Leek Soup for the soul.. or the cold

Soup is a great way to beat the cold or a cold. During the Hubby's recent bought with the ick, I made a pot of Leek soup. Leeks have a very mild onion flavor and look like giant chives. This simple recipe includes the immune boosting powers of ginger, turmeric root, garlic and chicken broth.
 

Here are the ingredients I used in my soup:
2 Leeks Sliced and rinsed very well
1 medium White Potato - cut in to 1/2 inch pieces
2 large cloves of Garlic - minced
2 tablespoons Olive oil
1 can of condensed low sodium Chicken broth + 1 can water or 2 cups low sodium broth
an inch of Ginger root (peeled)
an inch of Turmeric root (peeled)
season with Salt and Black Pepper to taste ( I used a Himalayan pink sea salt blend but feel free to use what you have on hand)

To start I sliced the Leeks in half the in 1/2 inch pieces, rinse them in water a couple of times shaking and separating the layers. Leeks come from the ground so they have dirt trapped between the layers. Let them sit in the water for a minute, the dirt will sink to the bottom and the leeks will rise to the top. Do not dump the dirty water over the leeks after they have been cleaned or you will have to repeat the process of cleaning them again. While the leeks are getting over their bath I use that time to heat up 2 tablespoons of Olive oil in a Dutch oven style pot or a soup/ stew pot on medium high heat. Mince your Garlic cloves and add them to the hot oil. Stir the garlic to heat through and become fragrant, do not burn or it will become bitter. Once the garlic is ready, use a slotted spoon to add the Leeks to the pot draining and shaking out some of the excess water. Once all the Leeks have been added stir to toss them in the oil and Garlic. As they start to soften add your Potatoes, Ginger, Turmeric and the Chicken broth + can of water. Bring to a boil for 1 minute then turn down the heat to simmer. Let simmer till Potatoes are soft. Taste and season as needed.

Some side notes to consider...
- A quarter of a teaspoon of Ground Turmeric can substitute the use of the root just know it will give   your broth a yellow hue.
- For more ginger flavor you can grate the fresh ginger in to the soup instead of boiling the whole root.
- An all Vegetarian option can be made with Vegetable broth instead of Chicken.
- Adding a 1/2 cup of cream or milk will give your soup a richer flavor and is great for an elegant dinner party appetizer.

I hope you try this recipe and make it your own. It's a nice change from the traditional Chicken soup..
Stay well and warm!
 
 

New Year, New Life

Greetings and Happy New Year!

I know I have been MIA from posting and at first it was due to writer's block and then it was due to my Father's passing. It was sudden and 2 days before my birthday in October. Needless to say the Holidays were not as jolly as in years past, it was my first season with out both of my parents. My Mother passed away 5 years prior. However, I tried to make the most of it for my son, he is 3 and it was the first time decorating a tree. He was too small before and why schlep out the heavy, pre-lite faux tree, only to decorate the top half so he does not "play" with the ornaments. In memory of my parents we bought keepsake ornaments to hang up. Darin picked out one for his "Pappy" and the Hubby helped me pick out one for my Mom this year. It was a rather emotional holiday but as holidays do, it came and went then the New Year approached.

I am not a big fan of the New Year with all it's "Today is a blank page of a 365 page book" "Make it your year" or every single diet, fitness, aerobic workout, now skinny B class celebrity commercial assaulting my eyes and mind till March. Humbug I say, HUMBUG! If every overweight person on the planet lost weight then these people would be out of a job.. I can't be responsible for taking away someone's lively hood... I will not do it, don't ask me. ::Evil Laugh::

I digress.. though the New year is all fine and dandy... the best part of this particular year is new life. Yes, of course I know each year brings new life but this year there will be 2 new additions to our family so far.. No, it's not me. But my BIL and his wife as well as our Cousins are expecting this year.
I've spoken before in an older blog of the barrage of advice you receive as an expecting parent. But, now that I have gone trough the phase of expecting Mother to new Mom I am guilty of doling out advice warranted or not. I have come to realize that this is how we learn to care for our babies and truly build a support system to help us through the most important job we will ever have, parenthood. I must note that not all advice is good advice but that is where good judgement and common sense come in to play. To me, my support system was invaluable, since my son was born a year after my Mother was gone, I had the support of Mothers in all stages of parenthood to help guide me.

Much like a new year, a new life is one filled with hope and optimism. It is filled with purity, joy and the anticipation of what comes next. Yet, as much hope and forward thinking we have, we must also remember to live in the now. For now, this very moment in time will never come back again. My best piece of advise not just for expecting Mothers or new Moms but for everyone is enjoy the now, the good, bad, ugly and in between. Enjoy the now because you will never have it again.
Make it your year!