8 Essentials for Making Great Soup

Here in the northeast, it is warm soup time, and with the abundance of autumn vegetables, sweet squash and tree fruits, the possibilities for exciting recipes ignite the imagination. The essential ingredients for making great soup may vary from culture to culture, but they each work magic in very simple ways. Slow cooking yields the best results, while soup pots, as well as quality ingredients, can make the difference between a great or a mediocre soup.

1. Soup Pots

• Use a heavy saucepan, or soup pot (enamel on iron), that allows for long, slow cooking.
• A crock pot is great when you are busy, plus you can arrive home to the delicious aromas.
• A pressure cooker allows for quick cooking of beans, lentils and root vegetables, while preserving flavor.

2. Soup Stock Base

• Vegetable stock can be made by simmering chopped vegetables and herbs in water, then straining.
• Store-bought vegetable broth can taste overly strong and contain high amounts of salt, so use less and add more water.
• Vegetable bouillon cubes vary in quality, and the oil used can go rancid over time. Choose wisely.
• A shiitake-kombu dashi is the simple broth used as a base for miso and other Japanese soup recipes.

Next: Best vegetables and oils

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How To Strengthen Your Immunity?

In order to prevent the viral infections in the autumn we need some help

All experts advise that during the cold season we have to strengthen our immunity

Autumn-winter period is known for the constantly attacking viruses. All experts advise that during the cold season we have to strengthen our immunity, but how to do this?
Zinc prevents viral infections, supports the functions of the brain and enhances immunity. It is essential and it contributes to protein synthesis and the formation of insulin. Zinc controls and our need for food – that feeling called hunger. People, suffering from zinc deficiency need food more than two times than the normal. Another interesting feature is that the zinc maintains the proper functioning of the male reproductive system and the synthesis of testosterone and other male hormones. It is important for normal growth, maintenance of a healthy immune system and has a strong influence on the healing of internal and external wounds. It is an essential part of human DNA and it depends on the production of over 200 enzymes in our body. In zinc deficiency increases the risk of getting colds, diabetes, reduced sperm formation and eczema, acne and psoriasis. Other common diseases include hypertrophy of the prostate and aortosclerosis. One of the first signs of zinc deficiency is loss of taste and smell. Good sources of zinc are oysters, meat, eggs, seafood, tofu, wheat germ and brewer’s yeast.

Source : dailyhealtharticles[dot]com

Autumn SNEEZING Story

Autumn-winter season brings with it plenty of nasal secretion

Ah, bodily fluids! To be in tune with the season, I have chosen to deal with snot, and without that it will deal with them with urgency, inverse to atmospheric temperatures.
But where are my manners? In cultural scientific literature will not find such thing as “snot”. It is called mucus. First you should know that the mucus is your friend.

10 Autumn Tips to Keep Cold and Flu away

Do you know the effect of chicken soup on nasal mucus velocity?

Data on secretion in healthy people is controversial, but this is understandable due to the difficulty of measurement. While some authors assume that its volume is 10 to 100 milliliters, others cite values of 0.1 to 0.3 milliliters per kilogram of body weight. In case you’re interested, boogers are composed of 95% water, 2% glycoproteins, 1% protein, 1% fat and 1% inorganic ions. Many proteins are substances with antimicrobial, antioxidant activity and inhibit degradation of proteins.
Under normal circumstances (ie, when not ill) nasal mucus is part of the system, which serves to purify the air we breathe. That air is swirled into the nasal cavity warms and all dust and other particles unfriendly received him with a stick covered with mucus epithelium of the nasopharynx. Quite coincidentally epithelial cells have cilium that literally sweeps these intruders to the pharynx.

Grapefruit May “Help” You to Get Pregnant!
Unfortunately described mechanism does not give one hundred percent anti-virus protection, ie man can live well, sometimes ill. In this situation enters mucus hypersecretion of trying to get rid of the culprit for your troubles. Sometimes it succeeds, or at least cope with the task of ensuring you (almost) smooth breathing. Other times you fail and then your nose is clogged, your sinuses become infected and you begin to sound like a sewer system designed by a hamster trepanation. In addition, otherwise your mucus becomes transparent soft yellow or even romantic green color with which to decorate millions of white towels. By the way, the green is due to iron enzyme myeloperoxidase, which is secreted by white blood cells in an attempt to destroy the virus or bacteria.
As to the question how come all these snot, you should know that the producing glands (submucosal gland epithelial cells) raw materials derived primarily from the blood that you and you know it’s a lot. These substances (mostly water, as already mentioned) diffuse through the walls of capillaries and eventually find themselves or in your throat or a handkerchief.

Hydration: Main Factor in Preventing Sinusitis
Last but not least, you might be interested to learn that in scientific journals appear and articles that examine the effect of chicken soup on nasal mucus velocity. The result is that there really is a soup that catalyst which is solid supports for the belief of its healing powers. It plays a major role inhalation of hot steam, except that dilate blood vessels and contribute to hyper secretion, liquefy mucus, ie increase its viscosity. Add two generous tablespoons cayenne pepper and you have a recipe for a little nasal tsunami.

Source : dailyhealtharticles[dot]com

Roasted Red Pepper Soup

This is a comforting autumn soup, with a gorgeous color and a wonderful creamy texture. Using canned roasted red peppers is easy and cuts down on time spent, but you can roast your own if you prefer.

1 cup sweet onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 – 28oz. can roasted red peppers (drained) equivalent to 4 large whole peppers
1 cup canned, chopped tomatoes, drained
4 cups water
2 tablespoons agave (helps take edge off tartness – add less if you prefer)
2 teaspoons dry sherry
½ cup sour cream
1 cup low fat milk
2 tablespoons cornstarch (mixed with ¼ cup water)
2 teaspoons sea salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon onion, granulated

• Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil in pot on medium heat until tender, stirring often.
• Add tomatoes, peppers and water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes.
• Add agave, seasonings and cornstarch mixture.
• Heat for another 10 minutes, allowing it to thicken.
• Remove from heat and blend with hand blender or upright blender. Add sour cream, milk and more seasonings if needed.

Serves: 4

Cooking time: 45 minutes

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Red Pepper Jam
Super Spinach Enchiladas

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