Amys Immune Boosting Juice

Blah, Im sick at home with a head cold today.  I think I can blame it this time on a compromised immune system from staying up late and drinking a bit too much over the weekend.  Luckily, at work I have been switched over to a laptop with docking stations at both of my offices, so I was able to take it home and get some work done this afternoon.  Before sitting down to work, I decided a nice fruit and vegetable juice could help kick my immune system back into gear.

Amys Immune Boosting Juice

Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 1-4 (makes about 4 cups)

Ingredients:

4 green tart apples, cored
2 medium oranges, peeled
1 large grapefruit, peeled
1 lb organic carrots, tops removed
1 beetroot, peeled
2 inches peeled fresh ginger (optional)

Instructions:

1. Wash and prep all ingredients.
2. Run through a juicer extractor (citrus juicers wont work for this).
3. Stir, skim off any excess foam, and serve over ice or chilled from the fridge.
4. Consume the same day to take advantage of the fresh immune boosting juice!

Amys Notes:
This juice was so pleasantly sweet from the fruit and carrots, but had a wonderful earthy taste from the beet.  I could tell after I had drank some of the juice my energy levels seemed to be up, and I was able to concentrate better as I worked.  I just know that all of those fresh nutrients are doing wonders to help my immune system fight off this cold.

As another note, I did not have ginger on hand to use in this recipe, but if I did, I would have tossed it in there.  Not only does it give any juice it is in a nice sweet, clean tang, but it is another great one for your immune system.

For those of you that are interested, here is some more information about the immune boosting power of all of the ingredients from my juice today:

Apples: Apples contain quercitin, a flavonoid antioxidant which has immune boosting properties. Quercitin reduces the incidence of the common cold, has anti-inflammatory properties, benefits the heart, reduces risk of cancer, and also helps prevent allergies. Since apples are abundant in the fall I always like to include them in my juice recipes. (source)

Oranges:  Juice from oranges give your body a kick of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Folate or Vitamin B-9, and Copper.  All are vital nutrients in a well functioning immune system.  (source)

Grapefruit:  Like oranges, grapefruit is packed with Vitamin C.  Vitamin C-rich foods like grapefruit may help reduce cold symptoms or severity of cold symptoms; over 20 scientific studies have suggested that vitamin C is a cold-fighter. (source)

Carrots: Carrots are one of the most overlooked vegetables for overall health. They benefit the heart, lungs, skin, eyes, and  immune system. Carrots contain beta carotene which fights infection. Other orange vegetables such as butternut squash, pumpkin, and sweet potatoes also contain beta carotene as well as vitamin C, another immune boosting nutrient. (source)

Beets: Beet juice does not only enhance the immune system; it can also benefit your health in other ways.  Some of the essential nutrients that are present in beet juice are beta carotene, vitamin C, carotenoids, sulfur, calcium, iron, manganese, and potassium choline.  This drink can improve the function of the brain, cleanse blood, and strengthen the gallbladder and liver.  (source)

Ginger root: Check out this list of reasons ginger is great for your immune system.

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Amys Favorite Lentil Soup

I know for some of the U.S., that nasty winter weather is still holding on.  In Eastern Washington we have been experiencing  the usual sporadic spring weather we are used to, but in light of the rainy conditions the last few days, I thought a nice warming soup was in order.

If you talk to just about any plant-based vegetarian, they all have their own spin on lentil soup.  My moms lentil soup comes with just about every veggie under the sun, including broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts, depending on what she has in her fridge at the time.  My version is a little bit more simple, but oboy is it good!

What makes lentil soups such a popular go-to?  First off, lentils are easy-peasy to cook up in a soup from dried lentils.  Most types of dried lentils cook within 30 minutes, compared to dried beans that take soaking and cooking for a few hours (unless you have a pressure cooker, that is).  Lentils also have a great texture and go along very well with all sorts of veggies.  Lentil soups are also welcoming to all sorts of spice, herb, and flavor combinations.  I have tried a lentil soup that even added in some fresh lemon juice at the end, and it was an interesting and delicious kick!

For my household, lentil soup is always a favorite.  Even my husband, who is a die-hard meat and potatoes man, comes home at the end of the day wanting some of "whatever smells so good in our kitchen."  Over time, I have found that I can sneak in more veggies for Kevin if I chop them very small into a soup, but feel free to make your lentil soup as chunky as you want!

Amys Favorite Lentil Soup

Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 4-6

Ingredients:
    Vegetables: approximately 4 cups total
        2 cloves garlic, pressed
        1/4 large yellow onion, finely chopped
        3 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
        2 celery sticks, roughly chopped
        4-6 mushrooms, roughly chopped
    Lentils: 1+1/2 cups total, rinsed and drained
        1/2 cup dry brown lentils
        1/2 cup dry french green lentils
        1/2 cup dry red lentils
    Liquid and Spices:
        4 cups water
        2 cups vegetable stock
        1/2 Tbsp no-salt seasoning
        1 tsp cumin spice
        1 bay leaf
        pepper to taste

Instructions:
1.)  Chop all vegetables as desired.  You can add or subtract any vegetables depending on your personal tastes or what you happen to have on hand, but make sure it adds up to 4 cups of chopped veggies.
2.)  Over medium heat in a large soup pot or dutch oven, dry sauté the garlic and chopped vegetables until tender and the onion in partially translucent, stirring frequently.
3.)  Add the lentils, liquids, and spices to the pot, stirring to combine.  Bring to a simmer, then turn to medium low heat and cover, simmering for 30 minutes, or until the lentils are cooked.
4.)  Remove the bay leaf, season with pepper, and serve steaming hot.

Amys Notes:
Feel free to make this lentil soup to your tastes.  If you hate celery, but love broccoli, switch them out.  Or, if you have some Brussels sprouts that you are needing to use up, chop those up and throw them in!

Similarly with the lentils, if you dont have red lentils and just want to use brown lentils, feel free to mix up the lentil ratios!  Just make sure to add 1.5 cups of dried lentils total.

If you would like even more veggies in your soup, add some greens at the end of cooking.  If you would like to do this, then at the end of simmering, add in some washed and chopped dark greens.  Stir over the heat until the greens are wilted and serve.  I added some spinach to mine today, but and dark green such as kale, collard greens, Swiss chard, beet greens, etc. would work just fine.

This recipe is great to make ahead of time and reheat throughout the week.  Sometimes I make a double batch and freeze half of it for meals to defrost in the future.  Like many soups, this one tastes even better the next day!

What do you put in your version of lentil soup?

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Happy Fall from Amys Nutritarian Kitchen!

I have mentioned probably about a million times on this blog how much I love fall... I love pumpkins and apples and crisp temperatures and cozy blankets and rainy days.  But, before I start sounding too much like a "Basic B*tch", Id like to share some of our new houses fall/Halloween decor I have recently put up.

Last Wednesdays decorating started with stopping by my favorite farm stand for some pumpkins.  The three big pumpkins were $10, while each set of three little pumpkins were $1.  $12.  Not bad for so much fall color!  I sent this picture to my husband before heading home.  
I bet he was thinking "So it has begun..."

The mini pumpkins went perfectly on our front living room mantle.  This room doesnt have much in it to begin with (which I am currently working on, but that is a post for another day).  The one extra white (pokemon) pumpkin went on a coffee table for decoration.  In case you are wondering, the three pictures above are of old Tacoma, WA (30 minutes from where we live).  Kevin estimates that the two on the right are early 1900s, while the left is a bit later around the 1930s.  Several months ago my work was going to get rid of these out of someones office who had left the company years ago.  I snagged them and they fit our front room perfectly.  

Here is where the three larger pumpkins went along with some purple string lights, spider web net, a metal pumpkin patch sign, and a scarecrow.  Other people on our block go all-out for Halloween with fake gravestones in their yards, strobe lights, and black lights, but I think for our first year owning a home, this will do.

Here is bit of a better view with our porch light on.  Poor Kevin that first night after I put up decorations.  We were cozy in bed when I remembered that I forgot to turn off the purple lights.  I wasnt sure how warm they might get against the spiderweb and if that could be a fire hazard, so Kevin went out and turned them on.  What a gentleman!  Hehe!  I think I will work on getting a timer for the lights that we can use later for Christmas lights this winter.

Here is a closer view of the fall wreath that I made for the house a few weeks ago.  I purchased all of my supplies from Michaels for only $20 and put it together myself.  Not bad when the pre-made wreaths at craft stores go for $30-$75 depending on their size.

What things are you doing around your place to enjoy the spirit of fall?


Health and Happiness,

Amy

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