Tuesday 11 July 2017

Another Health Crisis. Haiz!


I am a disaster lately. First it was the flu. And then I threw out my back. Last weekend, while changing my bedsheets, I bent over to straighten the sheets. Pop! Pop! I felt my back going out of alignment.

Oh no! As I slowly straightened my back, I felt a tightness and discomfort at my lower back. Drat! I am always mindful of my back ever since I experienced a slipped disc. But sometimes a lapse of judgement will still happen.

Well, this I reckon is just a severe case of backache because it was nothing like the agony I suffered with a slipped disc. I can still sit and get up with ease, though painful. 

Being the gung ho person that I am, I still made my way to Aeon (at the time, it was not that painful) to get some light groceries. In fact, when I had slipped disc, I could still go to Aeon with my partner, though I walked as if I just gave birth to triplets wahahaha!!

Anyway, I have lived with backache for a large part of my life and it's something I tolerate quite well. I don't have a choice, do I?


Due to my predicament, I cooked something simple for the week - chicken soup! This is the first time that I am using bone broth to cook my soup and the taste is extraordinary. 

I have been making bone broth lately and quite frankly, I got put off by it when I had the flu. I just could not drink anymore and instead of wasting the broth, it all went into this soup.

The addition of chicken pieces and vegetables further enhanced the broth and this is comfort food at its best.

I guess I will have to disappear again for a while since I can't do much cooking or baking with a bad back.

Chicken and Vegetable Soup
Recipe source : Phong Hong

Ingredients :
- 2 chicken whole legs and 2 chicken thighs
- 1 large zucchini, cut into cubes
- 1 carrot, cut into cubes
- some cabbage, sliced
- 1 thumb sized ginger, cut into shreds
- 5 big cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 1.5 litres bone broth
- 1 tsp sea salt or to taste
- some pepper to taste

Method :
1. Heat oil in a pot and saute the ginger and garlic until fragrant.
2. Add chicken and stir fry until chicken turns opaque.
3. Add bone  broth and all the vegetables.
4. Bring to a boil and lower the heat to a simmer.
5. Simmer until chicken is cooked and vegetables are tender.

50 comments:

  1. ABC?? What a delicious chicken & vegetables soup! I love that with rice.

    Your poor back is similar to mine but I have them on/off due to the bad fall at the rocky seaside while fishing plus several motor accidents that caused weak back alignment. So I suffer from migraines often when my back is out of alignment. The gym helps a lot to build back muscles. I am willing to be your gym coach & trainer!! Come on Mama Gemok! Muahahaha..

    #PHtriplets #SakitAduhai #ExcusesNoBlog

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    1. Exercise? arrghh... heh..heh.. actually I have been doing back exercise to strengthen my back. So far so good until that day. So when I recover, will continue :)

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  2. Although, at first glance, this looked like an oriental chicken soup, I think this is more of a main meal of western chicken soup with the addition of zucchini and cherry tomatoes (p/s: btw, you left out tomatoes in your ingredients list). I've never boiled soup with zucchini and have never thought of using cherry tomatoes in soup either (I use local tomatoes, now I know what to do with my left over cherry tomatoes).

    Sorry to hear about your back pain. Hope you get back on your feet soon. I've heard of a Chinese remedy (herbs) that you boil with pig's tail that will cure back pain. Perhaps, you can check that out at your Chinese medicine shop.

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    1. This is a nice one bowl meal for me, especially when I want to go low carb. Try zucchini in soup, it's quite good. Oh, thanks for pointing out the omission :)

      My back is much better now, thanks. I'll check out the herb you recommended. Interesting that it is boiled with pig's tail :)

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  3. Hi PH,
    Sup macam ni sedap ni makan time cuaca sejuk2 cam arini..letak makaroni siket+sambal jate..terus abes semangkuk hehee..
    Take care PH..slip disc bahaya jangan angkat berat2 okey..take gud rest

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    1. Hi Lina! Semalam try makan dengan sambal jate. Terangkat! My back dah beransur pulih, thanks :)

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  4. Hope you get well soon. Take care.

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  5. Hi PH, I have problem with my slipped disc Lumbar 5 before, doc said it is spondylosis... for my case, it is bec of aging, the two bones separated by a narrow "lubricant" instead of a wider one, so each time I carry heavy stuff, my back will pain.. there are some exercises to ease the pain.. but for lazy ppl like me, I wear a waist support with few metal bars behind so as to straighten my back whenever I sit too long or stand too long.. it helps to ease the pain.. Hope this helps with your slipped disc too.. :)

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    1. Oh, you too have the same problem! Me too cannot carry anything too heavy. The doctor did recommend the waist support but I prefer not to wear it. I'm much better now, thanks.

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  6. Oh dear, PH.

    Speedy recovery and take care.

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  7. the soup looks sooooooo good, i'm sighing cos i can only look at it but can't eat :) hope your back recovers very, very quickly. how do you sit and work in front of the computer for a long period with a bad back? do you have to use a really ergonomic chair? am asking cos i find myself also a bit achy nowadays, for my back and shoulder and fingers, and i blame laptop use!

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    1. Thanks, it is a delicious soup :) My back is much recovered, thanks. What I do at the office is take breaks every 20 minutes or so to stand and walk. Sitting too long makes the pain worse. Well, those chairs are kinda pricey, so I'll have to do without. It's best for you to take breaks in between like I do to prevent becoming achy :)

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  8. Take a good rest. Your soup looks tasty, must be sweet with all the carrots and cabbages. For your back, do you think a chiropractor could help it? I read that some people says a good chiropractor did wonders to their spines.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, been resting early in the evening. I was told some horror stories about chiropractors who are inexperienced or not qualified. They may do more damage.

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    2. Must go for those that your friends have gone many times and recommend and vouch for them. But I don't know of any.

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    3. Yes, but I don't know anyone who has gone to the chiro.

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  9. PH, I've the same experienced as you with my back many years ago. Must remember not to carry heavy things and better to go for acupuncture. It really helps after about a month of treatment.
    Btw, your soup looks delicious! :D

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    1. Thanks, Ann! I am scared of those needles hee..hee... But I heard that it is not painful. Maybe when I am brave enough I will try it :)

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  10. Ewwww... Hope you feel better soon. Take care

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  11. I have some back problem, so whenever i exercise, i got to limit myself...

    The soup is so tempting...

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    1. I have not exercised since getting flu. Haiz..

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  12. If I have no appetite, see your chicken soup, my appetite sure comes back, hee hee

    Take care and get well soon PH

    Hope to see you active again, will miss all your cooking and baking

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    1. Thanks, Libby! The soup is easy to cook. I hope to come back soon once my back is fully recovered.

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  13. Take care PH and have a speedy recovery.

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  14. Oh dear....hope you recover soon and do take care.

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  15. So sorry to hear about your back pain and you better rest more and temporary quit cooking, ask hubby packed some food for you :P

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    Replies
    1. hee..hee... Good excuse not to cook or do housework :)

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  16. Oh dear! Bad backs are a nuisance so do take care. Waiting to see you back here soon.

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    Replies
    1. It's a torture! Thanks, I hope to come back soon :)

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  17. Hope you feel much better soon. Do come over to Food on Friday - the themes are zucchini, apples and French Food. Cheers from Carole's Chatter

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    1. Thank you, Carole. I'm afraid I missed Food on Friday :(

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  18. Oh no....I'm so afraid of back ache too, had my fair share of it! Can't do anything much in the house when the back ache strikes! Take care!
    Your soup looks delicious, I love soups like this with some sambal belacan, to eat with rice. Yum!

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    1. My house is a mess hah..hah.. Ah, I ate my soup with sambal too hee..hee...

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  19. Moga dah sembuh ya PH..musim selsema dan demam skrg ni...
    sup ayam kesukaan ni..simple dan sedap...nak masak pun kejap je kan... :)

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    1. Thanks, Atie. Dah ok sikit. Sup ayam paling senang dimasak.

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  20. Lovely chicken and vegetable soup. I would enjoy that too as comfort food.

    Hope your back gets well soon. It is not to be treated lightly so if you still feel the pain, please go see doctor and have it checked out.

    Take good care ok??

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    1. Thanks, Rose. My back is better now.

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  21. Rich clear chicken soups would be a good pick-me-up, anytime better than those bottled ones, that's for sure.

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    1. Oh yes, nothing like home brewed soups for all the goodness.

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  22. So sorry about your back problem. Hope you recover soon. The soup looks delicious. Have a good weekend!

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  23. Baru tau kebaikan bone broth ni LL....Tapi yelahkan bila time demam, flu, mmg sedap kot hirup hirup sup ni .....

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    1. Bone broth banyak khasiat, Hainom. Ambil tulang ayam dan didih lama-lama bersama2 bawang dan celery. LL pakai slow cooker.

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  24. Hi Phong Hong,
    A bowl of tasty chicken soup. Best to go with some steamed rice.
    Sorry about your back problem. Hope you have recovered.

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    1. Hi Karen! I love soup, so tasty and comforting. I am much recovered, thanks :)

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