towers, Author at Towers Family Chiropractor

Chicken Zoodle Soup

October 15, 2014 by towers

Previous recipes posted here have featured zucchini “noodles” (for which I have just coined the name zoodle) and chicken broth. This soup is super easy if you have these 2 items plus a few other basics on hand. It’s no secret that I am no fan of pasta–so this is my version of chicken noodle soup! If you make the chicken broth according to this linked recipe, it is so flavorful that this soup needs little seasoning.

1 small zucchini, spiralized with a vegetable spiralizer or a julienne vegetable peeler

2 cups homemade chicken broth

1/2 cup of a mix of other vegetables: green peas (frozen ok), chopped carrots, finely chopped onions

1/2 cup chopped chicken meat (optional)

2 tsp. mellow white miso (MisoMaster brand is good)

salt and black pepper to taste

Heat broth in soup pot on medium heat until simmering. If you want to add onions to your soup, sauté them first in some olive oil until soft and then add them to the broth. Add other vegetables to the broth except zucchini. As soon as other veggies are tender, add the chicken. Simmer for a few minutes and then add the zucchini “zoodles”. Simmer for just a few minutes more so as not to overcook the zucchini–it should be firm so it resembles pasta. Take off heat. Mix miso in a bowl with a few tablespoons of the hot broth from the soup and then add this mixture to the soup. Stir well. Add salt and black pepper to taste. Best served immediately.

Sunflower/Pumpkin Seed Butter

September 15, 2014 by towers

This is a yummy peanut and nut butter substitute, yet it’s a good choice too for people who don’t have peanut or tree nut allergies because it supplies coconut fatty acids and the good fats in the seeds. Even though the seed soaking and drying step complicates this recipe, it’s worth it because soaked seeds are easier to digest. I try to keep this soaked-then-dried seed mixture (2 parts sunflower to 1 part pumpkin) on-hand by making a big batch at one time so that I have plenty for snacking (add some salt) plus extra for recipes such as this one and the Lime Pie I recently posted. (Extra soaked/dried seeds should be stored in the refrigerator.) The ghee in this recipe adds a butterscotch flavor and makes the mixture spread more easily. You can adjust the amount of honey to suit your taste and you can leave out the cocoa powder if desired. Enjoy it on apple slices, a banana, celery sticks, or crackers.

1 cup raw (unsalted/no added oil) sunflower seeds

1/2 cup raw (unsalted/no added oil) pumpkin seeds

1/4 cup honey or 6 medjool dates, pitted

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. sea salt

2 Tbsp. coconut oil

2 Tbsp. ghee

1-2 Tbsp. raw organic cocoa powder (optional)

Soak the sunflower and pumpkin seeds in one quart of water in a bowl or glass jar overnight or at least 8 hours. Rinse very well in a colander and allow to drain well. Spread the soaked seeds out in a baking pan and dry in a 150 to 250 degree F oven. It will take longer to dry thoroughly in a lower temperature oven (about 2 to 3 hours) but it is better for preserving more nutrients. Keep in mind that the seeds will dry more quickly if you use a larger baking pan as they will be spread out more. Stir well every 30 minutes to evenly dry the seeds. As soon as the seeds are lightly browned and dry, remove from oven.

Place the roasted seeds in a food processor and process until finely ground. Add other ingredients except the oil and ghee. Pulse until well mixed. If the coconut oil and/or ghee is solid, melt until liquid on low heat on the stovetop. Add the oils while the processor is running and process until thoroughly mixed. Transfer to a glass storage container or a jar. Keep refrigerated. If the seed butter is too hard to spread easily, leave it at room temperature until it softens—about 15 minutes.

Zucchini “Noodles”

September 15, 2014 by towers

This is a good vegetable substitute for pasta. Easy, fast, and NOT HEAVY on the stomach. If you don’t have a vegetable spiralizer (I have a Paderno that works great), you can use a dual julienne or vegetable peeler. This is an inexpensive peeler that also has a blade for julienne cuts. Make this dish as spicy or filling as you want by garnishing with any combination of: red pepper flakes, hot pepper sauce, avocado cubes, chopped olives, grated romano cheese, chopped sweet red pepper, or cooked white beans.

2 small-medium sized zucchini, spiralized

3 cloves garlic

2 Tbsp. olive oil or ghee (I used 1 T of each)

fresh basil, 2 Tbsp. chopped

2 tomatoes, chopped or 1/4 cup dried tomatoes, soaked in water to soften, chopped

1/2 c chopped shitake mushroom (optional)

salt, pepper to taste

Romano cheese, grated

Saute crushed garlic in olive oil or ghee. As soon as the garlic starts to sizzle but before it browns, add the zucchini “noodles” keeping the heat at medium. Stir for 2 minutes to evenly heat zucchini until just tender (zucchini noodles will NOT be firm if you overcook at this step so undercook them). Add chopped tomatoes and mushrooms, basil, salt and pepper. Stir for a minute or so more to heat evenly. Serve immediately with garnishes of your choice.

Dreadful Pain Relieved

September 3, 2014 by towers

Please explain why you came to our office.

“A dreadful pain in the middle of my back, unable to sleep, just awful.”

Please describe your response to treatment.

“After the first treatment I could sleep and each treatment thereafter provided more relief until all is well! As if my back hadn’t been hurting.”

Chronic neck pain

September 2, 2014 by towers

Please explain why you came to our office.

“Chronic neck pain and was seeking relief.”

Please describe your response to treatment.

“Found the help I needed. Treating the cause not only the symptoms!” ~30 Yr-old male

Debilitating low back & knee pain

August 29, 2014 by towers

Please explain why you came to our office.

“Sore muscles, low back and knee pain from fall when diagnosed with diabetes.”

Please describe your response to treatment.

“Have recovered the ability to manage steps, start walking program again after several months of inability. Overall body movement is improved 100%. You’ve given me back my mobility.” ~81 year-old female

Dill Garlic Pickles

August 27, 2014 by towers

We are STILL getting cucumbers from the garden–2014 is the year of the cucumber. I’ve made the best of it and have been stocking up on sour (brine) pickles. They keep for months in the fridge and are a lot easier to make than any other pickle. Plus they contain good bacteria for a healthy digestive system since they are fermented. If you don’t have your own cukes, perhaps you can still get a deal on locally grown ones at farmers markets. Young small pickling cukes that are not seedy are ideal–they will be firmer pickles. Don’t use big, over-ripe cukes–you will be disappointed in the final product. Also, if your room temperature is above 75 degrees F the pickles may be slimey or moldy and should be discarded so be sure you have a cool place for fermentation.

You will need a big glass jar with a wide mouth. I have a gallon-sized jar with a 5- inch mouth that is perfect but two 1/2 gallon-sized wide-mouth canning jars (available at hardware stores) will work very well too. You will also need a smaller jar that fits inside the mouth of the big jar to act as a weight for keeping the cukes down in the brine. Remove all labels and wash all jars very well before making the pickles. It’s taken me a while but I now have a collection of recycled glass jars that fit very well into my wide-mouth canning jars. Get your system down–you won’t regret it and you’ll be ready for next year’s cucumber crop!

For 1 gallon of pickles:

About 8-10 small cucumbers, washed well

3 sprigs of fresh dill or 2 Tbsp. dried dill weed

6 large cloves garlic

About 2 quarts of brine: 3 Tbsp. sea salt (I like Celtic) per quart of filtered water

Arrange as many of the cucumbers in the glass jar(s) as will fit so that they are packed but not squished together. Also leave a space of at least 3 inches at the top of the jar. I place them in vertically, side-by side and fit 2 layers of them in if the cukes are small enough. Add the dill and garlic by pushing them down in the spaces between the cucumbers. Dissolve (by stirring well) 3 Tbsp. of salt in a quart mason jar almost filled with water. Pour this onto the cukes in the big jar. Mix another quart of brine and add that –usually 2 quarts of brine is enough to completely submerge the cucumbers but if you need more mix it at that ratio. Be sure to leave about 3 inches of space at the top of the jar. Now fill your small glass jar with water, cap it and place it into the big jar–ideally it just fits in and acts as a weight that submerges the cucumbers without spilling brine. If you didn’t leave enough space at the top of the jar you will have trouble with brine overflowing. Place in a 65-75 degree F room out of direct light. Put a plate under the big jar just in case some brine spills over as the fermentation proceeds. Also, cover the top with a dishcloth or cheese cloth to keep dust, etc. out. Check every day to be sure the cukes stay submerged. The pickles should bubble as they ferment and be soured through in 5-7 days (cut one open and see if it is dark green all the way to the center). Remove cloth and the small jar and cap your big jar. Keep in the refrigerator.

Lime Pie

August 18, 2014 by towers

Avocado in a pie? Strange to me at first too, but now I’m sold. When you try this pie I bet you will agree. Don’t worry, the pie doesn’t turn brown from the avocado oxidizing–the lime juice prevents that. And it’s easy–no baking, and with a food processor it’s quick. (You will need a food processor and blender for this recipe) I found the original recipe in the GAPS cookbook “Internal Bliss” which is a gluten-free recipe book, but I replaced the nuts with seeds and dried coconut because that’s what I had! Also, I believe it to be easier to digest with these changes. The ghee adds a nice butterscotch-like flavor but coconut oil alone works too if you want it dairy-free.

Serves 6

Pie Crust

1/2 cup pumpkin seeds

3/4 cup sunflower seeds

1 cup dried shredded coconut

6 pitted dates, cut in half

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

pinch of sea salt

1 Tbsp. ghee or coconut oil

Filling:

1/2 to 3/4 cup lime juice

1/2 cup honey

1/4 cup coconut milk

1 cup avocado (about 1 avocado)

2 tsp. vanilla extract

pinch sea salt

1/4 cup ghee (or coconut oil)

1/4 cup coconut oil

When I made this recipe I used “crispy” sunflower and pumpkin seeds which I try to keep on hand. This means I soaked them in water overnight, rinsed them well the next day, drained and salted them, and then dried them in a 200 degree F oven for about 2 hours with an occasional stir. Why? Because this preparation reduces the anti-nutrient levels in nuts and seeds and makes them easier to digest. You can skip this step and use plain dried seeds (NOT the roasted, oiled ones as the oils used are mostly unhealthy).

Put the seeds in the food processor and grind. In a blender, blend the dried coconut to a fine powder. Add the coconut “flour” to the ground seed mixture in the processor. Add the rest of the crust ingredients and process well. Press this mixture into a pie dish.

Place all filling ingredients except the ghee and coconut oil in the food processor. Blend until smooth and creamy. I used 1/2 cup lime juice which was 2 limes. If you want intense lime flavor you may want to use 3/4 cup as the original recipe called for. If you use 3/4 cup lime juice, be sure to taste it after it’s all blended and add more honey if it’s not sweet enough for you. Now melt the coconut oil over low heat if it is not already melted (which depends on the temperature of your kitchen). Add the ghee if you are using it and continue warming until it also melts. Drizzle this mixture into the food processor while it’s running. Process until smooth and creamy. Pour into piecrust. Freeze for 3 hours. Remove from freezer 30 before serving for easy cutting. Store in freezer.

Roasted Chicken and Chicken Broth

August 12, 2014 by towers

For very tender chicken that is still nicely browned, try this recipe. The chicken is slowly roasted in a 250 degree F. oven. If you have a pyrex baking dish with a glass lid, the glass lid keeps the moisture in but allows browning of the skin. Otherwise, you can use a regular baking pan and baste as necessary. Another option that yields meat broth also is to cook the chicken on the stovetop in a soup pot—use the same ingredients but follow the directions at the bottom of the page*. The bonus when you cook a whole chicken is that nourishing, gelatin-rich bone broth can be made after the meat is removed. If the chicken was a pasture-raised healthy bird, the fat that is in the broth will be healthy fat and should not be skimmed off.

1 whole chicken preferably pasture-raised, completely thawed and rinsed well

6 or so 8-inch long rosemary sprigs

1 medium onion, quartered

3 cloves of garlic

2 stalk celery, cut in 4- inch long pieces

olive oil

sea salt

freshly-ground black pepper

2 Tbsp. red wine or balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 250 degree F. Oil the bottom of the baking dish with a Tbsp. of olive oil. Place chicken in the dish and rub all over with a little of this olive oil. If organs came with the chicken, they can be placed in the bottom of the dish. Stuff the rosemary sprigs, onion pieces, garlic cloves, and celery pieces into the cavity of the chicken. Spoon into the cavity the wine or vinegar. Season skin with salt and pepper. Roast for 4-6 hours until internal temperature is greater than 165 degrees F, the chicken is nicely browned, and the meat falls off the bones. Lift the chicken out carefully and place on a serving dish. Discard the vegetables and herbs inside but do not discard any chicken parts (bones, skin or organs) as they will be used for the bone broth. Save the juice in the bottom of the baking dish (which is called meat broth) for serving over the chicken or keep it to use as stock for soups.

To make the bone broth, add all the bones, leftover skin, and all the scraps that are leftover from the chicken. Add plenty of water to cover. It is optional but to make the broth more flavorful you can add 1 celery stalk and more garlic and onion, plus more rosemary sprigs. Bring almost to a boil and reduce heat immediately to a slow simmer. (Do not boil the broth for the best flavor.) Add 2 Tbsp. of wine or balsamic vinegar. Cover but leave the lid opened a crack. Can be left overnight on very low heat but should simmer at least 8 hours. Strain the broth and discard the chicken parts, and vegetables. Refrigerate or freeze the broth—pint sized plastic containers work well. The broth will last about 1 week in the refrigerator. Use in soups, stews, gravies, or for cooking grains.

*For stovetop cooking, place the chicken and all other ingredients except the wine or vinegar in a soup pot. Add just enough water to cover the chicken. Bring to a boil and immediately lower heat to maintain a simmer. Cover with the lid cracked a little. Check periodically to be sure it’s not boiling but just simmering, and add a little water if necessary to keep the chicken covered. After about 3 hours the meat should be falling off the bones. Check with a thermometer and be sure the temperature of the meat is over 165 degrees F. Remove the chicken to a serving plate. Strain and save the cooking water (discard the vegetables and herbs)—this is called meat broth and is very nutritious and flavorful. It can be used just like the bone broth described above. Now you can follow the directions above to make the bone broth.

Onion Soup

August 11, 2014 by towers

Why make soup in the summer? When it’s rainy I love warm soup–and it’s been raining for days as I post this. Another reason is that I’m trying to use up onions that are not good keepers. Every year I grow Walla Walla onions which are sweet, white, and grow to a large size. They don’t store well so I use them–especially the imperfect ones–as quickly as I can. This is a quick, light soup with few ingredients but be sure to use chicken broth made the old fashioned way (rich in gelatin and flavor).

2 large onions (if you can get sweet onions fine but ok to use yellow ones)

2 Tbsp. butter or ghee

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

2 cups chicken broth

1 cup tomato juice

sea salt and black pepper to taste

pecorino or parmesan cheese, optional

Peel the onions and cut in half and then in quarters. Place cut side of each onion quarter down and slice into 1/4 inch pieces. Melt butter in soup pot over medium heat. Add olive oil and stir. Add onion and 1/2 tsp. sea salt. Keep heat at a medium setting but stir onions frequently so they don’t burn, just brown. It will take about 10 minutes or so for them to brown or carmelize. Add chicken broth and tomato juice. Bring to a simmer and reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Serve with grated cheese if desired.

« Previous Page

Chicken Zoodle Soup

Sunflower/Pumpkin Seed Butter

Zucchini “Noodles”

Dreadful Pain Relieved

Chronic neck pain

Debilitating low back & knee pain

Dill Garlic Pickles

Lime Pie

Roasted Chicken and Chicken Broth

Onion Soup

Good Nutrition

Warming Broth for a Cold

Children’s Adjustments

Children with back pain

Towers Family Chiropractic