When it comes to classic comfort foods like beef stew, casseroles, meatloaf, and mashed potatoes, you can count me out most of the time. I've never loved those homey, meaty, and in my opinion, boring meals(I call them "brown" food, as in brown in color and flavor...brown=boring). I realize they are a beloved favorite for many, but they just don't float my boat like an herby, bright tasting dish like pho, with all the fresh basil and cilantro, or a pesto dressing on a fresh salad with a light grilled chicken or fish. I love herbs and ginger and fresh garlic, bright colors and fresh flavors. There is just something about those foods that make me very very happy when I'm eating!
I also love and value eating seasonally, but it can be hard to combine that with foods you love to eat year round if you aren't sure how to make it work. Eating seasonally is what our bodies were designed to do, and it is overall better in the cold months to eat more cooked foods, and more hearty fare. Things like soups, stews and casseroles! Eating foods that are in season also provide more nutrients. Think about a strawberry in spring, how does the color and flavor compare to a strawberry in winter? In winter they are tasteless and pale, in spring and summer they are bright, fragrant and juicy. Nature is telling us when to eat those foods!
Eating in season is not only good for your body, it's good for the environment, too. When we buy foods in season, we are supporting our local farmers and growers, instead of a farm hundreds of miles away in southern California or Mexico(if you happen to be far from southern CA or Mexico, that is...here in Washington I am!). We are reducing the amount of carbon emissions from those trucks or planes delivering those out-of-season bunches of asparagus or boxes of strawberries. And, produce out of season is way more expensive! So use your resources wisely, not only for your health, but for your pocketbook and the environment.
Recently I was hit with the cooking inspiration bug and whipped up this hearty chicken stew that is laced with bright fresh flavors from ginger, garlic and plenty of fresh vegetables. It's the perfect weeknight soup and makes plenty of leftovers, too.
Chicken Ginger Butternut Squash Soup
(AIP, Paleo) Recipe copyright Vibrant
Mind Nutrition 2018
2 Tablespoons solid cooking fat, such
as lard, duck fat, coconut oil, or bacon fat
1 medium yellow onion, quartered and
sliced thinly
2 ribs celery, diced small
2 carrots, peeled and diced small
8 ounces mushrooms, any
variety, stems removed and sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 ½ - 2 pounds boneless skinless
chicken thighs, cut into one inch pieces
1 small butternut squash, peeled and
diced into small cubes of about ½ inch(about 1 pound or 4 cups diced)
6 cups chicken stock or water
2 Tablespoons coconut aminos
2 teaspoons fish sauce
4 cups chopped kale
1 Tablespoon sea salt, or to taste
Heat a large Dutch oven over medium
heat. When the pot is hot, add the solid cooking fat of your choice. Toss in the onions, carrots, and celery.
Cook until softened, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.
Add in the ginger and garlic and stir
well until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add the diced butternut squash,
chicken stock, coconut aminos, and fish sauce. Bring the soup up to a
boil, then reduce to a simmer. Put the
lid on and simmer for 15 minutes. Test the squash for tenderness, it should
be easily pierced with a fork.
At this point take a potato masher
and gently mash up some of the squash as best you can. This will give the
soup a little body. No need to mash all
of the squash, just about half.
Alternatively(and my preference) you can puree half of the soup with an
immersion blender right in the pot. This
gives the soup a nice creamy base.
Add the diced chicken and the
mushrooms and bring the soup up to a slow simmer. Cover and cook over medium low heat for about
20 minutes, or until the chicken is done.
Add the chopped kale and the can of
coconut milk, and simmer for about 5 minutes to cook the kale and meld the
flavors a bit more. Taste for seasoning and add salt to taste. I usually add about 2-3 teaspoons of salt to
mine, so be sure to salt to your preferences.
Salt brings out the flavor of your food, don’t be shy with it!
Serve immediately, makes enough for a
crowd. I had enough for 6-8 servings.
Keeps for about 5 days in the refrigerator. You can also freeze in
single portions for easy meals for those busy days. I freeze mine in pint sized glass mason jars,
be sure to fill to the lowest line on the jar to prevent breakage.
Recipe copyright Vibrant Mind Nutrition
2018, by Nicole
Stoddard
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