How many of you are hungry or tired and know you should eat something nutritious…but you just can’t think of anything good!? Like most people in the world, I’ve been under a lot of stress lately and I notice that when I’m stressed I lose my appetite. That’s why I need meals that are quick, easy and yet very nutritious.
I decided to start this new recipe series to share some ideas and hopefully make it easier for the rest of you who are also staring at the fridge wondering WHAT to cook/eat.
I’m going to offer lots of variations to suit your supplies and dietary restrictions – again in hopes of making this easier. Let me know if I succeed!
Okay, so let’s start with ramen or noodle soup or bland diet in a bowl…
When making ramen, you should ideally have some frozen homemade broth on hand – chicken broth, beef broth, mushroom broth, fish broth, vegetable broth – they all work equally well (click these links for recipes!). But you can of course use store-bought broth or even water with added bouillon if that’s all you have. In this case, try adding a spoonful of bone broth protein powder like this one to boost the nutrition.
Then I look at what I already have in my fridge/freezer that I can throw into my ramen. Today I have enough fresh vegetables, so I prepare them (while my water and broth are heating) and can add them to my broth when it’s hot. For me the vegetables are enough for 2 servings:
The key to flavorful vegetables is to add them according to the cooking time. Add the vegetables that need to cook the longest first. So in my selection above, I added the carrots as soon as my broth was hot, then 5 minutes later I added the cabbage, and then just before serving (3-5 minutes later) I added the cucumber, arugula, and cilantro.
Did you know that you can also listen to your gut feeling when cooking? I call it intuitive cooking and have done it with teenagers who have never cooked before and don’t even know what garlic is. Your body knows it! And it knows how much it wants. So give yourself the freedom to just try. The worst that can happen is that your vegetables are a little undercooked or mushy – who cares? It’s all good.
Plus, it doesn’t matter what you use in your ramen – that’s the beauty of it. Adjust your vegetables to suit your tolerance and your supply. Other great options include:
- Mushrooms (shiitake, reishi, oyster mushrooms, champignons, etc.)
- zucchini
- Peas
- green or yellow beans
- Bok choy (baby bok choy is easier to digest), sui choy
- Spinach, kale, cabbage, turnip greens
- mixed super greens (baby super greens are easier to digest and blanching them in hot soup makes them more digestible)
- Broccoli, rabe, cauliflower (stems are easier to digest and produce less gas – just peel and chop)
- Seaweed (wakame is beautiful)
- cooked chicken, lamb, beef
- Seafood; Fish, shrimp, scallops, lobster
- Tofu, tempeh
Once your harder veggies are cooked and you’re ready to add your delicate veggies/vegetables and protein, now is the time to do it Add soy sauce to taste. You may also want to add additional bouillon for more flavorand if you love Asian food then Add some Thai fish sauce – just a few splashes – for that umami aspect. Roasted sesame oil is another essential layer of flavor for me – again, add whatever your body wants. Or simply start with 1 teaspoon and increase the amount as needed. I usually add about 1 teaspoon of toasted sesame oil per serving. You can add it to your soup pot or the bottom of your bowl, stir in your noodles, then add your soup mix. Again, however you do it, it’s all good!
When your soup is ready, add your cooked noodles and serve immediately in large bowls with chopsticks and a spoon.
Remember that you can add the amount of vegetables and protein you prefer. Some people may want lots of vegetables and only a small amount of pasta:
Others prefer lots of pasta with their vegetables – let your body/gut be your guide! Don’t ask your taste buds, ask your gut:
After adding my noodles and veggies, I do a final taste test and add more soy sauce if needed.
Let me know if this was easy/helpful and post one of your favorite easy meals below (or email me). If I get enough recipes, I can put them together in a recipe book for us 🙂
Jini Patel Thompson is an internationally recognized expert in natural healing for digestive diseases. She healed herself from widespread Crohn’s disease and has been medication and surgery free for over 25 years. Jini has appeared on numerous podcasts, TV and radio shows in the US, UK, Canada and Australia, giving people hope and vision on how to heal their colitis, Crohn’s disease, diverticulitis and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) using all-natural methods. Her books on natural healing of digestive diseases have been sold in over 80 countries worldwide. Jini is married and has three children, nine sheep, 11 horses, a cat and three dogs.
