Healing Rice

I love rice! Plain and simple I think it's a great staple to have in the cupboard. Cheap, easy and quick to cook, nearly everyone likes it and it's a good clean complex carbohydrate to have in your active lifestyle.

But it can get boring and bland if you eat a lot of it. So I try and make it more interesting and fun using the below recipe. In typical Lifestylejeanie style I never measure anything and just make it up as I go along but I'll give you the approximate ingredients here. Feel free to add in any other veggies, spices, or oils you typically use. But the recipe here has been created to include as many healing foods as possible.

We all tend to get run down from time to time and so this is a particularly good staple to make weekly and keep in the fridge to add (hot or cold - just reheat thoroughly) to any meal. All the ingredients are packed full of healing properties particularly the turmeric, ginger, garlic and coconut oil. I've described these in more details below.

It's also great on the go. I typically travel with this as it's perfect at room temperature and stays fresh for well over 12 hours when you're on the move. It is also filling and tasty. What's not to like!

Ingredients:
Portion size of Rice of your choice. I find Basmati and Wild rice are best.
Large handful of organic Spinach
Chopped organic Peppers
Chopped organic Onions
2 cloves (or more!) or diced organic Garlic
1 inch of peeled and diced organic Ginger
1 inch of Turmeric (powdered or fresh)
1 teaspoon of Paprika
3 heaped spoons of organic Coconut Oil
Cracked Himalayan pink salt to taste
Cracked black Pepper to taste

Prep Time:
5 minutes

Cooking time:
10-15 minutes

Method:
Cook the rice as per instructions on your packet.
While it is cooking prep all the veg and spices.
Drain the water once it is cooked and leave in the pan on a low heat.
Add in the Coconut Oil and stir to melt it, coating the rice thoroughly.
In a separate pan with a dash of oil cook the onions, garlic, ginger and turmeric. 
Add in the chopped vegetables and spices and mix thoroughly.
Add the rice to the veggies and mix well.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.


Dietary Information:

Vegetarian

Vegan

Gluten Free

Wheat Free

Sugar Free

Full of healthy vegetables

Garlic is antibacterial and antiviral so excellent for fighting colds and flu.

Ginger is good for digestion issues, nausea, natural anti-inflammatory and boosts the immune system. 

Paprika is high in Vitamin A, E and Iron. It also has anti ageing properties, prevents hair loss and promotes sound sleep.

Turmeric is a natural anti-inflammatory with amazing healing and cancer fighting benefits.

Coconut oil is a healthy fat that doesn't degenerate at high temperatures, heals the lining of the stomach and overall boosts your immunity.

Himalayan Pink Salt has over 84 vitamins and minerals and is low in sodium. Read more about the benefits of it here in this article I wrote. 

Serving Suggestions:
This really is so versatile. It is a lovely side with any main dish, meat, fish, omelette etc.
I recently brought a big bowl of it to a BBQ as a healthy side.
It's colourful and appealing in a cold buffet.
I make a big batch and store it in the fridge to have at a moments notice.
You can also add some protein in to make it a complete meal. Some chopped left over meat an/or some eggs to make it egg friend rice. It is really tasty. Or even nicer some fresh organic prawns! Yum

Storage Instructions:
I keep this in a covered bowl or container for up to a week in the fridge. It also travels well for up to 24 hours.  When reheating ensure it is thoroughly cooked through.

So there you have it guys, cheap, healthy, suits most diets and boosts your overall health. And to boot it tastes delicious!

Tuesday's Change Week 12 - Turmeric

About 2 years ago I was introduced to this wonder spice. I have been reaping the benefits ever since. Turmeric is a staple in my household and I try not to go a day without using it. Whether it's sprinkled into scrambled eggs, on some rice or thrown in a soup to add some colour this spice is so versatile and does wonders for your health.

Turmeric can be bought in 2 forms, dried and in powder form (available from most supermarkets) and in raw root form (available from most organic food stores or health shops e.g. Quay Co-Ops in Cork)

The benefits of Turmeric are outstanding and this golden spice was recently proven more effective than 14 common prescription drugs including popular cholesterol, steroid, anti-depressant, chemotherapy and diabetes medication. Read more on this here.

It is great after a really tough work out as acts as an anti-inflammatory and will really help with the dreaded DOMS!

Some more benefits are listed here:

So there are so many reasons to include this in your diet. Let's now look at simple ways to include it!

Check out my recipe here for my healing Carrot and Giner Soup that contains turmeric.

I also add it to rice every time I eat it, boil the rice as normal, drain any remaining water, add some chopped veggies and a teaspoon of turmeric and teaspoon of coconut oil. Mix together and you have tantalising, turmeric rice!

You can add a 1/2 teaspoon to some scrambled eggs or a teaspoon to any sauce based dinners you make like bolognese, stews, pies etc.

You can make this golden milk recipe here.

 So the challenge is to have turmeric in at least 5 meals in the week.  It's that simple.

Best of luck and reap the benefits of this wonder spice!

Carrot and Ginger Soup - Healing Super-food soup!

Carrot and Ginger Soup

This is a fantastic soup for those cold, winter days but it also lovely and refreshing in the summer. It’s cheap to make, can be kept in the fridge for over a week or frozen in portions.

It has lots of healing ingredients and so is perfect if you are feeling under the weather or run down.

All that and it tastes great too! What’s not to like?

Check out the Dietary Information section below to see all the healing properties of this wonder soup.

Ingredients:

Makes about 6 portions

4 large Organic Carrots

3 Organic Spring Onions

2 cloves of Organic Garlic

2 roots of peeled Organic Ginger (about 2 inches each)

1 teaspoon of Cumin Powder

1 teaspoon of Turmeric Powder

2 heaped tablespoons of Extra Virgin Organic Coconut Oil

Veg Stock cube (Organic and Gluten Free preferable or make your own!)

Water/Yogurt/Coconut Milk or Cream as desired

Method

Melt the coconut oil in a large pot until liquid. Add in roughly chopped onions, garlic and ginger and simmer for 5 minutes.

Add in roughly chopped carrots and stock cube and cover with water.

Bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes or until the carrots are slightly soft.

Transfer the mixture (including water) to your blender and blitz thoroughly. You can also use a hand blender directly in the pot.

Add in cumin, turmeric, salt and pepper to taste.

This makes a robust, thick soup. If you don’t mind the added fat/calories and want to make it creamier then add in yogurt or coconut milk/cream as desired.

Prep + Cook Time

Prep time: 5-10 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Equipment needed

Large Pot, Blender

Dietary Information

Gluten Free

Wheat Free

Paleo

Vegetarian and Vegan

Sugar Free

Contains good fats

Two of your 5 a day

Garlic is antibacterial and antiviral – good for colds/flus and infections

Ginger is good for digestion issues, nausea, natural anti-inflammatory and boosts the immune system. 

Coconut Oil has many healing properties. It contains good fats and helps you burn fat better. It also helps your brain function more effectively.

Turmeric is a wonder spice it lowers cholesterol, it is cancer fighting and has anti-inflammatory properties among many others. It has recently been proven more effective than 14 Pharmaceutical drugs! More info here

Carrots are full of Vitamin A and beta-carotene (anti-oxidant that repairs cell damage), they improve your eyesight, cleanses the skin and slows down ageing! 

Cumin boosts your immunity, great for asthma or respiratory issues and is good for skin issues.

Storage Instructions:

Keeps in a sealed container in the fridge for over a week. I usually make a large batch, portion it up and freeze. It can be defrosted, heated and ready to eat in less than 10 minutes!

Serving suggestions

Best served fresh with a few curls of freshly grated ginger on a dollop of organic yogurt or coconut cream.