Kimchi, Grains + Greens Bowl

Getting healthy, delicious food in my body has been challenging since welcoming baby Braden into the world. Breakfast is ALWAYS coffee and sometimes a bowl of Cheerios or, on really good days, a fried egg on top of avocado toast.  After a small snack mid-morning, making lunch for a picky 3-year-old, and managing double nap times, I find a few moments to sit down and realize that I haven't eaten lunch yet. Then the scrounging begins. And that typically means a downward spiral into finding anything that will give me a quick boost of energy.

I have my good days, but not enough of them.

I'm currently vacationing in Minnesota/spending tons of time with family/catching up with friends/introducing Braden to real food/having uninterrupted conversations with my husband/FINALLY get into a post-baby exercise routine/giving the blog some love/taking care of my body while my parents take care of me. All of these things have been good for my soul. It feels like I'm giving myself permission to take care of me. My hope is that by the time I return home, I will be able to develop better habits that will make me work smarter in all areas of my life.

Since food plays such a major role in how I feel, I'm trying to incorporate more simple, whole foods into my diet and removing lots of sugar. I've done this eating-less-sugar-thing before and been extremely happy with the results, both physically and emotionally. After 60 days, I felt amazing and made better choices all around for myself and my family. I'm definitely feeling like I need some help getting back on track, so I'm taking Jacqueline Smith's upcoming Go Sugar Free course for a second time.

One of the many things I LOVE about Jacqueline's course is that I have lifetime access to all of her resources. She shares information that she has selected thoughtfully and purposefully to help educate and empower her students. There are so many reasons why she is a woman I greatly admire. Her dedication and genuine passion for helping others Go Sugar Free is something I am in awe of on a daily basis.

Since becoming involved in GSF, I've become even more committed to providing recipes on Set the Table that are beautiful, delicious and healthy. Lucky for me, that means more creations like this Kimchi, Grains & Greens Bowl I'm sharing today! Whole grain bowls are so easy to throw together and I can always find new combinations that I love (and old standbys that are easy to whip up). This one is made with bulgur, a fast-cooking whole grain, is topped with locally made kale kimchi, homemade pickled radishes, a perfectly soft-boiled egg, and shredded chard from the garden.

Helloooooooo, lunch perfection!

Since this meal doesn't really require a "recipe", I'm providing a formula so you can come up with your own tasty creations based on what you have in your fridge. I promise you can't go wrong if you follow this guide and the countless combinations help keep things interesting. 

Here are the main components that will help you build the perfect whole grain bowl:  

Your grains could be bulgur, brown rice, quinoa, or farro. Your egg could be fried, poached or soft-boiled. You pickles could be cucumbers, radishes, or onions. Your fermented veggies could be sauerkraut or kimchi. There are so many delicious options, which is why this formula is so wonderful!

These bowls are always so gorgeous and taste as wonderful as they look, which makes it a million times easier to stick with a healthy menu on a daily basis. Some of the most beautiful recipes I've made, including this one, have been the result of all I've learned as a Go Sugar Free student and graduate. As with many things, learning never really stops with letting go of sugar, but that's part of what makes the process so meaningful, rewarding and worthwhile. I think this meal will be joining the list of new favorites that are sure to come out of this next course!

If you don't feel ready to make the commitment yet, feel free to follow me here for delicious recipes that will help you see how delicious going sugar free can be. In the meantime, get your hands on some kimchi and get this bowl of goodness in your belly ASAP!

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Slow Cooker White Bean Soup with Sausage + Chard

I've never been much for waiting. Whether it's standing in line or waiting for dough to rise, waiting is just not my strong suit. I'm that girl who is always peaking in the oven to see how my cookies are coming along. Sometimes this bodes well for me because I can get my butt in gear and just get it done. Still, I'd like to work on that whole patience thing. Being a parent helps. You don't really have a choice once that role is part of your life.

When we lived in Japan, I used to get so frustrated that we couldn't paint or hang anything on our walls. All I wanted to do was hang some photos and paintings but withe tissue paper thin covering on the walls it wasn't possible. Plus, we would certainly be charged an arm and a leg for puncturing even one hole. Now that we own our house, I'm loving/hating the fact that we can change things whenever we want. I love it because it's fun. I hate it because it takes so much time. I've been working on painting our office for a few weeks. It isn't a particularly large room; in fact, it is quite small. For some reason (possibly something to do with a toddler, dog, blog, etc)  I just haven't been able to find the time to devote to getting it done. I did some taping here and there, then some priming bit by bit, and yesterday I wanted to really make a dent; just get it done already! Of course, as it goes with most carefully laid plans, nothing went the way I expected. Let's just say it's amazing how much Riley's nap time (or lack thereof) impacts my entire day. So there's that, plus what I think might be the beginning of the terrible twos, that had me wondering what I was thinking trying to paint a room in the first place.

Fortunately, this soup saved me when it came to getting dinner on the table. It required some waiting but the wait was more than worth it.

The slow cooker did most of the heavy lifting. I still had to do the dishes.

Slow Cooker White Bean Soup Recipe :: Set the Table

This recipe makes a large batch of soup, enough for 6-8 people, but it is easy to freeze the extra. One of my favorite things about recipes like this is their versatility. For example, you can swap the chard for spinach or kale. Or you can switch out the chicken and apple sausage for something spicier like Italian or andouille.

Easy White Bean Soup :: Set the Table

If you have 10 minutes to throw this in the slow cooker in the morning you have plenty of time to get dinner ready. I know dried beans can be intimidating to some, but in this recipe they are a non-negotiable. If you use canned beans, they will overcook and become mush. Dried beans cook perfectly and maintain a nice texture and have much more flavor. I often have a bag of dried white beans in the pantry and this is one of my favorite ways to use them up.

I'm looking forward to making more variations of this soup so that I have something healthy and comforting to feed my family even on the days when I'm not sure how to get it all done.

*Note: You can make this a vegetarian soup by omitting the sausage and using vegetable stock in place of chicken stock.

Slow Cooker White Bean Soup with Sausage + Chard

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5-8 hours
Yield: 6-8 Servings

Ingredients

• 2 links chicken & apple sausage (or other sausage)
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 1 garlic clove, grated
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 lb dried white beans (navy or cannellini)
• 8 cups low sodium chicken stock
• Parmesan cheese rind (optional)
• 4 cups chard, chopped
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Cut the sausage links in half lengthwise, then in half moons.
2. Put the sausage, onion, celery, garlic, bay leaves and beans in the slow cooker.
3. Add the chicken stock and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 5 hours until the beans are tender and cooked through.
4. 30 minutes before serving, add the Parmesan rind (if using) to the soup.
5. 10 minutes before serving, add the chard to the soup.
6. Season to taste with salt and pepper.