Homemade Vegetable Stock

How to make homemade vegetable stock using the scraps from leftovers.

I can’t believe I only started using this technique recently. I don’t know about you, but I grew up eating bullion cubes as a base for my soup with some water. Little did I know how much sodium is in those things. Once I read the ingredient label, I swore I would never cook with one again. The beauty of this technique is that you’re saving vegetable scraps from parts you would normally throw away. All of the peels and butts of the vegetables you don’t normally eat are the perfect medley for creating a homemade stock. On top of no longer wasting parts of the vegetables, you’re saving money by no longer buying broth from the store. Thanks to this recipe, I have been able to elevate my dishes with a level of freshness that I have not been able to achieve in the last 8 years of cooking. Find my life-changing recipe below.

Ingredients:

• 4-6 cups leftover vegetable scraps such as onions, carrots, celery, green onion, and asparagus

• Chicken fat from 2 lbs chicken breasts ** optional

• 3-4 cloves fresh garlic, peeled

• 1/4 cup Seitenbacher Vegetable Broth Seasoning

• 1 tsp dried oregano

• ½ tsp Italian Seasoning

• 1 tsp fresh rosemary

• 1 tsp dried thyme

• 1/2 tsp ground mustard

• 2 scoops Herbs de Province

• 2 bay leaves

• 8-10 cups water, divided

Directions:

1) Save enough vegetable scraps within a 2-week period to make the process worth your time. Leave the scraps sealed in Tupperware or in the fridge.

2) Add water, fresh herbs, vegetables, and chicken fat to a large stockpot. Only add enough water to fill to the top of the veggies.

3) Bring to a boil for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and add more water. Bring to a boil for 15 more minutes. Repeat process 2x for a total of 1 hour.

4) Remove from the heat and let it cool for a few hours. Once cooled, with a thin-lined strainer and transfer it to Mason jars (or Tupperware if you don’t have any).

5) Enjoy with soups, stews, or as part of a sauce for your favorite dish! Will keep up to 2 weeks in the fridge.

Not sure what to prepare with the stock? With the RAD Meal Plan and Cooking Package, I’ll teach you how to use every ingredient and elevate it into a family worthy meal. Click the button below to find out more information.

Easy Peasy Crockpot Veggie Soup

Welcome to Chicago! Where the seasons don’t matter and mother nature is permanently on holiday. While we are in the midst of our second winter, I have been stirring up some delicious soups. All I want to do is stay warm and not go outside. I feel antsy if I don’t move around for too long, so I need something grounding to keep me relaxed throughout the cold months. Being all stirred up in my head can make it difficult to think at times. This soup recipe can be whipped up without a recipe. I know my favorite vegetables on hand and buy them at the grocery store on a weekly basis. I enjoy challenging myself to add one new vegetable a week to one of my dishes in order to expand my palette. What an easier way to throw it in a crock pot? With minimal prep, this recipe is a winner. As an added bonus, eating more vegetables and warming foods will help keep the flu symptoms at bay. This grounding dish helps keep me more focused and connected to my purpose. I’m excited to share my healing recipe below.

Ingredients:

• 4-5 medium-sized carrots, chopped

• ½ stalk celery (4-5 pieces), chopped

• 1 white onion, chopped

• 1 can dried tomatoes, chopped

• 1 4 oz (112 carton) portabella mushrooms, chopped

• 1 10 oz bag spinach, chopped

• 5 cloves garlic, diced

• 1 6 oz can tomato paste

• 6-8 cups vegetable broth

• salt & pepper to taste

• 1 tsp marojam

• 1 tsp thyme

• 1 tsp oregano

• 2 15 oz cans beans of choice (cannellini or kidney beans)

Directions:

1)      Chop all of your vegetables (minus spinach) and garlic. Add to the crockpot.

2)      Strain/rinse beans/canned tomatoes. Add to the crockpot.

3)      Add tomato paste, spices, & broth to the crockpot.

4)      Close lid and cook high 4-6 hours or low 6-8 hours. During last 10 minutes, add spinach & stir.

Enjoy! Would be delicious with a homemade vegan pesto (see my recipe here)

I understand that meal planning can be challenging. People are busier than ever and want to get a quick meal on the table. Health has taken a back seat a lot of the time in the name of convenience. With Redefining All Diets, you get to have both. You no longer have to sacrifice your health. I assist you in finding recipes to fit yours and your family’s needs, taking the burden of research off of your plate. I will customize a week’s worth of meals for you for you and provide it in a PDF document along with a shopping list ready to take to the store.

Lentil Taco Soup

I have been watching a lot of Master Chef lately. What can be more addicting than watching Gordon Ramsey yell at chefs? Honestly, I’ve had a dream of being on a cooking show and it’s brought back a lot of inspiration to continue cooking.

I spent the second half of 2018 traveling and enjoying visiting areas all over the US. However, I was not cooking as much and gained some weight. I felt disconnected from my purpose and traveling helped me come back home. Luckily, I always have my tools to come back to in order to get back on track.

Being away from cooking made me realize how much I enjoy and appreciate it. It gives me confidence that I’m building something from scratch on my own. I am creating my own food. Cooking keeps me focused and present. I feel I am at my best when I am cooking because I am living at my highest potential. Cooking is like my pencil and paper where magic comes out onto the plate.

With another round of Clean, Burn, Shape underway, I wanted to find some recipes that were new and inviting to my palette. It’s currently winter, so I’m definitely in soup mode. I could eat soup any time of the day! It’s easy for my body to digest cooked foods, which makes soup an easy decision. Soup always yields me tons of leftovers and it’s easy to share with people. As an added bonus, it’s super easy to prepare. Get the whole family involved because you will want multiple spoons for this healthy lentil taco soup.

Inspired by: https://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/slow-cooker-taco-lentil-soup/

For the Soup:

• 1 teaspoon olive oil

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

•  1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

• 1 white onion, diced

• 1 jalapeño, seeded and diced

• 1 cup green or brown lentils, rinsed

• 2 cups of homemade tomato sauce (see below)

• 4 cups vegetable broth

• 1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained

• 2 tablespoons chili powder

• 1 tablespoon cumin

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• 1/2 teaspoon paprika

• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder

• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (if you like a little heat!)

• 1 teaspoon salt

• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For toppings:

• Fresh avocado

• Hot sauce 

• Mangoes, sliced (optional)

• Cilantro

• Salsa Con “Queso” (see below)

For homemade tomato sauce:

• 5-6 tomatoes on the vine

• 1 (6 oz) can tomato paste

• 1 tsp dried oregano

• 1 tsp dried basil

• Salt and pepper to taste

For the Salsa Con “Queso”:

• 1 ½ cups raw cashews soaked overnight in cool water

• 1 lemon, juiced

• 4 Tbsp nutritional yeast

• ½ Cup vegetable broth

• 1 Tsp Chili powder

• 1 Tsp Paprika

• 1 Tsp Cumin

• 1 Tsp garlic powder

• ¼ Cup salsa of choice

Directions:

** Before preparing the queso, make sure to soak the cashews overnight or prepare it in advance. If you have a high-powered blender like a vitamix, you

1)   Cook lentils according to the directions on the bag. Typically, cook the one cup of lentils with 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer until all the water evaporates.

2)   Prepare and chop all of your vegetables. Place a medium skillet over medium high heat. Add in olive oil, garlic, bell pepper, onion and jalapeño. Sauté for 5 minutes or until onions begin to brown and soften. 

3)   Add spices and black beans. Stir until black beans are cooked and spices are stirred evenly.

4)   Blend all of the ingredients for the tomato sauce. Pour into the skillet with your vegetables. Cook until the sauce comes to a boil.

5)   Transfer the vegetables into a 5-6 quart stock pot with 4 cups of fresh water or vegetable broth.

6)   In a high powered blender, combine all the ingredients for the queso and blend until smooth. Set aside

7)   Cover the soup and let it simmer on low for 15-20 minutes to combine flavors.

8)   Add the cooked lentils, stir, and serve with desired toppings. Enjoy!

PS: By cooking my favorite take-out recipes from scratch, I found a fun way to still eat my favorite foods without feeling like I need to go out to the restaurant to eat them.

Cooking has been a way for me to find peace in my life because I know what I’m putting in my body.

That’s why I created 55 all-new recipes to give you fun and creative ideas for what you can manifest in the kitchen.

As a bonus, I've modified all of them to be gluten-free and dairy-free.

Each recipe can be modified to fit your dietary needs.

This book contains recipes for appetizers, breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, and crockpot.

As another bonus, I have included tips for some food swap ideas.

Ditch the takeout and bring the food back to your kitchen with my easy, healthy, affordable meals.

Broccoli Cheeze Soup

The weather is dropping again, which means it’s time for soups again.

Who am I kidding? I can eat soup any time of the year.

I’m not the biggest fan of broccoli and it has taken me years to get used to its taste.

I’ve tried various ways to mask the taste as much as I can to get the nutritional benefits of this cruciferous vegetable.

I found that if I put heap loads of cheese in anything, I can eat basically everything.

However, there are people who can’t eat dairy too much because of gut issues, so I have created this recipe to benefit all parties.

This can be made with cashew cheeze or regular cheese to your liking.

You can have your favorite dishes dairy free now if you do a little extra research! :)

Enjoy this recipe below:

Ingredients:

• 2 heads of broccoli, cut in florets

• 1/4 cup white onion, chopped

• 1/2 cup carrots, julienned or buy them matchstick

• 5 cloves of garlic, minced

• 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil or butter

• 1-2 cups of vegetable or chicken broth

• 1-2 teaspoons arrowroot starch

For Cheeze Sauce

• 2.5 cups of shredded cheddar cheese (or cheeses of choice)

  OR

• 1 cup cashews, soaked overnight (unless you have a high powered blender)

• 5 tablespoons nutritional yeast

• salt and pepper to taste

• 1/2 fresh juiced lemon, squeezed

• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil

• almond milk to taste

Directions:

** NOTE: Soak cashews overnight in a pot covered with water up to the top of the cashews

1) Chop vegetables and garlic. Add butter or EVOO to pan. Saute on medium heat until veggies are soft.

2) Prepare the cheeze sauce by adding all the ingredients to a high powered blender. Blend until everything is smooth.

3) Add vegetables and broth to blender with cheeze. Blend in batches if your blender doesn’t fit it in one batch. Blend until smooth or pulse if you want it chunky (I prefer no chunks).

4) Add mixture to a 5-6 quart stock pot. Turn heat on low. Cover and simmer until heated through. It will start bubbling.

5) Add arrowroot starch if your soup is thin at the end or it will curdle up. Turn the stove off before you add it. Let it sit for 1-2 minutes.

6) Top with more cheeze or cheese and enjoy!

Tired of eating the same take-out meals every single week, feeling like shit after eating them?

Your body simply can’t handle food the way it used to, and your body is starting to respond with symptoms.

You don’t know what to do because you feel like you’ve tried every diet plan in the book.

Nothing seems to be working, but you don’t want to give up hope.

I know how it feels to go for decades trying to find the perfect diet to work for me.

Once I dropped the idea that I had to go on a diet or restrict calories to lose weight and feel good, the weight flew off naturally.

I have been able to lose over 30 lbs and keep it off for over 6 years!

By cooking my favorite take-out recipes from scratch, I found a fun way to still eat my favorite foods without feeling like I need to go out to the restaurant to eat them.

Cooking has been a way for me to find peace in my life because I know what I’m putting in my body.

That’s why I created 55 all-new recipes to give you fun and creative ideas for what you can manifest in the kitchen.

As a bonus, I've modified all of them to be gluten-free and dairy-free.

Each recipe can be modified to fit your dietary needs.

This book contains recipes for appetizers, breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, and crockpot.

As another bonus, I have included tips for some food swap ideas.

Ditch the takeout and bring the food back to your kitchen with my easy, healthy, affordable meals.

I’m running a sale on this so grab your copy at an all-time low cost!

Take-Out Fake-Out Hot and Sour Soup

I definitely outdid myself here! This hot and sour soup tastes just as good if not better than what you would get at a restaurant. The best part is there is no flour to act as a thickener, less salt in a restaurant, and I amped up the veggie game to make this a healthy, hearty, grounding dish. Want to learn how to make more recipes like this? Take a cooking lesson with me. For now, enjoy the epic noms in this video! 😉😋🍲

Ingredients:

• 4 cups chicken broth or chicken stock or vegetable broth

• 4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced

• 1 (8-ounce) can bamboo shoots, drained and thinly sliced

• 1-2 baby bok choy, thinly sliced

• 8 ounces firm tofu, drained and sliced in 1/4-inch strips

• 2 cloves garlic, grated

• 2 teaspoons ginger, grated

• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

• 3 tablespoons rice vinegar or red wine vinegar

• 1 tablespoon chili sauce, such as sambal oelek or sriracha

• 3 tablespoons soy sauce (or tamari for gluten-free)

• 2 teaspoons brown sugar

• 2 tablespoons corn starch mixed into 2 tablespoons cold water

• 2 eggs, lightly beaten

• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seed oil

• 1 teaspoon white pepper (or black pepper)

• 4 green onions, sliced

Directions:

1) Bring the broth, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, bok choy, tofu, garlic, ginger, vinegars, chili sauce, soy sauce and sugar to a boil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.                                                                          2) Mix in the cornstarch and water mixture and simmer until the soup thickens a bit, about 2 minutes.
3) Slowly pour in the eggs in a thin stream while stirring the soup.
4) Mix in the sesame oil, white pepper and green onions, remove from heat and enjoy!

As a bonus, I have decided to release my cooking demo to the public. For more recipes and cooking demos, check out my Facebook group where I give exclusive support to my community.

Thai Carrot Sweet Potato Soup

How was your Christmas? ☃️❄️🎄 I hope everyone's day was filled with smiles and laughter. 
As much as I am all about the holiday spirit, I spent mine giving myself the day off to rest.
It was filled with saying yes to myself. And that's all I really needed. No Christmas party, no gifts, and a nice, quiet homemade meal with my family. This was followed by journaling, meditation, and a good nights rest. Instead of your classic ham, veggies, stuffing, potatoes, and dessert, I decided to combine the feelings of all of them into a delicious soup. It's soft, warm, creamy, and satisfying enough to have as an entire meal. Check out my Christmas creation of my version of Thai Carrot Sweet Potato Soup.

Inspired by: https://cookieandkate.com/2016/thai-carrot-sweet-potato-soup-recipe/

Ingredients: 

For the Soup:

• 2 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• 1 Yellow sweet onion, chopped

• 2 Medium sized sweet potatoes, chopped

• 2 Large carrots, chopped

• 2 Tbsp. red curry paste

• 1/4 Cup low-sodium vegetable broth

• 1/4 Cup almond butter or peanut butter

• 1 Tsp Tamari (low-sodium) or liquid aminos

• 1 Tsp Maple Syrup

• 1/2 Tsp Sea Salt

• 1/2 Tsp ground black pepper

• Cilantro, lime juice, and roasted chickpeas for topping

For the Roasted Chickpeas:

• 1 15 Oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

• 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

• 1/2 Tsp sea salt

• 1/4 Tsp ground black pepper

• 1 Tbsp. maple syrup

• 1 Tsp garlic powder

• 1 Tsp onion powder

Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

2) While the oven is preheating, chop your veggies and lay them on a baking sheet. Add olive oil, salt, pepper, and maple syrup.

3) Prepare the chickpeas and put them on a baking sheet. 

4) Drizzle some olive oil on the chick peas and your seasonings. Shake the pan around to make sure all the chickpeas are evenly coated.

5) Put the vegetables and the chickpeas in the oven for 30-35 minutes. The veggies will be soft and the chickpeas will be slightly browned on top, but not burnt.

6) In a pot, pour the vegetable broth, curry paste, liquid aminos, and nut butter. Turn heat on low to begin heating everything.

7) When the vegetables are done, put them in a high powered blender or food processor. Set aside the chickpeas to cool.

9) Add the vegetables back to the soup, cover, and let it come to a boil for 5-10 minutes. Turn the heat to medium. Once simmered, remove from heat and serve with roasted chick peas. Enjoy!

Looking for more simple recipes? Check out my 10 healthy, delicious affordable recipes to start the new year with a happy gut!

Pork Belly Ramen

Picture this scenario:  You’re out with your friends in the city and you find a Ramen joint. Hell yeah! At last, your childhood dream has come alive! Who wouldn’t want to have Ramen at a restaurant? It’s right in the childhood if you were a 90’s baby like I was. You finish your Ramen, but you feel dissatisfied. Not in the sense of it not tasting good, but your stomach is upset. You feel bloated and full of regret. Your childhood dreams feel like they were crushed. You go home at the end of the evening and have a bowl of Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream because you feel hungry a few hours later. Oooof! I’m sure we’ve all been there before. It’s like a double whammy because you had so much salt from the ramen and you crave sweet in order to bring your body back into balance. Don’t fret. THIS DOES NOT HAVE TO BE YOU! Why is that you ask? I have this awesome recipe for homemade Ramen that you can make in the comfort of your own kitchen. No need to spend hours driving back and forth to feel sick afterwards. And the best part is that I’m going to provide it to you right here and right now. I bring you my delicious, healthy, homemade Pork Belly Ramen!

Ingredients:

For the Ramen:

• 2 lbs of Pork Belly **

• Oil of choice (for the pork belly)

• 1 3-inch piece ginger, peeled and diced

• 6 cups vegetable stock

• 2 Tbsp tamari or soy sauce, plus more to taste

• 1 Tbsp white or yellow miso paste (ensure vegan friendliness on package)

• 1 tsp sesame oil (for flavor), plus more to taste

• 2 tsp rice wine vinegar or mirin

• 1 tsp Korean gojuchang sauce (can find in the Asian section at your local supermarket)

• 8 ounces Ramen noodles (You can get creative here with the noodle choices)

• 3 eggs, lightly beaten

• Green onions (for topping)

• Sriracha sauce (for topping)

For the Roasted Root Vegetables:

• 1 8 oz package fresh shiitake mushrooms, chopped

• 6-8 radishes, sliced thin

• 1-2 baby bok choy, chopped

• 1 medium sized yellow onion, chopped

• ½ red cabbage, sliced thin

• 2-3 large carrots, chopped

• 5 cloves garlic (2 1/2 Tbsp), roughly chopped

Directions:

** Before you prepare anything, I suggest cooking your pork belly the night before because it takes over 2 hours to prepare. I’ve provided a video to help you cook the pork belly properly: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/videos/techniques/how-roast-pork-belly

1)      Chop your veggies. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. On a large baking sheet, lay out your veggies on a foiled baking sheet. Cook for 20-25 minutes until the veggies are golden brown.

2)      While the veggies are roasting, begin to carve your pork belly into thin slices. Put the thin slices on the stove over medium heat with some oil of choice. Cook in batches until both sides are brown and crispy.

3)       Prepare your Ramen noodles. Cook according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.

4)      Begin making the broth for the Ramen by putting all of the ingredients (except the eggs) into a pot and simmer on low.

4)      When the veggies are done, remove them from the oven, let cool for 5 minutes, and then put them into the broth.

5)      Turn up the heat to medium and add the eggs. Stir and cover and let sit for 5-10 minutes until the eggs are cooked through.

6)      Serve with the noodles, green onions, sriracha, and pork belly. Enjoy! :)