Carrots are one of the oldest cultivated vegetables. A staple in most cuisines, the white, yellow and purple varieties were first cultivated in Afghanistan around 3000BC. The modern, sweeter and bright yellow and orange varieties were created in the Netherlands around the 16th century.
When I first pursued my degree in Chinese Medicine, many of my soon to be colleagues kept raving about how amazing this Jook stuff was. Like really, how great could boiled down white rice actually be? Turns out it's pretty darn special.
The benefit of cooking your food in a slow cooker is that your house smells so dang good all day long. The downside of cooking your food in a slow cooker is that you have to wait so dang long to eat it. But trust me, it's worth it.
Kelp noodles are a great substitute for ramen noodles if you are avoiding grains. They are made out of kelp and sodium alginate, which is derived from the cell walls of brown seaweed. They hold their shape and texture well and don't break down into mush. They have a mild taste and the longer they sit in the soup, the more flavorful they become.
Bacon? Yep, I said bacon. Bacon in moderation won’t ruin your health, especially if you buy organic nitrate free fresh from the Farmer’s market. It adds so much taste and unexpected crunch to the soup you’ll be glad you got over your fear of saturated fat. So here we go: