Congee, also known as Zhou, Kayu, Chok, Jook and other names depending on the culture, is a thick rice porridge made typically from white rice. There are countless variations to how and what it is eaten with. Sometimes it is served as a meal in itself paired with meats, veggies, condiments and other toppings. Other times it’s served plain as a side dish with only soy sauce. In most cultures it is served as a breakfast or late supper, but in others is eaten plain as a snack from a street vendor. Because it is well cooked in copious amounts of bone broth (at least this version-it can be made plain in water as well), it is considered food medicine and is easily digestible and good for the digestive tract.
We make a large batch in the crockpot and keep it warm for several days, scooping out a bowl as often as we want it and topping with prepared veggies and condiments in the fridge. Change your toppings up each time to keep it new and enjoyable. This is a wonderful way to get your daily bone broth supplement if you have a hard time drinking plain broth.
Rinse brown rice well and cover with filtered water. Add the acidyfier. Cover and allow to soak for at least 8 hours, but preferably 24.
Drain and rinse rice (reserve 10 % soaking water if using the grain water method.)
Place rice, ginger, garlic and chicken stock into a crockpot and set to High. Cook for 6-12 hours or until rice is super soft and broken and the congee is thick and creamy. Or cook on LOW for 10-14 hours then set the crockpot to warm and enjoy for several days (stir often and add more stock/water as necessary to keep it from sticking on the bottom). Be sure to check the crockpot every once in a while during the cooking process and skim off any foam or scum that rises to the surface.
*Fermenting brown rice before cooking it allows to anti-nutrients like phytic acid to break down and the grain to become more digestible. You can ferment your grains by adding live whey drained from yogurt or kefir that has active cultures, raw apple cider vinegar like Bragg’s, or by using the grain water method.
The grain water soaking method works by soaking brown rice in plain filtered water for 24 hours, drain off and reserve 10%-which keeps a long time in the fridge. Cook rice in fresh water as usual. Next time, soak your rice in fresh water to cover plus the reserved soaking liquid for 24 hours. Drain, again reserving 10% and cook the rice as usual in fresh water. Repeat this cycle of reserving 10% and always adding the previous reserved soaking water to your next soak and eventually up to 96% of phytic acid will be reduced in 24 hours. Meanwhile you get to eat healthy and nutritious whole grains. Read more about the grain water soaking method here.
**Serve topped with you choice of toppings:
Mushrooms
Tamari
Chjopped scallions
Boiled Egg
Poached Egg
Chopped Chicken
Kimchi
Sauerkraut
Cilantro
Cabbage
Gingered Carrots
Julienne Carrots
Fresh Parsley
Snap Peas
Fried or Carmelized Onions
Serrano Chilis
Cayenne Pepper
Cold-pressed sesame oil
Coconut Milk
Coconut Oil
Toasted Peanuts
Lime
Avocado
Compared with other legumes, lentils require much less cooking time. They are rich in in minerals, two of the B vitamins, protein, and high in fiber. They readily absorb the flavors of the dish they are cooked in and so are versatile. This simple soup is delicious and comforting. We like to eat it with some properly prepared corn bread and plenty of butter. Another nice way to serve it is poured over some cooked rice.
Pour the lentils into a colander, rinse them, and pour into a non-reactive bowl. Cover the lentils with plenty of filtered water.
Add 2 Tablespoons raw vinegar, lemon juice or live whey. Cover and let soak for 24 hours.
When you are ready to assemble the soup, drain and rinse the lentils. Pour them into a large saucepan.
Add the stock, onion, potato, celery, bay leaves, and olive oil.
Add enough filtered water to cover the lentils by at least 2 inches. (As the soup simmers, check occasionally to make sure there is enough liquid.)
Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 1/2 - 1 hour, until the lentils are very tender.
Add the salt just prior to serving. Remove bay leaves.
This soup reheats and freezes well. Some in our family like to add a little hot sauce to this.
Before our family’s food conversion, our favorite fast food stop was a side of Wendy’s chili with french fries dunked in for good measure. It was hearty and fast — but far from nourishing. If you want to serve your family a dish that’s even more delicious and nutritious — but just as easy! — as drive-thru fare, this is the ultimate crockpot chili recipe you are looking for.
In a large crockpot, combine ingredients, stirring well.
Cook on low for 6-8 hours until flavors have melded together.
IN A HURRY? Cook on the stove top for 45 minutes until simmering.
MAKING EXTRA? Freeze in meal-size portions for an instant lunch or one-pot-dinner.
FOR GAPS: use only white navy beans.
BEAN TIP: Cook large batches of beans and freeze in two-cup increments in your freezer. You can’t beat the price of these “instant cans”!
This is my very favorite soup to eat. It is satisfying, has a little kick, and my kids will actually gobble it up. Making it with homemade stock gives the soup an extra nutritional punch. Enjoy this before the weather gets too hot!
In a large pot, melt butter. Stir in ground beef and onions. Break beef up as it browns then add carrots, tomatoes, pepper, and beans. Add in spices and pour in chicken stock until about 1/2 inch above the beef/vegetable mixture (you can add more or less to your liking). Bring to a boil, then simmer until serving - it can be simmered anywhere from a few minutes to an hour or so. Stir in the garlic near the end of the simmering time. Check seasoning then top with sour cream, cheese, guacamole/avocado and enjoy!
Here is a soup that takes 10 minutes to assemble, is super frugal, and any leftovers freeze well. Not to mention it’s GAPS-friendly and gluten-free and your family is getting a healthy amount of protein, iron, fiber, trace minerals, immune boosters, and tummy soothers. According to my calculations (said in my nerdiest voice), each serving costs about $1. If you really need to cut corners, skip the sausage. That works with the ol’ grocery budget, yes?
12-24 hours before assembling soup, soak beans in lots of warm water and 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar in a non-metalic bowl (the longer you can soak them, the better). Cover.
Rinse beans thoroughly and place in crock pot. Add stock, sausage, thyme, red pepper flakes, vinegar, & greens. Cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours.
Right before serving, stir in garlic, salt, and pepper. Serve as-is (nice and chunky) or first blend with an immersion blender to consistency of choice (totally smooth, kinda chunky, or anywhere in between). I do suggest spooning as many pieces of sausage out before blending and adding them in afterwards. It’s prettier and yummier. Just trust me on this one.
We all have that day in the week when we can feel just a wee bit crazy with all the goings on. Tuesdays are my loco day. To calm some of the crazy, Tuesdays are also crock pot dinner days. Here’s a simple but super comforting and satisfying stew that is oh so gentle on the ol’ grocery budget and gives extra grace for those full days. The beef. It falls apart at the touch of your spoon. I love me some tender meat.
Place beef in the slow cooker and add water, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves, onion, paprika, cloves, potatoes, carrots, and optional roots. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
Before serving, mix in garlic, salt, and pepper. Stir arrowroot powder into cold water, then mix into the stew to thicken it up. Let sit for about 5 minutes, stir again, then serve.
Slow-cooked over night, this rich stock is so very good. I use it as the base for braising liquid for pot roasts, and braciole. It also makes a great French Onion Soup.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Salt and pepper bones to taste.
Place on baking sheet and roast until golden brown (2 hours)
In a slowcooker, place roasted bones, carrots, onion, celery, garlic.
Cover with 2 quarts of water and tomatoes.
Add apple cider vinegar and rosemary.
Cook on low for 8-10 hours or over night.
Skim off any fat, and fill containers. Then, freeze.
After a chilly winter day, not that I know what that is like this year, a warm Hamburger Soup really feels good in the belly!
I made a huge batch for just the two of us and stored a quart in the freezer thinking I could save it for an inspiration emergency in a month or so. But I got a request for more even after eating it three days in a row!
It really is that tasty!
Brown beef and onion together until meat is lightly browned. Add remaining ingredients and bring mixture to a boil.
Cover and simmer for two to three hours on the stove or in a slow cooker. Check periodically and add more water, if needed.
Can be stored in the refrigerator for up to four days, or freezer for months.
A sweet and savory stew that is perfect for a cold winter day.
Turn your crock pot on high.
In a large skillet, heat the bacon fat on medium heat until melted.
Add in the onion and garlic. Cook until soft, about 10 minutes.
Add in the sausage and cook until brown, breaking it up with a spoon into small pieces.
Put the sweet potatoes and squash into the crock pot.
Add in the sausage mixture and mix well.
Pour boiling water over the stew until it covers it halfway.
Turn the crock pot on low and cook for 4 hours or until the squash is soft and just starting to fall apart.
Mix the cornstarch or arrowroot powder with a small amount of cold water until smooth and add it to the stew. Stir until thick.
Add in the nutmeg and rosemary.
Salt and pepper to taste.
This is a recipe my mom made up after enjoying some chili at a restaurant that she wanted to emulate. We’ve been happily eating it up for decades now. I only tweaked it a little to enhance it’s nutrition content, but it still tastes as delicious as my mama’s, if I do say so myself. Pair it with some homemade cornbread slathered with raw butter an honey and you’ve got yourself the most comforting meal ever on a chilly evening in.
*A note on cooking dry red or kidney beans.* Red beans carry a toxin that cooks out, so only eat red beans that are not undercooked.
12-24 hours before making the chili, place the beans in a large bowl. Cover with water and add lemon juice or whey. Stir, cover with a towel, and let soak for 12-24 hours. Drain and rinse.
Brown ground meat with onions and pepper in a Dutch oven. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cover and simmer for 4-6 hours. You can also cook this in a crock pot for 6-8 hours on the low setting.
A great recipe and way to get the most out of your Thanksgiving turkey! Can be used in any recipe that stock or broth is needed.
Put turkey juices in crockpot
Then add carcass (it is great to have some of the meat still on the bones. This adds great flavor)
Then add offal and neck (make sure that they have been rinsed and pat dry)
Add vegetables
Add seasonings
Add water
Then add vinegar and let set for 1 hour (This helps to extract the minerals from the bones)
Turn crockpot on low and cook for 18-24 hours.
A simple chicken soup that is perfect for the winter months when we need to get extra chicken broth into our bodies to nourish us.
Place rice in a small bowl and cover with a cup of water and a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar or whey. Cover and leave on the counter overnight or up to 24 hours.
In a heavy bottomed soup pot, melt butter and add chopped onions, carrots and celery. Saute until onions are translucent. Add in garlic and saute another minute.
Pour in the chicken stock and add rice. Bring to a boil and skim off any scum that rises to the top.
Add thyme. Simmer for about 40 minutes. Add the cooked chicken pieces and heat through.
Remove thyme sprigs before serving and season to taste.