Weekly Dish: Chicken Vegetable Soup with Ginger Meatballs

Here I am with another soup recipe. And another soup recipe from The Cancer-Fighting Kitchen, at that. This one was delightfully different and tasty enough to make it on another menu somewhere in the near future.


Chicken Vegetable Soup with Ginger Meatballs

1 pound ground organic dark-meat chicken
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced
1/2 teaspoon real salt or celtic sea salt
Pinch of cayenne
1/4 cup uncooked brown rice

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced small
real salt or celtic sea salt
2 large carrots, peeled and diced small
2 large celery stalks, diced small
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
8 cups homemade chicken stock
1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas
1 cup baby spinach leaves
1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh basil, finely chopped
1 lime, cut into quarters, for garnish

To make the meatballs, combine the chicken, ginger, garlic, parsley, salt, cayenne, egg, and rice in a bowl and mix with your hands or a spatula until well combined. Don’t overwork the mixture or the meatballs will be tough.

Wet the palms of your hands so the mixture doesn’t stick, roll it into 1-inch balls, and place them on the prepared pan.

To make the soup, heat the olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat, then add the onion and a pinch of salt and saute until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the carrot, celery, garlic, ginger, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and continue sauteing for about 3 minutes.

Add the chicken stock and another 1/4 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to maintain a simmer, then gently transfer half of the meatballs into the simmering broth. (You can refrigerate or freeze the remainder to use later or make a double pot of soup like I did so that I could use them all.) Cover and allow the meatballs to simmer for around 1 hour, until the rice is tender.)

Add the peas and spinach and cook for 3 minutes more, then stir in parsley and basil. Serve each bowl garnished with a wedge of lime.

Variation: You can always make the meatballs without rice as the binder. Add a little onion and maybe an extra egg and you’ll be fine without it. Or if you’re comfortable using breadcrumbs or raw oats, do that. You can also use cooked rice and then you won’t have to simmer the meatballs in the soup as long.

Where Do YOU Get Your B12?

There is a myth going around: All the protein, vitamins and minerals you need can be found in plant foods.

This couldn’t be further from the truth. I would like to take some time to dispel the myth, using one small vitamin: B12.

Exhibit A: The new poster I just got for my fridge at the local health food store. I was so excited about it… after I cut off the fats and protein section, which told me to eat no meat but soy everything. Then, my eyes landed with devastation on the B12 column. Take a gander:

Unrelated to B12, let me go ingredient by ingredient by what they suggest we eat for B12.

  • Soy. Far too high in phytoestrogen (plant hormone) to be consumed at the levels in which we consume it, not to mention the anti-nutrients and phytic acid in the soybean.
  • Cereals are extruded and made in a factory. They aren’t real food. Don’t eat cereal, it’s not good for you.
  • Margarine. Again, made in a factory. It’s vegetable oil at its worst. (Vegetable oil is also no good for you. Along with Canola oil. Don’t ever consume either.)
  • Soy “meat”. Need I say more? Why are we making “meat” out of things that aren’t meat? Do you realize the processing that goes into something like this?Avoid processed foods, especially those with soy in them.
  • Yeast Extract. We’ll get to that in a few paragraphs.)

There is also some small type at the bottom which says, “It is important to ensure a good dietary source from fortified foods (3 mcg/day) or a supplement (10 mcg/day). Reduced amounts for children. Chew tablets.”


Really. God really made our bodies to need vitamin companies and cereal manufacturers to fortify our foods so that we aren’t B12 deficient? So you’re telling me that for the last however many thousands of years of human history, man was destined to suffer B12 deficiency because the fortification and synthetic vitamin science hadn’t yet been developed????

Let me tell you one bit of handy vital information: Usable B12 is found ONLY in animal foods. Let me rephrase in case you missed it. If you want to thrive, you need B12. If you want B12 in your body, you have to eat B12. You can only get B12 your body can use by eating animal foods. It is simply not absorbed from plant sources.

Why is B12 important?  It is needed:

  • for healthy blood (needed to prevent anemia)
  • for a properly functioning nervous system
  • to maintain fertility
  • to promote normal growth and development.
The skeptic or Vegan may now argue: B12 is found in plant forms. Spirulina, algae, tempeh, miso and tamari and nutritional yeast all contain B12. However, did you know that when blood tests were done on individuals eating these products, their B12 blood level showed no increase*? Also, nutritional yeast is a good source for the B complex– all but B12. For some reason, our bodies do not use B12 from plants.
B12 is also destroyed by pasteurization. So a vegetarian that drinks milk still needs to find another source of B12. Another reason it is so important to use Raw milk.
B12 is absorbed through the cells in your stomach. Vegans are often deficient if no supplementation is given. Even meat-eaters may sometimes become deficient because the ability to assimilate the B12 declines with age. Many elderly suffer from B12, even while continuing to eat meat.
Vitamin B12 deficiency can present itself in many forms. Some examples: depression, multiple sclerosis, dementia, Alzheimer’s, psychiatric disorders, obsessive compulsive disorder, bipolarity, anemia, cancer, and heart disease.

Early signs of deficiency include fatigue, tingling in hands and feet, sleep disorders and a tendency to irrational anger (one of the first clues).

Best sources: Liver, sardines, mackerel, herring, salmon, lamb, Swiss cheese, eggs, haddock, beef, blue cheese, halibut, scallops, cottage cheese, chicken and milk.

Go get some B12! And no, I don’t mean from the health food store. Unless that is where you buy your meat.

*from James F. Scheer, Health Freedom News

2011 Dirty Dozen

Environmental Working Group has put out their 2011 List of the 12 top fruits and veggies with the highest pesticide load. If you can only buy some things organic, you will want to choose these.

MAKE SURE you buy these organic:

1. Apples
2. Celery
3. Strawberries
4. Peaches
5. Spinach
6. Nectarines (imported)
7. Grapes (imported)
8. Sweet Bell Peppers
9. Potatoes
10. Blueberries (domestic)
11. Lettuce
12. Kale/Collard Greens

These are the cleanest and lowest in pesticide load. If you have to buy some conventional produce, choose these:

1. Onions
2. Sweet Corn
3. Pineapple
4. Avocado
5. Asparagus
6. Sweet Peas
7. Mangos
8. Eggplant
9. Cantaloupe (domestic)
10. Kiwi
11. Cabbage
12. Watermelon
13. Sweet Potatoes
14. Grapefruit
15. Mushrooms

There are two changes from the 2010 List. Added is lettuce, and moved down further on the list (no. 16) is cherries. Here is the full list (53 fruits and veggies analyzed for pesticide load.)

And HERE is a handy printable list for the grocery store. No memorizing needed.

First Foods for Babies

There is so much misguided advice out there about what we should feed first to our babies. I just purchased the “Healthy Baby Issue” of the Weston A. Price Foundation (WAPF) journals. This topic is among the many that are in this journal. I would like to share it with you so that you can make informed decisions about what first foods to feed your baby!

Ideally, breastfeeding should be maintained for at least a year, if not more. The first year of life requires a full spectrum of nutrients, including fats, protein, cholesterol, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. Once breastmilk is no longer the sole source of these nutrients, what should you do?

There are 3 concepts to keep in mind. First, make your baby a “whole foods baby” (speaking of real food, not the store!). Avoid processed and refined foods as much as possible, including many brands of baby food; they are usually devoid of nutrients and some have added undesirable ingredients. It really is best to make your own baby food so that you know the quality of the product you’re feeding your little one and you also know there isn’t anything else in it but the food itself (though, Earth’s Best Organic is a good brand if you must buy jarred baby food).

Secondly, go slowly and be observant. Every baby is different and will have an individual response to different foods. Just because something is healthy and a whole food, doesn’t mean that baby’s particular system will jive with it.

Thirdly, respect the still-developing digestive system of your infant. Babies have limited enzyme production, which is necessary for the digestion of foods. In fact, it takes up to 28 months, just around the time when molar teeth are fully developed, for the big-gun carbohydrate enzymes (namely amylase) to fully kick into gear. Foods like cereals, grains and breads are very challenging for little ones to digest. Thus, those foods should be some of the last to be introduced. (One carbohydrate enzyme a baby’s small intestine does produces is lactase, for the digestion of milk.)


Babies do produce functional enzymes (pepsin and proteolytic enzymes) and digestive juices (hydrochloric acid in the stomach) that work on proteins and fats. This makes perfect sense since the milk from a healthy mother is 50-60%  fat, which is critical for growth, energy and development.  In addition, the cholesterol in human milk supplies an infant with close to 6 times the amount most adults consume from food.

Thus, a baby’s earliest solid foods should be mostly animal foods since his digestive system, although immature, is better equipped to supply enzymes for digestion of fats and proteins rather than carbohydrates. This explains why current research is pointing to meat (including nutrient dense organ meat) as being a nourishing early food.

So is cereal the best first food? Remember the amount of breast milk decreases when solid foods are introduced. This decrease may open the door for inefficiencies in a number of nutrients critical for baby’s normal growth and development. The nutrients that are often in short supply when introducing food include protein, zinc, iron and B-vitamins. One food group that has these nutrients in ample amounts is meat.

Unfortunately, cereal is the most often recommended early weaning food. According to a swedish study, when infants consume substantial amounts of rice cereal, they could suffer from low concentrations of zinc and reduced calcium absorption.

There was a study done that found breastfed infants who received pureed or strained meat as a primary weaning food beginning at 4-5 months grew at a slightly faster rate. The study suggests that inadequate protein or zinc from common first foods may limit the growth of some breastfed infants. More importantly, both protein and zinc levels were consistently higher in the diets of the infants who received meats. Thus, the custom of providing large amounts of cereals and excluding meats before 7 months of age may short-change the nutritional requirements of the infant.

Meat is also an excellent source of iron. Heme iron (the iron found in meat) is better absorbed than iron from plant sources (non-heme). Additionally, the protein in meat helps the baby more easily absorb iron from other foods. Meat also contains a much greater amount of zinc than cereals, which means more is absorbed. Traditional peoples, uninfluenced by western diets, gave meat–usually liver–as the first weaning food. Also, the incidence of allergic reactions to meat is minimal.

Don’t fear fats! Milk and animal fats give energy and also help children build muscle and bone. In addition, the animal fats provide vitamins A & D necessary for protein and mineral assimilation, normal growth and hormone production.  Choose a variety of foods so your child gets a range of fats, but emphasize stable saturated fats (yes, that’s right… more on saturated fats in another post), found in butter, meat and coconut oil, and monounsaturated fats, found in avocados and olive oil.

Foods by Age

4-6 Months

(I personally don’t introduce these foods until 6 months or later, but I know some do introduce food earlier)

Egg yolk (if tolerated. Preferably from pastured or cage-free chickens)

Rich in choline, cholesterol and other brain-nourishing substances. If baby reacts poorly, try again one month later. The white is the part that most often causes allergic reactions, so don’t give egg whites until after your child turns one. Don’t neglect to put a pinch of salt on the egg yolk, which is actually critical for digestion as well as for brain development. Use unrefined salt to supply a variety of trace minerals. Boil an egg for 3-4 minutes (longer at high-altitudes), peel, discard the white, and mash up yolk with a little unrefined sea salt. (The yolk should be soft and warm, not runny). Small amounts of grated, raw organic liver (which has been frozen 14 days) may be added to the egg yolk after 6 months.


Great food for babies because it contains amylase enzymes to digest carbohydrates.

Cod Liver Oil– 1/4 teaspoon high vitamin or 1/2 teaspoon regular, given with an eye dropper. Doubled around 8 months.

Excellent source of the omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA (also important for brain development) as well as vitamins A & D. Use an eye dropper at first; later baby can take it mixed with a little water or fresh orange juice.

6-8 Months

Organic Liver— grated and frozen and added to egg yolk


Cook meat gently in water or homemade stock until completely tender, or use meat from stews, etc… Make sure the meat is cold and it is no bigger than 1-2 inch chunks when you puree. Grind up the meat first, then add water or breastmilk or the natural cooking juices as the liquid.


Fermented foods— small amounts of yogurt, kefir, sweet potato, taro, if desired.



High pectin fruits like the ones mentioned above should be cooked to break down the pectin which can be very irritating to the digestive tract.

Cooked (steamed) vegetables– zucchini, squash, sweet potato, carrots, beets, with butter or coconut oil (fat provides nutrition to aid in digestion)


8-12 Months


Creamed Vegetable Soups

Homemade Stews– all ingredients cut small or mashed


Finger foods– when baby can grab and adequately chew, such as lightly steamed veggie sticks, milk cheese, avocado chunks, pieces of banana

Cod Liver Oil– increase to 1/2 teaspoon high vitamin or 1 teaspoon regular dose


Over 1 Year

Grains and legumes– properly soaked and cooked

Should be the last food given to babies. This food category has the most potential for causing digestive disturbances or allergies. Babies do not produce the needed enzymes to handle cereals, especially gluten-containing grains like wheat, before the age of one year. Even then, it is a common traditional practice to soak the grains. This process jump-starts the enzymatic activity in the food and begins breaking down some of the harder-to-digest components.) The easiest grains to digest are those without gluten like brown rice. When grains are introduced they should be soaked for at least 24 hours and cooked with plenty of water for a long time. This will make a slightly sour, very thin porridge that can be mixed with other foods.

Nut Butters (peanut, almond, etc…)

Leafy green vegetables– cooked, with butter

Raw salad vegetables– cucumber, tomatoes, etc.

Citrus fruits– fresh, organic

Whole egg– cooked

Further reading resources:

Real Food for Mother and Baby

Wise Traditions Healthy Baby Issue

Nourishing Traditions

[photo credit]

“Pink” Pancakes

I made these for the first time this weekend from the bunch of beets we got in our CSA box. I don’t care for beets normally, so I thought I would put Jessica Seinfeld’s book, “Deceptively Delicious” (that I’ve had for a few years now) to use! I didn’t make it exactly like her recipe (she calls for store-bought pancake mix, which of course is mostly made with white flour (even most of the supposed “whole grain” mixes) She also calls for ricotta cheese, but because the blender pancakes have buttermilk, I didn’t think it necessary) but it still turned out so tasty! My new favorite pancakes. And kids love them, too because they are literally bright pink! Just watch out for your carpet if any pieces get dropped on the floor!

“Pink” Pancakes

Make Blender Pancake recipe.

After adding the egg and dry ingredients right before cooking, add 1/2 an apple and 1/4 C pureed beets and 1/2 teaspoon or so cinnamon.

To puree beets, trim stems to 1-inch. Wrap in foil and roast for around an hour at 400º. Peel the skin off and blend in food processor, blender, magic bullet or food mill (I got the smoothest texture with my baby food mill). (I actually forgot to peel the skin off before blending and it turned out fine.) You can store the leftovers in ice cube trays in the freezer or just put plops of it on a plate lined with parchment paper in the freezer, then store in a plastic freezer bag.

CAUTION: Beets are messy and they STAIN! Your fingers will look really pretty!