ACarroll Wellness Blog

Borscht (Beet Soup)

Such a wonderful fall soup!

Ingredients:

2 medium beets

2 medium carrots

1 medium potato

1/2 a small head of cabbage

1/2 a large onion

1 garlic clove

oil (I used avocado oil)

salt and pepper

1 tsp thyme

4 cups of vegetable broth

Greek yogurt

• Chop all of the vegetables into chunks. 
• Mince the garlic and set it aside.
• Place the vegetables onto a baking sheet, drizzle with oil, salt, pepper and thyme.
• Roast them in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes.
• Add the minced garlic and roast 20 more minutes or until a fork will pierce the beet pieces. 
• Place all the vegetables into a pot with 4 cups of vegetable broth and simmer for 20 minutes.
• Blend the soup in a blender if desired and serve with a dollop of greek yogurt (or sour cream). 

Ginger Pear Smoothie

1/2 cup greek yogurt

1/2 cup coconut water

1 pear (peeled and cored)

fresh grated ginger to taste

1 Tb honey

ice cubes (optional)

 

Blend and enjoy! 

Honey Oatmeal Sourdough

Ingredients:

1/2 cup oats

2 T coconut oil

1/4 cup honey

2 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup sourdough starter

1 tsp salt

1 cup water

 

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well.  Let rise overnight covered with a damp towel.  In the morning, remove it from the bowl and knead it several times and place in a greased bread pan to rise.  It is ready to bake when the dough is fluffy and has risen above the edge of the pan.  Bake at 375 degrees for about 30-40 minutes.  (I bake mine until the internal temperature is 200 degrees.) 

Oolong Hibiscus Tea

(photo credit:  Sabrina Ivy)

 

Oolong Hibiscus Tea

1 Tablespoon dried hibiscus flowers

1/2 Tablespoon oolong tea leaves

1/2 Tablespoon chamomile 

1/2 Tablespoon stevia

 

Steep 1-2 teaspoons of the tea blend in hot water for 5 minutes.

The above recipe will make about 5-6 cups of tea.

 

The majority of my tea 'testers' gave this blend a thumbs up.

Enjoy! 

Ginger Cabbage Stir Fry

 

Ingredients:

One small head of chopped cabbage (green or red)

One medium sliced onion

Garlic cloves minced (1 or 2 cloves)

Grated fresh ginger to taste 

Tamari sauce  (1-2 Tb)

Rice wine vinegar (1-2 Tb)

Oil ( I used avocado oil)

 

Place all ingredients into a pan, stirring often, until cabbage is tender.  Serve over rice.

Elderberry Spiced Punch

A fun way to get the health benefits of elderberry during the Christmas season!

 

You will need:

• 1/4 Cup dried elderberries
• 2 cups filtered water
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 20 whole cloves
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 2 star anise (optional)
• 2 cups purple juice  (I used Trader Joe's Power of 7 juice)
• 1 cup orange juice
• honey (optional)

Place elderberries, water, cinnamon sticks, cloves, star anise and nutmeg in a covered saucepan and bring to a simmer.  Simmer for 30 minutes.  Strain.

To the elderberry liquid, add the rest of the ingredients.  Give it a taste and if needed, add a tablespoon or two of honey.  (Recipe will yield about a quart).  Enjoy warm! 

Butternut Squash and Mushroom Risotto

 

Risotto is a wonderful dish to make on a cool, rainy day!  This recipe uses butternut squash for a great fall flavor.

 

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1 Tb butter
• 1 cup arborio rice
• 3 cups (approximate) broth
• 2/3 cup pureed butternut squash
• 1/2 tsp Herbs de Provence
• salt and pepper

 Directions:

• Sautee the onions and mushrooms in the butter until soft.  Set aside.
• In a large pot, begin cooking the rice with 1 cup of broth, stirring frequently.  Add broth in 1/2 cup increments as needed until rice is done (about 30 minutes). 
• Stir in butternut squash, herbs, salt and pepper, onions, and mushrooms.

Enjoy! 

Anti-Inflammatory Balm

Needed:  

1/2 oz of calendula (This will be more than you think as it is a very 'fluffy herb'.)

1/2 oz of plantain

1/2 cup of coconut oil

1/2 oz of beeswax

20 drops of lavender essential oil

 

Infuse the calendula and plantain in the coconut oil by placing these ingredients in an oven-safe dish in a 300 degree oven.  Turn off the oven and allow to infuse for several hours. 

Next, strain the herbs.  I do this by using a piece of organic muslin and squeezing the oil out of the herbs.  

Add the beeswax to the oil, reheating gently if needed to get the beeswax to dissolve.  Allow the oil to cool, but before it sets, add the lavender essential oil and pour into containers to cool.

Excellent for when you need a soothing balm (bug bites and minor skin irritations).

Turmeric Refrigerated Zucchini Pickles

Slice zucchini, onions, and bell peppers (optional) in thin slices and place into a bowl.  Sprinkle vegetables with salt, mix together, and allow to sit for an hour. Rinse salt and drain.

Brine:

2 cups apple cider vinegar

1 cup sugar

1 to 1 1/2 tsp of dry mustard

1 to 1 1/2 tsp of mustard seeds

1 to 1 1/2 tsp of ground turmeric

Combine brine ingredients in a saucepan and simmer for 3 or 4 minutes until sugar is well dissolved. Allow the mixture to cool until room temperature.

Fill your mason jars with the sliced and rinsed vegetables.  Pour the brine into the jars making sure the vegetables are covered.  

Refrigerate for 24 hours and enjoy.  

These will keep for about 2 months in the refrigerator. 

 

Pineapple Banana Smoothie

A cold and dreary day deserves a little sunshine!  

1 cup Greek yogurt

1 frozen banana

1/2 cup frozen pineapple

2 tsp chia seed oil (optional)

Coconut water 

Blend all ingredients in a good blender, adding coconut water until desired consistency is reached.