stewing cauldron or roasting pan of chili, then freeze it. So you may want to adjust proportions down if that isn’t your aim.
- 3-4 lbs grass fed ground beef - regular ground
- 2 large cans red kidney beans, drained and rinsed well
- 2 large can chickpeas, drained and rinsed well
- 1 large can black beans, drained and rinsed well
- 1 can brown beans in tomato sauce, drained and rinsed well
- 4 large cans diced tomatoes
- 2 cups shredded carrots, skin on
- 2 cups diced sweet peppers
- 4 medium diced cooking onions, diced
- 1 cup sliced mushrooms
- 1 cup diced zucchini
- 4 large cloves garlic, minced
- fresh chili powder (not the hot one and make sure it’s fresh)
- whole or ground cumin spice
- ground coriander spice
- ground smoky paprika
- ground turmeric
- Himalayan sea salt
- 2 cups frozen corn
- 1 cup fresh diced cilantro, to add into chili
- large tub sour cream, to garnish each bowl
- 1 cup fresh diced cilantro, to whisk into sour cream
Instructions:
Cook beef in a fry pan in a bit of oil with 2 tbsp of chili powder, breaking apart as you go. Remove and put in a large stewing pot with all the washed beans and the tomatoes. Mix and simmer on medium. Meanwhile, heat some avocado oil or olive oil in a pan and saute the onion, red peppers, mushrooms, garlic, and carrots until all are starting to caramelize. Remove and add to the chili pot. Add in 1 tbsp of each spice and then three more of chili powder and one more of cumin. Stir and bring to a boil then reduce to simmer on med for an hour. Add water if needed, but this is a very thick chili, not much is needed. Adjust spice and add any salt needed. Add zucchini, corn, and cilantro and simmer another 20-30 minutes or until the zucchini is cooked through. Remove and serve with sour cream with fresh cilantro whisked in, with a dash of salt on each bowl.
I mostly eat Paleo and avoid grains and lentils due to anti-nutrients, but beans that are soaked in cans generally have most anti-nutrients removed and sourdough bread is a fermented grain to make it more nutritious, so if you like sourdough bread with your chili go ahead. Canned lentils are very nutritious. People on low carb diets or sensitive to phytates should not take these foods and those with digestive issues should use digestive enzymes with this meal. If you get gassy from chili, add digestive enzymes and see if that helps. Now makes a good enzyme for a good price.
Thank you, Marianne, for your question. As always, if readers have their own health questions, I welcome them. Just send me an email at [email protected] or sign up for my free newsletter at askthenutritionist.ca. I wish all my readers a blessed Christmas with a sense of community, be they near or far, and a sense of abundance and wonder.
Namaste!
Nonie Nutritionista
