Meal Ideas Plus My Bone Broth Recipe + Chicken & Vegetable Soup

After my recent blog post on Chinese medicine dietary principles, I had an influx of messages from people asking for ideas and recipes. A lot of people were intrigued and slightly surprised by the idea of eating mostly warm, cooked foods as opposed to raw and/or cold.What I should’ve foreseen was that for some people, this is an entirely new idea and therefore they would need examples!

After several DMs of “So what does this actually look like? What are some meal ideas? What are your go-to warming recipes?”, I knew I needed to give you all actual ideas so that you too can incorporate this way of eating into your own lives. (If you haven’t read my previous blog, I’d encourage you to check that out first here).

In this blog post I will aim to give you easy meal ideas and practical tips to eat in a way that supports your digestion and your health. For anyone who knows me, they know I have food prep down to an art - I don’t have a huge amount of time to spend in the kitchen (like most of us!), so it’s all about being efficient and the old “cook once, eat twice” idea. While I love to cook (I got it from my mama!), I keep things simple during the week when I’m juggling seeing patients until 6 or 7pm and working around my husband’s shift work. On the weekends is when I get creative and spend a little more time in my happy place.

So where do I start? I think I need to begin with some general meal and snack ideas. Let’s break it down into breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks.

Warm breakfast ideas:
- Porridge (made with oats or quinoa, whatever floats your boat. Just make sure you add some nuts and seeds for a little protein)
- Eggs. Any which way. I like scrambled, with some leftover veg that I always have in the fridge.
- Omelette (Throw some veg in and you’ve got a supercharged breakfast!)
- Leftovers (Yes, really! It really is a very ‘western’ thing to have ‘breakfast’ foods. In many places around the world, food is just food).

* Important note: when I speak of warming foods, I also mean warming drinks too! I start my day with hot lemon water every damn day and it’s SO much nicer on my digestion than cold juice or water. I literally cringe at the thought of cold liquids these days.

Lunch ideas:
My patients know that my biggest tip when it comes to lunch, is to simply make a little extra dinner every night so you don’t have to think about lunch the next day! This could mean I make a big batch of soup to last a few days, or it could just mean I cook extra vegetables and an extra serving of protein at dinner. I always make sure I have the following on hand for quick throw together lunches:
- Roasted vegetables. My friends know I am the roasted vegetable queen. Heat them up and throw them in a bowl with some greens, a little protein and maybe some leftover quinoa or rice and you’ve got yourself the perfect lunch IMO. To make my roasted veg, I just place on a tray with baking paper, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt, and bake at 180°C until cooked (45 mins-1 hr).
- Cooked quinoa or rice.
- Cooked protein. Eg. If I make baked chicken for dinner, I just cook a little extra. When you’ve got the basis of a meal already cooked, throwing lunch together is so easy and requires no real time or energy.
- Boiled eggs. For lunch or snacks, they’re perfect!

A protein and vegie bowl is my daily go-to for lunch. Throw the following into a bowl:
- cooked/stirfried greens (eg. Chinese broccoli, silverbeet) or a small handful of room-temp salad leaves (eg. rocket)
- 1/4 - 1/2 cup cooked quinoa or brown rice
- some roasted veg (eg. pumpkin, cauliflower, brussels sprouts)
- a palm sized amount of chopped, leftover protein such as chicken or lamb
- a drizzle of olive oil and lemon juice, and a pinch of sea salt
Warm it all up obviously and toss it together, and voilà!

Sometimes I’ll make a GF wrap (I use the sweet potato GF wraps from Woolies) instead with some leftover protein, greens and roasted veg. Do it! It’s yum.

Dinner ideas:
- Soup (Any type! Chicken & veg, pumpkin, Asian noodle soup.. the options are endless)
- Stew (I like beef & veg. My Mum also makes a delish Women’s Weekly slow-cooked chicken and lentil stew. I’m sure you could google it?)
- Stir Fry
- Roasts
- Anything slow cooked
- Curry
- Simple protein & veg (This is my weeknight go-to. Grilled chicken, baked fish, homemade burgers/rissoles, grilled salmon… paired with whatever veg I’m into at the time)
- Frittata

Snack ideas:
- Boiled eggs
- Nuts and seeds (my faves are roasted almonds, macadamias and walnuts)
- A bliss ball or two

After many years of trial and error, I’ve come to the conclusion that simple is best. There is no need to over complicate things with tricky recipes with those ridiculously long ingredients lists. Just whack some veg and protein in the oven or get some soup simmering on the stove and be done with it! No need to make it lengthy.

Now onto the recipes. I will share a few of my favourite recipes in the coming weeks, but I thought I’d start with two of my most frequently requested recipes. My chicken bone broth and my chicken & veg soup. Happy cooking friends!

Slow-Cooked Chicken Bone Broth

This recipe is so easy. I put it all in the slow cooker for 12-24 hours, strain it, and then either use it or freeze it in portions. (I typically use this as a stock replacement or an addition to meals). Bone broth is incredibly nourishing and is well-known for its gut-healing properties (hello collagen and gelatin).

It is a great addition to your cooking if you’re looking to supercharge your meals with added nutrients.

Ingredients
Approx. 1kg chicken bones
2-3 carrots, cut in half
1-2 stalks celery, cut in half
1 onion, peeled and quartered
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
2-3 sprigs fresh thyme
sea salt + cracked pepper
Water, enough to cover bones (approx 2L)

Method
1. Place all ingredients into slow cooker and turn on low for approximately 24 hours.
2. Remove and discard the chicken bones, vegetables and herbs, and then strain the remaining liquid through a fine sieve into a large bowl.
3. Place in the fridge for a few hours and then skim the layer of fat that forms on top and discard.
4. Freeze broth in small portions (I use small containers or snap lock bags) so you can defrost as needed.
5. You can add this broth to soups and stews, small amounts to stir-fry’s, or drink it on it’s own.

* Note: I buy leftover chicken bones from the butcher for $2-$3, otherwise you can use 1-2 leftover chicken carcasses from your roast dinner!

Chicken & Vegetable Soup

This soup is adapted from a recipe that my MIL gave me years ago. It’s simple, doesn’t require much effort (just a bit of chopping), and is really nutritious.

Ingredients
1-2 tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, crushed (or 1 tsp crushed garlic)
1 onion, diced
2-3 carrots, diced
1 cup pumpkin, diced
1 large potato, diced
2 zucchini, diced
1-2 sticks celery, diced
1 parsnip, diced
1 leek, diced
2 tomatoes, diced or 1 can diced tomatoes
6 cups chicken stock (can sub in some bone broth here)
2 bay leaves
Pinch sea salt & cracked pepper
200g frozen peas
4 chicken thighs

Method
1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until onion softens.
2. Add carrots, pumpkin, potato, zucchini, celery, parsnip and leek and cook for 3-4 mins until they begin to soften.
3. Add tomatoes, chicken stock, bay leaves, salt and pepper. Bring to the boil and then simmer for 20-30 mins or until vegetables are just cooked.
4. While the soup is simmering, cook chicken thighs in a pot of boiling water until cooked through. Once cooled slightly, chop into 2cm cubes.
5. Add peas and chicken to soup and let simmer for 5 mins. Adjust seasonings if required. Turn off heat.

*Note: you can also add a tin of red kidney beans or chickpeas in step 5.

We make a big pot of this soup often during winter and it usually lasts us a few nights for dinner. Otherwise I make a big pot on a Sunday for our work lunches during the week. So warming and super nourishing!

I hope this blog has been helpful for you. Please tag me in any related posts on instagram @georgia.liv.well - I would love to see your creations!

Georgia x