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Every Day Bone Broth

February 6, 2019
February 6, 2019

Bone broth is a staple in our home. I save bones from meals out, roast chicken, and bone-in cuts of meat we enjoy at home and it all gets thrown into the Instant Pot for a nutrient rich, homemade staple that gets used in rice, for soups, or even as a hot beverage when the temperature dips below 30 degrees. I always keep a stash of broth in the freezer for quick thawing and use in the kitchen.

Bone broth is rich in minerals and collagen and, while research is not definitive, historically and anecdotally we witness bone broth as being nourishing and restorative for those who are ill, helpful in healing the digestive tract, nourishing for autoimmunity and beneficial in injury or surgery recovery. I boost the mineral content further by adding seaweed or nettles to my brew, but these aren’t necessary if you do not have them on hand. Here are some other uses for bone broth:

  • Sauté cauliflower rice in bone broth for extra flavor
  • Drink it on cold days or when you are fighting seasonal illnesses
  • Make a quick gravy whenever you feel like it!
  • Braise meats and veggies with broth instead of water
  • Use instead of water for savory quinoa or rice dishes
  • Replace chicken or beef stock from the store with homemade bone broth when making soups
  • If you have a dehydrator, try dehydrating broth to make your own bouillon powder.
  • Add it to mashed potatoes or other mashed veggies

Bone broth is rich in collagen, making it an essential food for healthy skin and bones. I drank it throughout my pregnancy and my stretch marks were minimal, despite putting 60 pounds on my 5’2″ frame in my mid thirties. I attribute this mainly to the bone broth, as I’m the oldest in my family to deliver their first born and emerged with fewer stretch marks than those in the family who had their first children between 20 and 30, and gained less weight than I did. This experience has made me a lifelong fan!

Cooking bone broth in a pressure cooker several hours or a slow cooker for 24 hours or longer will soften the bones and allow minerals such as calcium and iron and other minerals as well as amino acids that may benefit gut, skin and joint health to enrich the broth. If using a chicken carcass, I simmer my broth until I can crush the bones with my hands. This can take 18-24 hours in a slow cooker (add water once or twice throughout the simmering period) or 1-2 hours in an Instant Pot.

Over time I have deviated from the recipe below and now just add kitchen scraps (onion skins, celery, zucchini ends, etc) that I store in the freezer with leftover bones and random herbs, but the recipe below is a great place to start if you are introducing yourself to making your own broth. Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Homemade Bone Broth

 

  • 1 pound of scrap bones (soup bones, chicken carcass, marrow bones, etc)
  • 3-5 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 2 carrots, sliced lengthwise and coarsely chopped
  • 2 parsnips, cut lengthwise and coarsely chopped
  • 3 stalks celery, leaves included, coarsely chopped
  • 1 inch piece of ginger, sliced
  • 1/2 onion (no need to peel or chop)
  • 3 pieces of wakame (OPTIONAL: this sea veg is rich in iron, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and other trace minerals)
  • 6-8 peppercorns
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 8 cups of filtered water
  • 2 tbsp. vinegar (critical – it’s acidic nature is key to pulling minerals from deep within bones)
  • 1 tbsp. fish sauce (adds a nice depth of flavor)
  • Salt to taste

Slowcooker Instructions:

1) Crush garlic and set aside.

2) Place veggies and bones into slow cooker pot. Add sea vegetables and spices.

3) Cover with water, vinegar and fish sauce.

4) Set slow cooker on low for 18-24 hours.

5) Strain broth, discarding vegetables. Bones may be saved and reused once if desired.

Makes 2 quarts of broth.

 

Instant Pot Instructions:

1) Crush garlic and set aside.

2) Place veggies and bones into Instant pot. Add sea vegetables and spices.

3) Cover with water, vinegar and fish sauce.

4) In Manual mode, set Instant Pot to pressure cook for 1 hour.

5) Strain broth, discarding vegetables. Bones may be saved and reused once if desired.

Makes 2 quarts of broth.

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7 Healthy Habits to Reach 10 a Day

January 23, 2019
January 23, 2019

It’s no secret that we all need to be eating more fruits and vegetables. The USDA recommends that Americans get 5-9 servings per day, and only 1 in 10 of us are able to achieve even 3 servings of vegetables daily. However, epidemiological research shows that the greatest reduction in disease risk happens in those who consume 10 servings of produce a day (curious? Read more here). When we consume 10 servings of produce daily, the risk of succumbing to 9 of the top ten causes of death in the United States plummets. Therefore, the single greatest impact you can have on your health is increasing your intake of fruits and vegetables. Because fruit is easier to access and consume, the bulk of this post is about increasing your vegetable servings.

  1. Always have frozen veg on hand: Access to frozen vegetables allows easy, quick solutions on days you realize no vegetables were planned for dinner or are too tired to cook. Add them to a soup, roast or sauté them, or simply thaw in the microwave and top with your favorite sauce (pesto, peanut sauce, marinara, etc).
  2. Roast a sheet pan of vegetables weekly: bulk prep of vegetables is a great way to have access to an abundance of produce, especially during the winter months. Roasted veggies last several days in the fridge and using a sheet pan will easily allow you to cook 10-15 servings in a single go.
  3. Add veggies to your breakfast: practically unheard of in the United States, yet vegetables often have a place at breakfast tables in other nations. Use roasted veg as a bed for your morning eggs, add spinach or kale to a protein smoothie, or fold last night’s sautéed veggies into an omelet or scramble. You can even try a savory grain based porridge (polenta, oats, quinoa) with egg, bacon and vegetables. Students of my Vibrant veggies class reported morning veggies as the single biggest game changer in their quest for 10 a Day.
  4. Choose vegetable based snacks: instead of chips and salsa, try red pepper strips, jicama, and celery with hummus. Remember “Ants on a Log” from kindergarten? Celery and nut butter is still a hit with the adult crowd (raisins add bonus points). Have a warm cup of vegetable soup in the winter as a snack if raw, cold foods are unappealing
  5. Keep Fruits out Front and Center: A bowl of fruit is naturally appealing and if it is literally in front of you it makes for an easy choice. Keep more travel-friendly fruits such as apples, citrus and bananas in the car, in your backpack or briefcase, and at your desk for effortless consuming.
  6. Sneak Them in Everywhere: Add extra vegetables to soups, spaghetti sauces, and even meatballs and meatloaf! I routinely sneak in shredded carrots and shaved brussels sprouts into meatloaf and marinara to get even more produce into my child, and it works great for us as well
  7. Always be on the Prowl: In my vegetable based challenges and programs I teach people to think of themselves as veg hunters. Veg hunters are always on the prowl and seeking produce wherever they go. Whether or not you order vegetables, seek them out on restaurant menus and ask yourself at every meal, “Where are my vegetables?”. By making them your focus, you naturally increase your consumption of them, making 10 a Day a realistic, daily achievement.

Veg hunters are always on the prowl!

Multiple times a year I host challenges and coach groups on boosting produce intake. We go far beyond what is here and I help each person overcome the obstacles that limit them in achieving this most important goal. Those who boost their produce intake to 8 or more servings daily consistently report less pain, better moods, better digestion and increased, yet stable energy improvements. If you’re interested in becoming a veg hunter, sign up for my free guide below, “5 a Day in 15 Minutes or Less” to gain access to more tips. You’ll also be alerted to when the next program becomes available and receive several additional tips and recipes to make getting 10 a Day easier than you thought possible!

 

 

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Instant Pot Detox Mashed Fauxtatoes

January 18, 2019
January 18, 2019
Image may contain: food
I’m so excited about these mashed fauxtatoes! The CSA box delivered Jerusalem artichokes (also known as sunchokes) and a cauliflower that was wasting away without purpose finally found a home. The result? MAGIC.

Winter’s sunchokes and cauliflower pair together for a subtlety sweet, satisfying replacement for mashed potatoes…PERFECT for when winter has you craving all the carbs.

Sunchokes (also known as Jerusalem artichokes) are a root vegetable, similar to yams, sweet potatoes and carrots. At first glance, they look a lot like ginger, as they are much smaller than most root veggies and knobby, just like ginger is. Sunchokes are filled with a special fiber called inulin which feeds beneficial bacteria in the gut (like Lactobacillus species) and contributes to production of short chain fatty acids like butyrate, which also improve the quality and integrity of the gut walls while also providing food for the cells that line the intestinal wall. Increasing your prebiotics can even help you absorb more minerals from the food you eat by supporting a healthy bacterial milieu.  Did you know that the gut is the second most prolific detox organ?? By supporting gut health,  your liver has an easier go of it.
Speaking of detoxification, cauliflower is one of the wonder foods in this area. Like its other cruciferous cousins, it’s rich in sulfurophane which helps the body render toxins like xenoestrogens and BPA harmless enough to leave the body and also breaks down bile acids and some hormones and neurotransmitters.

This excellent side dish supports gut and liver health and is a great addition to any winter detox or post-holiday cleansing diet. I added a little ghee for richness, but olive oil, coconut oil, or flax oil could be incorporated here if you prefer.

Ingredients

1 pound sunchokes (also known as Jerusalem artichokes)
1 small head cauliflower
1 cup water
1 steamer basket
sea salt and pepper, to taste
(optional: 1-2 tbsp. ghee, butter, or non-dairy substitute)

Directions:

  1. Scrub sunchokes with a stiff brush under water to remove any soil. Leave the skins on, as they contain fiber and beneficial antioxidants.
    Cut the cauliflower into large chunks.
  2. Pour water into the bottom of the instant pot. Add the steamer basket and then layer the sunchokes in the basket. Add the cauliflower on top.
  3. Turn on the Instant Pot and set to Manual for 8 minutes. Let the InstantPot release pressure naturally.
  4. Remove sunchokes and cauliflower and place in a Vitamix or food processor. Pulse on low to mix, adding hot water if needed to thin the mix. If using butter (or a substitute) add it here, as the solid fat will melt quickly and incorporate into the fautatoes well. Add salt and pepper and pulse once more, then remove and pour into a bowl.

No Instant pot?

Steam sunchokes on the stove for about 10 minutes. Add the cauliflower florets and continue steaming until cauliflower is very tender. Proceed with Step 4.

Serves 4-6.

 

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Resources:

Abrams S. Griffin I. Abstract number 821:Calcium absorption is increased in adolescent girls receiving enriched inulin. Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition. 2000; 31: s210.

De Preter, V., Joossens, M., Ballet, V., Shkedy, Z., Rutgeerts, P., Vermeire, S., & Verbeke, K. (2013). Metabolic profiling of the impact of oligofructose-enriched inulin in Crohn’s disease patients: a double-blinded randomized controlled trial. Clinical and translational gastroenterology, 4(1), e30.

Van den Heuvel EG; et al.: Nondigestible oligosaccharides do not interfere with calcium and nonheme-iron absorption in young, healthy men. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 1998 Mar, 67:3, 445-51.

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