Nan Foster Health

08/14/2025

08/07/2025

I made my seed crackers today for my co-volunteers . They are each avid cooks, and they loved them. So crisp and light. Hope you love them too. Recipe below.

04/14/2025

This chicken soup made my husband moan with pleasure. So simple to make and good for the soul and immunity any time of the year. The original recipe was my mother-in-law’s. I changed it a bit to make it amazingly sweet. Can you see the secret ingredient?

Recipe
3 organic skinless chicken breasts on the bone - can add dark meat parts if you like
5 or more sweet carrots cleaned and cut into large chunks
1 bunch celery cleaned and cut in half
1 large onion peeled and cut in half
1 extra large sweet potato (secret ingredient) cleaned and cut into 3 or more chunks
2 t salt
1/2 t freshly ground pepper
1 bunch dill

Place all ingredients except for the dill in a large pot. Fill with filtered water to just cover ingredients. Cover pot and bring to a boil over high heat, about 15 minutes. Turn heat down to simmer. Set timer for four hours.

After four hours, turn off heat. Remove chicken and celery. Discard celery and chicken bones. Shred chicken and use in a chicken salad or chicken tacos, etc. Enjoy the sweet broth with carrot and sweet potato chunks.

07/19/2024

Finally got back to recipe creating and made these crispy seed crackers that are blowing my mind. And they’re so easy! Here’s what I did:

Seed Crackers

1 cup flax meal
1 cup water
Salt
2 cups of mixed raw seeds. I used pumpkin seeds, h**p hearts, chia, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds.
2 tablespoons arrowroot powder.
4 tablespoons olive oil

Preheat oven to 400°. In a large mixing bowl, combine one cup flax meal and one cup water. Add a half teaspoon of salt. Mix well and let’s sit for about a minute or two. It will become a thick gelatinous mixture.

To the bowl, add remaining 2 cups of seeds plus arrowroot. Mix until very well combined.

Cover a half sheet pan with a piece of parchment paper. Pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil on paper and spread evenly to cover parchment using your hands or a pastry brush. Pour the seed batter onto the center of the pan. Use the heel of your hand to tap it out until you have a thin, even layer covering the entire pan. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to the top of the seed mixture and spread evenly with a pastry brush. Lightly sprinkle salt on top of entire mixture.

Place pan in center rack of oven. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until seeds are lightly golden brown. Turn pan 180° rotation halfway through cooking, and watch TV shore seeds don’t burn. When done, let cool and cut into 3 inch squares. Enjoy!

03/15/2024

Sometimes, when you run out of an ingredient, something new and unexpected is born. Ran out of gluten-free panko breadcrumbs and used cassava flour, mixed with everything bagel seasoning to make my oven-roasted broccoli fries. They were so tasty!

5-6 broccoli stems, tough outer fiber removed
3-4 T olive oil
1 egg
1/2 c cassava flour
1/3 c everything bagel seasoning

Preheat oven to 400°. Slice broccoli stems into quarter inch thick strips. Pour olive oil onto a sheet pan. On a large plate, beat the egg. Combine dry ingredients well on another plate. Coat broccoli stems in egg. Then dip into flour combo until nicely covered. Lay broccoli stems onto cookie sheet. Roll them a bit to coat with oil. Then spread stems apart to create space between each stem. Roast for 20 minutes or until coating becomes golden brown. Enjoy!

03/05/2024

Roasted Cauliflower Soup is over-the-top delicious with Three special ingredients: caramelized, onions, sage and roasted garlic.

1 large head cauliflower
Olive oil
3-4 large cloves garlic, unpeeled
One small yellow onion, chopped
5-6 sage leaves
3 cups vegetable broth
Salt
Freshly ground pepper

Peheat onion to 400°. Cut cauliflower into 1 inch wide florets and place on a sheet pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, half a teaspoon of pepper. Mix well. Place garlic cloves inside aluminum foil, crimping it closed. Place foil package onto corner of sheet pan. Roast cauliflower and garlic together for 20 to 25 minutes or until cauliflower is light golden brown.

Meanwhile, in a stock pot pour 1 tablespoon olive oil. Sauté the onions until soft, about 4 to 5 minutes. Turn off heat until ready to add other ingredients. When cauliflower is ready, add to onions. Peel and squeeze garlic into pot. Add sage leaves, broth, 1 teaspoon salt and a few cracks of pepper. Heat until simmering. Cover pot and continue to simmer for five minutes. Blend with an immersion blender for a courser texture, or a high-speed blender for a smoother consistency. Enjoy!

01/23/2024

Just loving green curry. This green curry salmon was so easy and so elevated.

1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 T olive oil
1 sweet potato, cubed into 1/4” squares
10 or more ounces mushrooms
1 pound wild salmon, skinned and cubed
1 can full fat coconut milk
1 rounded t green curry paste
1 baby bok choy, roughly chopped
Salt and pepper
1 lime
Cilantro, chopped (optional)

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Sauté onions until soft, about 5 minutes. Add sweet potatoes and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and sauté until well cooked, about 8 minutes. Add cubed salmon and sauté a few minutes, turning pieces to cook on all sides. Add 1/2 t salt and stir to mix well. Add can of coconut milk and green curry paste. Stir well to combine. Add bok choy. Cover pan and heat through for 3- 4 minutes. Top with cilantro if desired. Enjoy!

10/26/2023

Inspired by a delicious fall salad at the De Young museum while visiting the De Young Open exhibit and admiring the amazing works of and among many others, the key to this salad is the honey mustard dressing: Combine 1/2 c olive oil, 1/3 c sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar, juice of 1 lemon, 2 t favorite mustard, 2 t runny honey, 3/4 t salt, 1/2 t pepper. Wash, stem and tear green leafy kale and massage it with some of the dressing, to taste. The roasted Delicata squash (roasted 25 minutes in a 425 degree oven till golden) and currants add other hints of sweetness. So good!

10/25/2023

Last night’s dinner was served on puddles. On the left is savory mushroom stew over creamy polenta from tweaked to make it non-dairy with cashew butter. On the right is a family fave made lovingly by : chicken meatballs, moistened with shredded zucchini, instead of the classic bread and milk, and seasoned with caramelized onions, spices, salt, and pepper served on our favorite tomato sauce from . Delish!

10/23/2023

Our first rainy night of the season last night called for a hearty soup. I whipped up this easy minestrone amped up with 2 key ingredients: brightening tomato paste and balsamic vinegar:

Serves 10

1 1/2 c chopped onion
1 1/2 c chopped carrots
1 1/2 c chopped celery
2 t salt
1 t pepper
2 t dried thyme
3 T tomato paste
2 15-oz cans white beans (I used canellini and butter beans), drained and rinsed
3 cups vegetable broth
1 T good balsamic vinegar
1/2 box gluten free pasta (I used Jovial farfalle), cooked
Fresh basil

In a large stockpot, combine the vegetables, salt and pepper and sauté over medium high heat, covered, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir occasionally. Add the thyme, tomato paste, broth and beans, and heat until boiling. Reduce to a simmer. Add balsamic and simmer for a few more minutes. Meanwhile, in a separate pot, cook pasta in boiling water following directions on package. Add pasta to finished soup and stir well. Top with fresh basil.