If you were to open my refrigerator, you’d find dozens of bottles, mason jars, and glass containers filled with broth, drinks, and different foods. Aside from making food from unprocessed ingredients, I eat and drink certain things throughout the day to keep myself and my family healthy.
I start my day off with a small glass of beet kvass. Now, it’s not a recipe I’d ever feature on my blog because well, it isn’t delicious, but it does stimulate the liver to dump toxins. It’s a salty, fermented beet juice that’s incredibly easy and cheap to make, lasts for weeks in the fridge and helps cleanse my system daily. You simply take 3-4 beets, cut them in large pieces, place them in a 2 quart pitcher, fill the pitcher with water, add 1 1/2 tablespoons sea salt and stir. Cover the mixture and leave at room temperature for 3-4 days to ferment. After it ferments I store it in the fridge and take a shot of it every morning as soon as I wake up. It’s great stuff.
I’m also a huge fan of stock. I make chicken stock weekly in my home and store the stock in mason jars in the refrigerator. I try to consume three cups of stock a day to strengthen my immune system, plus it just tastes so darn good.
A few months ago, I shared my love of kombucha. If you’re not familiar, kombucha is a sweet fizzy fermented tea that’s wonderful for detoxing the liver. Each Tuesday I make a fresh batch of kombucha. I bought a few pretty Italian bottles at Sur La Table and pour my fresh kombucha into those and then boil up some water for the next batch. We’ve all gotten a bit addicted to this drink and it’s fun for the kids to have a sweet drink after school that isn’t soda, and is incredibly healthy for them.
A healthy gut is super important for your health. If your gut has the wrong kind of bacteria growing in it, all sorts of things can go awry. Kombucha is filled with probiotics and stock is also good for the gut, but another food I make and eat regularly is sauerkraut. I know, a little strange right? I thought so the first time I read about it. Here’s a great recipe from Nourishing Magazine. (Don’t be intimidated, it’s super easy to make.)
I didn’t tell you all of this to overwhelm you but to give you some new ideas of foods you can use to keep your body performing at it’s optimum level. These foods and drinks are usually the topics of conversation when friends come over because they see the inside of my fridge and start asking questions. Pete and the kids eat/drink all of these things too so it’s totally possible to get your family on board…it might take a while, but they’ll eventually come around.
Instead of leaving you with a recipe for stock, I’m giving you a great, quick dinner that’s nutritious and something for all ages. The salmon is coated in honey and soy sauce then broiled. Then you stir-fry some vegetables and rice noodles and serve them all up together. To make this quicker to prepare at the end of a hectic day, you can boil the noodles a day ahead of time, toss them in sesame oil (to prevent sticking) and store them in the fridge. The next evening, throw the salmon in the oven, chop your vegetables and saute them up with the noodles and you’ll have a nutritious meal on the table in less than twenty minutes!
Congrats to Jen (who would like to see more Thai recipes), Lydia (who would like to see more ideas for organic on a budget), and June G! You all were randomly picked to receive an autographed copy of my new cookbook. Please send me your information to deliciouslyorganic [at] yahoo [dot] com and I’ll get your book out to you.
Honey-Coated Salmon with Spinach and Noodles
Inspired by Delicious Magazine. Serves 2
8 ounces thai rice noodles
1 teaspoon sesame seed oil
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons fermented soy sauce
8 ounces wild salmon fillet, cut into two pieces
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1 tablespoon virgin coconut oil
4 green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 red bell pepper, cut into bite-size pieces
2 cups baby spinach
Preheat broiler and oil the bottom of an oven-safe dish. Cook noodles according to package directions, drain, and drizzle with sesame seed oil to prevent them from sticking together. Whisk the honey and soy sauce in a small flat dish. Place salmon in the honey-soy mixture, turning fish to coat both sides. Let sit for 5 minutes.
Remove the salmon from the honey-soy mixture and place in the oiled baking pan. Broil for 6-7 minutes, until cooked. Reserve any leftover honey-soy mixture.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sesame seeds and toast for about 1 minute until golden brown (the seeds can burn very quickly so keep an eye on them). Remove the seeds from the pan and pour into a bowl. Heat coconut oil in the pan. Add the green onions, bell pepper, spinach, and noodles and saute for 3-4 minutes. Pour in noodles and any remaining honey-soy mixture and toss until noodles are heated through. Add a teaspoon or so of soy sauce if needed for flavor. Serve noodles and vegetables with salmon and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
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I rave about myself every night at the dinner table, “Honey, can you believe I made this??” And it’s all thanks to you!! (and teaching me that organic butter is welcomed and embraced! No more fat free, yay!!
{ 19 comments… read them below or add one }
Wonderful info you’ve packed into a great post! I love Kombucha, too – and I’m still working on getting my teen son to join my joy
I’d like to look into the beet kvass, sounds very helpful. Congrats on the book.
I’m sorry, but that beet beverage sounds absolutely horrible.
I guess if it’s good for you, though…
On the other hand, the salmon with honey/soy sounds delicious!
I admit, it doesn’t taste good. It’s sort of like medicine…well, it practically is medicine.
How do you enjoy your broth? I make my own as well, but I only really use it to cook grains. Do you drink it straight, or do you find other ways to drink it? And, while I’m on the subject, do you have a stock recipe featured on the site somewhere?
Your blog is great! I’m almost feeling brave enough to try that beet concoction…
I like to drink it, but also use it in soups and to cook my rice in. I have a stock recipe in my book and that’s the one I use regularly. My friend Molly also has a good one:http://organicspark.blogspot.com/2010/05/liquid-gold-making-of-chicken-stock.html
Love this post Carrie!
I would like to know more about your beet shot. Should I use raw beets? Do I shave them?
The salmon looks stellar as always. Yum Yum!
I’m very curious about your beet kvass. Would you mind doing a post about it in the future?
okay, Carrie – here I go again. I’ve pulled out my little red book and, yes, I am taking notes. I’m taking you up on that offer for you to send me the fungi to start my own kombucha! I desperately need to cleanse my liver! x
I stumbled upon your website, was poking around, and read your feature on Fox News. My husband and I actually grew up in Lancaster, Ca near Edwards Air Force Base. He is in the Coast Guard, so we are currently living in Hawaii. I’ve enjoyed browsing your site! I have never cooked organic before and I am finding myself quite curious about it…. the honey coated salmon looks divine!
I am very curious about your Beet Kvass. Would you do a post about this in the future? Thanks!
Beautiful dish and photos!
This dish looks delicious! Thanks for all the advice too. I found it very interesting to read.
If I follow your instructions for these potions does it mean I can drink more vino?!!! ; )
Mmmm – thinking of picking up some beets at the farmers’ market to ferment…
Very interesting post. I’m always up for in new info on healthy eating, cooking and dietary stuff. I’ve never heard of beet kvass. I laugh just thinking about trying to get my husband to try it! If it helps cleanse your system and dump toxins, I will try it. I always make homemade chicken stock and I’m out. Will make more tomorrow…but I’ve never really thought about just drinking it. I cook with it. And thanks for the kombucha info. it does sound a bit strange. Will pick some up at the store first to get acquainted, the brand you mentioned. If I love it, I’ll try making it and let you know.
Carrie, you are so right. Without the proper digestion not only so we feel awful, but we cannot absorb all those healthy nutrients properly. Great post & your salmon looks delish!
Hi Carrie! Although I haven’t ventured into organic foods much, I love reading about all of the sweets you make organic and gluten free. Yum! One of my husband’s intentions for the New Year is to eat more healthy. I made sure to point out the beet juice stuff. We’ll follow what you’ve said and see how it goes this weekend. Yikes! To choose healthiness is exciting around our house
Do your kids drink the fermented beet juice? I have 2 little boys who will be 4, wondering if I can give them this (and hope they drink it). I never made it, but the recipe sounds simple, is it easy to mess up? i just love all your ideas! I know I probably said it before, but I am SO HAPPY I found your blog, thanks to 100 days of real food.
Thank you for your kind words! I’m so glad you are finding the blog to be helpful. My kids don’t drink the beet juice, but I have many friends who’s kids will. The recipe is very simple and pretty hard to mess up. My daughter’s prefer fermented pickles, sauerkraut and good yogurts so just my husband and I drink the kvass.
I’m interested in making some of these fermented foods that you have mentioned on your site. For the beet kvass, do you peel the beets? I find some websites that say to peel them and others that say that you shouldn’t. Also, when you cover them to ferment, do you loosely cover them with a towel or tightly with a lid? Or does it matter? One other question….do you make your own fermented pickles? If so, do you think you could post the recipe? My son loves pickles and I would love to make some for him. Thank you for all that you do! I love your site!