Chemo - Part 8 - Day 7

Let's start with an update on the chemo recovery. Things aren't going so well right now. The bone pain has spread, so there's a constant whole-body ache. Additionally, we had a short period of nausea such that we were positioning a trash can close by, as well as placing an ice pack on the back of the neck as well as a cold washcloth on the face. It passed, but came with cold sweats so that a fresh shirt needed to be grabbed and we layered on two blankets and used a heating pad to warm up. Nausea, bone pain, and headaches are terrible on their own. Combine them and it's misery.

One of the families that lives on my parents' street is vegetarian, so when they decided to help out my parents by providing food, they provided vegetarian dishes. When my parent had surgery back in January, our neighbor made the following soup. My parents had told her how I enjoy cooking, so she provided the recipe and all of the necessary ingredients. Because of the black beans used for protein instead of meat, this dish isn't Paleo, but it is a good option when recovering from chemo. This recipe comes from The Voluptuous Vegan, page 36. There are a few differences based on the proportions that I used, but it's basically the same

Colombian Black Bean Soup

2.5 cups dried Michigan black beans, soaked overnight

1 jalapeno pepper

1 dried chipotle pepper or habanero chile

6 cups water

2 tsp cumin seeds

2 Tbls olive oil

1/2 green pepper. finely diced

1 stalk celery, finely diced

1 onion, finely diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

3 Tbls freshly squeezed orange juice

3 Tbls freshly squeeze lime juice

Salt and pepper

Cilantro (optional)

1. Drain the soaked beans. Put in a large pot with the peppers and water. Boil over high heat, then lower the heat and simmer for an hour, until beans are tender.

2. Remove the pepper. Remove 1 1/2 cups of beans and 1 cup of the cooking liquid to a blender, blending until smooth. Return the purée to the pot.

3. Toast the cumin seeds in a small, dry skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant. Grind the seeds to a powder with a mortar and pestle or electric spice grinder.

4. Warm the olive oil in a medium pan. Saute the onions and garlic over medium-low heat for 7 minutes, until the onions are soft. Add the cumin, green pepper, and celery, cooking for 5 more minutes until smooth.

5. Transfer the sautéed veggies to the pot. Add 1 1/2 tsp salt and a little bit of black pepper. Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.

6. Stir in orange and lime juice. Season to taste.

7. Serve with chopped cilantro and orange and lime pieces.