Pho

Recipe Status: Pho is my go to soup for when I'm sick. The marrow from the chicken bones is good for your body, and the spices are very healing and soothing to your digestive system. I've made this multiple times, most batches have been heavenly, and some have been meh, but I'm sure I've figured out the perfect recipe for me. Bonus: Your house will smell AHHHHMAZING!

In a large tea infuser or cheesecloth, place the following spices:

5 Star anise seeds
6 whole cloves
1-2 cinnamon sticks depending on size
6 cardamom pods
3 tbsp fennel seeds
3 tbsp whole peppercorns
2 tbsp whole coriander
1 whole onion, peeled with ends trimmed off
3-4 inch piece of ginger, peeled and cut in smaller pieces
3 large cans/boxes chicken stock
1 flat of chicken drumsticks

• In a large pot, place spice packet, onion, ginger, chicken stock and chicken legs. Simmer on low for a few hours.

• As soon as the chicken is cooked (and this is very important so it doesn't turn mushy) remove the chicken legs from the pot. As soon as they've cooled down enough, separate the meat from the bones, and place in a bowl in the fridge. Throw away the skins and cartilage, and put the leg bones back in to the pot to continue to simmer. This is when you get all the healthy marrow. 

• Continue to simmer a few hours, and when you're ready to serve, remove bones, onion and ginger pieces from the broth and discard. 

While Pho is simmering, prepare/dice/shred the following items (to taste) to put in your bowls:

White onions

Green onions
Carrots
Cilantro
Lime
Basil
Bean Sprouts
Cabbage 

Prepare rice noodles per package instructions. They'll stick in a clump, that's okay. 

Assembling your pho bowls: 

Place, to taste, any or all of the suggested ingredients in the bowl. Add chicken and noodles, then ladle broth over everything and fill the bowl. Add a few drops of hot chile or hoisin sauce if you'd like. Stir it all together and squeeze a lime wedge over it. Enjoy! 

*Note: when leftover broth is stored in the fridge, it will thicken and will be slightly gelatinous. That's how it's supposed to be. Just warm it back up and it'll liquify.

Pumpkin Coconut Curry

Recipe Status: Delicious. Just trying to figure out how to make it less runny. Perhaps less broth. Also this doesn't specifically call for Curry powder. The spices that are in this are common spices in a Curry blend. If you have a favorite curry blend, feel free to substitute about 4 T of it for the turmeric, cumin and coriander. Also, I prefer it without the red pepper flakes, but that's just me.

*The Thai Carrots are PERFECT with this, by the way. ;)

1-1.5 pounds chicken breast halves, cut into small pieces

2 tsp poultry seasoning

2 T olive oil

4 pounds pumpkin, peeled, seeded and cubed

2 T butter

2 onions, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 (1 inch) pieces fresh ginger root, finely chopped

2 T coriander

2 T cumin

1-2 pinches turmeric

1-2 tsp red pepper flakes (opt)

1 cup canned coconut milk

2 cups chicken broth

Salt to taste

Season the chicken pieces with the poultry seasoning and set aside. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet, or pot. Cook chicken until browned on the outside and cooked all the way through. Remove chicken and set aside.

Melt the butter in the pot over med-low heat. Saute the onion, garlic and ginger until the onion is transparent. Add coriander, cumin, turmeric and red pepper. Cook until spices are fragrant. Add pumpkin, chicken, coconut milk & broth. Season with salt to taste. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, until the pumpkin is soft. Do not over cook, the pumpkin will get mushy! Serve over Basmati rice.

Pumpkin Harvest Cookies (Kerstin's Sweet Spicy Goodness)

Recipe status: These are the ultimate health nut harvest cookie. There is no sugar other than the natural sugar in the pumpkin (and the sugar from the morsels). It's almost like having one of those nature bars, or a very chewy granola bar. I will definitely be packing these on my hikes.

1 small can pumpkin

1 stick butter

1 tsp vanilla

1 egg

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

(or 1/2 tsp each nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger & allspice)

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 cup wheat flour

1 cup flour

1 cup combination of any of the following: Chopped pecans, walnuts or cashews, sunflower or pumpkin seeds, golden raisins, craisins or raisins *

1 cup butterscotch or cinnamon morsels, carob or chocolate chips

Blend pumpkin and butter. Mix in egg & vanilla. Add dry ingredients until completely blended. Fold in remaining nuts, berries & morsels.

Drop by spoonfuls on a baking sheet about an inch apart. These hardly spread, so press them down a bit. Bake @ 375° for 12-15 minutes, depending on size. I've been told these freeze well. Not sure of these will last long enough to find out.

*In addition to the 1 cup, I also added a cup of uncooked 9 grain cereal (looks like oats) & a handful of shredded zucchini because I so desired. Had I had any flaked coconut left, I'd have added that also. Not the sweetened coconut, but the dried shaved coconut from the bulk bin at the health food store. That would have been amazing.

Orange Ginger Chicken (HCG Friendly)

Recipe Status: I guess I've been spoiled with orange chicken recipes that have been very bold in flavor and at times very spicy. This in comparison was very bland. I liked it okay, but if I made it again, I'd definitely have to spice it up. A little cayenne and crushed red peppers, probably. Oh and more ginger. I could not taste any ginger. :(

100 g chicken breast, cut into cubes

1 orange cut into quarters

2-3 cloves minced garlic

1 tbsp fresh ginger root (roughly 1/2" to 1" piece of root)

1/2 tsp basil

Juice from half a lemon

Pepper to taste

Sprinkle chicken with pepper. Add chicken to heated pan and stir fry until all edges are no longer pink. Add garlic and cook 1 additional minute. Squeeze juice of orange quarters & lemon over chicken, then peel and separate sections of orange and add to the chicken. Stir in ginger & basil. Cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes.

*This counts as one meat and one fruit serving.

Ginger Mahi Mahi (HCG Friendly)

Recipe Status: I was hesitant at first because of the tomatoes. But I was pleasantly surprised at how good it was. Somewhat of a fresh marinara on the fish.

Song: It's not over - Client

1oo g mahi mahi, or any white fish

1 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp ginger

Pepper to taste

1 tomato, sliced

Juice from half a lemon

Place whitefish on top of a large sheet of aluminum foil. Cover with garlic, ginger and pepper.

Place tomatoes on top of seasoned fish & squeeze lemon juice over tomatoes.

Fold foil into a pouch and seal top and ends.

Bake @ 350° for 10-20 min (depending on thickness of fish) or until fish flakes.

*This counts as one meat and one vegetable serving.