RX for Wellness - I in a series

RX FOR WELLNESS - I

The flu season is upon us! Everyone you know or meet is feeling awful. We are all buying cough or fever medicines and don't realize or have forgotten that the best prescriptions can be found in our own kitchens!

We have all heard the adage "an apple a day..." Well, guess what? It's true! It has been reported that people who eat at least five apples a week experience better lung function and decrease the risk of respiratory diseases, besides lowering the risk of lung cancer.

What grandmother has not at one time of another insisted on feeding you a bowl of chicken soup when you were achy and feverish? Our grandmothers knew by instinct what the ancient Spanish born Jewish Rabbi Moses Mainomides found out way back in the Middle Ages. It seems that the components that go into making chicken soup all help in producing inhibiting substances which help in easing symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections.

The Chinese have known for centuries the benefits of ginger in the diet. Among many other uses, ginger is used to help detoxify the body, especially relieving aching muscles from colds and flu.

Beets and carrots are well known for their body cleansing properties and are also known for supplying many vitamins and minerals that also help fight infections.

The high content of Vitamin C in citrus is well known, but have you forgotten that mangoes, guavas, kiwifruit, papaya, persimmons, carambola (starfruit) and even the avocado and breadfruit are good sources of the C vitamin?

How about the throat soothing properties of honey? Just a cup of strong hot lemonade with a spoonful of honey sometimes is all you need to relieve a scratchy throat.

Drink plenty of fluids. Warm liquids will soothe a sore throat and relieve nasal congestion as well as replace fluids lost during a fever, although this is one time when you want to limit or avoid any kind of milk or dairy products, since they seem to thicken or increase mucus secretions.

Maybe a treated cold will last the same amount of time than an untreated cold, but wouldn't you like to feel more comfortable while you are fighting it?

The following are several recipes that will help you do just that!

GRANDMOTHER'S CHICKEN SOUP

I enjoy making my own stocks and broths and have been making them for years. I save the skin, pieces, bones and odds and ends of chicken in a sealable plastic bag in the freezer until I have enough to boil down into a rich broth. When cool, I then skim off the fat and save in one cup portions in the freezer.

I also like to save bits and pieces of vegetables, parings and such in another bag until full. Adding these bits of vegetables to the pot when boiling the chicken pieces will add dimension and richness to the broth. For a clean broth, strain and discard all solids before freezing or using.

Another favorite method is to save the carcass after roasting or baking a chicken, boiling it to get all the taste and nutrition from the bones and bits of meat left attached after enjoying the poultry dish. Discard all solids by passing through a sieve and when cool, skim off the fat from the top.

HOMEMADE CHICKEN SOUP
Here is a well-tested recipe for starting your chicken soup from scratch. Yields about 5 cups.

1 2-1/2 to 3 pound chicken cut into pieces
1 large onion cut up
2 quarts water (or enough to just cover chicken pieces in pot)
3 stalks celery cut up into inch pieces
3 medium carrots, sliced or cut up into inch pieces
4 sprigs parsley
1 to 2 teaspoons salt or to taste

In a large pot combine chicken and onions. Add water. Bring just to boiling and reduce heat. Cover and simmer on medium heat for one hour.

Add celery, carrots, parsley, and salt. Cook on low heat for 2 hours or until chicken is tender and falling off the bone. Strain the soup through a colander.

Reserve the meat for another use. Skim off fat before serving, if desired. Serve broth alone or with noodles or rice.

APPLE MACADAMIA SLAW
This is one of the salads we served at the Akaka Falls Inn. You know a recipe is good when guests start e-mailing you and asking for it! Even the raisins in this salad are part of the approved 5 a Day food list. Raisins and other dried fruits help increase your levels of energy.

I never wrote this recipe down and usually just make it by feel and taste. Yields enough for about 8 to 10 servings as a side dish.

For half a cabbage (*)
3 Granny Smith Apples, cored and chopped - do not peel
1 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup chopped and toasted macadamia nuts

Mix, to taste:
Mayonnaise
White vinegar
Sugar

(*) Choose a firm and tightly wrapped cabbage. Sliced and then chopped in small bits, but I always use my favorite knife, which is shaped like a veggie cleaver. I did not like using the processor for chopping the slaw, since I did not like the texture when I did this.

Put the mayonnaise, vinegar and sugar in blender and mix thoroughly. I have no idea of quantities, as I just spooned out the mayo with a scooped, rubber spatula, sort of heaped. Just play with it until you get the taste you find most pleasing. The results should be sweet and tart.

HOT GINGER TEA
When we feel the slightest stuffiness or scratchy throat you can be sure that a kettle of ginger tea will be boiling away at the back of the stove.

Slice some fresh stem ginger into a pot or kettle of water. No need to peel it beforehand. Let the water come to boil and then simmer for about 20 minutes. Strain the liquid, reserving the ginger slices and serve. If a sweetener is needed, sweeten the tea with honey.

You can refill the pot with water and get another boiling from the same slices of ginger. Tea can be stored in refrigerator and reheated or served cold with ice. I like to add frozen cubes of liliko'i juice to my glass of iced ginger tea.

CARROT, RAISIN AND ORANGE SALAD
This is another recipe that has become a classic in our family and we also make by feel and taste.

Grate some fresh carrots and mix with golden raisins.
Cut two oranges and section out the pulp pieces of one and a half, reserving the other half. Add the pulp sections to the grated carrots and raisins. Squeeze the juice from the reserved half orange and serve.

BEET SALAD WITH ORANGE SLICES

12 whole baby beets with tops removed
2 sweet oranges
1/2 small onion, halved lengthwise; thinly sliced
10 mint leaves; coarsely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste (optional)

Place the beets, unpeeled, in a foil-lined baking dish. Cover with more foil and seal the edges of the top and bottom layers of foil to completely enclose the beets. Place them in a 400oF oven and bake for approximately 20 minutes or until the beets are tender when pierced with a sharp paring knife.

While the beets are baking, peel and pith the oranges. Cut the individual sections out from the membranes. Place in a mixing bowl together with the onion and mint.

When the beets are tender, hold them under running water and slip the skins off. Trim the stem end, then cut them into slices. Add the beet slices to the bowl with the oranges.

Season with salt and pepper to taste then drizzle with a bit of orange juice to taste. Toss to mix. Can be served immediately or allowed to marinate up to 2 days.

CARROT MEDALLIONS IN HONEY ORANGE SAUCE

This is so simple it doesn't even qualify as a recipe. Peel and slice carrots and place in a small saucepan. Add orange juice and honey to taste, to just cover the carrots. Bring to a boil and simmer until carrots are tender. Sprinkle with a small grating of fresh nutmeg. Serve while hot.

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(c) Sonia Martinez - First published in the January 2007 issue of The Hamakua Times of Honoka'a Hawaii - To keep up with my other interests check out my food and garden blogsite 

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