Photo courtesy of Deadbishop.org/gallery

As we progress into winter, more of us are encountering the cold and flu season.   There are several home remedies that don’t necessarily cure the cold, but they do help with the symptoms.  Below are a pair of recipes that are my favorites.

Alice’s Tea

1 part dried ginger root, shredded
1 part dried licorice root, shredded
1 part dried peppermint leaves

Blend well and add hot water.  It should create a spicy tea that helps the throat and calms an anxious stomach.  This tea is also good for performers (actors and singers) as it is a better treatment for the throat than cough lozenges and calms stage fright.  No lemon or honey will be needed for this tea.

Asian Chicken Soup

One of my family’s favorite recipes for the sick is my Asian influenced Chicken Noodle/Vegetable Soup.  The secret to this recipe is baby/young ginger root that can be acquired at various Asian markets.  It is sweeter than standard ginger and contains vitamins C, B6, B12, A, antioxidants, and beta carotene.  It’s tasty too.

1 quart chicken broth
1 quarter chicken, skinned and de-boned
2 medium sized carrots
2 cloves of garlic
2 pieces of baby ginger, minced or sliced
1/2 cup of pea pods
1/4 cup of green onions, diced
1/4 cup of shelled edemade/soybeans
Rice noodles or rice
Salt or pepper to taste
optional ingredients: red peppers, bean sprouts, water chestnuts, baby corn, mushrooms, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, cabbage, and cilantro

Begin my putting the broth on low heat and cut up the chicken.  Saute the chicken in a separate pan to slightly brown it before adding it to the broth.  While browning, slice up the carrots, baby ginger, green onions, and garlic.  Add these vegetables with the chicken and then add to the broth.  Keep the soup on a low simmer.  Add the noodles or rice and continue cooking until almost done.  Add the pea pods and the soybeans and any other green vegetables.  The rice or noodles should be done, but the green vegetables should be served el dente – cooked, yet crisp.  Season with salt and black pepper.

This dish can become more colorful with the use of the optional vegetables and ingredients as well.  If it doesn’t cure you, it will certainly taste good and make you feel better.

I wish you all happiness in this season and hope for a great new year!

Tags: Hints, recipe, suggestions

Background
The last time I made this Beef Bourguignon recipe my neighbor wanted to know what it was that smelt so good. It’s a great dish to make in the afternoon and leave simmering until dinnertime, enticing everyone to the table.

I usually make this Beef Bourguignon recipe with a cheaper bottle of Bourgogne and serve it with a more expensive one, but you can make it with any low-tanin red wine you think would be nice.

Beurre Manié
Lots of times you will find sauces thickened in France with something called a buerre manié, made by mixing softened butter with an equal amount of flour and a bit of cooking liquid. The buerre manié is added to the dish a few minutes before serving. I have left it as an optional step in this recipe. If you can afford the extra calories, go ahead with this addition, but you will get a very tasty and satisfying stew even if you leave it out.

Serving Suggestion
This is a very satisfying French beef stew and best served with something simple, perhaps steamed potatos or noodles. A mixed greeen salad would be good for an entree and something light for dessert (in season fruit is always a good healthy choice). You’ll be pleased to find out that this beef bourguignon recipe is even better tasting when served as leftovers the next day.

Beef Bourguignon Ingredients
2 large onions, chopped
2 large carrots, sliced in rounds
2 tablespoons cooking oil
6 ounces lean bacon cut into small pieces
2 pounds of stew meat, cut into bite size pieces
1 bottle of red wine (less a glass or two if you wish)
1 bouquet garni or 2 tablespoons mixed dried herbs
1 garlic clove, peeled
1 pound mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon tomato concentrate
salt and pepper

Cook the onions and carrots in the oil on medium heat until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the bacon and continue cooking and stirring for 10 minutes. Add the meat and cook until browned on all sides. Sprinkle meat with salt and pepper. Add the herbs, the garlic and the red wine. Cover, turn down the heat, and let simmer for at least two hours.

Meanwhile cook the mushrooms in the butter until soft and add to the stew after about two hours along with the tomato concentrate. Simmer until meat is very tender. Sometimes I cook it for the last hour without the lid to get a more concentrated sauce.

If you are thickening your stew before serving, mix the butter and flour together in a small bowl until well blended. Blend in a tablespoon of the cooking liquid, and then stir this mixture back into the stew. Continue cooking for several minutes.

Makes 8 servings

Tags: cooking, Food, recipe