Immunity Soup!


I really like how the flavors layered in this, making for a delicious soup from the first day. I used a variety of DIY and premade ingredients, as you'll see; note that you have to start at least a day before you want to eat it if you're using my idea of cooking your beans yourself – in which case you'll end up with a lovely lot of extra beans to use in other recipes. (Note: If you don't have an electric pressure cooker, just adapt to a big pot.)


Cover with 3" of water in your electric pressure cooker container and leave covered with a plate or lid overnight:
         about 1 pound dried chickpeas/garbanzo beans

The next day, say at lunchtime if you're home (at least an hour or two before you need to start the actual soup), drain the beans.
Cover them in the same container with
         about 1.5" of water
Add
         about 1 tbl olive oil
         a big bunch of fresh sage leaves, torn up if they're big
         a few cloves of garlic, at least some minced, all peeled
         (NO salt yet)
Cook in an electric pressure cooker (in an Instant Pot at High pressure, set for 17 minutes). Turn off after the timer goes off. Let sit until pressure goes down (note that often takes 45 minutes for me with these).
Add
         about 1 tsp salt.
You'll only need 2 cups of the cooked beans, in about 1/3 or ½ cup of their broth, for the soup; put them in the refrigerator if it will be a while until you need them and package up the rest for the fridge and/or freezer for whatever you want to use them for.

About 1 or more hours before you want to eat the soup:
Saute in 2 tbl olive oil in a big soup pot
         12 oz frozen seasoning blend (e.g. onions, celery, sweet peppers; or you may prefer one with carrots instead of sweet peppers; also, you can use up to 16 oz)
Add soonish
         about 10 big garlic cloves, minced
Then add and continue to saute about 5 minutes
         12 to 16 oz cleaned sliced Portabello mushrooms with D (for immunity)
Add
         your 2 cups of cooked chickpeas with about 1/3-1/2 cup broth
         1 lb boneless skinless chicken cut up into medium chunks
Stir in
         2 liters normal Pacific Chicken Stock (including salt)
         a generous amount of dried thyme
         6 bay leaves
         about ¾ tsp chili flakes
Simmer until chicken is done, about 20 minutes (test a big piece with a thermometer for 165).
Meanwhile sort through/clean your kale.

Add
         12 oz curly kale, already cleaned and cut up
Cook until pretty done, about 10 minutes.

Taste. Add salt as needed.

Enjoy right away, with a nice whole grain roll to round off the meal, and freeze leftovers for when you or a loved one needs some extra immunity!

Wishing you and yours a very healthy season!


Very adapted from the same-name recipe in the January-February 2017 issue of Cooking Light magazine.

A Delicious Easy Sardine Salad

for 2

Mix together in a wide shallow bowl:
    about 3 green onions, thickly sliced
    2 big garlic cloves, minced
    about 2 or 3 tbl raisins
    5 or 6 black olives cut in half
    about 1 tbl capers
    soft bread/roll torn up into rather large pieces
    the oil from the below sardines

Place over top (it's ok if they don't come out perfectly)
    sardines that were packed in olive oil for 2 (2 small tins)

Sprinkle with
    about 3 tbl chopped parsley
    black pepper



We made a nice dinner of this plus a green salad plus some seasonal hot vegetables.

I think this would also be good with canned salmon for another easy dinner...

I was inspired to make this by some of the ingredients listed for Sardine Gratin in Jacqueline Clark and Joanna Farrow's Essential Mediterranean.

Super Tasty Coconuty Stovetop Toasty Muesli

In a large skillet, toast the following until beginning to turn golden (check the next lists in case you need to toast other items now; also don't toast any of these yet that you buy already toasted; these are what I usually buy raw/untoasted and prefer well toasted):
    ½ cup "big" coconut flakes
    ¼ cup whole wheat flour
    ½ cup pecans
    ¼ cup sesame seeds

Add the following and continue to toast until to your liking:
    4 cups old-fashioned oats
    1 tbl olive oil
    1 tbl honey
    ½ cup pumpkin seeds
   
Turn off heat and stir in, then let cool and then store:
    ½ cup wheat germ
    ½ cup powdered milk
    a bit of salt if nothing above was already salted


Much adapted from Athlon's Slow Cooker Fall Baking's Honey-Coconut Granola. I'm actually using this "book" more in hot weather, when I don't want to turn on a big oven, and the recipes are fine for that -- but this particular recipe I found more to my liking (and needs, since the original called for a lot of honey) on the stovetop.