We saw our first snow of the season last week! If you know anything about Colorado, it’s that our seasons (while we get all four) can be temperamental in their transitions. Much like preterm labor, you just aren’t quite sure when the next season is here for real! As I stood in my kitchen observing the dichotomy of fluffy snow rolling in with the last of summer’s beautiful garden tomatoes sitting ripe on the counter, this recipe struck me as a perfect combination of the two. A hearty tomato sausage stew brimming with postpartum goodness!
Postpartum Healing from the Inside Out
The postpartum body is a fragile one. While American culture suggests jumping right back into daily life once you’re no longer pregnant, it just is not practical or safe. Women desperately need time to heal during the postpartum season. After giving birth, our bodies go through a period of purging – water, blood, fat, hormones…you name it! It is a necessary transition out of the pregnant state. The gentler we are with our bodies, the easier and faster we heal (physically and mentally).
Many cultures practice strict protocol with food and drink during this time. The idea is to consume only warm foods and beverages, specifically with “warm” properties (EX: cinnamon, pepper, ginger). While I’m not a practicing herbalist, this principle just makes sense. Consuming warm, easily digestible foods are a postpartum mama’s best friend. Increasing warmth in the body is one way to speed up circulation and increasing circulation promotes healthier digestion. Getting things moving efficiently in other systems of the body improves function in the reproductive system too!
Let’s talk organic
I am of the opinion that food today is not as pure and healthy as it used to be. God gave us these beautiful body healing foods and, as people do, we have “fixed” them into being broken. That being said, I also live on a budget. Buying the absolute cleanest of everything isn’t an option for our family. When possible, we aim to grow/harvest our own foods. When we aren’t able to, I work to buy fresh, organic foods. When that’s not possible, I try to buy the least processed options available. Sometimes that means just skipping the grains, dairy, soy or options with preservatives and ingredients I can’t pronounce.
I say this to encourage you! It’s easy feeling defeated when you’re browsing through new recipes, and they have a thousand ingredients or very expensive ingredients. Just do your best! When you can’t purchase organic, try to buy fresh produce. When that’s hard, try to stick with frozen produce over canned. In making postpartum decisions, think – 1) nutrient dense, 2) warm, and 3) easily digestible. And then, pat yourself on the back for making the best choices for your healing within your budget!
If you really want to dig in to “clean” eating, there are many sites available, like EWG, that serve to keep consumers ‘in the know’ about food toxins. Shopping locally, seasonally, and in bulk often helps offset some of the exorbitant costs of buying organic.
Making Tomato Sausage Stew
Let’s get your postpartum body healing from the inside out with a tasty tomato sausage stew! I’m going to give you a recipe, but there’s not really a wrong way to make it – just throw your favorite healthy ingredients in it. Also, we are a family of six, so if you don’t plan to freeze it, you can cut ingredient quantities in half, and it would make a solid meal for 2-3 people.
If you prefer a thicker tomatoey bisque (think chili) you can add an 8 oz. can of tomato paste.
Add other proteins to it – cubed chicken, kidney beans, beef tips.
I like this stew over rice because it absorbs all of the delicious broth and creates a pseudo jambalaya. You can easily sub the rice with quinoa, millet, couscous, etc. Or you can just eat it as the stew!
These pictures show purple potatoes. This is the last of what we got out of the garden, so I just decided to throw them in. You can use any kind of potato!
TOMATO SAUSAGE STEW
Ingredients
- 1 stick butter (I like the richness of butter, but you could substitute a couple of tablespoons of oil)
- 1 yellow onion
- 7 medium fresh tomatoes (or 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes)
- 8 small potatoes
- 8 oz. baby bella mushrooms
- 32 oz. broth (I used chicken, but any broth is okay)
- 3 lbs. kielbasa sausage
- 1 chunk parmesan cheese rind (extra for grating)
- 10 oz. spinach (any greens are okay)
- 2 cups rice (I used jasmine rice, but any rice is okay)
Instructions
- Rough chop each ingredient (no need to peel tomatoes or potatoes)
- Melt butter over medium heat.
- Add the onion.
- Once the onion is translucent, add the tomatoes, potatoes, mushrooms and cook (stirring frequently) for 5 minutes.
- Add broth, parmesan cheese rind and sausage.
- Add salt, pepper, garlic powder to taste along with any other preferred herbs.
- Bring to a simmer and cover.
- Cook, stirring occasionally for 45 minutes.
- While the stew is cooking, prepare rice.
- After the 45 minutes, stir in the spinach and cook gently until wilted.
- Serve over rice with freshly grated parmesan cheese.
Notes
Kitchen Gadgets & Favorite Ingredients
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