Category Archives: Good Fat

Creamy Onion Coconut Curry Soup

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I was inspired today while reading the book Eat Fat, Lose Fat by Dr. Mary Enig & Sally Fallon. This fascinating book takes an in-depth look at good fat (animal fat, nuts, whole dairy, anything from the coconut, etc.) and the positive effect it can have on our weight and health!

Halfway through page eight the idea for a delicious new soup struck me and I immediately jumped up and rushed off to make it :-) The following is the recipe for that soup (along with a few adjustments that I came up with along the way):

1 large onion (white, sweet or yellow will work fine), half a stick of butter (about 1/4 cup), spoonful of coconut oil (about 1 Tbsp), 1/4 tsp sea salt, 1 tsp yellow curry powder, 16 oz chicken stock, 1/4 – 1/2 cup coconut milk, a few pinches red chili flakes

Melt the butter and coconut oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Finely dice the onion and add to the saucepan. Cook on medium heat until the onion begins to caramelize (about 8 minutes). Once the onions have caramelized slightly, add the curry powder and salt and stir to combine. Add the chicken stock and bring to a simmer. (At this point the soup can be pureed if desired – either in a blender or with an immersion blender.) Take soup off the heat and ladle into bowls. Spoon some of the coconut milk into the center of each bowl and lightly swirl in with a spoon. Sprinkle the red chili flakes on top of the soup and serve immediately! (Makes enough for 2 large bowls or 4 appetizers.)

This soup is rich and satisfying, the perfect thing for a rainy day like today :-) I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Winter Blues Solutions

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During these cold, gray days of winter it can be extremely easy to fall into a less than cheerful mood. Ok – maybe I’m understating the problem. We can get depressed, grumpy, mad at the world. We can start to go just plain old stir-crazy! Clouds and below freezing temperatures seem to amplify the rest of life’s little problems.

It is important for our sanity (and the sanity of those around us) to go to battle against these bad-mood monsters!
*Check out this post my mom mentioned that takes a creative look at a similar every day challenge many of us have: here.
I decided to write this post because the gray skies of winter have a pretty big affect on my mood. It is much harder to be grumpy when the sun is shining brightly and it’s warm enough for shorts and a tank top! I have to continually fight against my bad mood. Everything I do can affect my mood in some way or another when the sky looks gloomy.

So how do I fight? There are the obvious ways: reading the Bible regularly, spending time in prayer, getting enough sleep (all areas I could improve).
There are other things we can do that may not be quite as obvious… I take liquid Vitamin D and an herbal extract Good Mood Tonic every day. Reducing sugar intake and increasing “good fat” (coconut oil, cod liver oil, etc.) intake is important for energy levels and over all well being. Having a clean (and organized!) living space is key to a positive outlook on life. Consciously enjoying the little things in life is very important! Take the time to enjoy and appreciate those things that we wouldn’t get a chance to do if it was warm and sunny outside. Things such as – savoring a cup of hot tea… Working on a puzzle while the wind howls outside… Filing your taxes in less then fifteen minutes because you live in Washington and don’t have to file state taxes! Walking through a field of untouched snow in the moonlight… Watching the snow falling outside while you fall asleep. Little things can provide some of life greatest joys!

Don’t let those winter doldrums get you down… Fight back with every “little thing” you’ve got!

What are some of the ways that you combat the winter blues?

Good Fat!

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Although I promised a while back to do a “mini series” on Why Fat Is Good For You – I never really did anything about it. So consider my previous post (Raw Chocolate Torte) the first of the series!
One aspect of that dessert that I just LOVE is the fact that it is full of good fat. Coconut oil, coconut butter, avocado, nuts – all of these contain fat that is GOOD for you! I’m not going to go into all of the many details surrounding “good” fats and “bad” fats right now - but I will say this… If we don’t eat enough good fat our body hangs on to any excess fat we happen to have because it thinks it’s being deprived.
          I will also give you this excerpt from one of my favorite “real food” cookbooks: Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon. She says this in her introduction, “Fats from animals and vegetable sources provide a concentrated source of energy in the diet; they also provide the building blocks for cell membranes and a variety of hormones and hormone-like substances. Fats as part of a meal slow down nutrient absorption so that we can go longer without feeling hungry. In addition, they act as carriers for important fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. Dietary fats are needed fro the conversion of carotene to vitamin A, for mineral absorption and for a host of other processes.”

Think about it – if we don’t eat good fat we can’t absorb all of the vitamins and minerals we need. So – go make that Torte and eat some good fats!

Raw Chocolate Torte

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This is something you have to try to believe! Containing only raw ingredients and absolutely no dairy, soy or gluten – this is a dessert that can be enjoyed by nearly everyone (even those who are extremely restricted by their diets). Let me know what you think!

Crust
2 c pecans (or pretty much any other nut combo you can think of)
8-10 medjool dates, pitted
1 Tbsp coconut oil
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1 pinch ground cardamom

In a food processor, grind the nuts until they are fairly well blended. Add the rest of the crust ingredients and process until well combined. Press into a deep dish pie plate and refrigerate while you make the filling.

Filling
1 c raw cashew butter
1 small avocado (yes – I said avocado)
1/2 c + 2 Tbsp raw cocoa powder
1/2 c agave nectar
1/2 c melted coconut butter
1/4 c water
1 Tbsp vanilla

Rinse out the food processor. In the food processor, blend all filling ingredients until smooth. Scrape filling into crust and chill for 3-4 hours.

This is great on its own or served with berries! Enjoy!

(Not my own recipe but I’m not sure where it’s from originally. If you know I would love to give credit where credit is due!)