Carrot and Ginger Soup

This is a hearty warming soup, filled with vitamin A and herbs which will prepare your respiratory system for exposure to colds and flu. It has a subtle curry flavor.

Ingredients:

2 Tbs. butter
1 medium onion, chopped
2 Tbs. curry powder
2 Tbs. fresh ginger, chopped fine
2 Tbs. fenugreek seed, ground
1 Tbs. coriander seed, ground
8 - 10 cardamom pods, ground
1 Tbs. kelp or dulse
1 1/2 pounds carrots, chopped into 1/2 - 1 inch chunks
1 cup red lentils
6 cups soup stock or water
1 Tbs. miso for each serving
1/4 cup milk, nut milk, or cream for each serving (optional)


In the bottom of the soup pot, saute the onion for 3 - 5 minutes until they start to become clear.
Add the spices and sea veggies. Cook a couple minutes longer.
Stir in the carrots (preferably organic - they make a tastier soup), cooking for another 5 minutes.
Add stock and lentils.
Bring almost to a boil, just at the liquid starts to steam.
Simmer over low heat for 45 minutes to an hour until the carrots and lentils are quite soft.
Liquify the soup with a hand blender or VitaMix.
Ladle soup into bowls, adding milk, if desired, and a dollop of miso.

Serve with a good hearty pumpernickel bread or whole wheat crackers.

Apple, Date, Cinnamon Cookies

My son and I made these this afternoon to send to my children who will not be able to be with us for Christmas.

They are very moist and delicate cookies will a low sugar content.

This recipe makes about a dozen cookies.

Mix together in a large bowl:
1 Granny Smith apple, cored and chopped
1/2 cup dates, soaked, pitted, and chopped

Beat together in separate bowl:
1 Tablespoon oil or melted butter (I used sesame oil)
2 Tablespoons honey or agave
1 egg

Stir together in a small bowl:
2 Tablespoons garbanzo flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon kelp or dulse
1/4 teaspoon green stevia powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Mix wet ingredients into apple, date mixture. Stir in dry ingredients thoroughly.

Drop by Tablespoon fulls on well greased cookie sheet (or use parchment paper as they do stick on the edges).

Bake in 350 degree Fahrenheit oven for 20 - 22 minutes, until edges start to brown.

Let cool completely before trying to remove from baking sheet.

Saint Hildegard Cookies of Joy

Hildegard von Bingen was born in 1098. She was a visionary, a Benedictine abbess, a scholar and correspondent with popes, scholars, kings and queens. Her writings include books of natural science, medicine, theology, metaphysics and music. She is the composer and lyricist for the earliest recorded music by a woman. As a scientist and healer, she promoted natural medicine that integrated physical, psychological, and spiritual healing. She proposed principles for a balanced diet and explored the medicinal uses of plants, animals, and trees.

She recommended them for slowing the aging process, creating a cheerful countenance, lightening a heavy heart, and releasing intelligence. "Eat them often," she says, "and they will calm every bitterness of heart and mind - and your hearing and senses will open. Your mind will be joyous, and your senses purified, and harmful humours will diminish..."

This is an adaptation of St. Hildegard's recipe (from a circa 1157 treatise Physica: Liber Simplicis Medicine). The saint was particularly fond of recommending spelt grain, so I included a suggestion to use flour made from spelt.

cream together:

1/2 cup softened butter
1/2 cup honey
1 egg

In separate bowl, mix together:

2 cups flour (spelt, whole wheat, or 1/2 cup garbanzo flour + 1 1/2 cups wheat)
1 Tbs baking soda
1 tsp dulse or kelp (optional, but this adds valuable trace minerals)
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
3/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 Tbsp ground fenugreek (optional)
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped almonds or walnuts (optional)

Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients.
Pour liquid ingredients in well and mix into dry ingredients.
Chill in refrigerator to cool, to make it easier to work with (optional).
Form into walnut sized balls.
Place on greased and floured cookie sheet.
Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes.

Makes 20 - 24 cookies.