Wei Qi Protective Vitality Soup

From Healing Tonics: 101 Concoctions to Increase Energy, Boost Immunity, Enhance Memory, Ease Dgestion, and Support Daily Health and Wellness by Jeanine Pollak...

I have been creating tonics like crazy ever since I picked this book up, and today I decided to create a soup that's purported to help allergies among other things (auto-immune diseases, lupus, diabetes, and hepatitis). Seeing as how the weather has taken a turn from 100 degrees to a mere 55 and raining, it seems to be a perfect day for it as well....
This soup has a medicinal quality, it's kind of bitter, and very hearty. I wasn't crazy about it, but I've also made some changes to the following recipe that I think will make it better. This makes enough soup to serve 4-6 people.

5-7 sticks Astragalus (I only had powder, so I just used 1/2 tsp to make sure I didn't over do it)
1 medium Reishi mushroom (Do NOT chop this one!)
2-3 small Shitake mushrooms
1/3 - 1/2 cup slightly sprouted Adzuki or Black beans
1/2 - 1 cup of organic barley
1 cup mixed vegetables (I used carrots), chopped
2-3 pieces nori, dulse or wakame
1/3 cup fresh or 2 T dried Gobo (burdock root)
1 cup fresh nettles or wild greens (I used mustard), chopped
2-4 cloves garlic, chopped
1-2 medium onions, chopped

The mushrooms that I used were dried, so I reconstituted them in warm water. However, the Reishi mushroom never really softens up, so it's not necessary to reconstitute or chop this one. After the Shitake mushrooms are reconstituted, you will be able to chop them into smaller pieces.
In 3 quarts water, add the Astragalus, mushrooms, and beans. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
Add the barley, and simmer for an additional 20 minutes.
While the pot is simmering, chop your veggies, garlic, onions and cut your greens into smaller pieces. Saute the onions in 2 T of oil for 5 minutes. Add the carrots and garlic and saute for 2 minutes.
Add the vegetables, burdock, garlic, greens, and onions to the soup pot and simmer for 15 minutes.
Turn off the heat and "season" with miso. I added about 1/3 cup mellow white miso.
If using Astragalus sticks, remove them and the Reishi mushroom before eating.

There have been many studies trumpeting the anti-cancer effects of mushrooms, especially Shitake, Maitake and Reishi. Here's an article in plain English, that summarizes this page.

My 20 minutes of Morning Yoga

Recently, I've motivated myself to routinely practicing yoga in the morning, rationalizing that if I have three hours to play Solitaire (yes, I got a bit hooked one day), then I certainly have 20 minutes to squeeze in some yoga. Imagine if I had filled the entire three hours with yoga! (I guess that will be my next goal!)
So, with that in mind, I present to you my morning workout with Jason Crandell...

Vegan Rice Salad w. Miso Dressing

2 c. Water
pinch of salt
1 c. long grain brown rice, rinsed

Combine above ingredients in a pot, bring to boil. Cover, simmer for about 40 minutes.
Empty into a bowl, set aside and cool, while you prepare the remaining ingredients.

1/4 c. Canola or Grapeseed oil
1 + 1/2 T. apple cider vinegar
1 + 1/2 tsp. Shoyu
1 T. Rice Syrup
2 T. white/blonde Miso
2 + 1/2 T. water
2 tsp. minced onion

-Blend the above ingredients together.

Stir the above vinaigrette into the brown rice. Add 1/2 c. thawed frozen peas with 1 grated carrot, and 1/2 c. minced red onion. Keep refrigerated.

Vegan Strawberry Shortcake

For the Cake:

1c. unbleached white flour
1 c. Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda

1/3 c. Canola Oil
3/4 c. Maple Syrup
3/4 c. Water
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract

- Combine the dry ingredients.
- Whisk together the wet ingredients.
- Combine the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients.
- Bake at 350 for about 40-45 minutes. Until a toothpick comes out dry.

For Strawberry Sauce:

1 pint Strawberries, de-stemmed
1/2 tsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
1 T. Maple Syrup

- Blend the ingredients together, strain, and chill.

Vegan Chocolate Cake

Vegan, Chocolate, eat-it-for-breakfast-lunch-&-dinner-cake. Get rid of all other vegan chocolate cake recipes.

Vegan Chocolate Cake

1 c. Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
1 c. unbleached white flour
1/2 c. Maple sugar or Florida Crystals
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 c. + 2 T. cocoa powder

1c. maple syrup
1 c. soy milk
1/2 c. canola oil
2 T apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. almond extract
1 c. water
pinch of salt

- Mix the dry ingredients together.
- Mix the wet ingredients together.
- Combine wet with dry ingredients.
-Bake in two cake pans at 350 for about 45 minutes, until a toothpick comes out dry.
- Let cool on wire rack.
- When cool, cut the very tops of the two cakes off to get a flat surface. Layer some icing on top of one cake and top with the other cake. Cover the layered cake with remaining Ganache. You can also take the cake tops that you cut off and pulse in a food processor to get cake crumbs , which you could then pat around the edges of the iced cake.

For the Ganache

2 c. Chocolate Chips

1/4 c. brewed coffee
1/4 c. agave nectar
3/4 c. soymilk

-Melt the chips in a baine-marie style.
-Add the remaining ingredients and blend together in a food processor until combined.
-Let cool, and spread evenly on the cake.

{Alternatively} you can replace the vanilla and almond extracts with Raspberry extract. In which case you can make a Raspberry Sauce to go with your cake (1pint raspberries + 2 T. Maple Syrup + 1 tsp. lemon juice blended together and strained) and top the cake with fresh raspberries. mmmmmm