100% Pure WINNERS + Broccoli Cheese Soup

Thank you to everyone who entered and shared the giveaway this past week!  I hope you all have enjoyed getting to know 100% Pure.  Be sure to bookmark their website!

We have TWO lucky winners of the 100% Pure Black Tea fruit pigmented mascara.  Congratulations to our winners: KristenB and Natalie Bean!!!  Please email me with your mailing address and your tube of Black Tea mascara will be on its way to you by tomorrow.

Now, I need to answer Cortney B.'s question:

"I  am looking for ideas for broccoli cheese soup.  I used to use Velveeta.  Any suggestions on how I can alter it for either Core or Advanced Plan?"  - Cortney B., Wyoming

I've been working on perfecting my broccoli cheese soup quite recently actually, just as Courtney wrote in.  I like to add quinoa to mine, which will thicken the soup up quite a bit, but makes it hearty and filling.  Adding the protein of quinoa also makes this soup a complete meal on its own!  Alternatively, you can leave the quinoa out for a thinner soup.  Replace with shredded chicken or white beans to make this a whole meal.

Broccoli Cheese Soup
Makes 6 Servings

3 cups organic broccoli florets (I used frozen)
1 Tbsp raw butter or coconut oil
1 cup yellow onion, chopped
1/2 cup dry organic quinoa (I like the tri-color, but any color is fine)
4 cups sodium-free organic vegetable stock
1 1/2 cups organic unsweetened almond milk
Sea salt and fresh pepper, to taste
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground thyme
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 1/2 cups raw cheddar cheese, shredded

1.)  If you prefer, chop the broccoli into bite-sized pieces now and set aside.  (I leave mine whole.)  In a large saucepan over Medium heat, add the butter and onion and saute until soft, about 8-12 minutes. Add the vegetable stock and bring to a boil.

2.)  Rinse the quinoa until water runs clear, then add to boiling vegetable stock.  Reduce heat to Medium-Low.  Stir in broccoli, cover, and simmer for about 16-20 minutes, until quinoa is tender.

3.)  Puree the cooked mixture with an immersion blender or carefully in a standing blender. (I don't puree mine, I like the quinoa and broccoli texture.  However this soup is traditionally prepared smooth.)  Return the soup to the saucepan and add the almond milk, garlic powder, ground thyme, Worcestershire sauce and nutmeg.  Season with sea salt and pepper.  Reheat the soup on Low heat, being careful not to boil it.  When the soup is hot, stir in the cheese until just melted and serve immediately.

Leek, Asparagus & Herb Soup

Leek, Asparagus & Herb Soup
Makes About 6 Servings 

1 Tbsp coconut oil
2  medium leeks trimmed, washed and finely chopped
4 clove garlic, minced
1/2 pound new potatoes, scrubbed and diced
2 cups organic vegetable broth, sodium-free
1 1/2 cups fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2/3 cups snow peas, stemmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 Tbsp chopped fresh chives, divided
2 Tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 Tbsp chopped fresh dill
2 cups organic unsweetened almond milk
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp sea salt to taste
Fresh pepper, to taste
1/3 cup organic plain Greek yogurt (optional)

1.)  Heat coconut oil in a large saucepan over Medium-Low heat.  Add leeks and cook, stirring often, until softened but not browned, about 5 minutes.  Add garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute until fragrant.

2.)  Add potatoes and broth.  Bring to a simmer over Medium-High heat.  Cover and reduce heat to Medium-Low.  Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender, 15 to 25 minutes.

3.)  Increase heat to Medium-High and stir in asparagus and peas.  Simmer, covered, stirring 2 or 3 times, until just tender, 6-8 minutes.  Remove from heat; stir in chives, parsley, and dill.  Transfer the soup to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. (this step is optional)

4.)  Return the soup to the pan.  Add almond milk and bring to just below a simmer, stirring, over Medium heat.  Stir in lemon juice, sea salt and pepper.  Ladle into soup bowls.  Garnish each serving with a dollop of Greek yogurt and sprinkling of the remaining fresh herbs.

Smoked Turkey Pea Soup

Happy Monday!  Hope your weekend was relaxing and fun.  Mine was both of those, with a little bit of work mixed in.  But the work was fun, of course, otherwise I wouldn't put the time in (lol).  Dave and I are helping to plan and deliver a seminar titled "Rebuilding the Temple" at our church, CLC.  The kickoff is next Sunday, and it will be a "40 day renewal of body-mind-spirit" over Lent.  We're getting very excited as the big seminar day approaches.  The entire church will be involved, and it will be led by our pastors and a few other speakers, as well as Dave and me.  I'm working on the menu for Sunday's luncheon among a few other things.  I just get so happy to help people strengthen their faith thru the 5 Essentials!

Congrats to this past weekend's 5 winners who won a copy of my Valentine's Day Menu Planner e-book.  Thanks to everyone who entered!  And, there is still time to enter the SKIN Organic Body Care giveaway.  But today is the final day, so be sure to register before midnight!!  There are multiple ways to enter, too, so check out the list and see if you can enter more than once.  Good luck!

Also among my weekend projects was mass pea soup stewing.  Ohhhh how I love pea soup.  We haven't eaten it in so long though, because I couldn't bring myself to make it without a ham bone (how Dave and I grew up eating it).  We're strictly a no pork family now, after learning a bit about the pork industry and the animals in general.  Thinking back, I would guess it's been at least seven years, maybe even longer, since I last had a bowl of pea soup.  I would get the cravings for pea soup every now and again, especially on chilly days where a nice warm bowl of the salty sweet goodness seemed so perfect.  Dave had the idea to use a smoked turkey leg in place of the ham.  I have no idea why we didn't think of this sooner!

You can find smoked turkey legs at the meat counter at the grocery store, but we got ours from our free-range farmer.  Wherever you can find it, give this a try.  It turned out so so yummy!!  I'm completely satisfied with the overall taste of the soup and texture of the turkey.  It's almost like we used a ham bone, the taste is almost spot on!  I made a huge pot of it, so if following my ratios you'll need a really big stock pot.  I like to double or triple soups and stews so I can save a batch in the freezer for a month down the road.  Cut the recipe below in half for a standard 6 quart size stock pot.

Smoked Turkey Pea Soup
Makes 24 servings

STOCK INGREDIENTS
2 large smoked turkey drumsticks
32 cups filtered water (8 quarts)
2 whole onions, rinsed
6 whole carrots, rinsed
6 stalks celery, rinsed (I use the center of the celery for this and save the outer stalks to chop into the soup)
20 whole peppercorns, tied off in cheesecloth
3 bay leaves

SOUP INGREDIENTS
4 lbs split green peas (about 9 cups), rinsed and picked thru for stones
6 carrots, peeled and sliced
6 stalks celery, sliced
1 cup diced onion
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1 Tbsp dried thyme
1 Tbsp dried oregano
1 Tbsp dried sage
about 30 cracks fresh black pepper (more/less to taste)
2 big pinches of Himalayan sea salt (more/less to taste)

1.)   Add all Stock Ingredients to your pot and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to Low or Medium-Low to keep it at a simmer.  Let simmer uncovered for 5-6 hours.  By the 5th or 6th hour of simmering, the meat on the turkey legs should pull away from the bone on its own.  Your stock is ready at that point.

2.)  Remove from heat.  With a slotted spoon or long tongs, remove the turkey legs from the stock and let cool on a plate.  Also remove the boiled veggies, bay leaves and peppercorns from the stock and discard.

3.)  Return stock to a boil.  Add in sliced carrot, celery, onion and garlic.  Stir in the dried herbs.  Reduce heat to simmer for about 20 mins.  Meanwhile, shred the meat from the turkey legs, pulling out bones or tendons.

4.)  Add the rinsed split peas and shredded smoked turkey to the simmering stock.  Stir well, making sure nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pot.  Cover loosely and continue to simmer for 2 hours, stirring often, again making sure nothing sticks to bottom of pot.  The peas will absorb all of the stock and become soft, that's when it's ready.  Season with sea salt and black pepper (to taste) and serve.

Creamy Artichoke Soup

A great soup for spring/summer!  And it's super quick to prepare, too.  I've made this as a Core Plan soup with just a few redskin potatoes because they really add a creamy body to the soup.  However, you can make this Advanced Plan by simply replacing the redskins with 2/3 cup pureed white beans.

Easy Creamy Artichoke Soup
Makes 4-6 Servings

1 shallot, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 Tbsp coconut oil

32 oz organic sodium-free vegetable broth

2  9oz packs frozen artichoke hearts

4 small red skin potatoes, thinly sliced (peeling optional)

1/2 tsp celery seed

1 tsp dried cilantro

Sea salt, to taste

White Pepper, to taste

1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup organic almond milk, unsweetened plain flavor

1.)  In a medium pot, saute the shallot and garlic in coconut oil over Medium heat until softened.  Stir in artichoke hearts, potatoes, celery seed, cilantro, and vegetable broth.

2.)  Bring to a boil then reduce heat to Low.  Simmer for 20 minutes or until the artichokes and potatoes are fork tender.

3.)  Remove from heat.  Blend, carefully, until smooth with a steel immersion blender or in a glass blender in small batches.

4.)  To the soup, add sea salt, white pepper, lemon juice, and almond milk.  Return to a boil for 10 minutes.  Remove from heat and serve.  Top with a dollop of organic Greek yogurt (optional).

Chickpea Lentil Stew

First of all, if you aren't on the Healing Cuisine facebook page, you might not be aware that I've recently added a deliciously romantic Valentine's Day menu planner to the site!  You can download it here, and I recommend giving yourself a day or two to read thru the menu and get your grocery list compiled.  It's a menu sure to impress your Valentine and set the mood, all while staying on your Maximized Living Nutrition Plan!  :)

I've got another great One Pot Wonder to add to your list!  Even in sunny Orlando, we still appreciate a good stew or casserole now and then.  Check out all the other great One Pot Wonder dishes by selecting the "One Pot Wonder" keyword link under the Labels section at the bottom right of the page.

One Pot Wonder - Chickpea Lentil Stew

Coconut oil
1 onion, diced
2 large carrots, diced
3-5 garlic cloves, minced
3 tsp ground cardamom
3 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp allspice
1 cinnamon stick
1 1/2 cups brown lentils, rinsed
5 cups filtered water
1  28ounce jar/can of organic peeled, whole tomatoes
Sea salt to taste
Fresh black pepper to taste
16 ounces cooked organic chickpeas, strained and rinsed
2 cups fresh organic spinach

1.)  Heat coconut oil over Medium in a large stock pot.  Add the onions and carrots and stir well to coat. Cook for about five minutes, stirring often, until softened.

2.)  Lower the heat to Low.  Add the garlic and ground spices and stir well.  When the spices’ aroma begins to bloom (in about 30-60 seconds), remove the pan from heat immediately (to prevent burning).  Cook for 30 seconds to one minute more.

3.)  Add the lentils, canned tomatoes, cinnamon stick, sea salt, black pepper and water to the pot. Mash up the tomatoes and stir everything together well.

4.)  Return pot to burner and bring to a boil.  Once stew is boiling, reduce heat to Low and cook for 20-30 minutes, or until both carrots and lentils are tender.  (At this point, I like to take a few ladle fulls and puree in blender then add back to pot to thicken the broth of the stew.   This step is optional.)

5.)  Add the chickpeas and warm thru.  Remove from heat.  Stir in the fresh spinach leaves to wilt.  Ready to serve.


I like to top with a scoop of organic Greek yogurt, crushed raw cashews, and a sprinkle of fresh cilantro.  Comfort in a bowl!

One Pot Wonders: Chicken and Dumpling Soup

I wanted to close out this week of One Pot Wonders with a real comfort dish, and if this isn't it then I don't know what is!  It's Chicken and Dumpling Soup, Maximized Living Advanced Plan style.  You can still enjoy bread, dumplings, biscuits, cake, etc, on the Advanced Plan -- you just have to know what to put into it to make it a whole, healing food.

This soup can be prepared in advance the night before.  Simply store the crock pot in the fridge over night then set on Low in the morning before work.  The dumplings are super easy to make.  Drop them into the soup when you arrive home from work and the soup will be ready by the time you get changed and settled in.

Hope this week of One Pot Wonders has been helpful for you and your family.  Dave and I personally live off of one pot meals thru each week, so we value the variety in our Advanced Plan options.  If you have your own favorite One Pot Wonder, I would love if you would share it and I will post for all to enjoy:  elise@healingcuisinebyelise.com.

Chicken and Dumpling Soup
Makes 6 Servings

DUMPLINGS  (Makes 8)
2 cups raw almond flour (finely ground)
1 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 free-range eggs

CHICKEN SOUP
1 whole free-range chicken, roasted and shredded (3-4 cups)
4-6 cups organic vegetable stock (sodium free)
2 tsp of sea salt, or to taste
1/2 tsp fresh black pepper
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp dried basil
1 cup organic celery, diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 cup frozen organic green peas, thawed
1/2 cup organic carrots, peeled and diced (CORE PLAN ONLY)
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk or organic heavy cream (optional)

1.)  Make the dumplings: Mix together eggs, sea salt, pepper and almond flour.  Mix until well-blended - will be sticky.  Shape into balls by rolling in your hands.  Place in the fridge.

2.)  In large crock pot, add all Chicken Soup ingredients except for heavy cream, filling pot with enough vegetable stock to cover the chicken and vegetables.  Cover and simmer on Low for 6 hours or High for 3 hours.  OR store in fridge over night and simmer 8 hours on Low or 4 on High.

3.)  At the last 20 minutes of cooking, remove the dumplings from the fridge and place them in the soup.  Cooking the dumplings will take about 20 minutes.  At this time, you can also stir in the (optional) heavy cream or almond milk -- makes for a more rich and opaque broth.  When dumplings are ready, you can serve!

One Pot Wonders: White Bean Chili

To kick off this week of One Pot Wonders, I'm sharing one of our absolute favorites.  You are probably familiar with this sister to classic chili, savory and smokey White Bean Chili.  This is a super quick meal to prepare, taking less than 30 minutes.  You can also simmer it in a crock pot so it's ready by the time you get home from work.  I usually make this recipe with turkey, saving leftovers from the Thanksgiving or Christmas turkeys.  You can also use shredded chicken.  If I have other veggies on hand, I'll throw them in to the chili as well (zucchini, celery, bell pepper, carrot, kale), sauteing until softened with the onion.

This one pot wonder is perfectly paired with a hefty slice of Coconut Flour Bread.

White Bean Chili
Makes 8 Servings

2 Tbsp coconut oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 cup mild green chilies, chopped (fresh or canned)
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups great northern beans, rinsed
2 cups white kidney beans, rinsed
48 oz organic sodium-free vegetable broth (check the label for sugar and preservatives)
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp dried oregano
2 tsp fresh black pepper
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne
1-2 cups cooked free-range turkey or chicken, shredded
Sea salt to taste

1.)  Heat oil in a large stock pot and add onion, chilies, and garlic.  Cook for a few minutes until tender.

2.)  Stir in beans, broth, cumin, oregano, and cayenne.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 10 minutes.  As chili simmers, you can mash or puree some of the beans to thicken the chili (optional).

3.)  Add turkey/chicken.  Cover and simmer for another 10 minutes.  Add sea salt to taste.  Serve.  Fresh parsley or cilantro taste great sprinkled on top!

You can prepare this meal in the crock pot, simmer on low for 4 hours and it's ready!

Pumpkin-Coconut Soup

I used seasonal pumpkin for this colorful soup.  A benefit is you can make this soup any time of the year, as organic unsweetened canned pumpkin is readily available year round.  This soup is a great option for a filling lunch or light dinner!   We usually pair with a small salad with chicken breast and hempseeds or a protein shake.  Have to make sure you're adding protein to every meal!

 

Pumpkin-Coconut Soup

15 oz organic pumpkin (or any other winter squash), either canned (unsweetened) or fresh roasted
1 cup organic lima beans, drained and rinsed
8 cups organic sodium-free vegetable or chicken stock
1 large organic carrot, peeled and chopped
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
4 large cloves garlic, sliced
2 c full-fat organic coconut milk
1 Tbsp organic coconut oil
Sea salt and pepper to taste

OPTIONAL - For a less sweet, more traditional pumpkin soup flavor add:
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp fresh ginger

1.)   In a large stock pot, heat coconut oil over Medium-High heat.  Add onion, carrot and garlic to pot and saute about 5 minutes to soften.  Add vegetable stock, turn to High heat and bring to boil.

2.)   Add lima beans and pumpkin flesh, continue to cook on High.  Once it returns to a boil, reduce to simmer, stirring occasionally.

3.)  Simmer for about an hour until the beans are tender.  If the soup thickens too much and starts to stick, add  more stock. You want a very thick soup, but not dry.

4.)  When everything is tender, turn off the heat.  With either an immersion blender or standing blender, blend the soup until smooth.  Add half a can of coconut milk and blend again, adding more coconut milk to get your desired consistency & taste.  Garnish with shredded coconut (optional).

Leek & Potato Soup

This is a delicious soup that we do on our "vacation" days, the days we bend the rules a little on what we eat.  We usually take a vacation meal once or twice a month, sometimes more if we're dealing with hectic times.  So keep in mind that a main ingredient in this soup is potatoes, and potatoes are not included on the basic or advanced Maximized Living Nutrition Plans for this reason:

Potatoes are a high-starch carbohydrate with high Glycemic Index (GI) values.  Carbohydrate means "carbon plus water" (citing the Dictionary).  While carbohydrates are an essential nutrient for brain fuel and health, keep in mind the type of carbs you are taking in.  Potatoes contain glucose, the simplest carbohydrate which turns to sugar extremely fast in the body.  All other vegetables in general contain much less glucose creating a relatively slower glycemic spike during and after the meal.  So while practicing the Maximized Living Nutrition Plan, whether basic or advanced, you want to steer clear of potatoes due to their high-starch, high glucose content.  New white potatoes (which you can use in this recipe) are better choices, with sweet potatoes being best of all.  Potatoes are a fat-free healthy food that provide useful amounts of vitamin C, potassium and fiber.  Their high GI value can be reduced by eating them with other low-GI foods as part of the same meal.

Leek & Potato Soup
Makes About 4 Servings

10 small red new potatoes
5 cups organic, sodium free chicken broth
2 leeks, chopped and rinsed
3 Tbsp coconut oil
2 cups unsweetened organic almond milk
6 cloves garlic, smashed
Sea salt and fresh pepper to taste

1.) Place potatoes into a large saucepan with water to cover.  Bring to a boil and cook until tender.  Meanwhile, saute leeks in coconut oil until translucent.

2.) When potatoes are done, skin them while they are still hot and cut them into bite sized pieces (skinning is optional).  Place potatoes into a stock pot with chicken broth, smashed garlic cloves and leeks.  Season with sea salt and pepper.

3.) Cook over Medium heat until simmering.  Stir in almond milk and return to simmer until thickened slightly.  Garnish with fresh parsley and serve immediately.

Asian Beef & Noodle Soup

Who out there gets a thrill from taking a not so healthy recipe, swapping ingredients and giving it your own spin to make it into a beautiful, flavorful Maximized recipe??  Well, when I'm not inventing my own dishes, that is what I do and love it, especially when we need a quick fix for dinner after a long day of work!

This particular recipe is adapted from the Betty Crocker Soups and Stews e-Cookbook thanks to my mom sending me the link for it a couple months ago.  (Thanks mom!!)  Remember that beef stock I made a while ago, well we still had some reserved in the freezer, so I thawed it out right on the stove top minutes before pulling this soup together.  Delicious!  You will love the deep flavor of this Asian inspired beef soup!

Asian Beef & Noodle Soup
Makes 6 Servings

3 oz uncooked rice noodles (omit if on Advanced Plan)
1 tsp coconut oil
1 Tbsp dark sesame oil, organic
1 1/2 lb boneless top sirloin steak, grass fed, cut into bite size strips
4 tsp minced garlic
7 oz organic shiitake mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
6 cups organic, salt free beef broth (homemade is best)
2 cups finely sliced bok choy, organic
1 cup organic carrots, julienned like match sticks (omit if you are on Advanced Plan)
1 1/2 tsp fresh ginger, finely diced
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
2 medium green onions, organic, sliced

1.)  Soak rice noodles in bowl of boiling hot water for 10-15 minutes until softened. Cut noodles into thirds, cover and set aside.

2.)  Heat a teaspoon of coconut oil and 1 Tablespoon of sesame oil in dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Saute beef strips, mushrooms and garlic about 5-6 minutes until beef is no longer pink.

3.)  Stir in remaining ingredients except onion and noodles.  Heat to boiling then reduce heat to medium-low.  Cover; cook 14-15 minutes, stirring occasionally until beef is tender.

4.)  Stir in noodles and heat thru 2-3 minutes until noodles are hot.  Right before serving, sprinkle with sliced green onion.

Apple Pumpkin Soup

I intend this soup to be served more as an appetizer than the main course as it is a sweeter pumpkin soup than you may be used to.  This is perfect to prepare during the fall when fresh organic apples and cider are in abundance!   This makes about 10 servings.

8 cups chopped fresh pumpkin (about 3 pounds)
4 c unsweetened organic apple cider
3 small tart apples, peeled and chopped  (we used granny smith -- low in sugar!)
1 medium organic white onion, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons minced fresh gingerroot
1/2 teaspoon each ground cinnamon & nutmeg
2 organic garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon sea salt (optional)

TOASTED PUMPKIN SEEDS:
1/2 cup fresh pumpkin seeds
1 teaspoon coconut oil
1/8 teaspoon sea salt

1.)  In a 5-qt. slow cooker, combine the first 9 ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or until pumpkin and apples are tender.  (This can also be done on the stove top in a large pot for 1-3 hours until both pumpkin and apples are tender.)

2.)  Meanwhile, toss fresh, washed, and dried pumpkin seeds with coconut oil and sea salt.  Spread onto an ungreased baking sheet.  Bake at 250° for 45-50 minutes or until golden brown.  Set aside to cool.

3.)  Once Pumpkin and Apples are soft, cool soup slightly; process in small batches in a blender or food processor until smooth.  Transfer to a large saucepan; heat through.

4.)  Serve soup into bowls or for a festive flare in small hallowed out pumpkins (a great party tip!).  Garnish with toasted pumpkin seeds.

How To: Homemade Beef Stock

I want to share my recipe for beef stock.  It is something so simple to have on hand for an array of recipes.  We purchased a quarter of a cow for the first time a few months back.  With it, we were given all the leftover bones wrapped up and have had them in the freezer.  I decided to use up these soup bones on a day off from work to make a very flavorful stock.  If you've never made stock before, I highly recommend giving it a try.  It makes your house smell WONDERFUL!  By the end of the day of simmering, Dave came home and said he could smell the tantalizing aroma all the way down at the front door of our a apartment BUILDING!  That was alllll the way down the hall from our place.

Making any homemade stock takes a long time, but most of the preparation is hands off, and the results are so worth it!!  I find it especially rewarding with beef stock because the store-bought varieties are either way too salty or have no flavor.  Even when buying organic stock, salt is a big issue, and so is the cost!  Homemade is a great way to save a TON of money and control what is put into it.  So, when you have a day or weekend to spend at home, give this a try and freeze until needed for your favorite recipes. To make the stock last many months, you can freeze it in bags, containers or even ice cube trays (to add just a little to sauces).

Beef Stock Ingredients

6 pounds beef soup bones from grass fed beef 2 large onions, organic
4 large carrots, organic
1/2 cup water, filtered
4 stalks celery, including leaves, organic
1/2 cup chopped parsnip (optional if you can tolerate), organic
1/2 cup cubed potato (optional if you can tolerate), organic
8 whole black peppercorns, organic
6 sprigs fresh parsley, organic
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon sea salt
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 cloves garlic, organic
14 cups water, filtered

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).  Slice onions.  Chop scrubbed celery and carrots into 1 or 2-inch chunks.  In a large shallow roasting pan place soup bones, onion, and carrots.  Bake, uncovered, about 60 minutes or until the bones are well browned, turning occasionally. This process is very important to beef stock (versus chicken stock).  It produces browning (the Maillard reaction) which produces the rich flavor of the stock.  Roasting also releases fat.  A little beef fat is good, especially when it's rich in Omega-3's from grass fed beef, but even then too much ruins the taste of things.
   
   
2. Drain off fat.  Place the browned bones, onion, and carrots in a large soup pot or Dutch oven.  Pour 1/2 cup water into the roasting pan and rinse. Pour this liquid into soup pot.  Add celery, tomato, parsnips, potato parings, peppercorns, parsley, bay leaf, salt, thyme, and garlic.  Add the 14 cups water.
   
   
3. Bring mixture to a boil.  Reduce heat.  Cover and simmer for 5-8 hours depending on how concentrated you want the flavor.  Strain stock (we used unbleached cheese cloth as it's the most natural way to strain.  You can also use a strainer or seive).  Usually you discard meat, vegetables, and seasonings.  I picked out the meat pieces and used them in a soup the next day.  You'll definitely want to use fresh veggies though.
   
   
4. To clarify stock for clear soup: In order to remove solid flecks that are too small to be strained out with cheesecloth, combine 1/4 cup cold water, 1 egg white, and 1 crushed eggshell. Add to strained stock. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat, and let stand 5 minutes. Strain again through a sieve lined with cheesecloth.  You'll be good to go!