The day after the holidays is a very special one for many. I judge them myself. It’s a time when I sort through paperwork and make plans… For some, it’s time to clean up after the big party. It certainly takes some effort to get the kitchen back in order. So it goes for all those who have overdone it for the holidays – treats and drinks. They look “oh, oh” like a kitchen…
Of course, small transgressions don’t count; It’s not like giving up white and sweet bread and poticas for the holidays, is it?! Any overdoing is harmful, even if you overdo it with even the healthiest food. When I think about it, the body just tells us what it needs. Sarma is eaten in almost every home on New Year’s Day; also Joto or Repo. Have you ever wondered why sauerkraut and veggies are so necessary?
The day after, the day after the holidays, is the day of purification, when we need to bring the body back to normal. Balance it again; also mineral if the alcohol consumption was too high. In addition to minerals, alcohol also absorbs vitamins B1, choline and acetylcholine, so we are without coordination. On New Year’s morning, in addition to vitamins, we also need proteins, which are the basis for the formation of brain transmitters, neurotransmitters, as well as serotonin and norepinephrine. That is why sarma – a combination of meat, rice and sauerkraut – is perfect for this.
With raw cabbage and herbs we fill the intestines with good bacteria and fiber and thus regulate the intestinal flora. Lactic acid bacteria stimulate digestion, restore the intestinal mucosa. When cooking, almost all of these bacteria are destroyed, so vegetables and beets are preferred. Herbs contain good lactic acid bacteria, as well as all the vitamins and minerals.
Well, cooking doesn’t destroy minerals, so herbal soups are perfect for mineral replenishment of the body. Let’s look at some interesting and unusual recipes.
You can email questions to a healthy eating expert sobota@primorske.si or by calling 01 / 518-53-45 and 041 / 647-645. Maria Merlyak is with his daughter Mojco Koman also bestselling author Health is our decision, A healthy diet is the right decision in A book for healthy livingand a book was recently published Oils for nutrition, health and personal carewhich she wrote together with her daughter-in-law Petro Jakob Merlyak.
A special comforting holiday soup
We need it: a salad (you can choose between endive, soft lettuce, romaine lettuce or even chicory; each choice gives a slightly different taste!), ¼ pound carrots, celery root, turnips, cauliflower and leeks, 2 chopped hard-boiled eggs, 120g chopped parsley, water and spices.
preparation: Chop the cleaned vegetables, except cauliflower and parsley, cook in a large uncovered saucepan for 40 minutes. Then add the cauliflower and cook for another 15 minutes. Coarsely puree all ingredients by hand or mix the cream with an electric mixer; Pour into plates sufficiently warm, sprinkle with chopped parsley and slices of hard-boiled egg (or chopped egg). We add salt and pepper very carefully, because we almost do not need salt.
endive soup
We need it: 2 large potatoes, half a celeriac, endive.
preparation: Peel and dice the potatoes and vegetables. Boil in a little water until soft and puree. Slice the endive and mix with the mashed potatoes. Add the soup base or just water and bring to the boil again. Season with a little salt and nutmeg. We offer warm.
French onion soup
We need it: 5 large onions, a liter of soup, slices of bread, cheese, butter.
preparation: Thinly slice the onion and simmer in a tablespoon of butter over low heat for about 10 minutes until golden brown. Add a liter of pure broth, season and cook for a few more minutes. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 150 degrees and bake small slices of bread in it, sprinkle with more cheese and finish baking. A bowl of soup is served with toasted bread.
Cream soup to restore the stomach
We need it: about the same amount of potatoes, carrots, fresh cabbage and zucchini.
preparation: sauté vegetables in cooked butter (GHE), add water and cook; add some salt, a pinch of ground cumin and after boiling, blend in a blender to a creamy broth. Put a piece of fresh butter on the plate.
Quick carrot soup for stomach and intestinal problems
We need it: half a kilo of carrots, a liter of chicken broth.
preparation: Boil the carrot in two deciliters of water, puree and add one liter of real chicken stock.
Fat carrot soup with cream
We need it (for 8 plates): 2.5 l water, bay leaf, 10 carrots of different colors, 4 medium-sized onions, sliced, 2 potatoes (sliced), 1 tablespoon sugar, 2 tablespoons full cream, salt, freshly ground pepper and grated nutmeg.
preparation: boil the water, add the bay leaf and all the vegetables. Cook for three quarters of an hour over medium heat. Then remove the bay leaves, puree everything else with a hand blender, add sugar and cream, heat slightly and season with pepper and nutmeg. We offer warm.
Soup for a good mood and clear thoughts
We need it (for 12 plates): half a kilo of fresh carrots in different colors, half a kilo of Hokkaido pumpkin, two onions, a liter of real chicken base, 3 tablespoons of olive oil, a clove of garlic, some cinnamon and a few sprigs of thyme, a quarter of a teaspoon of grated nutmeg, 12 Peppercorns of mint, 5 bay leaves, salt and pepper.
preparation: Set the oven to 190 degrees Celsius and bake the carrot and pumpkin in it; In a large saucepan, sauté the onion and garlic separately in olive oil, but only until the onion is translucent. Then shake the pumpkins and carrots in this pot and add the soup base. Add bay leaf and thyme. When the soup is boiling, reduce the heat and simmer for at least 15 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and sprigs of thyme and stir into the creamy soup with a hand blender. Season with salt and pepper, garnish with cinnamon, peppermint leaves and sprinkle with nutmeg.
Aromatic vegetable soup
We need it: potatoes, fennel, sage, oatmeal
preparation: Cut the potatoes into small cubes, add the chamomile and sage leaves (both can also be dried), sauté lightly in olive oil or boiled butter and pour in water. Cook until the potatoes are soft. Mix a handful of rolled oats into the soup and carefully salt.
cabbage soup
We need it: Two small heads of cabbage are enough for a family of four. According to an old recipe, they should be cooked in a good meat soup or in an ordinary soup.
preparation: When cooked, especially in a pan on raw or cooked butter, brown a spoonful of flour, sprinkle with finely chopped parsley and shake in a saucepan with cooked kale. Bring to a boil and serve well chilled. An old recipe says that we serve toasted bread with the soup.
Carrot Soup with Lemon
I need ito: carrots, onions, lemon juice, nutmeg, 2 dl sweet cream.
preparation: Clean and cut a bunch of carrots into small rolls or even smaller pieces if desired and chop a medium-sized onion. Melt butter or boiled butter in a pan and sauté carrots and onions together. Add water to cover the carrots and simmer in a nonstick pan for about 10 minutes to soften the carrots. Add the juice of one lemon and sprinkle with nutmeg. Add salt to taste and beat the contents with an immersion blender. Bring to the boil again and add 2 deciliters of sweet cream. If necessary, dilute the soup with water and serve warm.
Squid Community
We need it: Squid, onion, carrot, parsley, celery, butter
preparation: In a suitable pan, sauté sliced or chopped onion, carrot, parsley and celery root and sliced squid in butter or boiled butter. When it turns yellow, pour water over everything and bring to the boil. Add salt and pepper to taste. If we want to offer the soup as an independent dish, then we also cook potato slices in the pot.
All these soups have several purposes: they strengthen the body with minerals, we clean the refrigerator by preparing them, and, which is also important for the holidays, we start to lose weight. But gram for gram…