Menu Monday: Oryana Food Co-Op Chef Laura Cavender

This Menu Monday we’re getting cozy in the kitchen with some nutritious healing soup and a holiday mocktail the whole family can enjoy.

Laura Cavender with Oryana Community Co-Op in Traverse City is back in the Heritage House Kitchen preparing both the delicious drink and hearty soup.

For more on how the recipes work check out the video posted above.

For a direct link to Oryana in Traverse City

Here are the details for both recipes Laura Cavender prepared during ‘the four’ on Menu Monday:

Kombucha Sangria Mocktail

Ingredients:

• 1 granny smith apple, thinly sliced
• 1 Braeburn apple, thinly sliced
• 1 pear, sliced
• ½ cup pomegranate seeds
• 6 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 2 bottles (1 pint each) kombucha
• 4 cups pomegranate juice
• 4 cups ginger ale

Optional Garnish

• ¼ cup simple syrup
• 10 oz fresh or frozen cranberries plus more for skewering
• 1/2 cup sugar for coating cranberries and rosemary

Instructions

1. Combine apples, pear, pomegranate seeds and 2 sprigs rosemary in a large punch bowl. Pour in kombucha, ginger ale and pomegranate juice. Refrigerate at least 1 hour.
2. To serve, add cranberries. Ladle sangria into glasses (get some of that good fruit in there!)
3. Optional Garnish: Cut the remaining rosemary sprigs into 3” pieces. Dip each sprig into simple syrup and roll in sugar to coat. Dip extra cranberries into simple syrup and roll in sugar to coat. Skewer 3-4 cranberries per drink and rest on top of each glass.
4. Garnish drinks with sugared cranberries and rosemary; serve cold.

 

NO-RECIPE HEALING SOUP

The ingredients in this recipe are divided into two sections – broth basics and optional add-ins. The basics are ingredients that are mandatory for making a flavorful broth. The optional add-ins are just that – optional. You can make just the broth and sip it on its own when feeling under the weather or in need of some comfort, or add one or more of the add-ins that you are craving/have on hand for a more substantial soup. This recipe is highly customizable, so feel free to get creative, following the basic broth framework.

Broth Basics

• 2 teaspoons ground turmeric or 2″ piece fresh turmeric – peeled, grated/minced
• 1″ piece ginger – peeled, grated/minced
• 5 whole garlic cloves
• 1 jalapeño or small chili pepper – minced (leave seeds in if you prefer a spicier soup)
• 10-12 cups water
• freshly ground black pepper – to taste
• 1-2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari to taste
• juice of 2 lemons
• Salt to taste

Optional add-ins

• 1 large sweet potato or 3-4 medium carrots, or any other root vegetable – cubed
• 8 oz shiitake or crimini mushrooms – sliced
• 2 lemongrass stalks – bruised with the back of a chef’s knife, sliced into 3 pieces
• 1 piece kombu
• about 4 oz soba
• 1-2 clusters baby bok choy – separated into leaves or 1 small bunch any other greens
• spaghetti squash ‘noodles’ (from 1 roasted spaghetti squash)
• 1-1½ cups cooked beans or lentils
• handful cilantro leaves – for garnish

Instructions

1. Add all the broth ingredients, except black pepper, soy sauce and lemon juice to the pot. Also add any of the following optional add-ins that you are using: sweet potato/carrots, mushrooms, lemongrass and kombu. Lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, covered. If using sweet potato/carrots, check them for doneness by pricking a few pieces with a knife or fork, which should go in easily if the vegetables are cooked through. If not done, simmer for another 5 minutes and check again. Turn off the heat and add pepper to taste. If you have time, it’s great to let the broth sit and infuse for anywhere from 30 minutes to overnight (refrigerate if overnight), but this step is completely optional
2. If making broth only, or if you’ve already added all the add-ins you have, you can stop here and add soy sauce and lemon juice. If continuing with other add-ins, bring the soup back to a boil over medium high heat. If using soba, add it to the boiling broth and cook, uncovered, about 2-3 minutes less than the required time on the package until al dente (the soba will continue sitting in the hot broth and might get a little too soft if you cook it for the whole required time).
3. Turn off the heat and add any of the following optional add-ins that you are using: baby bok choy/greens, spaghetti squash ‘noodles’, beans/lentils. Cover the pot and let the soup sit for about 2-5 minutes, until the greens are wilted and spaghetti squash noodles, beans/lentils are warmed through.