18 • March 2017 • UPBEAT TIMES, INC.


Health Begins in the Kitchen Asparagus Soup ‘Pre-Spring Guide & Whats UP!


SONOMA COUNTY, CA. ~ It’s that time of the year when asparagus shoots start pok- ing their little heads out from their beds after a long, rainy Northern California winter. Most of the time I just roast them in the oven and serve over a green salad or as a side dish, but sometimes I crave asparagus soup.


INGREDIENTS 1 bunch asparagus (1¼ pounds)


½ pound leeks 1 tablespoon Earth Balance (vegan) or organic ghee* 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 pound Yukon gold pota- toes, peeled and diced ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste ¼ teaspoon black pepper, or to taste


4 cups veggie broth 2 tablespoons nutritional


by Dr. Joanne Mumola Williams ~ www.FoodsForLongLife.com yeast


2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice * Ghee is not vegan but is free of lactose and casein


DIRECTIONS Prepare the asparagus. Trim off the bottoms of the as- paragus with a knife or bend the bottoms until they snap off. Discard. Cut off the tips and set aside. Slice the low- er portion of the spears into ½-inch pieces. Set aside.


Prepare the leeks. Cut off the dark green tops of the leeks. Either discard or save for making veggie stock. Slice the remaining part of the leeks vertically and run under cold water. Wash well to remove any dirt or sand. Shake off the water and thin- ly slice.


Heat the Earth Balance or ghee in a 5-quart Dutch oven or medium soup pot on medium heat. Cook the leeks and garlic until the leeks soften, several min- utes.


Add the


potatoes, the lower parts of the aspar- agus (NOT the tips), salt, pepper, and the broth to


the pot


and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, cov-


ered, until the potatoes and asparagus are very tender, about 20 to 30 minutes. Turn off the heat. Add the nutritional yeast to the soup


and, using an immersion blender, blend until smooth. You can also do this in a blender but do not over pro- cess.


Add the aspara- gus tips to the soup and


cook for several minutes, on me- dium


heat, un- til they soften


but re-


main a little crisp. Adjust the salt and pepper to your liking. Stir in the lemon juice and


serve.


Recipe by Dr. Joanne Mu- mola Williams –


creator of www.FoodsFor- LongLife.com and author of Health Begins in the Kitchen


An independent local Community Bank since 1890


Personal and Business Checking and Savings products and services: • Loans–Consumer and Business • Online Banking with Bill Pay and Paperless Statements–It’s the Greener way! • Youth Savings programs • ATM locations throughout Sonoma County for your convenience • A Customer Service team dedicated to answering your call before and after business hours


• We invite you to e-mail, call or visit us at any of our branches to answer your questions about how Exchange Bank can become your bank.


www.exchangebank.com 707.524.3000 or toll free 800.995.4066


Per serving (made with Earth Balance): 203 calo- ries, 3 g total fat, 1 g satu- rated fat, 9 g protein, 36 g carbohydrates, 7 g dietary fi ber, and 331 mg sodium.


TM


18 • March 2017 • UPBEAT TIMES, INC.


“Pain is temporary. Quitting lasts forever.” ~ Lance Armstrong


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24