Mexican Broccoli Soup! GF, V, BED, SCD!

I know what you’re thinking…another soup recipe? It’s summer! What’s going on here, Caralyn!?

delicious!

Well, Happy Tummies, it’s time to be straight with you. My tummy is not so happy right now.

Mexican Broccoli Soup!

As you may remember, about a month ago, I got a procedure done to see the severity of my Ulcerative Colitis, as this is the 8th month of my flare.

Well, even with all the healing foods, natural homeopathic meds, and Asacol I’ve been taking, it has not kicked my UC back into remission.

mmmmmm!

I have another doctor’s appointment later this week, but I’ve decided to begin the Specific Carbohydrate Diet. This is a diet that has been shown to be beneficial for Ulcerative-Colitis and Crohn’s Disease.

But many of you will be interested to hear that this diet is also beneficial for those of you suffering from Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), or those of you who’d like to lose a few pounds. It also has been shown to help autism and Aspergers.

Tomorrow, I’ll get into how it works – this post is long enough as is ;)

As you may know, I’ve been on the Body Ecology Diet to heal the Candida overgrowth I had. I have now completed Phase One of the BED (3 Months) and have gotten the Candida under control, and will now be transitioning to the SCD.

creamy and cool guacamole!

The SCD and the BED are similar, but just different enough to make a difference. The main difference is that the BED allows 4 grains (quinoa, buckwheat, amaranth, and millet), as well as Red Skinned Potatoes and Sweet Corn.The SCD is grain free, including corn and potatoes. The BED prohibits all fruit, since it is a NO SUGAR diet. The SCD allows fruit.

I’m still learning about the SCD – highlighting books like crazy, and taking notes like I am preparing for the MCATs.

so creamy!

I know that a lot of you frequent my blog for BED recipes, and I apologize for switching diets. However, I’ve created over 80 BED recipes that can all be found — clearly labeled — on myRecipe Page. Also, since the two diets are similar, there will be a lot of overlap, and I’ll clearly label the recipes that are also BED, or can be modified for the BED.

This switch is something I need to do for my health. It’s kind of the “last-ditch effort” before having to begin one of two MegaDrugs – a biologic or one that in essence, shuts off my immune system.

healthy never tasted so good!

So the reason for the soups, is that I’m giving my tummy a chance to heal, making it do as little work as possible. So my diet these past few days has consisted of green juice, pureed vegetables, and soup. Very exciting, I know. Back to normal tomorrow though:)

I’m still holding off on fruits until the three months on the BED are exactly up – 5 more days! Don’t worry, there will be a celebratory post on that day! :)

And just to be clear: yes I am still Gluten Free, and yes I am still a Vegan (that eats pastured farm-fresh eggs). :)

Now that the “housekeeping” is taken care of, onto dinner!

gluten-free, vegan, Body Ecology Diet, and SCD!

Tonight’s soup was a Mexican Broccoli Soup! It’s Gluten Free, Vegan, Body Ecology Diet friendly & SCD! And it was super delicious!

so dramatic :)

Complex mexican flavors, topped with a cool and creamy guacamole!

Here’s what you need:

2 stalks of broccoli, chopped
1 yellow onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 1/2 cups veg stock
juice of 1 lime
1 tsp cumin
1/4 – 1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 – 1/2 tsp paprika
salt and pepper
1 green onion, sliced
cilantro, chopped

Guacamole:
1 avocado
1 garlic clove, grated
1-2 Tbsp red onion, finely minced
1-2 Tbsp cilantro, chopped
squeeze of lime
salt

In a large dutch oven, saute your onion in 1 tsp EVOO, salt, pepper, and the spices. Let that cook for about 4 minutes. Then add your broccoli and let it cook for about 6 minutes. Then, add your garlic and let it cook for about 3 minutes. Add your stock. Bring it to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, and cover for 15-20 minutes. Readjust salt to taste. Turn off the heat, and then, with a stick blender, puree your soup until it is smooth and creamy. You can also do this in a blender, just be sure to do it in small batches, since it’s a hot liquid! Finish by stirring in the juice of a lime. Serve garnished with green onions and guacamole.

To make your guacamole, Combine all your ingredients in a bowl, and smash your avocado with the back of a fork. Mmmm!

If corn is okay for you (read: not SCD), this would be great topped with tortilla chips!

Yum Yum Yum!

This soup was terrific. The flavors were spectacular! The warm spices with the broccoli paired perfectly with the cool, fresh guacamole. The cumin, chili powder, and paprika gave it such depth of flavor.

love the broccoli!

And something wonderful happened with the guacamole. You could take your spoon and swirl it into the soup, and that wonderfully bright flavor kissed each bite! And topped with the fresh cilantro, it was just delightful!

Happy Tummy Approved!

What’s your favorite type of soup?

Back to non-soup food tomorrow! :)

See ya then!

Need an immersion blender? Here's the one I use and LOVE:

Potato Galette w/ Red Pepper “Cream” Sauce! GF, V, BED!

Sometimes, I get really hungry. Haha — you’re probably thinking…”yeeeees, this is a food blog, I assume so.” But I mean, Mama-Bear-Just-Woke-Up-From-The-Winter Hungry! And I haven’t had that feeling in a long time while in my Ulcerative Colitis flare. And, I’m thinking that the return of this “hungry bear” is an encouraging sign that I’m getting better and healing! You see, they (Dr. Gershon & others) call your gut your “Second Brain” because it has over 100 billion neurotransmitters like those in your brain, controlling digestion and your immune system. My thinking is that, your body doesn’t give you the “hunger” signals when you’re in a UC flare because processing food is excruciating. So the fact that the past 2 days I’ve been more or less ravenous is a good sign in my book!!

sun reflecting off the lake!

So what does a hungry gal make for dinner? A Red Skinned Potato Gratin w/ Roasted Red Pepper Cashew Cream Sauce! Quite a mouthful in more ways than one!! It was delicious — and definitely hit the spot! And did I mention, it’s Gluten Free, Vegan, and Body Ecology Diet friendly??

layers of creamy potatoes!

You may be wondering how Red Skinned Potatoes are on the Body Ecology Diet, which starves the body of sugar to kill Candida yeast. Well, RSPs have less sugar than other potatoes, and therefore do not feed the Candida yeast! Yay! ;)

creamy roasted red pepper cashew cream!

So here’s what you need:
7 red skinned potatoes, sliced thin on a mandolin

1 cup sugar snap peas, sliced in half
2 carrots, diced
1 onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 each of dried oregano and basil
2 green onions, sliced (garnish)

Red Pepper Cashew Cream Sauce:
1 roasted red pepper, chopped
1/2 cup raw cashews
1 garlic clove
salt and pepper

layers of gorgeous Red Skinned Potatoes!

Preheat your oven to 400. Using a mandolin, carefully slice your Red Skinned Potatoes into about 1/4 inch rounds. Not paper-thin, but thin-ish. In a bowl, toss your rounds with 1 tsp EVOO. Then, in a oven-safe, non-stick pan, arrange your rounds overlapping, starting on the rim and spiraling in towards the center. After you have this layer, spray it w/ EVOO, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and then make another layer. Repeat, spraying after each layer until your potatoes run out — I made 4 layers.

beautiful spiral!

Delight in its beauty, and then, put it on the stove over low-to-medium heat for about 5-6 minutes.  You’ll hear the bottom layer start to sizzle, but that’s ok! Don’t touch it! It’s forming a beautiful crust. After you hear this sizzle, put it in the oven. Bake it for about 20 minutes, then carefully take it out of the oven — it’ll be screamin’ hot! You will notice that it has sort of, “shrunk” — and that’s great!

flipped and dressed to the 9′s!

Let the pan cool for about 10 minutes, and then flip it onto another plate. (I used an oven mitt). Confidence is key here for a clean flip — place the plate upside-down on the pan, and then in one big swoop, flip it! You now have a GORGEOUS red skinned potato gratin!

so delicious!

Next, the cream sauce: You can use jarred Roasted Red Peppers, but I roasted my own:

To roast the red pepper, I literally set it on our gas flame burner and kept turning it with tongs until it was completely charred. I then put it in a bowl and covered it with plastic wrap so that the steam loosened the skin. Then, after about 15 minutes, the charred skin peels right off (use your hands), and you’re left with a wonderful, roasted pepper! If you don’t have a gas flame, you can do the same right under the broiler! After you peel the skin and take out the seeds, chop the flesh and put it in the food processor with the cashews, garlic, salt and pepper. Blend until you get your smooth, creamy sauce! YUMMO!

Finally, the veggies: Saute your onions in about 1 tsp EVOO, salt, pepper, oregano and basil. Let it cook for about 5 minutes, and then add your carrots, snap peas and garlic. Let them cook for about 3-4 minutes, and then take off the heat. They will still be crunchy and vibrant!

mmm!

To assemble:

Cut the RSP gratin into 4 portions, and then using a spatula, put a slice on each plate. Top with the veggie mixture and a dollop of the cream sauce. Garnish with sliced green onions. Delish!

Gluten Free, Vegan, and Body Ecology Diet friendly!!

This meal was fabulous! It definitely squelched my hunger!! The potatoes were so rich and creamy. And with the cream sauce, they were simply outrageous! The outside had formed a beautiful golden crust that was crispy-crunchy, and then the center was creamy and decadent.

crunchy carrots and sugar snap peas!

And then the sauce was phenomenal! Not only was it a beautiful sunset-orange color, but it was luxuriously creamy and smooth! The flavor was rockin’ with the smokey-sweet roasted red pepper and buttery cashews. I could definitely see using this as a pasta sauce, or even a delicious dip for veggies and GF pita or crackers!

Do you ever get Hibernating Bear Hungry? What’s your favorite “fill you up” meal?

Until tomorrow!

This recipe utilized three of my favorite tools...here's where you can get them: