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carbrakes-and-stakes · 3 years

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Soup in Genovia | Jared & Alain

TIMING: A week ago LOCATION: Alain’s home PARTIES: @carbrakes-and-stakes and @themidnightfarmer SUMMARY: No palates were harmed in the making of this chatzy.

Backpack on and a smile on his face Jared made his way right to the door and raised his hand to knock. He had soup - or rather his attempt at soup-, a DVD of the princess diaries (just in case), and a winning attitude. He hoped for the best at least, they’d only spoken a couple of times but the nymph had hopes that he could win a new friend in Alain. The man seemed like he could be a laugh when he wanted to be, and someone with a little logic never went amiss when you felt you had very little yourself. Jared was even willing to look past the karkanoid eating, a one time event, clearly the man was simply a food enthusiast after all. Above all these thoughts however lingered the knowledge that no matter if Alain wanted a friend in Jared, he had suggested he wanted some company while he recovered from losing his leg. And who was he to deny the man that?

There was enough energy in Jared's attitude to fuel power plants from a small country for a few months. At least, this was Alain's first thought when he opened the door and glanced at his visitor. If he wasn't really counting on Jared, it was because they got their heads on a karkanoid that Alain might or might not have killed. Jared suspected that Alain had eaten it, and Alain, while he was disgusted by the thought of ever eating something that must have had the most elastic and rubbery flesh, was not about to contradict him about this. Walking toward the kitchen, Alain who was still struggling with his new leg, was helping himself with a cane, and while that instantly gave him the look of a lame old man, this was better than what would have happened without this kind of support. His eyes went to what Jared carried with him, and the man wondered what it was that he had brought over. It did not smell like much, but the French man had enough spices and aromatics around to turn it around. “What did you cook?” He asked, looking forward to it.

Jared followed Alain, being very careful to not seem like he was snooping too much as they went. He was a bit of a nosy guy, so it was taking a ton of willpower not to glance at every door they passed or squint at every picture. Distraction came at last and Jared beamed shrugging off his backpack. “Soup bud! I figured people always make soup in the movies when someone is recovering from something, so soup was the top choice. Never made soup before but I heard it wasn’t too hard?” Jared produced the container of liquid and pushed it towards Alain. Inside was a pretty grim sight, uncoloured water with partially uncooked and hastily chopped vegetables floating inside. “It smells okay right?” The nymph asked the other curiously. To Jared it smelt just how most of his cooking smelt…. Not like anything from the store but not overly terrible.

Alain’s eyebrows raised. Sure, soup did not smell like much in the first place, but this smelled an awful lot like the kind they served at the hospital, which was a shame as he assumed the vegetables came from Jared’s farm. “That’s a broth,” he observed, reaching over his head for the cupboards. Pulling a cast iron casserole out, he picked up the soup and poured it in there, searching around for the hand blender. Perks of moving somewhere knew : not knowing where a damn thing had been put. “It does smell okay, but I think we might be able to do better,” it did not seem seasoned and Alain knew that he’d rather lose his second leg than be forced to eat something that had no flavor. Or perhaps was this an exaggeration. “Wait, you’ve never made soup?” He did not say those words with any trace of judgement. Instead he was genuinely surprised, as well as touched, that Jared had been so thoughtful to try something new to make him feel better. Moved by this revelation, the hunter fell quiet, although his tight lipped smile revealed that he was pleased by the kind gesture. “Alright, let’s take this soup to the next level then. Let me show you,” first they’d have to turn broth into soup. Then, well, depending on what Jared had put in there, perhaps something could be done to save it. Alain grabbed a spoon to have a taste and gave him a shrug. “It’s not too bad, although it doesn’t taste like much,” handing the spoon over, he smiled. A bit of cumin, perhaps some carvi, a touch of butter and tabasco, and this soup would gain a lot more flavor, he thought to himself. “What do you think we should add?”

“A broth isn’t soup?! Jared wondered curiously. The nymph spent such little focus on feeding himself that all his meals blended together, he usually had much more important meals to be served to his kids after all. False blue eyes followed Alain as he moved around the kitchen to seemingly cook the soup again, for a reason that completely escaped Jared. “It still needs cooked? I thought I’d done okay?” He wasn’t overly upset to know that he hadn’t done a great job, he was told an awful lot that he tended not to make anything very good. “See this is why I stick to tinned food, it’s all there in the tin no messing around.” Jared leaned on the counter and smiled “Nah, never had the motivation to really try before. But soup is a movie staple, I had to give it a go!” Taking the offered spoon Jared dipped it into the pot and tasted it for himself. He had to admit it was a little bland. “Probably some of that powder garlic that I’ve seen people put in everything? But I don’t know, I don’t know a ton about cooking and all that… “

“No. Otherwise a sauce could be called soup by some too,” Alain was concerned as to how the young farmer was eating, especially since he seemed to be living on his own. Perhaps Alain would show him a few more things later on, but for now Cooking 101 would do. “It’s cooked, but… well you’ll understand when you taste it,” he leaned against the counter to give his leg some rest and smiled back. “And I commend you for trying. That’s more than some people do,” he patted the man’s arm and nodded at his suggestion. “Or, you know, we could use some proper garlic instead,” Alain didn’t have something against the powdered kind, but it did not replace the actual condiment. Reaching in a jar for cloves, he peeled a couple and pushed them toward Jared so he could crush them in a mortar. Rather than cumin, he opted for a bit of curry paste, mixing it in. “Alright, add the garlic and then we should be good to go,” the point was showing Jared that sometimes all it took was seasoning. Alain thought then, of what Alcher had told him in that waiting room, and let his guard down, “thank you, for being here,” he looked away and added, “it means a lot.”

“I’d happily call sauce a soup.” Jared laughed a little at the idea. “God people would hate that wouldn’t they?” It made his little fae heart flutter, he hadn’t yet fully embraced how much fae thrive on chaos of some kind, but he could relish in the small bits and pieces every now and then. “I mean I won’t lie bud, I usually eat tinned beans or pie or whatever, but it seemed like the moment to try harder than tinned soup.” Proper garlic just made Jared think of the entire thing like some sort of vampire movie, it didn’t seem too appetizing until Alain had peeled and crushed it in front of him. It made a LOT more sense in pieces he could admit. Smelling the soup as it progressed with so little added had Jared understanding that he definitely needed to be trying harder, but that’d come in time he hoped. “Oh hey don’t worry about it bud,” he wanted to add something like I like to be helpful, or You sounded like you needed the company but he wasn’t sure the reception that would have so instead he straightened up and leaned over to point at the soup. “So it’s edible now yeah? Got bowls around or you wanna save it for laters?” The nymph smiling warmly back at Alain.

“Jared…” The hunter looked at him then shook his head. He looked like he didn't really know whether he should be amused or bewildered, but, when in doubt, he preferred to be amused. “I think people would hate that very much, yes,” he admitted with a bit of laughter. He shook his head again, and you could see the amusement in his features: a rare smile, which made him close his eyes almost entirely. Jared must have been one of the most caring people the hunter knew. He reminded him a little of Nora, and it was with a twinge of heart that Alain wondered if he would eventually lose sight of Jared, if his new friend was to discover the true nature of his host.

“Tinned pie? Is that an actual thing?” Concern and disgust swept over him. With a scowl, Alain, apparently personally offended, could not restrain a gasp. “I’m glad you tried something new, that’s what’s most important here,” he felt a bit bad for having to tell Jared that his broth was far from edible as is. A viable option would have been to take everything out of the water and mash it together, but this was meant to be a soup, and Alain wanted to help Jared with that. “It was edible when you brought it, but edible is not the best you can get from these,” he pointed to the inside of the pot. “As you like. Didn’t you say you wanted to force me into watching a … movie,” the thing looked like it was targeted at teenagers and Alain had a bad feeling about it, but he had decided that he would not be grumpy with someone trying their best to help.

It was already cemented in Jareds mind. He wondered how much chaos he could elicit and how far he could go with it as well. Could pasta be a soup with enough sauce? Could alcohol be a soup? It would be from now on. The nymph grinned back at Alain, pleased that he’d managed to coax a laugh out of the man at least. “Tinned pie is a thing, it’s like a treat for the weekends sometimes if I can get it. Basically you use a can opener on the top and the entire thing just needs warmed up, the crust and all that are in there and it just has to rise on the top and it’s good to go!” Jared described it to Alain as if it was a magical event, which -despite the nymph knowing true magic first hand- felt like it sort of was.

Bringing up the movie was arguably a bad move on the hunters part, Jared was likely to be content and forget all about why he’d come had it not come up in conversation, however as soon as the words left Alains lips Jared had perked right up again and started to wiggle as if he were an excited puppy. He reached back into his backpack and pulled the DVD out and then also produced a VHS tape as well. “I didn’t know which you’d have, can never be sure in this place whether DVD players even work.” Jared laughed lightly before pushing them across the counter towards Alain. “We could soup and video at the same time maybe? I won’t be offended if the running commentary is criticism, I just do feel like it’s an essential watch even if you don’t like it!” The nymph looked at Alain expectantly for comment and first impression of the box covers.

The description of that pie that must have been summoned from a foreign inferno called capitalism brought a dramatic blink out of Alain. "What in the culinary hell is that? Cake mixes I can tolerate, but this sounds atrocious," the hunter told himself that he no longer just feared bugbears. He now feared bugbears and tinned pies. Shaking his head, he frowned once again and grimaced. What felt like magic to Jared felt like the 7th circle of Hell to the hunter.

He would have been offended about being treated like a dinosaur by Jared had it not been for the fact that he kept a VHS player somewhere, just in case. Of course Netflix was a thing, but there was something nostalgic about those grainy tapes. Still, he had not reinstalled it, and the thing sat in a box in the attic, between the hunting gear and the rock climbing equipment. The latter he knew that he would use in perhaps a couple years, but the former, he intended to keep upstairs. "We can have dinner and watch all at once, sure," although Alain intended to eat on the dinner table. Soup and couches sounded like a bad, perilous match. As much as he did not care much for danger, he knew what a pain it would be to clean that mess up. "Why don't you pick up the pot and bring it on the dinner table? I'll get some plates out," he picked a bottle of white wine as well, and headed there. Another trip to the kitchen later, and Alain was back with spoons and glasses. He kept his mouth shut about the box covers. The main character made him feel uneasy although he was unable to pinpoint why. "I cannot believe I agreed to watch something The Princess Diaries. Look what you make me do," his eyes grew bigger. Jared was too kind and innocent for the hunter to be annoyed at him, and Alain did have a soft spot for these sorts of personalities.

“It tastes good bud, you gotta trust the process.” It was very clear that they were on completely different levels with their food tastes, whilst Alain seemed to have a refined palate….Jared seemed to not have any taste at all. “And I’ve never tried box cake mix so I suppose I’ll leave that one for you to make the choice for us with.” he laughed at the expression on Alains face, it was good humoured, the nymph definitely had failed to notice how serious the other was about his disgust and was definitely not acting. In dopey indifference to Alains reaction to being asked about a VHS, instead the nymph was excited to see what the other would say about the movie as a whole, he was interested to see what Alain would criticise and what he’d stay silent on. Especially considering the man had already expressed his disgust with the concept. Accepting the offer to serve up at the table Jared lifted his soup with a bit of pride. He may not have been the one to make it enjoyable, but it was still his base ingredients so he was going to take what he could get. “Oh come on, surely a movie hasn’t made you spin into disbelief? Surely your friends have gotten you to watch weird stuff before.” Jared laughed. He set up the pot and looked around for where to put the movie on. It hadn’t even really considered the fact that the movie might be on netflix or some streaming site. He didn’t have anything like that at his home after all. “You’ve got to have one other movie under your belt that wasn’t what anyone would expect right?”

“They have. One of them forced me into watching this show about very rich highschoolers in New York who were stalked by a blogger,” Alain couldn’t remember the name of the show, but he remembered feeling little empathy for these people. He didn’t watch television for a good reason, but Alain felt like there was something nice about watching terrible tv with someone else, not because the show instantly became excellent, but rather for the opportunity to complain about how terrible it was. A dramatic blink welcomed the opening scene of the movie. He looked at Jared and deadpanned. “This looks great,” his shoulders shot up with amusement. Grabbing his spoon, he tasted the soup and glanced again at Jared. “Again, I’m repeating myself, but thanks for being here.” The former hunter looked around the room. The house still was foreign to him, and it didn’t help that he hadn’t unpacked most of the boxes there. Perhaps it was better that way. Ever since he had decided to quit his former life, he felt less and less anchored to this town.

The nymph paused a moment and then cottoned on “Oh gossip girl? It was gossip girl right? That’s full of rich people's nonsense.” Jared agreed with that at least. He’d attempted that show one afternoon of boredom, and was put right off by how lavish they were all acting. Seemed the farm boy couldn’t relate one bit. Completely in a different headspace than Alain, the blond was watching with rapt attention as the opening scene began. His attention only drew away when Alain addressed him. “Oh bud, wouldn’t dream of watching this with anyone else.” he joked lightly, finally lifting his own spoon to have some of the soup himself. “I have a pretty wild schedule on the farm, so I can always make some time if you’re wanting to hang out or watch shitty movies, or… well anything really.” Jared followed the hunters eyes and looked around the room also. “Unpacking party or whatever.” he tacked on the end helpfully.

“Yeah, that.” It was rich people's nonsense, although he did not recall his sisters ever acting so vainly. His eyes were drawn to the boxes that hadn’t been opened. Nostalgia hit him as he thought of his former house, where he had been spending a good bit of his life. There were things that you simply could not move around, and memories were included in that category. He never had liked keeping trinkets and knick knacks, but in times where he was feeling sentimental, he regretted it. Oh well, this would make moving abroad easier. He would not be able to take all his belongings with him overseas. “How kind of you,” he stood up to get bread from the kitchen, served himself another plate of soup and sighed as Jared offered help. “That won’t be necessary,” rather than to be unnecessarily mysterious, he gave him a tightlipped smile that wrinkled the corner of his eyes, and explained, “I intend to leave town for a little while. I’m moving abroad.”

Jared felt a small stab of loss when Alain explained his intention to move out of town. It seemed a lot of his new friends tended to not last so long in this place. But the Nymph smiled back nevertheless. It wasn’t up to him, and likely it was already all set up and sorted out. “That sounds exciting, where do you think you’ll be going or have you already got it all set up for yourself?” He asked politely, looking away from the boxes and intending on making the very most of this movie and dinner with his newfound and newly lost friend. Jared supposed a turnaround like this really stopped him from getting too attached, like he had with so many before the other man. “But hey shh shhh this is a good part.” He cut in with a small forced laugh trying to focus back in on the movie. He was going to make the most of this.

If he was left perplexed by the suggestion that one could leave to another place without a single bit of planning, he tried to shrug that off. Jared clearly was a lot more spontaneous than Alain had ever been. Always planning, always trying to have control. It was a shame, in the end, that he did not seem to have any control on his own life. Leaving town would give him the chance to finally do something with his life without a single thought going to his sense of duty. The code, the rules, the duty : a lot of words to describe not having the right to do as you please. Perhaps it was time to write his own rules, ones that he would be comfortable with or perhaps was it not too late to start over, and rather was it time to turn this heavy page of his life. He didn’t want to burn the whole book. There were good moments in the life that he was living. There was a lot of pain there too, for certain, and a good dose of tragedy here and there.

The man found himself brought back years back, back when he had had a chance to build a family. He heard Jared, and if he had a smile on his face while he looked at that crucial scene of the movie, his mind was somewhere else. Nostalgia had flown in like a peaceful summer breeze, and the fond memories felt like a warm embrace. It was true that he would miss this place very much, and Alain certainly regretted leaving all these people he cared for behind. He gave Jared a fond look. He hoped that he would be okay, and that the forever gargantuesque town of White Crest would not end up eating alive the poor innocent soul that he was. He didn’t have such worries for Erin, or Kaden, or even Jasmine. The three of them were tougher than stones, in their own ways. Stubbornness, bravery and determination. Perhaps was it why he instantly liked these people so much. Of all the things he was leaving behind, they had to be the toughest part. Finding people you could count on, and who could understand you might have been the hardest task for him. Sometimes he blamed it on being a hunter, one that did not stray away from duty (after all, it was this that had scared Evelyn away from him), sometimes he just figured that perhaps he was just not good at this. A mix of the two might have been the proper answer to that transparent mystery. It was easier to move on after being used to loss like he had been. After a certain age, you developed a certain craving for new adventures, and the fear of having wasted your time crept in. He would be alright, in very normal and very away from here Provence.

#wickedswriting #soup in genovia #para #chatzy #para jared

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foodtrails25-blog · 5 years

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There is nothing more comforting than a bowl of warm soup especially when it is freezing cold outside, everyone in the family is down with cold and cough and when you want something light and wholesome without spending much time in the kitchen!! Last week everyone in the family was down with cold cough and fever.. Rajeev brought the infection home and soon kids and I too we under the influence of it. He . But thankfully, kids and I recovered soon,as we had taken precautions, thanks to all the home remedies, that are passed on to me by my mom and grandparents. It was kind of soup and khichdi dinner week that went by.. Easy and quick to make, warm and filling. Tomato based soups(Roasted Red Bell Pepper Soup, Butternut Squash and Tomato Soup with Red Lentils) are a favourite in my house after the chinese flavoured ones(Hot and Sour Soup). In fact tomatoes are an integral part of my cooking in gravies, dals(lentils), chutneys and so many everyday dishes. I usually cook everything from scratch from flatbreads, breads to the curries and cakes. I hardly get any packed soup can or cake mix, that may sound weird to many(too much of work haaann…. ) but that’s how I have seen my mom cooking. Inspite of being a working mom..she used to cook fresh meals for us everyday day with al the seasonal ingredients and veggies. Most of you who have been raised by in India will agree with me on this. It just takes a few minutes to whip up a fresh, healthy and light wholesome meal.

This tomato soup recipe is just all of the above. It is a kind of detox soup that you can make when you want to go on a detox diet. It is gluten-free, vegan and low in oil/fat. And since it uses only the light vegetables it is low in calories and perfect for those who are on weight loss, sugar-free and zero cholesterol diets. This light soup has the goodness of tomatoes and cilantro along with ginger, garlic, some bottle gourd, carrot to give the creaminess. For protein factor and to add texture to the soup I use moong dal(lentil) that is light on stomach and easily digestible. The soup is rich in antioxidants and Vit. C that help in curing cold related infections. It is always advisable to increase the Vit. C in your diet through various food sources whenever suffering from cold and cough. When I look back, when the soups were not a everyday meal thing in Indian household, since those times my mom made this hearty soup that was even relished by my grandparents.

A quick look at the ingredients of the soup and their nutritional benefits..

Tomatoes and carrots(though I used very less) are one of the best sources of antioxidant lycopene that is anti-inflammatory, rich in Vit. C and minerals like Calcium, Potassium, folates and Vit. K.

Cilantro or fresh coriander is rich in antioxidants, rich in potassium , calcium, and is anti-inflammatory and antipyretic. Is is one of the best remedies for cold and cough, Lemon Coriander soup(will soon update the recipe) is another comforting soup that is helpful in curing the cold related infections. It also adds on to a fresh punch in the dish and keeps the dish fresh for longer.

Moong Dal or Split and husked Yellow Moong Lentils are the lightest variety of moong beans and it is easily digestible and light on stomach, and so recommended by ayurveda to consume during fasting/detox or any kind of illness(like fever or stomach infections).

Bottle Gourd promotes weight loss, helps in digestion and prevents constipation, reduces inflammation of liver and keeps the heart healthy.

Ginger and garlic, onions and turmeric powder that are used are again rich in antioxidants, anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic that protect the body against infections and build on the immunity.

This soup can be cooked in Pressure Cooker on stove-top and even in Instant Pot. You can cook it on stove-top in an open pan but the moong beans some take time to get. Wash and soak the lentils 10 minutes before starting to cook the soup. I always pre-soak my lentils/beans before cooking as it shortens the cooking time and also are light on stomach. I have added some tomato paste in the soup along with fresh tomatoes or you can also add tomato sauce in it to get the added flavour. Feel free to skip the paste.

Another thing to keep in mind while cooking with tomatoes is to always add a pinch or two sweetner to balance the acidity of tomatoes. Brown sugar or coconut sugar or maple syrup, any will be okay. Adjust the quantity of sugar as per the sweetness you want in your soup.

Skip Onion and Garlic for a no-onion no-garlic soup or Satvik soup recipe if you are on a detox diet are avoiding onion and garlic. Add a tsp of desi ghee instead of oil or butter.

So come let’s see how I make this light, creamy, rich in antioxidants, low calorie soup..

Tomato, Cilantro and Moong Dal(Lentil) Soup

A light, hearty, low cal Tomato and Cilantro soup, rich in Indian flavours added with Moong Lentils, veggies like carrots and Bottle Gourd to add the creaminess. Perfect for weight watchers or on detox diets or when the weather is cold and chilly!! Instant Pot and stove-top Pressure Cooker Method included.

4 Large Tomatoes

1/2 Cup Chopped Carrot

1/.2 Cup Chopped Bottle Groud

Handful of fresh Cilantro leaves

1/4 Cup Split and husked Moong Lentils(Yellow Moong Dal)

1/2 Cup Chopped Onions

1" Ginger piece

3-4 Garlic Cloves

1/2 Tsp Cumin Seeds/Jeera

1 Bay Leaf

1 Cinnamon Stick (small)

4-5 Peppercorns

4-5 Cloves

1/4 Tsp Turmeric Powder

1/4 Tsp Coconut Sugar (or Brown sugar)

1 tsp Desi Ghee/Butter/Oil(Flavourless)

Salt as per taste

2 Tbsp Tomato Paste (optional)

Wash all the veggies and Cilantro. Wash and soak moong dal.

Chop roughly tomatoes, ginger, garilc and onions

Instant Pot Method

Switch on the saute mode for Instant Pot and set the time for 5 minutes.

When the screen shows hot, add oil/ghee or butter, add all the whole spices and cumin seeds.

Add ginger, garlic and saute for a few seconds,add onions and saute till light pink.

Add tomatoes, carrots, and bottle gourd and tomato paste and mix.

Drain the water from the soaked moong dal and cilantro leaves. Add turmeric, salt and water around 2-3 cups.

Cancel the saute mode, place the cover and set the pressure cook mode (high), set the timer for 5 minutes.

Once the timer goes off, release the pressure by pressure QPR, and open the cover.

Blend the soup by hand blender or transfer carefully the contents in blender jar and blend in batches.

After blending, set the saute mode for 5 minutes, and cook soup for another 2-3 minutes. add sugar and more black pepper(optional). You can adjust the consistency by adding water if you want a thin soup. Let the soup come to a boil, serve hot or keep in warm mode till the time of serving,

In Pressure cooker(Stove-top)

Follow all the steps under Instant Pot method, till sauteing and adding the veggies and lentil.

Add water, close the lid and cook till 2-3 whistles. Once the pressure goes down or do the quick release,blend the soup add sugar, adjust the consistency of soup and cook again for 2-3 minutes till the boil comes.

Serve hot. Garnish with more chopped cilantro and freshly ground pepper.

Red Lentils can be used inplace of moong beans.

I have given the method for Instant Pot Ultra. The steps and timings for the setting remain the same. Only the display if different in Ultra.

I am taking my Low calorie soup for the my group #180Foodie Monday Blog hop where the theme this week is Low Cal food, suggested by the gorgeous Sujata Roy, who blogs at Batter Up with Sujata.. Check out her amazing recipes and bakes using healthy and nutritious ingredients.

So do make this soup light and healthy soup, if you are on a weight loss diet or feeling too tired to chop the veggies and cook something delicious. Add up some cream/parmesan cheese for it to make it appealing for them. Vegans can add some almond milk to get the creamy sweet texture, without it also it still has the creaminess due to lentils and bottle gourd. Top it with some croutons or pita chips for the crunch. Add served the soup to kids with some butter toasted Cheese ravioli in parsley and black pepper. I and hubby had with some toasted garlic bread. A light and wholesome meal perfect for the below freezing temperatures here!!

Do try this light detox, low cal soup and give your feedback on it. I will love to see the pics on any of my social media pages..FB or tag me on Instagram(#foodtrails25) whenever your try. You can also Pin the recipe for later use.

Join me in my food trails by following the blog and on my social media accounts. If you like my work do share this with your loved ones.

Tomato,Cilantro and Moong Lentil Soup There is nothing more comforting than a bowl of warm soup especially when it is freezing cold outside, everyone in the family is down with cold and cough and when you want something light and wholesome without spending much time in the kitchen!!

#Instant Pot Ultra Recipes #Soup in Instant Pot #Vegan Soups #Vegetarian Soups

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ankhrah · 7 years

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Our Favorite Superfood Ingredients for Your Pantry!

by Becky Lang

Summer is the perfect time to wear out your blender, drink right out of a coconut and sprinkle your food with edible flowers. To turbocharge your smoothie bowl efforts, I’ve made a list of my favorite superfood ingredients. While I can’t guarantee their miraculous health benefits, I can promise they’ll make your kitchen creations sound expensive as heck.

Spirulina

For whatever reason, I’ve been a reluctant convert to algae-derived green powders I see food bloggers raving about. Maybe it’s because mixing food colors the wrong way has ruined too many smoothies for me, or maybe it’s because things made out of algae sound gross. Beyond that, a packet of these powders can be astronomically expensive.

I finally found this ingredient in bulk at my local co-op, and decided to buy myself the tiniest packet. I went home, put it in a smoothie with a banana and some protein powder, and was sold. First of all, it doesn’t taste like swimming in a moldy pool. Instead, it has a fresh, intriguing flavor, like spinach but sweeter. It turns smoothies a very cool color that beats the sad green-brown that comes with throwing a bunch of kale in with the mix. I even tried to make a “unicorn smoothie bowl” with it, but I need more time to work on that.

Benefits of Spirulina

-Incredibly protein dense. 4g of protein per 1 tbsp.

-1 tbsp. provides 11% of your DV of iron

-A great source of vitamins A, K1, K2, B12, plus beta-carotene and antioxidants

Turmeric

I first heard of turmeric when I read Anti-Cancer: A New Way of Life, which is a fantastic guidebook to living and eating with your health in mind. Turmeric played a starring role in that book, thanks to its powerful antioxidant properties. (Hot tip: any super bright ingredient is probably full of antioxidants, unless it’s made with artificial colors.)

This bright yellow spice is a key part of Indian cuisine, so you’ve probably had it in curry before. I was jazzed on its superfood benefits, and eager to try it for myself. It’s easy to find many recipes for turmeric lattes out there, so give ’em a whirl if you like. My friend pointed out that they “taste like clay,” so you might want to look beyond milky drinks for this spice. I like blending turmeric with lemon, ice, ginger, cayenne pepper, and honey and taking it as a healthy shot. Just don’t forget to add a shake of black pepper every time you consume it. The pepper magnifies the absorption of turmeric by 2000%.

Benefits of Turmeric

-Its primary active ingredient, curcumin, is a powerful antioxidant

-According to many health articles, it can help prevent/treat many diseases. Take any promises of miracle cures with a grain of salt, and maybe a grain of turmeric? (Don’t forget the pepper.)

Bee Pollen

Last summer, I got in the habit of watching plant-based recipe* channels on YouTube. These home cooks had the most colorful, creative diets I’d ever seen, and I couldn’t stop watching their “What I Eat in a Day” videos. One thing I noticed was that bee pollen was a common component in their smoothie bowls. Inspired, I picked some up in the refrigerated section of the coop and tried it.

It adds a lovely golden color to whatever you put it on and is loaded with protein and nutrients. If you like the taste, which can be rich and a bit tinny, it’s definitely worth a sprinkle now and again. If you’re allergic to or sensitive to bees and pollen, please do not eat this!

Benefits of Bee Pollen

-Approximately 40% protein

-Rich in B-complex vitamins

-Rich in folic acid

-Some people believe that ingesting local bee pollen will decrease your incidence of allergies. Apparently, there is no proof that this works. Either way, you can probably find articles that back up whatever you already believe. Yay Internet!

-Again, do not eat bee pollen if you’re allergic to bees and bee products (you know that, I’m just covering my butt)

Apple Cider Vinegar

I like vinegar in general—the syrupy balsamic reduction kind, the splashy champagne kind, and the tangy rice wine kind. It turns out, there is a valid reason to desire vinegar in a recipe. Not only does it provide a delicious hint of acid to round out a dish, but a quality vinegar like apple cider vinegar (ACV) might be good for your gut and lower your blood glucose levels.

Before you start taking a daily “shot of vinegar,” save yourself from pain and dilute it with water. Your esophagus and teeth will thank you. You can also mix it with olive oil to create a basic salad dressing. As you put your ACV back in the fridge, admire its “mother,” a giant mass of enzymes, proteins, and bacteria, and know you are getting healthy in a way that disgusts your boyfriend. Mix it with sparkling water and lemon for what I like to call “poor woman’s kombucha.”

Benefits of ACV

-Contains polyphenols

–Purportedly helps balance blood sugar and improves insulin resistance

-Kills off bad bacteria while promoting the growth of good bacteria

Matcha

Matcha powder is Japan’s answer to coffee. This delicious, mellow form of green tea has replaced coffee for people around the globe, thanks to its milder buzz and impressive antioxidant roster. When I went to Japan last year, I got to mainline matcha products daily, from soft-serve to waffles. Grab some matcha powder and get ready to brag about how much you love yourself and are on the path to living past 100. It’s delicious in many recipes but use with caution to avoid making energy bites that look like nuggets of weed.

Benefits of Matcha

-Provides vitamins A, C, E, K, B-complex and minerals

-High in polyphenols, catechins, and chlorophyll

Açaí

I first heard of açaí when it was advertised as a so-called “super fruit” in energy drinks and juice. Skepticism pervaded. Then I went to Rio de Janeiro for vacation and realized that bottled drinks are selling us the wrong idea of this ingredient. In Brazil, açaí is not a jacked-up ingredient that only the bravest hipsters dare pronounce. There, it’s ice cream. I know this is an oversimplification, but I had at least three different kinds of frozen, sweetened açaí while I was there, and all of them were insanely delicious. One serving was in a tall glass, served by a very-proud restaurant owner on top of a statue of Jesus. One was mixed with guaraná syrup in a pre-packaged breakfast ice cream.

Be like an attractive Brazilian and grab some frozen açaí packets at your local co-op. Thanks to its dark purple color, you now know that it’s super high in antioxidants. It makes a great base for any smoothie and loves itself some banana.

Açaí Benefits

–Strangely high in fat for a fruit (which is good now), and low in carbs

–High in Vitamin A and fiber

–High in antioxidants

Manuka Honey

This ingredient is so hot, it’s even one of Broad City’s lapel pins. As you may guess, it’s expensive. I found it for a fair price at Trader Joe’s and became quite fond of it. This New Zealand import is created by bees who pollinate the Manuka plant, which helps give their honey a higher ratio of methylglyoxal (MGO). This component supposedly makes it better at healing wounds than regular honey. Rub it on your skin at your own risk! I like to put mine in overnight oats.

Benefits of Manuka Honey

-Anti-inflammatory and antibacterial

–May help heal wounds (Only the medical-grade kind)

Raw Cacao Powder

Sometimes science fucks with us and then comes back around and vindicates us. It says, “chocolate, coffee, and fat are all bad!” And then it comes back twenty years later and says, “Chocolate, coffee, and fat will make your dreams come true.” I can’t wait until this happens with cheese. What we land with after this dialogue is a bit of healthy nuance. Mainlining candy bars ≠ good for you. Processing the cacao plant and drowning it in sugar removes most of this ingredient’s “superfood” qualities. That said, it’s easy to get your hands on some raw cacao powder and start putting it in everything. I personally love adding it to frozen bananas to make “nice cream” and adding it to cookie dough to make double-chocolate cookies.

Benefits of Cacao Powder

-High in magnesium and iron

-High in flavonoids (antioxidants)

What are your favorite superfoods? What do you like to do with them?

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