The winter has been long and cruel on the germ front this year.  As the current global crises invades our consciousness, there is little room for calm in all the chaos.  The grocery store shelves are virtually empty of basic supplies, and there isn’t a lick of hand sanny to be found.  How do we beat the bugs without our basic supplies?

Well, believe it or not, you may be better equipped than you think.  Food is an amazing source of medicine.  And not the canned variety.  It won’t be the bag of pasta noodles that turns the tide for your immune system.  But herbs, spices, fruits and veg?  Now we’re talkin’!

You likely have a pantry full of dried herbs and spices, and a crisper with their fresh counterparts.  Add a generous dose of these foods to your cooking, then sneak some formulated supplements, like powdered Vitamin C into the mix, and whamo!  You’ve made a bug-busting, mouth-watering, comfort-food-in-crisis, medicine meal!

Here was Saturday night’s Comfort-Food-in-Crisis-Medicine-Meal:

Sausage & Perogie Bake (the comfort food part), tossed with sauerkraut and topped with medicinal pesto and probiotic infused yoghurt.  My family loved it and I felt calm for the first time all day.  I had done what I could to support our immunity the best I know how.

Sausage & Perogies (with a serious immune kick!):

Here is the Play-by-Play….

  1. Turn the oven to 375
  2. Line a baking pan with coconut oil (can handle higher heat, olive oil can’t)
  3. Pour a bag of perogies and chopped sausage (2 medium sized from the local butcher) into the dish.
  4. Roughly chop 1 full onion, celery (about 2 full sticks?), and 5-6 mushrooms and toss together with the perogies and sausage.
  5. Top with fresh cracked pepper and back for about 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the “medicine” to boost it all:

1. Power Pesto

You’ll need a food processor for this one!  Also, I don’t tend to measure, so the amounts are a bit ‘fluid’.  Adjust as you need to serve your own palette.

Layer the following into the food processor:

  1. Finely chop 3 cloves garlic and set aside on the cutting board to add at the end.  Garlic is an amazing immune herb, but only works in this way when it has reacted with oxygen.  So chop it fine, and let it sit for several minutes before adding it in.  Keep in mind, that garlic needs to remain raw to have immune benefits.
  2. 1 whole bunch cilantro, stems and all (cilantro is high in Vitamin C & A – both great for the immune system)
  3. Half cup of walnuts (high in omega 3 oils, which help with inflammation.  Like all nuts, they are also a good source of the immune-boosting minerals – Selenium and Zinc)
  4. Add 1 small zucchini (one of the highest vegetable sources of Vitamin C)
  5. Add a handful of spinach (again, more vitamin C and immune supportive minerals)
  6. 2 TBSP of hemp seeds (more omega 3’s & protein) & 2 TBSP ground flx (omega 3’s & fiber to feed the good gut bacteria)
  7. Squeeze 1.5 large lemons into the mix
  8. Enough olive oil to get the whole thing blending (probably 1/3-1/2 cup?)
  9. Add in the garlic.
  10. Add your medicine: powdered Vitamin C (I use the Thorne buffered C) followed by Pascoleucin and Lymphdiaral drops (immune supportive homeopathic medicines I give myself and my family all winter long!  And knock on wood, the four of us have escaped the cold and flu season unscathed!).  For dosing specific to your individual needs, please call the clinic to speak with Dr. Reid.
  11. Optional:  add 2 TBSP nutritional yeast to add a hint of cheese flavour and provide some B vitamins.

2. Sauerkraut Mix

This one is easy.   With clean hands, I literally grab 2 handfuls of sauerkraut out of the jar squeeze out the extra liquid and put in a mixing bowl.

Sauerkraut is dynamite for supporting your gut bacteria and a HUGE proportion of our immune health is controlled by our gut bugs.  So feed them well!

Next, grate 1 large carrot into the sauerkraut and toss together.  Carrots are high in Vitamin A, which is hugely immune supportive.

3. Probiotic infused yoghurt (Sour cream substitute)

Another simple twist – I simply add an extra dose of probiotic powder to our plain, organic yoghurt and mix it in.

Putting it all together:

Once the perogies come out of the oven, mix the raw sauerkraut / carrot mixture in.  I don’t put this in prior because the higher heat would denature the probiotic benefit of the sauerkraut.

Serve with a healthy dollop of medicinal pesto and probiotic yoghurt and voila!  You have made an amazing comfort-food-medicine-meal to boost your body and soul.

From my kitchen to yours, Santé!

Warmly,

Dr. Martha Reid