Loaded Vegetable Detox Soup

I am a huge fan of soups, especially in the winter. I love how they are so easy to make and you can make a large batch that lasts for a long time. You can add any type of vegetable, bean, grain and protein and it will more than likely taste amazing. This soup was what I made right after I returned home from France.

When I was away, I ate whatever I wanted, including bread, cheese, and pastries. I totally overindulged and loved every second of it. However, by the end of my time in Europe, I was sick of anything carb, dairy and sweets and craved fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains. When I returned home, I immediately started eating super clean (with a few cheats) and felt great!

This soup was one of the first meals I made when I returned home and I have been making it ever since. It has a variety of vegetables and healthy protein and it is filling and satisfying. I definitely don't feel bad for having seconds.

Here is how I made it:

Loaded Vegetable Detox Soup

Soup
- 6 cups of water
- 2 chicken breasts
- 1 head of garlic
- 1 lb of carrots
- 1 large head of broccoli
- 1/2 pound of brussels sprouts
- 2 cups of kale
- 2 tbs herb de provence (replace with: thyme and rosemary)
 - 1 tbs of hot pepper
- 2 cubes of chicken bouillon
- Salt and pepper
- 1 can of chickpeas (Replace with any of your favorite beans)

Place water in a large pot and add the two chicken breasts. Take a whole head of garlic and remove the skin. Place the peeled garlic cloves in with the chicken and boil for 15 minutes.

Wash the carrots, broccoli, brussels sprouts and kale. Take the carrots and remove the ends and cut into 1 inch pieces. For the broccoli, trim off the florets and chop up the stems. Finally, chop the kale in large pieces.

Place the vegetables in the pot with the chicken and add the brussels sprouts. Add the herbs de provence, hot pepper, chicken bouillon, salt and pepper and boil for 45 minutes. Before you serve, take the two pieces of chicken out of the pot and shred with a fork and knife. Place the chicken back in the pot and a whole can of chickpeas. Stir and serve.

Anne

Immune Boosting RAW Salad

The weather on the East coast has been out of control this winter. We have been hit with a Polar Vortex, many inches of snow, ice and so on. I have been seeing many online sites posting ways to stay healthy during these extremely cold times. I decided that I would make a salad that would encompass all of their recommendations and make it taste absolutely delicious. I also decided to post some of the reasons why these ingredients are so beneficial for you. Hopefully this will help you stay healthy this winter!

Quick Nutritional Facts:
Kale: Vitamin A, C, and K; Vitamin K is necessary for a wide variety of bodily functions, including normal blood clotting, antioxidant activity, and bone health.

Carrots: Vitamin A (Think of your eyes)

Oranges: Vitamin C; This is a powerful antioxidant. Consumption of foods rich in Vitamin C helps the body develop resistance against infectious agents and scavenge harmful, pro-inflammatory free radicals from the blood.

Pomegranate: Many powerful antioxidants including polyphenols, such as tannins and anthocyanins. 

Avocado: Contains 25 essential nutrients including Vitamin A, B, C, E & K, copper, iron, phosphorus, magnesium and potassium. 

Raw nuts and seeds: Provide fiber, healthy fats and disease prevention. 

Raw Salad: 

- 2 cups of shredded cabbage

- 1 cup of chopped kale 

- 1/2 cup of shredded carrots

- 1 whole orange segmented

- 1/2 cup of pomegranate seeds

-1/4 of an avocado; diced

- 1/4 cup chopped raw cashews

- 2 tsp raw sesame seeds

Orang and Lime Vinaigrette 

- 1 tbs orange juice 

- 1 1/2 tbs lime juice

- 2 tbs olive oil

- 1 tsp blue agave

- Salt and pepper

This salad is so simple to make. Make sure that you have already prepped all of the ingredients prior to combining them. This means shredding the cabbage and carrots, chopping the kale and cashews, and segmenting the orange. (Set the connective membrane from the orange aside so that it can be used for the vinaigrette).

Once prepped, Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl. 

For the vinaigrette, squeeze the juice of the orange that was segmented earlier. Juice half a lime and combine the juice of the orange and lime with two tbs of olive oil in a bowl. Add the blue agave and salt and pepper. 

Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and toss.

This salad is meant to serve one person but you can always make it for two and add a healthy protein or carb with it. I recommend either adding quinoa or another type of grain for a carb. If you prefer protein, a piece of grilled chicken or fish would be ideal. What I did was roast some sweet potatoes and ate it alongside the salad. Sweet potatoes are also extremely healthy for you and they are so easy to make. 

Anne