Keto

Gut Healing & Immune Boosting Soup

Are you looking for a soup that will ease your tummy troubles or chase that cold or flu away? Do you just want a really tasty healthy soup? Well, I have the answer for you: this soup! What is so great is you can add or remove the veggies you want or to achieve the results you’d like. If you aren’t making this for kids or those sensitive to heat, go ahead and add Siracha (I just add it to each persons’ bowl individually so they can adjust to taste), but that stuff will chase congestion away in a second! You can even add more seasonings, like cinnamon and turmeric… they have awesome healing properties to them! Below I have put together some of the highlights of the benefits of each ingredient in this soup. I didn’t mention the awesome benefits of the Bone Broth, because I dedicated a whole blog post to that!

Bok Choy

A Powerhouse Veggie! Loaded with the vitamins and minerals responsible for helping your immune system function, & shields you from free radicals!

Celery

Enhances your immune system& loaded with antioxidants!

Kale

Kale can legitimately be called a superfood, aids in DNA cell repair, while at the same time slowing the growth of cancer cells, can ease lung congestion, and is beneficial to your stomach, liver, and immune system.

Baby Bella Mushrooms

Low in saturated fat and cholesterol and high in fiber, Baby Bella’s are an excellent source of copper, which your body needs to produce red blood cells and carry oxygen through your body.

Bell Peppers

Bell peppers are rich in vitamin C, they contain more than twice the vitamin C of an orange, helps protect against scurvy, & boosts the immune system.

Zucchini

Zucchini is also a wonderful source of potassium, a heart-friendly nutrient that helps moderate your blood pressure levels and counters the effects of too much sodium. In fact, a zucchini has more potassium than a banana.

Garlic

Numerous studies show garlic’s amazing health potential in nearly every area of the body, from removing heavy metals to the prevention of numerous ailments, such as the common cold, hardening of the arteries, and gangrene, destroying contaminants in baby formula, and even in slowing the aging process.

Ginger

A good source of vitamin C, magnesium, potassium, copper, and manganese, ginger promotes the release of intestinal gas; it relaxes and soothes the intestinal tract. That means it can settle an upset stomach, relieve vomiting, and ease gas and diarrhea discomfort; but it’s also effective in preventing nausea in the first place.

Green Onions

Full of Vitamin A, C, K, Potassium, Foliate, & Iron! They’re also traditionally used in the treatment of colds, influenza, abdominal pain, headache, and heart disease

Cilantro

Rids the Body of Heavy Metals
Protects Against Oxidative Stress
Lowers Anxiety and Improves Sleep
Lowers Blood Sugar Levels
Protects Against Cardiovascular Disease
Prevents Urinary Tract Infections
Settles Digestive Upset
Protects Against Food Poisoning
Supports Healthy Menstrual Function
Prevents Neurological Inflammation
Protects Against Colon Cancer
Soothes Skin Irritations

Mint

Can help with the symptoms of the common cold by acting as a natural decongestant. Helps with indigestion and gas due to its soothing properties. It also helps protect the lining in the stomach, which helps prevent gastric ulcers.

Star Anise

Star anise is rich in antioxidants and vitamin A and C
The oil produced from star anise is used for treating cough and flu.
Anise also helps improve digestion, alleviate cramps and reduce nausea.
Consuming star anise tea after meals helps treat digestive ailments such as bloating, gas, indigestion, and constipation.

Gut Healing & Immune Boosting Soup

This soup is rich with all the good nutrients you need to heal your gut and fight off the cold or flu! The things you can do with this soup are LIMITLESS!

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course, Side Dish, Soup

Cuisine: Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese

Keyword: Chicken soup, cold, flu, glycine, Gut healing, gut health, leaking gut, Pho, soup for the soul

Servings: people

Author: sweetnsassyeats

Ingredients

2 tbsp Coconut Oil
2 tbsp Ginger minced
2 tbsp Garlic minced
1/2 cup Green Onions chopped
2 whole Star Anise
1/2 cup Tamari Sauce or Soy Sauce
2 tbsp Red Curry Paste
1 whole Red Bell Peppers washed & sliced
8 oz Mushrooms washed & sliced
1/2 bunch Cilantro washed & chopped
2 tbsp Mint washed & chopped
1 whole Sweet Potato peeled & diced
1 whole Zucchini washed & chopped
1 whole Bok Choy washed & chopped
1/2 bunch Kale chopped
8 Cups Bone Broth homemade or store bought
1 lb Rice Noodles
1 whole Lemons juiced

Instructions

Heat 1 tbsp Coconut Oil in a large pot over med-high heat.
Add ginger, garlic and green onions, stir and saute 1-2 min. Add Star Anise & mushrooms, saute 2-3 min
Add white ends of bok choy and sweet potatoes, and 1 tbsp coconut oil, saute 2-3 min
Add Tamari Sauce & Red curry paste, stir & simmer 5 min
Add remaining veggies (including bok choy greens, but reserve 1/2 cilantro & mint for later) and stir. Add 8 cups of Bone Broth and bring to boil. (if you prefer your vegetable crisper, add the remaining veggies after noodles are cooked.
Add rice noodles and cook until soft. (according to package instructions). Top with remaining cilantro and mint, and squeeze lemon juice. Stir & serve. Serve with Sriracha on the side!

Video

Bone Broth

So for years, I have been making this awesome, super healthy and now SUPER trendy broth called Bone Broth. I didn’t realize how amazing this stuff was and was always confused on why my homemade broth would gel up when cooled… but HEY it tasted GREAT so who cares?!

Turns out that the Bone Broth I made every year after Thanksgiving Day was incredibly healthy for you in so many ways and that I could do the same thing with other animal bones for different flavors and applications. It also makes me feel SUPER cool to be able to use literally EVERY PART of that Turkey or other animals in every way.

So What Can This Powerful Brew Actually Do?

Bone broth can strengthen and improve:

Digestion
Immunity
Liver detoxification
Joints and cartilage
Bones and teeth
Hair, skin, and nails.

Have you heard of “Leaky Gut”?

So many of us (due to stress and environmental factors) deal with some form of the leaky gut syndrome. Bone broth has Glutamine and Glycine in it that are both important nutrients that help heal the small holes in your gut lining and normalize the acid production in your stomach. The Glycine also helps in detoxing your liver!

For your joints, cartilage, bones, teeth, hair skin and nails, the Glycine and the Proline (that are released from the gelatin found in bone broth) are the two materials your body needs to rebuild tendons, ligaments and other connective tissue like skin. These all help your body create collagen to help repair and rebuild your body!

Basically, this is a heal all broth that you should really make a part of your daily consumption… you can either drink it straight OR make it into yummy soups (my favorite way to enjoy it).

What do I need to make this?

So making Bone Broth is PRETTY simple. You can do it in a slow cooker/ electric roaster, instant pot or on the stove. I prefer the roaster for a couple reasons:

The size, in the electric roaster I can make a TON of broth at once and it can hold my whole turkey carcass.
I can have it run for the 24-48 hrs with less stress than having an open flame on my stove running that long.
Flavor… the instant pot can make both broths very quickly (4hrs vs. 48hrs) BUT the flavor you get from slow and low roasting it I think is WAY better, plus I think it pulls more nutrients out.

HOW I MAKE MY BONE BROTH:

I like to use COLD bones. Usually, I freeze my animal bones until I have enough to make a large batch. For my Turkey, I break all the pieces down and put into freezer bags and freeze until I am ready to make it. (Typically I need a break from cooking after Thanksgiving and do not want to make anything for a couple days).
Put cold bones in electric roaster pan; add enough COLD water to barely cover the bones (typically around 2 gallons).
Add 2 TB of Apple Cider Vinegar, and allow it to sit for 30min before turning on the heat. (This helps the vinegar begin to break things down and pull more good stuff out).
Add veggies ends (as in onion ends, celery ends, carrot ends, garlic cloves etc) & herbs.
Turn heat to med-high and cover & bring to boil
Once at a boil, drop the temp to keep it at JUST ABOUT TO BOIL. (Typically around 175-200 degrees for me). Keep covered.
Let it simmer for 24-48 hrs until everything is really broken down well. If water is getting low… add more. YOU DO NOT WANT IT TO DRY OUT, you need the broth!
Strain out everything with a colander and cheesecloth.
Pour into a container to cool, once fully cold, it should “gel” up and that means you did it right! To Store, you can freeze (I’d recommend freezing in 8oz portions for ease of use).

I love to make soups out of this Broth and here are some of my favorite recipes for them:

Brussel Sprout Salad

I am always on the lookout for a delicious and healthy salad to compliment my holiday meals. I want it to be healthy but not filled with a ton of ingredients, just simple, healthy and tasty. And this recipe hits the nail on the head perfectly!

I love shaved brussel sprout for these types of salads because they pack such a high nutritional punch because they are high in fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

Here are some quick facts about some of the awesome benefits of Brussel Sprouts

Brussels sprouts are especially rich in vitamin K, which is necessary for blood clotting and bone health.
They’re also high in vitamin C, an antioxidant that helps promote iron absorption and is involved in tissue repair and immune function
They are high in fiber which helps support regularity and gut health
Brussels sprouts contain small amounts of vitamin B6, potassium, iron, thiamine, magnesium and phosphorus
Brussels sprouts contain kaempferol, an antioxidant that may reduce cancer growth, decrease inflammation and promote heart health.

This salad (besides being super healthy for you) is also very versatile, you can remove or add ingredients to your liking, so be creative! It also is super easy to throw together and because the Brussel sprouts are so hardy, you can even assemble this salad ahead of time (like 24 hrs before serving) and even pour the dressing on and the salad stays fresh and crispy! So this makes your holiday cooking prep even easier!

I think Brussel Sprout have gotten a bad wrap in their past, but they have easily become one of my favorite vegetables cooked or raw! I hope, even if you are a Brussel Sprout hater, that you will try my many Brussel Sprout recipes and give these nutritional powerhouses a chance!

Brussel Sprout Salad

This light salad is a nutritious and light side dish perfect for any meal but especially for a holiday dinner side dish.

Print Pin Rate

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

Keyword: brussel sprouts, healthy greens, salad

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Servings: people

Author: Kristi Shields

Ingredients

4 dzn Brussel Sprouts
1 whole Pomegranate seeded
6 slices Bacon cooked & crumbled
1 cup Parmesan Cheese shaved
1/2 cup Olive Oil extra virgin
1 whole Lemon juiced
1 whole Orange juiced
1/2 cup Honey
salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

Thinly slice the Brussel sprouts, or use a mandoline to thinly slice. You want a thin slaw-like texture; place in a bowl.
Add Parmesan Cheese, crumbled bacon & pomegranate seeds to bowl.
In separate bowl mix lemon juice, orange juice, olive oil, honey; mix well then add salt & pepper to taste.
Pour dressing over salad and toss. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Should last well in the fridge for 1-2 days.

Video

Dry Aged Thanksgiving Turkey

Are you ready for the perfect Thanksgiving turkey? Are you sick of a dry turkey that you spent all day on? Or a turkey with rubbery skin that no one enjoys? What about slaving away on a turkey that no one eats and then you have tons of leftovers to do who knows what with?

Well, I am here today, to share with you a recipe I have worked on perfecting over the years and it doesn’t take ANY fancy equipment! (Yes there is a smoking option for this, but it can be cooked easily in your oven and is still SUPER delicious). You will have a JUICY and flavorful turkey with skin so crispy people will think you deep fried it! You will impress everyone who comes to enjoy the feast you have prepared, even those who “don’t like the turkey”.

Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday, mostly because I LOVE food and cooking and that is how I express/ show my love for people. I think because that’s how I grew up, my mom cooking delicious meals for us and I always felt her love through her cooking. Some of my favorite memories are of getting together with all our extended family, spending time with our cousins and having non-stop fun with them! Something I fondly remember is when my mom and aunt would put out bowls of black olives on the tables while dinner was getting cooked. We’d “sneak” around stealing the olives way before it was time to sit down… we thought we were so sneaky! Well, recently that memory came full circle. I was setting out our table spread and I put out bowls of black olives. Went back to working on some of the side dishes and when I glanced back at the table I saw my son Maverick (4 yrs) being very sneaky and stealing olives. He saw me watching him, then he giggled and ran away! Honestly seeing that almost brought me to tears but I also couldn’t hold in my laughter! I can’t complain because olives are good fats and I believe in eating all the good fats, so if the kids think they are being sneaky by eating them… well, I will continue to let them think they are getting away with it!

Anyway, back to my turkey recipe…

So the first thing you need to know and prep for you start this turkey 4 days before you want to serve it (meaning it needs to be THAWED before then if you bought frozen). This might seem crazy to you, BUT on cook day it will ONLY take 2 hrs (or less) to cook it and there is literally NO work on cook day besides putting it in the oven/ smoker and then carving. So the secret to my turkey is dry aging/ brining. The seasoning mixture seasons the meat and leaving the turkey in the open refrigerated air helps to dry out the skin so that it crisps easier. When you spatchcock it, you create a more even cooking surface, so that the bird gets even exposure to the heat and you can cook it at a higher temperature and faster. This helps crisp the skin and keep it juicy inside. I’ve had so many people tell me “I thought I always hated turkey until I ate yours!” You will be the star of the show when you place this bird on your table this season! The one thing that you ABSOLUTELY need is a good meat thermometer, so you know the EXACT internal temperature of your turkey. This helps not make the mistake of an undercooked or overcooked bird! I recommend this Thermoworks instant-read thermometer or this Smoke Thermometer. The price may seem high, but you will use this so much in your kitchen and you won’t be replacing it a million times like you have to with the cheap inaccurate brands out there.

Four days before service…

Spatchcock

Set the turkey, breast-side down, on a large cutting board with the tail closest to you. Use an electric knife or heavy-duty kitchen shears to cut up one side of the backbone. Turn the bird around and cut back down the other side of the spine. Reserve the backbone for Giblet Stock. Discard any fat pockets or excess skin found inside the turkey. Turn the turkey breast-side up and use the heel of your hands to press down on both breasts, until you hear a cracking sound and the bird has flattened slightly. Here is a video that more slowly breaks down how to Spatchcock your turkey:

Dry age/ brine

Place the salt, sage, thyme, black peppercorns, and allspice into a spice grinder and pulse until the peppercorns and allspice are coarsely ground 5 to 6 pulses. Rub the seasoned salt on both sides of the turkey. Place the turkey on a parchment paper-lined half sheet pan, breast-side up with legs running with the long side of the pan. Store, uncovered, in the refrigerator for 4 days.

Cook Day

Remove the turkey from the refrigerator and leave at room temperature for 1 hour. Take ½ – 1 full stick of softened butter and spread all over the skin of the turkey.

Smoking

Get your smoker to 425/450 degrees. Place Turkey directly on grates and close the lid. Cook until you reach an internal temperature of 155 degrees in the thickest part of the breast. Remove from smoker and allow to rest for 15-20 min (cover with foil while resting). *If you want to make gravy from the drippings, place an aluminum foil pan under the grates where the turkey will sit before you heat your smoker.

Oven Roasting

Place one rack in the middle of the oven and a second one far enough below so the roasting pan will fit. Heat the oven to 425 degrees F. Place the turkey directly on the middle rack of the oven with the legs perpendicular to the metal bars of the rack. Place a pan on the rack beneath the turkey to catch drippings. You can even add root veggies, potatoes etc to this pan if you want a side of root vegetable to accompany your meal. They will roast and be flavored by the drippings. OR if you want to make a delicious gravy, add the neck and giblets to this pan to collect drippings for your gravy. Roast for 30min.

Reduce the heat to 350 degrees F. Continue to roast the turkey until a probe thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast registers 155 degrees F, an additional 40 to 50 minutes.

Carving

Carve the turkey with an electric knife & serve.

Dry Aged Turkey

Ever dream of a turkey with super crispy skin but still super juicy meat? What about not spending the WHOLE DAY cooking said turkey? Well with my foolproof method you can have both things and a turkey cooked in less than 2 hrs!

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: crispy skin, oven roasted turkey, smoked turkey, Thanksgiving, turkey

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours

Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes

Author: Kristi Shields

Ingredients

12-14 lb Turkey thawed
7 tbsp Kosher Salt
3 tsp Rubbed Sage
3 tsp Dried Thyme
3 tsp Dried Rosemary
2.5 tsp Whole Black Peppercorns
1 tsp Allspice Berries
1/2 cup Butter, unsalted softened

Instructions

Spatchcock
Set the turkey, breast-side down, on a large cutting board with the tail closest to you. Use an electric knife or heavy-duty kitchen shears to cut up one side of the backbone. Turn the bird around and cut back down the other side of the spine. Reserve the backbone for Bone Broth. Discard any fat pockets or excess skin found inside the turkey. Turn the turkey breast-side up and use the heel of your hands to press down on both breasts, until you hear a cracking sound and the bird has flattened slightly.
Dry Brine Rub
Place the salt, sage, thyme, black peppercorns, and allspice into a spice grinder and pulse until the peppercorns and allspice are coarsely ground 5 to 6 pulses. Rub the seasoned salt on both sides of the turkey. Place the turkey on a parchment paper-lined half sheet pan, breast-side up with legs running with the long side of the pan. Store, uncovered, in the refrigerator for 4 days.
COOK DAY:
Remove the turkey from the refrigerator and leave at room temperature for 1 hour. Rub Turkey down with softened room temperature butter.
Smoking:
Get your smoker to 425/450 degrees. Place Turkey directly on grates and close the lid. Cook until you reach an internal temperature of 155 degrees in the thickest part of the breast. Remove from smoker and allow to rest for 15-20 min (cover with foil while resting).
*If you want to make gravy from the drippings, place an aluminum foil pan under the grates where the turkey will sit before you heat your smoker.
Oven:
Place one rack in the middle of the oven and a second one far enough below so the roasting pan will fit. Heat the oven to 425 degrees F. Place the turkey directly on the middle rack of the oven with the legs perpendicular to the metal bars of the reaches. Place a pan on the rack beneath the turkey to catch drippings. You can even add root veggies, potatoes etc to this pan if you want a side of root vegetable to accompany your meal. They will roast and be flavored by the drippings. OR if you want to make a delicious gravy, add the neck and giblets to this pan to collect drippings for your gravy. Roast for 30min.
Reduce the heat to 350 degrees F. Continue to roast the turkey until a probe thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast registers 155 degrees F, an additional 40 to 50 minutes.