Food as Medicine

Patients often ask me for easy ways to get all the nutrition they can out of their food. Stews are great because they are packed full of nutritious qi and easy to make. Plus, you can make a big pot and freeze the leftovers for quick and easy meals for those days you want to eat well but don’t have time to cook!I wanted to start this first blog entry on my new website by sharing a great recipe for a nourishing oxtail stew. This is an excellent meal for anyone who works hard and needs some real nourishment.

Oxtail stew:

Oxtail. 4 pieces.

1 lbs high grade stew beef.

Onion- A large one, sliced.

Garlic- Four cloves.

Ginger- Four 1/4 inch slices.

6-8 Dried chanterelle mushrooms (any mushrooms will do!)

2 Tablespoons of coconut butter

One dried pepper, Mildly spicy.

One bay leaf

3-4 sage leaves

4 medium carrots (purple, red, and orange)

4 small boiling potatoes.

Cooking directions:

Put onions and garlic in the soup pot and sautee for a few minutes, then add the oxtail with some salt. Brown all the sides before adding enough water to cover the meat. let this simmer for a few hours. Keep the lid on the entire time and the flame very low as to not lose any liquid (or you have to add more). Then add the mushrooms and herbs, the coconut butter, ginger, and a little more salt and let it simmer for two more hours. At hour 4, brown the beef and add it along with the carrots. In the last hour add the potatoes. ENJOY!!