Recipes for Kitchen Medicine

Most of these were taken from K. P. Khalsa and The Green Pharmacy.

EASY VEGETABLE SOUP BASE

Fill a pot about half full with water.  Add:

Celery

Garlic

Hawthorn berries

Kudzu

Onion

Tomato

Broccoli

Carrots

Purslane

Saffron

Bring to a boil, and then simmer, adding any other vegetables or spices or meat you want.

Blood Pressure

The above, by itself, is good for lowering blood pressure.  To aid in that, add:

Oregano

Black Pepper

Basil

Tarragon

BONE STRENGTHENING BROTH

To help prevent osteoporosis

In large pot, place leftover fish bones in a few quarts of water.  (If bones are tiny, tie them in a cheesecloth bag to make it easier to remove them later.)  Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer 30 minutes.  Add couple of handfuls each of:

Finely chopped cabbage

Dandelion greens

Stinging nettle greens

Parsley

Pigweed

Purslane

Simmer until greens soften slightly.  Season to taste with salt/pepper and any other seasonings that appeal to you.  Remove fish bones before serving.  Serve as a vegetable/herb soup topped with avocado slices and black pepper.  Or use it as a stock for heartier bean soups.

CANDIED CAROTENOIDS

To help prevent cataracts

2 cups canned pumpkin

2 cups finely chopped orange sections

1.5 cups pink grapefruit juice

1 cup chopped carrots

1 cup chopped sweet potatoes

2 tsp. grated orange rind

Dash salt

Dash paprika

Dash Turmeric

Sugar (optional)

1 tsp. grated coconut

In large saucepan, combine pumpkin, oranges, grapefruit juice, carrots, sweet potatoes, orange rind, salt, paprika, and turmeric.  Bring to simmer over medium heat.  Cover and cook 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Working in batches, transfer the mixture to a blender and puree.  Return the mixture to the saucepan.  Taste and add a small amount of sugar if needed.  If the soup is too thin, simmer until it reaches the desired consistency.  Serve sprinkled with the coconut.  Makes 6 servings.

ARTHRITIS SOUP

Combine the main ingredients, then add those spices/herbs you enjoy to taste.  If an ingredient doesn't appeal, skip it.

3-4 quarts water

2 cups chopped cabbage

1 cup sliced string beans (1" pieces)

1 cup chopped celery

1 cup stinging nettle leaves

½ cup diced carrots

½ cup chopped asparagus

1/2 cup dandelion leaves

½ cup finely chopped dandelion root

¼ cup chopped spinach

¼ cup cubed eggplant

¼ cup chopped chicory

2 tbs. minced garlic

2 tbs. turmeric

2 tbs. licorice

2 tbs. evening primrose seeds

Ground red pepper

Ground black pepper

White mustard

Flaxseed

Sarsaparilla

Fenugreek

Lemon Juice

Place water in large soup pot.  Add cabbage, beans, celery, nettle, carrots, asparagus, dandelion leaves, dandelion root, spinach, eggplant, chicory, garlic, turmeric, licorice and evening primrose seeds.  Season with the rest as desired.  Bring to a boil over high heat.  Reduce the heat, cover and simmer 20-30 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.  Serves 4.

DIA-BEANIE SOUP

2 cups water

1 unpeeled onion, quartered

1 can (16 oz.) kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 small carrot, diced

½ cup peanuts

¼ cup fenugreek sprouts or ½ tsp. fenugreek seeds

2 bay leaves

4 cloves garlic, chopped

Dash ground cinnamon

Dash ground cloves

Dash Turmeric

In a large saucepan over medium heat, bring the water and onions to a boil.  Add the beans, carrots, peanuts, fenugreek sprouts or seeds, bay leaves, garlic, cinnamon, cloves and turmeric.

Bring to a simmer.  Cover and cook for 30 minutes or until the onions are very tender.  Remove the onion pieces with a slotted spoon; peel off and discard skins.  Lightly mash the onions with a fork and return to saucepan.  Remove and discard bay leaves.  Serves 4.

CANDIDICIDAL SOUP

For help with yeast infections

4 cups water

2 onions, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

Sage

Thyme

Ground cloves

Salt

Ground black pepper

Acidophilus yogurt

Place the water, garlic and onions in a medium saucepan.  Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 5 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.  Season to taste with spices – somewhat sparingly.  Top each serving with a dollop of yogurt.  Makes 4 servings.

GOLDEN MILK

¼ c turmeric

½ c water

Make paste.

¼ tsp turmeric paste

8 oz. milk

1 t raw almond oil

honey, maple syrup, stevia, etc. to taste.

Cook turmeric powder in water to make paste.  Mix.

TRINITY RICE

Good for stamina and convalescence.

2 onions, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced

1 inch ginger root, peeled and grated

1 cup basmati rice

½-3/4 cup butter (vegan butter will work great)

1 tomato, peeled

4-5 cups assorted chopped vegetables

Spices of your choice

Rinse basmati rice thoroughly. Sauté spices in butter until golden brown. Add onion, garlic and ginger (Trinity Roots) and stir slowly until onions begin falling apart. Then add tomato, assorted vegetables and rice, along with 4 cups of water. Cover and let simmer on a low heat, checking frequently. Add water as necessary. Cook until vegetables are soft and rice is done. Serves 4. 

FIRE CIDER

Recipe is from Rosemary Gladstar.  Fire cider recipes are different from herbalist to herbalist.  Feel free to adjust to your own taste.

1 cup minced yellow or brown onions

½ cup grated horseradish

½ cup minced garlic (approx. 15 cloves)

¼ cup grated fresh ginger

¼ inch piece of fresh cayenne OR ½ tsp. dried, OR to taste

2 Tbls. dried thyme

2 tsp whole black peppercorns

½ lemon, thinly sliced into rounds

¼ cup raw honey, or more to taste

2 2/3 cup raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar

Place onions, horseradish, garlic, herbs, spices and lemon into 1 quart jar.  Add the honey.

Fill the jar with vinegar, and be sure to cover all the ingredients.

Stir well to make sure there aren't any bubbles.

Cover, preferably with a glass or plastic lid.  If using a metal lid, place parchment or wax paper between the lid and the jar (vinegar will corrode metal)

Let the jar sit for 2-3 weeks.  For the first few days, shake the jar well once per day.

Strain the vinegar into a clean jar.  Refrigerate and use within a year.  For preventative use, take 1 tablespoon, 2-3 times a day.  If actively fighting something, once an hour.

GARLIC HONEY

For those winter sore-throats that lead to bad colds, flu or strep:

½ cup fresh minced garlic - @ 15 cloves

½ cup local honey

Place the garlic in an 8-ounce glass jar (remember to let the garlic sit 10-15 minutes).  Put half of the honey in the jar, and stir well.  Add rest of the honey.  If it does not fill the jar to the top, add more honey until it does. 

Let the mixture rest in the fridge or on the counter for 24 hours before using.  If you have a sore throat, take a teaspoon every 1-2 hours until feeling better.