HOLIDAY RECIPES EXCELLENT FOR THE LUNGS

FRENCH ONION SOUP

© Jane Q. Stanchich

What is more soothing, warming, or delicious than a bowl of hot French Onion Soup? Vive La France!

Serves 4-5

• 2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
• 3 onions, (3 cups), sliced very thinly
• 1 stalk celery, thinly sliced on diagonal
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (optional)
• 7 cups water or vegetable stock
• 1-2 tablespoons tamari, or to taste
• 2 Tablespoons mirin rice wine (optional - the alcohol cooks off)
• 1 cup plain mochi or vegan mozzerella cheese - grated or thinly sliced
• 2 cups whole grain croutons
• Fresh parsley as garnish

1. Warm oil in a large pot (3 quart). Add the onions; stir and cook SLOWLY on LOW heat for 20 minutes until translucent and very soft.
2. Add the celery and garlic; stir and cook another 5 minutes.
3. Pour the water or stock into the pot. Bring to low boil, reduce heat and simmer the soup, covered for 15 minutes.
4. Add tamari; stir. Cook 5 more minutes. Add mirin at the end; stir. Adjust seasoning to your taste.
5. Place two small squares of mochi or 2 Tablespoons of vegan mozzarella cheese in each soup bowl. Pour 1/2 cup hot soup on top of mochi or vegan cheese to melt.
6. When ready to eat, fill each soup bowl with more VERY HOT soup. Garnish each bowl with croutons and a sprig of fresh parsley. Serve piping hot!

NOTE: You may:

• Water sauté the onions instead of using oil.
• Add a dash of Herbs de Province in the soup.
• Float a slice of toasted whole grain sourdough bread on top instead of the croutons.

HOLIDAY RICE PILAF

© Jane Q. Stanchich

Rice is the special grain for the lungs. The savory combination of brown and wild rice, mixed with tart cranberries and nuts make this a delicious holiday favorite. Short grain, medium grain, or long grain rice, as well as the red-brown-wild rice mixes work well. Serves 4.

• 1/4    cup wild rice, rinsed and drained
• 1 3/4 cups brown rice, rinsed and drained 
• 3       cups water (spring or filtered)
• 3/4    cup dried cranberries (preferably juice-sweetened)
• 2       shiitake mushrooms, soaked in 1 1/4 cup water (save water for cooking)•
• 2       teaspoons dark sesame oil 
• 2       yellow onions, minced ( 2 cups)
• 2       stalks celery, rinsed and minced
• 3       pinches sea salt
• 2       teaspoons tamari
• 1/4    cup toasted walnuts, chopped 
• 1/4    cup toasted almonds or pecans, chopped 
• 1/4    cup fresh parsley, finely chopped

1. Soak the wild rice and brown rice together in 3 cups water for 2 hours.
2. Remove shiitake mushrooms from their soaking water; discard the hard end; dice mushrooms; set aside. Save shiitake soaking water (add later to pot.)
3. Heat a heavy pot to medium warm. Place oil in bottom of pot. When oil is warm, add the minced onion and sauté for 2 minutes; add celery and sauté for one minute. 
4.  Place brown rice, wild rice, shiitake, and their soaking waters in the pot.
5. When pot boils, add salt, tamari and cover; stir gently; turn heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes, or until all the liquid has been absorbed. You may use a flame tamer underneath. Turn off heat.
6. Keeping the cover on, let the rice sit for 5 minutes. Open lid. Do not stir but fluff gently with fork or chopsticks. Stirring will clump up the rice. Cover again. Keep rice warm until serving.
7. Place rice in a serving bowl and gently fold in cranberries, nuts, and parsley throughout and on top of the rice.

 NOTE: * You may substitute fresh button mushrooms or other fresh mushrooms for dried shiitakes. If you use fresh, do not soak but add 1 1/2 cups water to the rice before it cooks.

SHOPPING INFO:

Certain ingredients may be purchased online at these excellent natural food stores:

• NATURAL LIFESTYLE SUPPLIES Dried Lotus, Wasabi, Mirin, Tamari, Shiitakes, Ginger and Garlic - www.natural-lifestyle.com
• NATURAL IMPORT CO Grains, Dried Lotus, Tamari, Mirin - www.naturalimport.com
• EDEN FOODS: Mochi, Tamari, and Dried Cranberries (apple juice sweetened) - www.edenfoods.com