Inside HBC

Chicken Soup

Seems like everyone I know has a cold right now, including me! One thing is for sure, I don’t want to give up my healthy eating habits when my energy plunges, so when I decide I need to make chicken soup, I always make extra to hide in the freezer for sick days. As I start to feel better, I make sure to take some time to replenish that stash. I wonder if the smell of soup simmering on the stove helps us feel better, too?

• 2 TBS light oil (olive, vegetable, coconut) (sweet)
• 1 medium onion, chopped (sweet, pungent)
• 1 TBS fresh ginger root, chopped (pungent, sweet)
• 2 carrots, chopped (sweet)
• 4 celery stalks, chopped (bitter)
• 6 cups of chicken broth (sweet)
• 3 cups of shredded, or cubed, cooked chicken (sweet)
• Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste (salty, bitter)
• Rosemary twig (pungent, bitter)

1. Heat the oil in a deep soup pot, then add the chopped onion and ginger with a pinch of salt. As the onion begins to soften, add carrots and celery and cook for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Once the vegetables are bright and beginning to soften, add the broth, shredded chicken, and season with salt and pepper. Add a twig of Rosemary if you have it. Bring soup to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 25 minutes, or until the vegetables are cooked through.

If you have a “cold”, you might want to heat up this soup with hot sauce, red pepper flakes, or a little cayenne. You can add other vegetables, herbs, and spices depending on your TCM diagnosis (check in with the doctor for this). Of course, you might want to make your own chicken broth, and you can do that easily by setting aside the bones from a whole chicken (I sometimes break them up, bag them and freeze them for later) or by asking your butcher for soup bones. You might get some feet, so be prepared.   Just throw all of those in a big pot with plenty of water to cover them all, plus an inch or two, with a couple of bay leaves and an onion. Let it boil, them simmer for 45 minutes. Strain and discard everything. If you are freezing the broth, you might want to cook it a little longer so it reduces and can be stored in smaller containers. When you are ready to use it you can add water, if you like.

Mini Lamb Burgers with Feta

Lamb is considered “hot” in temperature, according to TCM. These little lamb burgers are perfect for chilly, rainy days when you just want to curl up with a good book and a good meal.

• 1 ½ pounds ground lamb (sweet)
• ½ C. minced fresh mint (pungent)
• 2 garlic cloves, pressed (pungent, sweet)
• 1 tablespoon paprika (pungent, bitter)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper pungent)
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon (pungent, bitter)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil (sweet)
• 1 8-ounce block feta cheese, sliced (sour, pungent)
• Slices of tomato, onion and lettuce (optional–sweet, sour

1. Mix first seven ingredients in a bowl; shape into four 4-inch in diameter patties.
2. Heat olive oil in a large, heavy skillet and cook over medium to low heat until bottoms are well browned, about 4 minutes.  Turn patties over and top with feta cheese.  Continue cooking to desired doneness, about 3 minutes longer for medium rare
3. Place patties on a serving tray. Top each with slices of tomato, onion and lettuce.