Styrian Potato Salad

I visited Austria in September for a wonderful conference in Graz and afterwards I visited a friend in the Austrian wine country of Styria. One of the most famous food products of that area is Pumpkin Seeds and Pumpkin Seed Oil.  They permeate the cuisine in many dishes.  I ate at a little Gasthouse and had an amazing potato salad with my Styrian Fried Chicken and a wonderful white burgundy wine too.  I was so impressed with the flavor of the potato salad and I was given this one, but without amounts. It is basically composed of boiled potatoes, onion, pumpkin seed oil, white wine vinegar and toasted pumpkin seeds. Recently, one of my lovely students from Austria gave me a bottle of that wonderful Pumpkin Seed Oil. So, I recreated the potato salad at home and was delighted to have it turn out perfectly.  This is going to be one of the dishes at the Thanksgiving table as I like to add at least one dish from a different cuisine every year to keep things from getting too boring.  This is really a delightfully light salad with a mysterious yet delicious taste that you need to try.  Be sure to buy a really high quality pumpkin seed oil from a health food store, such as Whole Foods, and it would also really be good as drizzle on Butternut Squash soup. I'm looking for some more uses for Pumpkin Seed Oil as it is wonderful!

Styrian Potato Salad

6 medium Yukon Gold Potatoes, washed

1 medium red onion, minced

1/4 cup White Wine Vinegar (White Balsamic is good)

1/4 cup Pumpkin Seed Oil

1/2 cup Pumpkin Seeds, toasted in a frying pan

Salt and Pepper to Taste

Put the potatoes in a pot and cover with water.  Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer, cooking until the potatoes are tender when a knife is inserted (about 1/2 hour - 45 minutes, depending on the size of the potatoes).  Meanwhile, marinate the onions in the vinegar in a large bowl.  When potatoes are ready, peel and cut into chunks.  Pour in vinegar and onions, add the Pumpkin Seed Oil.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Sprinkle with Pumpkin Seeds to serve.

Five Element Analysis

Potatoes belong to the Earth Element so that element is covered.  Pumpkin Seeds belong to the Water Element, but the oil belongs to the Wood Element and the Vinegar adds even more.  The onion makes sure that the Metal Element is present. Only the Fire Element is missing so this would be a great side dish to a Fire meat, like lamb or if it also accompanies a green salad made with lettuce and tomatoes.  

Pear Muesli Crisp, Gluten Free

I love fruit desserts and one of my favorite ways to cook fruit is to make crisps and cobblers.  I also really love pears.  For one thing, they are a very metallic fruit, with a very subtle and refined flavor.  I ate them a lot as a child, poached with rock sugar as they are so good for coughs and colds and the throat in Chinese Medicine. I'm getting over a cold so it was time to make a pear dessert and of course, my first thought was to bake them as I wanted everyone else here in Copenhagen to enjoy the dessert as well and poached pears, unless they are poached in wine, are not usually something many people like as much as a crisp. I decided to make one that was gluten free and as luck would have it, I was out of oats, but I did have Gluten free Muesli based on oats as the main ingredient. I was concerned about the crumb topping being too sweet as Muesli is often sweetened a bit, but turned out wonderfully and everyone loved it plus I helped heal my throat!  Healing with food is wonderful because it is also a delicious way to get healthy!

Pear Crisp

8 pears, peeled, halved, cored and cut into 1 inch pieces
2 Tbs sugar
1 Tbs fresh lemon juice
2 cups Muesli (gluten free)
3/4 cup light brown sugar
8 Tbs (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
2 cups Muesli (gluten free - oat based)
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
8 Tbs (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
Serve with:  yogurt mixed with honey, sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  Butter a 9x9 baking dish or a large ceramic tart pan.  In a large bowl, stir together the pears, the sugar and the lemon juice. Pour into the baking dish.

In a bowl, stir together the Muesli, brown sugar, cinnamon and walnuts.  Stir in the melted butter and use your fingers to blend in the butter.  Then spread the crumb mixture evenly over the pear filling. 

Bake for about 35 - 40 minutes or until the pears are tender.  Cool slightly and serve warm with yogurt and honey sauce.  Can also serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.  

Five Element Analysis

Pears are a metallic fruit and the cinnamon adds even more of the Metal Element, so that element is covered. The almonds or walnuts bring in the Water Element. The lemon juice and yogurt contribute the Wood Element and the sugar and oats contribute the Earth Element. Only the Fire Element is missing, so serve this dessert with coffee or tea for a balanced dessert!

Beef, Mushroom and Wild Rice Soup

This soup was created about quite by accident and then ended up being so good that I had to write down the recipe so I could remember to make it again! It was the 4th day of my Master Face Reading Certification Program and my students were looking a little blood deficient. I wanted to make them a beef soup to build some blood. I had some ground beef and mushrooms on hand and planned on adding them to some barley, but I simply couldn't find any barley at the Irma store in Copenhagen. So I improvised and added wild rice instead.  It became this delicious, creamy and rich soup that was incredibly nourishing for my students.  This became a very requested recipe so I just had to post it.  

Beef, Mushroom and Wild Rice Soup

1 pound (500 g) lean ground beef

1 8 oz package of button mushrooms, washed, trimmed and cut into small pieces

4 large Portobello Mushrooms, washed, trimmed and cut into small pieces

2 stalks celery, washed, trimmed and cut into a small dice

2 large carrots or 4 small, washed, trimmed, peeled and cut into a small dice

1 large or 2 small yellow onions, trimmed, peeled and cut into small pieces

3 Tablespoons Butter

2 cups of wild rice

10 cups diluted beef broth (I used Beef - Better Than Bouillon about 2/3 strength)

Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper to Taste

For serving:  4 green onions, washed, trimmed and cut into small pieces for garnish

In a large soup pot, brown the ground beef with the onions, carrots and celery. Add in the beef broth and wild rice and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, in a large frying pan, melt the butter in a frying pan and add the mushrooms and Thyme.  Cook until softened and add to the soup.  Reduce heat and simmer for 30 - 45 minutes - testing rice for doneness.  Taste and add salt, if necessary and add pepper.  Sprinkle with green onions when serving.

Five Element Analysis

Soup by nature is a Water Food so that element is covered.  Beef and Mushrooms belong to the Earth Element and so do carrots, so this is a very Earthy soup! Wild Rice is not a rice at all, but is actually the seed of a wild marsh plant so it actually belongs to the Wood Element and the celery adds even more.  The yellow and green onions add the Metal Element and this element is also enhance it even more. Only the Fire Element is missing, so be sure to serve this with a Fiery food, perhaps a salad or a Fire Fruit dessert if soup is enough for you as a main course. 

Lentil Soup

As you can tell, I am on a serious soup kick!  Partly because it is that time of year, but also because I have been teaching my students some pretty intense stuff and I believe that all need the rejuvenating properties that soup provides.  I'm feeding their brains and their stomachs.... I also have several vegetarian students and want to make sure they are happy too so I have been making one meat based soup and one vegetable based soup daily.  I'll finish posting all the recipes soon and the recipes have also been requested by the students so they can make them at home.  

This was the favorite of several of the vegetarian students (although I usually make it with chicken broth) and I left it chunky since I have cooked so many creamy soups this week.  However, it is also very good made smooth with a stick blender, if desired.  Lentils are a really nutritious pulse with a high protein content and this soup can be seasoned many ways - it holds up to curry powder and Middle Eastern spices too. I made it with a simple combination of onions, carrots and celery along with canned tomatoes, basil and bay leaf.  Once assembled, it can't be easier - just wait about 45 minutes and you will have a delicious and hearty soup - perfect for a cold fall day!

Lentil Soup

2 cups brown lentils, rinsed and picked through to remove any possible stones

1 large onion minced

2 large carrots, trimmed, peeled and cut into a small dice

2 large stalks of celery, trimmed and cut into a small dice

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 can (14.5 oz) chopped tomatoes

8 - 10 cups Vegetable Broth (can also use Chicken Broth) depending on how thick you like it

1 teaspoon dried Thyme

1 - 2 Bay Leaves

Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper to taste

Optional:  Hot Sauce, such as Tabasco or Harissa for serving

In a large soup pot, heat olive oil and add in the onions, garlic, carrots and celery and cook until vegetables are wilted.  Pour in the canned tomatoes, the vegetable broth and the herbs. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer.  Cook for 45 minutes and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Remove bay leaves and serve with crusty garlic bread.

Five Element Analysis

Lentils are pulses, which belong to the Earth Element and the color also gives that away.  The carrots add even more Earth.  The onion, garlic and herbs add the Metal Element.  As a soup, this has some of the Water Element present intrinsically.  The Fire Element is represented by the Tomatoes and the Hot Sauce, if you use it and the Wood Element is present in the vegetable or chicken broth and is enhanced even more by the side of garlic bread. This soup then becomes a balanced Five Element Meal.

Coconut Squash Soup with Indian Flavors

This was another favorite soup of my students this last week. There is something very special about the mixture of coconut milk and squash and the Garam Masala brings in an exotic taste that is very intriguing.  I like to serve this soup to my students as squashes are very grounding and I think serving Earth foods helps information get processed.  It's very fast to make if you cook the Butternut Squash ahead of time - they can even be baked the night before.  After that it is done in only 1/2 hour and you will have a delicious soup that is rich, creamy, nutritious and nurturing too.  

Coconut Squash Soup with Indian Flavors

3 Butternut Squashes, cut in half, seeds removed and baked for 45 minutes at 400 degrees

2 onions

2 Tablespoons Butter or Ghee

2 cans Coconut Milk

8 cups Vegetable Broth (can also use Chicken Broth)

1 Tablespoon Garam Masala (can also use Curry Powder)

1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

Salt and Pepper to taste

In a large soup pot, melt the butter and add in the onions - cook until they become translucent.  Scoop the butternut squash flesh away from the peel and add to the pot along with Coconut Milk and Garam Masala. Puree using a stick blender, taste and add salt and pepper.  Heat to boiling and then reduce heat and simmer for 1/2 hour.

Five Element Analysis

Soup as always is a Watery Food, but squash belongs to the Earth Element as you can see from the rich yellow color.  The Coconut Milk adds even more Earth, so this is a very Earthy soup!  The vegetable or chicken broth brings in the Wood Element and the Garam Masala and Onions contribute the Metal Element.  The only hint of Fire is from the two peppers - Cayenne and Black so be sure to serve this soup with something Fiery - I think a lettuce salad with Tomatoes would be good to create a Five Element Balance.

Harira - Moroccan Chicken and Chickpea Soup

My students really loved the Moroccan spices in this mysterious soup. The light scent of cinnamon and ginger whetted their appetites and there wasn't a single chickpea left at the end of lunch. This soup is commonly served all over the Arab world and is particularly popular as the soup served at night during Ramadan. It's quite easy to make if you use canned chickpeas, but I think that soaking and cooking the chickpeas ahead of time is just as easy and the texture of the chickpeas is much better.  Otherwise, it comes together very quickly.  This soup often contains lentils and noodles and is sometimes thickened with flour.  I like it better this way and I learned to make it from one of my Muslim friends. It is a deliciously exotic soup and if you crave the flavors of Morocco, this is a soup for you!

Harira - Moroccan Chicken and Chickpea Soup

1 pound boneless chicken thighs cut into small pieces

1 cup dried chickpeas soaked overnight in water and cooked for 2 hour (or

1 can of chickpeas, drained)

8 - 10 cups chicken broth

2 carrots, trimmed, peeled and cut into small pieces

2 stalks celery, trimmed and cut into small pieces

1 large red onion, diced

6 Roma Tomatoes, stem end removed and cut into a small dice

3 Tablespoons Butter

Handful of parsley leaves

Handful of cilantro leaves

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons ground ginger

pinch of Saffron or ½ teaspoon Turmeric

¼ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

Salt and Pepper to taste

Melt butter in a large soup pot. Add in the saffron (if using or Turmeric), cinnamon and ginger.  Stir and add in the chicken, onions, celery and carrots and cook until they become softened and the chicken becomes opaque. Add in the tomatoes, the chicken broth and the parsley and cilantro. Cook for ½ hour and check salt, adding some if necessary and sprinkle with fresh ground pepper.  Serve with toasted flat bread.

Five Element Analysis

This is a broth-based soup so it is Watery by nature. The chicken and the chicken broth bring in the Wood Element along with the celery.  The Tomatoes and Cayenne Pepper contribute the Fire Element.  The Carrots and Chickpeas make sure that the Earth Element is represented and the Onions, herbs and spices bring in the Metal Element too. This then is a fully balanced Five Element soup!

Swedish Yellow Split Pea Soup

I am teaching my Master Face Reading Certification Shen Module in Copenhagen this week and I have students attending from all over Europe. I make 2 soups every day as I love to feed my students information and food!  It's also quite chilly here and that is soup weather for me.  Since I have several Swedish students, I decided to make Swedish Yellow Split Pea Soup that is served all over Sweden. Of course, it is very similar in every way except color to Green Split Pea Soup and is actually a popular dish in Finland, Denmark, Germany and England too, where several other students are from.  In fact, yellow pea soup was once called "Pease Porridge Hot" in a nursery rhyme.  

Dried split peas are a very ancient food. They are considered pulses and are very digestible. I have a fondness for split pea soup because of the restaurant chain - Split Pea Anderson's that my family used to stop at in Buellton, CA.  They served their soup with a spice mix called Cavender's Greek Seasoning that I still like to use on soup. However, I haven't been able to find it here yet, so I am using an herb salt blend as a sprinkle instead. Because I also have several vegetarian students, I used vegetable broth instead of chicken.  If you are not vegetarian, this soup is also good made with a leftover ham bone or if you just add minced ham or crumbled bacon to the soup. I like my soup a little on the thin side, but many people I know like it very thick. Just add extra water if you like it the way I do.

This is a comforting meal that I think is best served with bread and soft butter. I've decided that the yellow color is more appealin to me,  but it tastes just as good if you use the green split peas instead.

Swedish Yellow Split Pea Soup

2 cups dried yellow Split Peas, sorted (to remove any small stones) and rinsed

1 onion, minced

2 large carrots - trimmed, peeled and cut into a small dice

2 large celery stalks - trimmed and cut into a small dice

1 Tablespoon Butter

8 cups vegetable broth (can also use chicken broth) 

2 cups water, if necessary

1 Bay Leaf

1 teaspoon Thyme

Salt and Pepper to taste

Optional:  1 cup ham chunks or crumbled bacon

In a large soup pot, melt the butter and add in the onion, carrots and celery.  Cook until the vegetables are wilted. Add in the Split Peas and the Vegetable Broth. Bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer.  Cook for 1 hour, adding water if necessary.  Check seasoning and add salt and pepper.  Add ham if using and cook for an additional 15 minutes. 

Five Element Analysis

Although soup is primarily considered a Water Food, so that element is covered and serving it with Bacon or Ham increases that element.  Split Peas belong to the Earth family and the thickness of this soup increases it's Earthiness as do the carrots.  The onions bring in the Metal Element along with the aromatic Bay Leaf and Thyme and the celery, Vegetable Broth or Chicken Broth contribute the Wood Element. Only the Fire Element is missing so be sure to serve it with a Fire Food, in our case we also served a lettuce salad to create a Five Element balance.  

Corn Egg Drop Soup - Chinese Restaurant Style

This is a recipe for the ubiquitous Chinese restaurant soup that you usually get free with your lunch specials. It's not a very exciting soup, but it is a comforting one. If you are used to eating this soup, you will be shocked at how easy it is to cook. The most difficult part about it is keeping the egg drops from turning into lumps. You manage that by stirring the boiling soup as you pour in the egg and it delightfully turns into lovely threads. This is also a delicate soup and can easily be made out canned chicken broth if you don't have any homemade. The seasoning is light - just a little Tamari and Sesame Oil - and the texture is soothing. It is the perfect soup for calming your nerves or your stomach and is a wonderful food for when you are sick. It's also a good starter before a Chinese meal and it looks much harder to make than it is.  And, it takes only a little longer to make than waiting for the soup to boil! 

Corn Egg Drop Soup - Chinese Restaurant Style

6 cups Chicken Broth (preferably homemade)

1 cup water

1 14.75 oz can Creamed Corn

3 eggs, lightly beaten in a bowl

3 Tablespoons Tamari

1 Tablespoon Asian Sesame Oil

Sprinkling of White Pepper

3 green onions, ends trimmed off and cut into fine pieces

Put Chicken Broth, Water and Creamed Corn in a pot and heat to boiling.  Add in Tamari, Sesame Oil and White Pepper. Return to a boil and start stirring with a spoon using your left hand. Pour in the eggs very slowly until all in the soup.  Let cook for another minute then sprinkle with the green onions and then serve.

Five Element Analysis

Soup is always considered a Watery food and the eggs, Tamari and Sesame Oil add even more of the Water Element. The chicken broth contributes the Wood Element and the Green Onions add in the Metal Element. The Earth Element is represented by the Creamed Corn. Only the Fire Element needs enhancing as the little bit of White Pepper is not enough.  So be sure to serve something Fiery for the main course to create a Five Element balance.  

Rosalia's Mexican Ceviche

In my last Face Reading Certification course in San Diego,one of the students - Rosalia volunteered to make and bring something in for lunch. She made Ceviche, which was hands down the favorite dish of the day. This is a recipe that comes from her childhood in Mexico, where her father would go fishing and they would make Ceviche on the beach afterwards. It is fresh and light and absolutely delicious.  So, I came home and tried to recreate it using a lot less fish. I found some organic Tilapia at Whole Foods and followed my handwritten instructions and it turned out wonderfully. The secret is to marinate the fish first so that it "cooks" and then drain the juice and then use more lime juice to marinate the vegetables with the fish again after. This prevents it from tasting fishy and gives it a cleaner, purer flavor. It is also important to use a White Onion as this is the traditional Mexican onion. I made it again in Denmark with fresh Cod and it was so good that I couldn't stop eating it.... All I can say is that I am not ordering this dish at restaurants anymore since it is so easy to make at home and so much better too!

Rosalia's Mexican Ceviche 

1 pound organic Tilapia fillets, diced or cod (or any fresh white fish)

Juice of 4 large limes (about ½ cup)

2 small (or 1 large) chopped Roma tomatoes

1/2 Hothouse Cucumber, cut in half, seeded and diced

½ White Onion, finely chopped

1 small Serrano Chile, deseeded and minced (can also use Jalapeno)

1 carrot, peeled and cut into small pieces/1 yellow pepper, deseeded cut into small pieces

Small handful of chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Put the tilapia in a bowl and pour ¼ cup of the lime juice over the fish and mix to coat. Cover the fish with Saran wrap and put into the refrigerator until the fish becomes opaque - about 15 minutes.

Then drain off the lime juice and discard. Add the tomato, cucumber, onion, Serrano chili and cilantro and then add in the remaining lime juice. Then, season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with Tortilla Chips, bottled hot sauce and 1 additional lime, cut into narrow wedges. 

Five Element Analysis

Fish belongs to the Water Element so that element is covered.The lime juice contributes the Wood Element and the Serrano Chili and black pepper make sure that the Fire Element is represented and the hot sauce, if you use it, adds even more. The Cucumber, Carrot and Tortilla Chips add in the Earth Element and the White Onion and Cilantro bring in the Metal Element. This dish is therefore balanced as you can also tell by how colorful it is!