Nourishing Breakfast: Congee

Congee, at its most basic, is a lot like oatmeal: warm, porridge-like grain soup served in bowls. But cooked over long periods of time and garnished with additional healing foods (made savory or sweet), congee can be the spark that leads to weight loss, increased metabolic function, healthier digestion, and stronger immunity. It is the standard Asian healing food for the sick or malnourished. Congee is also generally gluten-free, classically made with rice. You will notice that congee is very easily digested, you will feel hungry again about 1-2 hours after eating it! This meal is a great way to kickstart your digestion and metabolism and allow your body to fully absorb nutrients upon waking. Adding in meats, nuts, egg, fish stock etc will add protein for a fuller meal. 

Today I made a sweet & simple congee, although I do like the savory versions as well - even for breakfast - so I’ll describe a few alternatives to this recipe you may want to experiment with. Made this way, it’s enough for the whole family to enjoy in the morning - with no prep work for you! 

Brown Rice Congee:

1 C short or long grain brown rice

6 C water

½ teaspoon sea salt

1 large handful dried goji berries (gou qi zi)

Place all ingredients into a slow-cooker or crock pot and set on low. Cook overnight, or for about 8-9 hours on the low setting. Serve with garnishes of your choice (see below).

Variations:

- for this congee I made a topping of walnuts, sliced almonds, flax seeds, sunflower seeds & goji berries, mixed with a drizzle of olive oil, honey, and sea salt. Stir this nut mixture up and use as a garnish for congee, plain yogurt, or smoothies. Keeps in the fridge for about 10 days. 

- for creamier sweet congee, sub 1 C coconut milk for 1 C water and cook as directed. 

- for savory congee, instead of goji berries, add bamboo shoots, diced carrots or sweet potato, or ½ C dried mung beans and cook as directed. Also try cooking in half chicken or fish broth, half water. Or garnish with diced boiled egg, pickled veggies, sea salt, pepper, & olive oil. 

MK Pantry Staples: Gomasio

Gomasio (or gomashio) is one of those things I cannot live without. I literally shake it onto everything: salads, cooked vegetables, blanched greens, rice, sweet potatoes, beans, on top of sauces, and even on corn on the cob. It gives such a great little crunch and the perfect amount of salt for flavoring. You can buy a couple different “blends” of gomasio - especially from Eden Organic Foods - the traditional gomasio is just toasted sesame seeds mixed with sea salt, but I prefer the one that has dried seaweed flakes in the mix as well. Cause, why not? Next time you are at your natural foods store, pick up a jar and see what kind of meals you can jazz up throughout the week. I can almost guarantee that it will soon prove to be a necessity. ♥

As I ’ve been a bit under the weather lately, I’ve noticed my desire to cook meals has wained and almost diminished completely the last week. Enough! This recipe brought me back to the kitchen with it’s promise of nourishment, comfort, and mild flavors. Making a good miso soup really depends on the flavor and quality of the miso you use. I found a new soy-free miso paste called Chickpea Miso that has a great mild and sweet taste that performs really well in soups. Any white or yellow miso will fit the bill for this healing soup. 

Miso Vegetable Soup

6 C filtered water

½ onion, slivered thin rounds

1 celery stalk, chopped

½ C chopped carrots

2 large mushrooms, chopped

scant ¼ C dried wakame, soaked in water to expand for a minute or two

1 C broccoli florets

6 Tsp chickpea miso or miso paste, thinned with a bit of boiling water

few pinches sea salt, as needed

Bring water, onions, and celery to a boil and cook until onions are translucent. Add carrots, mushrooms, wakame and cook a few minutes more. Add broccoli and miso paste and cook just a couple minutes so that broccoli remains bright green and crisp looking. Add salt to taste and garnish with green onion or cilantro if desired. 

Food Facts:  Miso soups tend to be mild or even bland in flavor. This property, along with the fermented miso paste, warm broth, and cooked vegetables make it a perfect healing soup for the digestion and gut. Any person suffering from poor digestion, weakness, fatigue, inability to absorb nutrients or assimilate food well will benefit from a soup such as this. The mild/bland flavor is characteristic of the Earth element in Chinese medicine, which houses the Spleen and Stomach organs that govern digestion. 

Samurai Soba Salad

This minimalist dish has robust Asian flavor and lots of kick. I find it the perfect summer salad for a light dinner, or as a side dish to tamari-brushed salmon or grilled jumbo prawns. 

Food Facts:

Black Sesame Seed: Sesame seeds are thought to be one of the world’s first spices. Black sesame seed is a genuine Chinese tonic herb (known as Hei Zhi Ma) that is used to strengthen the Kidney and Liver organs, build up the quality of one’s blood cells, remedy constipation, prevent hair loss and turn prematurely gray hair black - just like a samurai. Hence my name for the dish. :) Use liberally! 

Samurai Soba Salad:

1 pkg buckwheat soba noodles (I prefer the 100% gluten-free from Eden Foods)

2 Tbsp toasted/dark sesame oil 

3 Tbsp peanut or walnut oil

3 Tbsp rice vinegar

¼ C each fresh chopped herbs: choose 2-3 from basil, cilantro, chives, or mint

2 ½ Tbsp black sesame seeds, toasted 

few shakes red chili flakes

Boil soba in water for about 8 minutes until done, drain and flush with cold water to cool. Place cool noodles in a large serving bowl. Mix oils and vinegar into noodles and toss to fully coat. Add in herbs, sesame seeds, chili flakes and toss again before serving to delighted guests or family! Sometimes I’ll add some leftover shredded chicken into the mix or serve it over a bed of chopped cucumber, carrots, and cabbage. 

☀Frozen Summer Treats☀

It’s going to be well over 100° here in Austin this week. What to do in the heat?! Chinese medicine reminds us to be cautious of eating too many frozen or ice-cold beverages and foods, as these inhibit digestion and slow down metabolism making it difficult for people to lose weight or properly digest foods. But sometimes you just can’t help needing a gush of cold refreshment to ease your suffering in the Texas summer. Here are a couple healthy alternatives to the obvious snow cones, ice cream, and fro-yo, and they are a snap to make ahead of time for kids and pool parties. 

Frozen Grapes:

One of my absolute favorite snacks to have on hand in the summer. Small frozen, icy bites that burst into slushy flavor. Freeze half of your red and green grapes and keep the rest fresh for an easy way to beat the heat after any activity. 

Homemade Health Pops:

I call these “health pops” because I will blend vegetables juices with fruit juices for less of a sugar rush. Beet, carrot, lime, watermelon, cantaloupe, seeded cucumber, mint, basil, coconut water/milk, orange, lemon…. they can all be juiced or blended to make delicious and refreshing popsicle combinations that keep in the freezer for weeks on end. The little ones won’t even know (depending on your combos) that there are vegetables involved in their popsicle glee. Mix with agave or honey for a sweeter homemade pop that is 100% natural. 

Curry has many ingredients, but once you gather everything together and chop a few items, it’s real easy from there - and fast! This is one of my favorite curries to make, especially in the summer when it’s hot and you can sweat a bit. It’s adapted from a Bon Appétit recipe. It’s very herbaceous and colorful and has a rich source of spices that stimulate the digestion and help with weight loss and even joint pain. Pile some extra fresh herbs on top with wedges of lime and you have a perfectly balanced meal with all 5 food flavors - pungent, sweet, sour, salty, and bitter. 

Thai Seafood Curry

You can substitute several of these items - use tilapia or shrimp as your seafood or a combination of two would be great (halibut, although pricey, is perfect in this), use a red chili for the fresno pepper if you like spice, use soba noodles instead of rice, or make vegetarian with zucchini and green beans added in (although the seafood gives it a wonderful flavor you won’t have otherwise!). Whatever you do, don’t use tempeh - it was a big, huge downer. 

1 Tbsp coconut oil

1 red bell pepper, large chop

3 shallots, chopped

1 red fresno pepper, fine chop

1 in. piece ginger, grated

2 limes, use zest (~1.5 tsp), squeeze one lime for 2 Tbsp juice & reserve other

8-10 shakes of fish sauce

3 tsp red curry paste (maybe 4 if you like it spicy)

1 can UNsweetened coconut milk 

½-¾ lb fresh fish; halibut, tilapia, shrimp work well or a combo

½ C each basil and cilantro, chopped (think about thai basil)

Saute first 4 ingredients on medium heat for 5 minutes until peppers soften. Add next 4 ingredients (with lime zest and juice) and stir well. Add coconut milk ½ can at a time, stirring often to get spices well blended and simmer while stirring about 5 minutes. Lightly season fish or shrimp with salt and pepper and add. Simmer until just cooked through about 5 minutes more. Add most of both herbs, stir to incorporate 1 minute, then serve hot in bowls with ½ cup rice, more herbs on top, and a wedge of lime. 

MK Pantry Staples: Coconut Oil

I hosted my parents over for dinner last week and while I was cooking I heard my mom rummaging through my cabinets and looking in my refrigerator door… “What is umeboshi paste?? What do you use this for?? What else do you have in here that I need to know about!” She found several items that she vowed to put on her next shopping list. I was thinking about this and how many of you must be in the same boat - not knowing what to buy or not knowing what is even out there! So I’m starting a little product segment that will highlight some of my favorite pantry and cooking staples. Maybe you will read about something new as well. ♥

Coconut oil is distinct and complex. You can use in cooking, baking, skincare, haircare, beverages and smoothies… it’s really a must-have item for your Medicine Kitchen. Here are some coconutty facts:

• Coconut oil contains a very high quantity of lauric acid. This fatty acid has strong anti-fungal and anti-microbial properties. It is thought that in tropical populations, coconut oil had originally protected people from bacterial, viral and fungal infections so common in those regions. Nature’s way of achieving balance! 
• Lauric acid is also found in high amounts in mother’s milk & coconut oil is often used in baby formulas because of this. These fatty acids are essential for brain health and development. 
• Highly saturated tropical oils like coconut oil do not contribute to heart disease. In fact, 50% of the fat in your diet needs to be saturated to optimally use calcium for bone health. 
• Coconut oil is a good fat - one that doesn’t turn into fat in our bodies easily. It also acts more like a carbohydrate in that it can be utilized quickly for energy. 
• The coconut is sometimes referred to as “nature’s perfect food” due to its combination of healthy fats, proteins, minerals and that all parts can be eaten or used for nourishment. 

I personally use coconut oil when I make curry, eggs, or stir fry veggies. I use a teaspoon in my hot tea some mornings for flavor and fuel. I use it externally for dry skin and as a massage oil, and it makes a great carrier for essential aromatherapy oils. I encourage you to try it - the raw, organic coconut oil has a wonderful flavor and retains all the health benefits listed above. If you really want to understand the myriad wonders of this food, read The Coconut Oil Miracle!