Chicken Pho Fabulous! Hot and SPICY Vietnamese Soup!

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By Daniel Risacher (Own work) [GFDL
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or CC-BY-SA-2.5-2.0-1.0
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Beautiful Thai Pepper Bush! 
Wouldn't you agree?!

(And, BTW, after just a few days of R+R, my stomach is feeling better and way ready to resume a spicier diet! Yea! And, FYI, believe it or not, in spite of a lot of disbelief in this, a lot of chili peppers really are kinder to your digestion that you might have guessed.)









Chicken Pho Fabulous! Hot and SPICY Vietnamese Soup!

I am not a big fan of commercially pre-made soup base or soup starter. But I do believe in great chicken or vegetable stock and Pacific is a great brand and food producers are getting savvier. So, when I saw this:

www.pacificfoods.com

 "

Organic Chicken Pho Soup Base

"Inspired by the traditional Vietnamese Pho (pronounced ‘fuh’), our delicious Organic Chicken Pho Base makes it simple to prepare authentic Pho at home.

INGREDIENTS

• Organic Chicken Broth (Water, Organic Chicken, Organic Spices, Organic Garlic Powder, Organic Onion Powder)
• Organic Cane Sugar
• Sea Salt
• Organic Lemon Juice
• Organic Spice Extracts
• Organic Lime Oil
• Organic Rosemary Extract

SUITABLE FOR THESE SPECIAL DIETS

1. Low Fat
2. Gluten Free
3. Dairy Free
4. Corn Free
5. Soy Free
6. Wheat Free
7. Yeast Free                "

in my local grocery store's health food section, I thought, why not give it a whirl. I've rarely had a Vietnamese soup and I'm always up for a healthy culinary adventure!

But, as I cannot help myself, I did go wild with the ingredients. I followed some of the suggested directions and most (Okay, ALL of them except for onions) of the ingredients plus a few of my own and all I can say is:  WOW!!!  WOW!!! WOW!!!!

So here's the Ingredients I used:

1 box (4 cups) of Pacific Chicken Pho soup base.

I bought a 6.75 oz. package of Dynasty Maifun Rice Sticks (thin rice noodles). (Now this is important because some rice noodles taste like cooked cardboard (like the last ones I bought for my husband to use, that had a name I couldn't read in Chinese, and that ruined my husband's triple batch of Thai crab cakes). Others are awesome delicate and beautiful to behold. But I am still getting used to which ingredients work for my recipes and which ones don't, so I like to mention them.)

I cut up a package of three fresh full size boneless, skinless chicken breasts. (I am very fussy about my chicken. It has to be organic, fresh, no hormones or antibiotics, and it has to look good. I split my pieces in three piles: The gristle that I'll cook later with some rice for the dogs that I add, now and then, to their dog food, about 2-21/2 cups of quarter size pieces for the soup, and about 2 cups of medallions that I'll use in another dish later this week. I double bagged the two piles for later and put them away in the fridge.)

6 Tablespoons of hot chili sauce. I use Sriraja Panich Chili Sauce. VERY awesome.
(And note: in my experience,  hot chili sauces can vary widely. A wrong one can overpower or underwhelm or even ruin a good recipe, whereas a great one, like Sriraja Panich, can make your dish beautiful! Sriraja Panich has this lovely way of adding spicy and heat and dimension by blending with smokey undertones and doesn't stand out. I have tested about a dozen different hot chili sauces so far and thrown many of them out. The right ones, like this one, can make a huge difference to the success of so many of my Asian and Thai dishes that I have made a point of knowing where to buy this one locally, how it is shelved -which can be in a different location that other hot chili or "Sriraja" sauces in some stores- or how to get it online.)

3 Tablespoons of  House of Tsang Hoisin Sauce (Note; it has a little wheat in it,  so if that's out for you, I also have in my cupboard a gluten free brand, Sun Luck, but I confess I haven't used it yet and a little bit of wheat doesn't throw me off these days.)

3 to 5 cups of fresh bean sprouts

1-1/2 to 2 organic limes

Fresh Basil

Fresh Cilantro

Black Pepper to Taste (about a teaspoon)

1 Hot Red fresh Thai Chili Pepper with the seeds (cut up into tiny pieces with a scissors, I am getting cleverer, but still wear cooking gloves. Warning: chili peppers are hot!)

1-1/2 - 2 Fresh Red Fresno Peppers (These are about 2 inches long.) Note that on these chili peppers: Don't use the seeds or inside meat. These I cut with a knife into strips and then into pieces. These peppers look like this:

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By Nadiatalent (Own work)
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And here's how I made it:  i.e., The Directions:


1. I boiled about 3 quarts of water while I cut up the chicken. After it came to a full boil, I turned it off and let it sit a few minutes.

2. The rice sticks come in three bundles. I took two or 2/3's of the package and put them in a metal bowl and poured the hot water over them, covered them and let them sit for 10 minutes.

3. I drained the noodles in a colander. Then I cut them up with a scissors and put them back in the metal bowl.

4. I rinsed the beansprouts in the colander and cut those with a scissors and left them there.

5. I scissor cut my Thai chili pepper including the seeds into pieces and knife cut 1-1/2 of my (cleaned of inner skin and seeded) Frenso chili peppers all on the same plate.

6. I poured the whole 4 cup box of Pacific Chicken Pho soup starter into the deep soup pan I boiled my water in. At first I didn't like the smell of the soup so much, but if that happens to you, just wait until the soup is brought to completion.

7.  When the soup starter mix came to a full boil, I threw in the 2-1/2 cups of cut up chicken, covered and turned the heat down to medium low. The chicken was cooked thoroughly in about 2-4 minutes.

7. Then I threw in my rice noodles, about 3 cups of my beansprouts, the chopped peppers and scissor cut a few fresh basil leaves, zested about 1/2 of a lime and squeezed 1-1/2 lime juice into it. I added 3 Tbsp. of Hoisin sauce, 6 Tbsp. of the Chili Sauce and black pepper to taste. Swished it around on simmer for about 1-2 minutes and served with fresh cilantro.

Yummmmm!

Now for the calorie countdown:

If you cook it like I just described above, 1/4th of the whole batch (a pretty big serving amounting to about two cups worth between the broth, the vegetables, the ingredients, and rice noodles) is about 194 calories. (1/8th is abut 97 calories.)

If you add in the extra two cups of beansprouts,  1/4 of the whole batch (a pretty big serving) is about 211 calories. (1/8th is about 106 calories.)

If you cook it using the above recipe, but use only 1/3 the package of rice sticks, then 1/4th of the whole batch is about 136 calories. Again a pretty big serving. (1/8th is about 68 calories.)

If you cook it with the extra two cups of beansprouts and don't use the rice sticks, a 1/4th serving then amounts to 93 calories. (1/8th is about 46 calories.)

If you use the gluten-free hoisin sauce, add 15 calories to 1/4th serving (or 8 calories to 1/8th).

You CAN have your rice and awesome taste and keep your diet too!

I can't wait to test drive this soup on my husband when he comes home tonight!

Bon Appétit!

And Kindest Regards from,

bbffair 

Note: 
This recipe is good for about eight servings, which can be perfect for a guest party first course. However, if you're not going to serve it on the first and second day, I'd recommend going with 1/2 of the above recipe as a better choice, because (due to the delicacy of both the bean sprouts and the rice sticks) it has a shorter refrigerator life than other soups.

Soup To Sooth A Delicate Tummy

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For The Delicate Stomach

Ever have some of those unhappy tummy days or nights?

They can be brought on by stress, too much acidic food or drink, and any number of things that might upset the balance we need to live well and happy lives.

Well, I have been having just so much of this the last month that I've looked into what I might do to sooth my tummy ache.


Here is what I've come up with. I am foregoing many of my favorite (and if you've read my posts, you know I love it spicy!) foods. Not forever, but just until I get my digestion and my stomach (and its distress) back in balance.

I am limiting my intake of acidic foods, spicy foods, dairy, gassy foods, heavy foods, gluten, wheat, sugar, and, (sigh), wine, and, (shaking my head), coffee. Just for a while.  I am upping my intake of probiotics to daily, along with my good fish oil, vitamin D, and other good vitamins and supplements that my health provider likes me to take.

And today, I needed a very digestible chicken-type soup and I came up with two very soothing, actually nicely satisfying soup recipes that can be made together. (I did anyway).  Easy to make, easy to digest, nourishing, and low in calories (so a good diet or detox soup too). (Always yea for that!).

Ingredients To Make Both Soups:

1-1/2 boxes of Pacific Organic Chicken Stock or Broth

2 cups of water

2 stalks of lemon grass

2 Tbsps of fresh grated ginger

1 handful of sliced  shiitake mushrooms

1 fresh zucchini

1 fresh yellow squash

pepper


 Soup #1:   Chicken Ginger Lemongrass Shiitake Soup

Preparation:

Peel the two lemon grass stalks by peeling and tossing out the outer layers to reveal the soft inside layer. Cut the buttery inside pieces from the base or root of the stalk upward into little, thin pieces. When you hear the "crunch," stop cutting. Throw the thin soft cut slices into a Magic Bullet and give it a few chops there. Add a half cup of water, shake it all up and set aside.

Cut the crunchy tops of the two peeled lemongrass stalks into thirds and bend.

Cut about two-three inches off a piece of fresh ginger. Peel by scraping the entire piece with the edge of a spoon until all the skin is removed. Then, over a bowl, grate the piece so that the stringy pieces stay on your side of the grater (that you will throw away) and the soft edible juice and pieces go into the bowl. You should have about 2 Tbsps.

Cut the stalks off the shiitake mushrooms and slice thin.

Cut up the zucchini and the yellow squash. Add pepper. Add about a cup of water and a cup of chicken stock and mix together in blender until it's all a thick liquid. Add a bit more chicken broth if it it resists blending.

Cooking Directions:

Bring one box (4 cups) of Organic Pacific Chicken Stock to a boil

Add in the big lemongrass pieces that you bent. (If you have one, use a Chinese strainer underneath.)  Boil for 4 minutes. Then Remove. (These pieces are too crunchy to be edible but add flavor.)

Add in the cut pieces and juice from your Magic Bullet. Boil another 4 minutes. You can add up to a cup of water and another cup of the chicken stock as it boils down.

Add in the grated ginger, medium boil another four minutes.

Add in the shiitake mushromms and simmer about 4 minutes on low.

Cover and keep on low.



(Time to start the second soup.)


Soup #2:   Soothing Squash Soup

You've already prepped so this will be very simple.

Cooking Directions:

Pour the zucchini and squash mixture into its own sauce pan.

Using a strainer and a soup ladle (that is typically a half cup in size), pour 2 cups (or four ladles) of the first soup into the squash soup.   Return the strained pieces and mushrooms to the first soup.

Mix the broth in. Bring to a boil, then immediately return to simmer and cover. Set the timer for 10-15 minutes.

Voila!


Now you have two extremely soothing soups that are both gentle and nourishing as well as tasty.

The mushroom soup has about 60 calories in the whole batch or 15 calories a cup.

The squash soup has 40-60 calories in the whole batch or about 10-15 calories a cup.

You can sip it or have several bowls of this throughout the day and keep your stomach happy, coated, nourished, and thus also more able to repair a tummy distress.

I added a cup of unsweetened almond milk to my afternoon for a little, gentle protein boost (1 gram) and 30 more calories and felt greatly healed.

Enjoy and here's hoping this makes even the most delicate stomach feel loved.

Kindest Regards,

bbffair

Yummy Summer Health Drinks! Wheat Grass and Strawberry Almond Smoothies

    

Yummy Summer Health Drinks:  

Wheat Grass  and Strawberry Almond Smoothies

I have a fab health drink that gets me balanced again on those days that I feel somewhat off, like I can't quite figure our what I need: fruit? more greens?  protein? missing vitamins? You know that feeling where there is sort of a hole or a need and you don't know what it is, but you definitely need something!

Well, I have a perfect solution for that, as well as a great low calorie pick-me-up:  It's my simple, handy-dandy (drum roll please):

"Strawberry Milk" by Rawich @  http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/agree-terms.php?id=10086166

 

Wheat Grass Smoothie:

It calls for 1 Cup of chilled Unsweetened (gluten free) Almond Milk (40 calories) 

and 

1 scoop of Amazing Grass (gluten free and raw) Wheat Grass Powder (another 35 calories)

  

 (+ sometimes some probiotics for good measure)

 

Give it a shake, throw it in the Magic Bullet and Voilà!

or

(Since it's SummerTime!)

"Pile Of Strawberries" by Ambro courtesy of http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/agree-terms.php

A Nice Strawberry Almond Smoothie:

 

This is such a pretty, as well as tasty, summer drink! 

 

Just add a half cup of fresh strawberries (23 calories) 

to

 1/2 cup of cold Almond Milk (20 calories)

Toss in the old blender

and  

Voilà again!

Hint: About 3 big strawberries = 1/2 cup, but I like to chop up three more (another 23 calories) to much along with my  smoothie)

 

Total Calories:  Wheat Grass Smoothie: 75 calories

Strawberry Almond Smoothie: 43 calories

Strawberry Almond Smoothie with 3 extra big strawberries to munch on too:  66 calories

and

!ALL OF IT IS GOOD FOR YOU!

 

Bon Appétit!

-bbffair

 

Note:  You can add the strawberries into the wheat grass smoothie if you want, but the strawberries will get lost in there, so I'd eat them on the side if you want a combo.

Re-Establishing Healthy Eating Patterns

Isn't this a beautiful tomato? Even seeing it appeals to me. Full of antioxidents and vitamins and flavor, the way food is supposed to appeal to us.

But what about the junk-food we take in?

It's been my own experience that you have to wean yourself from addictive, non-healthy eating patterns. For example, wheat, glutton, sugary deserts, starchy foods, wine, beer, fatty and fried food, cheese, artificial and overly processed foods are almost all culprits for many of us that lead our health astray. Not because they can't be fun in small or occasional doses, but because, when overly-consumed, they don't support our health.



[Tomatoes on the bush (from en:) Taken by en:User:Fir0002] 

 What is interesting is that the body, when acclimated to regular consumption of some of these "non-food food products," thinks and responds to them like they are necessary food. They are not.

However, until the body weans itself from these often addictive-like substances, it will still want them.

In my experience, replacing non-food food products with really, really delicious, healthy, life-impregnated, beautiful, and great tasting food is essential to that. You have to give the body something that it will like and learn to like more than the stuff that isn't so good for it. And the body needs time to re-realize that this healthy and delicious food ups the quality of energy, sleep, joy, and life itself.

I have a theory that it takes about five days to make the first shift towards that readjustment. At that point, you pass into the next stage, where you still might think about the life-depleting food, but you are actually starting to also experience actual nourishment. Three more days passes you through that danger period. Don't slip!

After this there are two more important shifts (of five days and three days each) wherein the draw towards life-depleting foods continues to ease up and disappear and a body readjustment occurs. In each phase, it gets easier because the body is getting better nutrients and starting to experience more health and balance. As the body feels better, it more easily convinces the mind that it likes healthy food choices too.

For example, I am allergic to wheat. One of the ways my body responds to that allergy, when exposed to too much wheat, is by craving it. (I found out that this is apparently a common reaction to a food allergy.) Now, I can still have occasional wheat in small doses, but if I have it all the time, my body starts to think it needs it.

When I've gotten myself to this point, I need to wean my body of it and the first five days without it are the hardest. After that, it's basically out of my system and the rest is more of a distancing from the wheat. Each stage frees my body–and my mind–from wanting this allergic substance more and more, and by Day 24, I am free of it and I have established a new, sustainable, nourishing eating pattern.

So, if you are giving up something not-so-good for you that you crave, understanding these weaning stages might be helpful:
Day 5 :   5 days gets bad foods out of system = less craving for them
Day 8 :   3 days past thinking you can now control the craving
Day 13:  5 days gets you further from the old cravings and gives body more healthy balance
Day 16:  3 days past a lighter temptation period to revert
Day 21:  5 days gets you further away from any lingering cravings and towards a more sustainable health
Day 24:  3 days past an even lighter mental temptation to revert

Good food satisfies the body. It does not make the body want to overeat (or give you headaches or put you in a bad mood or drain you of energy, etc.). And, yes, sometimes we all crave something a little salty, a little sweeter, a little more filling. But when the body is in balance, it will crave the healthier of those choices, not the least healthy.

-bbffair

Once Upon A Time in Mexico

Okay, here is a true story.

Once upon a time, (a long time ago), I was in college in Southern California and it was spring vacation. I didn't have a lot of money. So I got on a (very long) bus and went down, down, down into Mexico.

I got a cheap hotel. I walked to the beach every day and walked on the beach every day. I got sunburned. And, at the time, I didn't like or trust the food south of the border. So every day, I ate shrimp cocktail for lunch, snacks, and dinner.

Hmmm. Delicious! Yes!

When I got back, I had lost a LOT of weight and I was already thin and in shape.

Shrimp cocktail (and nice beach walking) can do wonders for a girl!

P.S. When I allocate one night (like Friday or movie night or dancing night out night) a week to a dinner of just a LOT of shrimp cocktail, (I often buy a pound and share it with my husband! Yep! That's a half-pound a piece!) my waistline gets trimmer naturally!

-bbffair

Shrimp Cocktail

What do you do when you had a very healthy, but too big meal?

Eat a Big *Shrimp Cocktail Only* dinner the next day!!!

Delicious, low in calories, high in yumm and feeling fed factor,
and back on track!

-bbffair