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Sausage, Kale and gnocchi Family Pot

Serve up this delicious single-pot of sausage, kale and gnocchi in just 20 minutes, with just five minutes prep. Midweek suppers never got so easy – or tasty!

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 6 pork sausages
  • 1 tsp chilli flakes
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds (optional)
  • 500g fresh gnocchi
  • 500ml chicken stock (fresh if you can get it)
  • 100g chopped kale
  • 40g parmesan, finely grated

Method

STEP 1

Heat the oil in a large high-sided frying pan over a medium heat. Squeeze the sausages straight from their skins into the pan, then use the back of a wooden spoon to break the meat up. Sprinkle in the chilli flakes and fennel seeds, if using, then fry until the sausage meat is crisp around the edges. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon.

STEP 2

Tip the gnocchi into the pan, fry for a minute or so, then pour in the chicken stock. Once bubbling, cover the pan with a lid and cook for 3 mins, then stir in the kale. Cook for 2 mins more or until the gnocchi is tender and the kale has wilted. Stir in the parmesan, then season with black pepper and scatter the crisp sausage-meat over the top.

Thanks to BBC Good Food for this recipe.

Traditional Chinese Medicine Nutritional Healing

Nature: Warming

Organ:  Spleen, Lungs & Kidney

Cultivates Qi, Nourishes Blood and Essence

This warming dish consolidates Essence, boosts Immunity, Strengthens the Spleen & Kidney, Strengthens DNA, Supports the Digestive System and Stops cough. It is perfect in Autumn/Fall/Winter when we are susceptible to cold. Always serve hot and with hot food, but not spicy. Peach: Nourish Yin, Promote the Smooth Flow of Qi, Regulate Blood circulation, Disperse Cold

James O'Sullivan - that's me, a people friendly practitioner and lecturer of Integrated Medicine, serving my patients, my students and the public with the positive benefits of both Conventional Western Medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine. It's a wonderful life
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to diagnose or assess. The information provided is not to be considered a substitute for consultation with a qualified health care practitioner.
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Beetroot Detox Soup

Beetroot is nutritious and is loaded with energy and cleansing properties. Its rich in potassium, silica, iron, amino acids and vitamins A, vitamin B and vitamin C.

This soup takes just 45 Minutes to prepare and cook, giving you a delicious nutritious meal in a bowl, energises your detox system. A powerhouse!

Cook Time 45 mins                                         Total Time 45 mins

Servings: 2

Calories: 173kcal

Ingredients

  • 3 medium beet roots
  • 2 carrots finely diced
  • 1 onion finely diced
  • 2 garlic cloves crushed
  • 1 small leek finely diced
  • 1 tsp coconut oil
  • 2 cups vegetable broth warm
  • ¼ tsp sea salt
  • 1 tbsp chia sunflower and pumpkin seeds, 1 teaspoon coconut milk, to garnish

Instructions

Place the unpeeled beet roots in a pot, cover with water, bring to boil then simmer for 30 minutes until tender.

Drain from water and set aside to cool.

Heat the coconut oil in a cast iron skillet, add the onions, garlic, leek, and carrot and cook for 5-7 minutes over low heat. Remove from the heat and transfer onto a plate.

Peel the beet roots, cut into cubes, and add into the blender, together with the cooked vegetables and warm vegetable broth.

Process to obtain a smooth cream.

Season with salt and serve garnished with mixed seeds.

Beetroot is an ideal blood tonic for Blood Deficiency and is traditionally used in debilitating diseases and convalescence. Beef stock provides vital amino acids and nutrients for strengthening muscles and bones.

James O'Sullivan - that's me, a people friendly practitioner and lecturer of Integrated Medicine, serving my patients, my students and the public with the positive benefits of both Conventional Western Medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine. It's a wonderful life
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to diagnose or assess. The information provided is not to be considered a substitute for consultation with a qualified health care practitioner.
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Liver Onions and Vinegar

Liver is a superfood with many important nutrients. If eating liver seems a little bit too much, don’t worry, this recipe makes it healthier, easier and more enjoyable than you think.

INGREDIENTS

  • 500 grams of fresh calf’s (or Pork) liver
  • 2 to 4 tablespoons butter, as desired
  • 2 large Spanish onions, sliced lengthwise into thin strips
  • Salt and pepper, as desired
  • 1 tablespoon vinegar, (Black, Balsamic, Apple Cider)
  • Flour for dredging, seasoned with salt and pepper
  • 2 to 4 tablespoons clarified butter for frying
  • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

PREPARATION

  • Trim liver of veins and membranes. Cut on the diagonal into wide,  slices.
  • Melt the butter in a large skillet. Fry the onions in the butter over medium heat, stirring often, until nicely browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt, pepper and vinegar. Set aside.
  • Dredge liver pieces with seasoned flour, and shake off excess. In a second large skillet, melt the clarified butter over high heat, and when very hot, drop in the liver pieces, a few at a time.
  • Fry 30 seconds or so on each side. Remove to a serving dish. Liver should still be raw in the center.
  • When all liver pieces have been fried, place the onions in the skillet containing the liver juices and reheat the onions thoroughly, stirring often. Add the liver to the onions, toss briefly to heat through, and turn out onto the serving dish.
  • Sprinkle with chopped parsley.

Benefits of Liver

In addition to a high concentration of vitamin A, the liver is high in calcium, phosphorus, selenium, the vitamin B complex, and iron. The liver is a storage organ for many important nutrients (vitamins A, D, E, K, B12 and folic acid, and minerals such as copper and iron).

Liver according to Traditional Chinese Medicine.

According to the Doctrine of Signatures, we should eat liver to nourish our own liver. According to TCM, eating liver greatly nourishes Liver Blood (TCM blood), which is closely associated with the menstrual cycle and helps to rebalance any hormonal imbalance. In this recipe we also use vinegar which is sour in nature and helps to promote the smooth flow of Liver Qi, when it is blocked or stagnating.

Regarding toxins! The liver’s function is to neutralize toxins (such as drugs, poisons, and chemical agents), it does not store these toxins. Toxins that the body cannot eliminate are likely to accumulate, elsewhere in the body’s fatty tissues and nervous systems.

I recommend only buying liver from reliable sources, where the animal is organic or grass fed.

James O'Sullivan - that's me, a people friendly practitioner and lecturer of Integrated Medicine, serving my patients, my students and the public with the positive benefits of both Conventional Western Medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine.
It's a wonderful life
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to diagnose or assess. The information provided is not to be considered a substitute for consultation with a qualified health care practitioner.
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Cleansing Nettle Soup

Nettles are an amazingly healing plant! Are a wild and free super-healthy food that grows abundantly during its season.  Considered the “seaweed of the land,” because of its high mineral content, calcium, magnesium, iron, silica, iodine, and potassium.

Ingredients:

  • ½ colander of nettles. (When picking nettles, only select fresh healthy young leaves and tops)
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 carrot, chopped
  • 1 celery stick, chopped
  • 1 medium potato, chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed (optional)
  • Chicken, or vegetable stock (fresh is best, but stock cubes/powder are ok too)
  • 1 tbsp thick cream (optional)

Instructions:

To take the sting out of the nettles, place them in a heatproof bowl or a pot. Boil some water in the kettle, then pour it over the nettles. Allow them to sit for 30 seconds, then drain, allow to cool slightly and discard any stems.

Place the onion, carrot, celery, garlic and potato in a pan with enough stock to cover. Simmer until potato is soft. Add nettles to the pan and cook for another 5-10 mins until nettles are tender (add more stock if necessary). Blend with a hand blender or food processor until smooth. Add more stock if desired to reach the desired consistency. Season, and stir in cream if using just before serving.

Be careful not to overcook the soup or the vegetables will discolour and also lose their flavour.

In Chinese Medicine: Nettle helps build Essence (Jing) (a deep energy in your body which is responsible for growth and reproduction and life expectancy). Tonifies Yin, Blood and clears toxins from the body.

Caution: Do not eat raw nettles!

Fresh nettles are best picked between february and April, when the nettles are young. Other than this time it is best to pick only the young sprouts in the heads of the mature plant.

James O'Sullivan - that's me, a people friendly practitioner and lecturer of Integrated Medicine, serving my patients, my students and the public with the positive benefits of both Conventional Western Medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine. It's a wonderful life
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to diagnose or assess. The information provided is not to be considered a substitute for consultation with a qualified health care practitioner.
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Lung Cleanse and Tonic

Lung Cleanse Tea

We all know that smoking is one of the most deadliest habit in modern times. Unfortunately that doesn’t stop a lot of us from doing it. Over 66 million people suffer from health issues caused by smoking. For every person it kills, a minimum of 90 people lives with a severe smoking-related illness.

Even though we’re cutting back on cigarettes, they still linger. The damage it does to your lungs is often serious and irreversible. But for smokers and ex-smokers, you’re in luck! There is a drink that can help you cleanse your lungs of these toxins.

Three main ingredients make the drink work: turmeric, ginger, and onion. All three are packed with various health benefits but combined they form a potent and tasty lung cleansing beverage.

Turmeric is a spice from India that is widely known for its vibrant gold color. It’s also praised for its health benefits, as many as 600 of them! It’s high in minerals and vitamins and has anticancer, antibacterial and antiviral properties (source). If this spice isn’t a part of your daily life already, it should be!

Ginger is most commonly used for settling an upset stomach, but it can do so much more. One, in particular, is the ability to reduce excess mucus in your lungs, which can happen as a result of smoking (source).

Finally, onions have powerful antioxidant and anticancer properties (source). It’s been used to treat some cancers, showing it can inhibit further growth of the cells. Not bad for a vegetable that’s known for making you cry and being self-conscious of your breath.

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp. of turmeric
  • 400g of onion
  • Thumb-sized ginger root
  • 400g honey
  • 1 ts Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 1L of water

Preparation

  • Mix the sweetener into the water and heat until boiling
  • Chop the ginger and onion and add to the mixture, bring back to a boil
  • Add the turmeric and lower the heat to medium
  • Heat until there is only half the original amount left
  • Strain what’s left into a glass container
  • Let it cool to room temperature then place in the fridge
  • Consume 2 tbsp. daily, once in the morning and once in the evening, at least 2 hours after a meal

Smoking may be addictive, but it’s never too late to quit. It won’t be easy, but it will benefit you in the end. This drink is a great start for smokers and a better one for ex-smokers. Try it yourself and start breathing a little easier!

James O'Sullivan - that's me, a people friendly practitioner and lecturer of Integrated Medicine, serving my patients, my students and the public with the positive benefits of both Conventional Western Medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine.
It's a wonderful life
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to diagnose or assess. The information provided is not to be considered a substitute for consultation with a qualified health care practitioner.
Please share! Help the word get out. Pin the graphic too.