Let food be thy medicine…

by Running to the Kitchen on January 20, 2012

That Hippocrates sure knew what he was talking about. I’m thinking we would’ve been bff if he were still around. But since I missed that opportunity by about 2500 years or so, I took his advice instead to try and nurse this cold I picked up on Wednesday with some “healing” food.

I think the worst part about a cold is the onset. When you start to feel that little tickle in your throat so you keep swallowing to see if it’s just a fluke, hoping it will go away. You sneeze a few times and think maybe it’s just allergies (or maybe that’s just me since I’m the allergy queen) instead of admitting that’s not an “allergy sneeze” (yes, there’s a difference). You think you’re just cold because it’s winter time, but really it’s not normal to feel chilled to the bone inside your car with the heat set to 80 and the seat warmers on.

I fought the realization for a good 2 hours on the car ride home Wednesday night. Then yesterday, I just gave in, cooked soup, baked cookies and let thy medicine be food.

Sriracha will forever be the best decongestant on this planet. This is Jenna’s recipe for Asian chicken noodle soup except with tofu and red pepper. I’ve made her version as it’s written before and it was probably one of the best soups I’ve ever had in my entire life. Skip the regular chicken noodle next time you’re sick and make this instead. Just the smell alone will make you feel better.

Every sick person deserves a chocolate chip cookie. I got an intense craving for legit chocolate chip cookies yesterday and nothing was going to stop me from having them. Usually, I play around with cookie recipes, tweaking stuff, reducing the sugar and butter. Trying anything to basically justify eating more.

Not this time.

Chewy chocolate chip oatmeal cookies from someone that knows cookies pretty well.

I ate three immediately. It’s been a long time since I’ve had the whole stick of butter kind of chocolate chip cookies. I have to say, they taste way better than Dayquil ever could.

What’s your favorite “I’m sick” kind of food?

{ 30 comments… read them below or add one }

1 Lindsay @ biking before bed January 20, 2012 at 8:14 am

When I was sick growing up I remember eating lots of dry Cheerios and applesauce. I’m impressed at what you cooked up while under the weather!

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2 Matt @ The Athlete's Plate January 20, 2012 at 8:14 am

I hate being sick :(

I always go for oatmeal!

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3 Sarah January 20, 2012 at 8:22 am

Soup, for sure. It almost doesn’t matter what kind, as long as it’s got a *kick* to it. As much as I hate to admit it, sometimes when I am sick, I miss the idea of chicken noodle soup. I’ve been vegetarian for at least 7 years, and almost-vegan for 2, so to be honest, I don’t even remember what chicken noodle soup tastes like. I just miss the idea of it. I am excited to try Jenna’s recipe; thanks for the modifications. Another thing I really enjoy when I am sick is wasabi. As a decongestant, it works like a charm every time, but unlike regular hot sauce, the spice doesn’t build on itself and accumulate into something unbearably hot. It just shoots through your nose really quick and that’s it.

…sorry for the dissertation-length comment! <3.

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4 Running to the Kitchen January 20, 2012 at 9:40 am

Oooh, wasabi is a good idea! You’re right it’s intense but then totally goes away unlike other kinds of “heat”.

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5 Jenny January 20, 2012 at 8:42 am

you can be my doctor any day! :) (hm. that sounded kind of scandalous. You know what I mean!) Hope you feel better soon!

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6 Running to the Kitchen January 20, 2012 at 9:39 am

haha ;)

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7 Jo (livingmintgreen) January 20, 2012 at 9:09 am

Aww I hope you feel better asap! My fave comfort (sick) foods are cinnamon sugar toast, fruity smoothies & popsicles.

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8 Suzi January 20, 2012 at 9:17 am

A perfect soup for a cold along with the sriracha kick really does it. Looks delicious.

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9 Cait's Plate January 20, 2012 at 9:43 am

Chicken noodle soup and cookies are DEFINITELY my go-to “sick” foods. I think I had the exact same thing just last week when I was sick!

I hope you feel better soon!

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10 Cat @Breakfast to Bed January 20, 2012 at 10:26 am

ooooh, dayquil. That stuff makes me high as a damn kite. Surprised you could still cook!

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11 Corinne January 20, 2012 at 11:51 am

Why am I reading this at work?!? Those cookies look amazing!! Def making some this weekend now. Best sick food: grilled cheese ad tomato soup. Hands Down.

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12 katie @KatieDid January 20, 2012 at 11:55 am

I love that soup bowl- so rustic and cute! Hope you’re feeling better, at least its the weekend now and you can hopefully have some resting time.

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13 Deanna January 20, 2012 at 12:44 pm

I eat pho when I’m sick. Or tom kha ga. Or I try to convince my mom to make me soup.

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14 Andrea @ Andrea Out Loud! January 20, 2012 at 12:50 pm

grilled cheese and tomato soup :) yum! i adore the campbells garden harvest tomato basil soup and it is just perfecto for sick time!

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15 Steve @ the black peppercorn January 20, 2012 at 1:47 pm

a coule of my kids have colds right now so we are having some Asian soup tonight with lots of spices in the broth (anise, peppercorns, cloves) and there will be sriracha as well. LOVE LOVE IT!!!

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16 Heidi @ Food Doodles January 20, 2012 at 1:49 pm

Aw, I hope you’re feeling better soon! Those cookies look amazing :D I think for me chicken soup with noodles or rice is my favorite when I’m sick. Although I don’t always enjoy the chicken so much, so any kind of brothy soup with lots of veggies :)

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17 Kerry @ Totes My Oats January 20, 2012 at 2:05 pm

Chicken noodle soup for sure! it always does the trick.. I also like sorbets, because they’re soothing for my throat.

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18 Averie @ Love Veggies and Yoga January 20, 2012 at 2:19 pm

your cookies look…PERFECT!

And that soup picture…I hope you’re submitting it; it’s stunning and so sharp and gorgous!

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19 Hayley @ Oat Couture January 20, 2012 at 2:29 pm

Hope you feel better sooooon! That soup and those cookies def look like they will do the job!! :)

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20 Tina @ Best Body Fitness January 20, 2012 at 3:27 pm

Food can certainly be medicine and I know I would choose those over Dayquil any day too. They look gooood. Almost worth pretending to be sick. ;)

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21 Jessica @ Stylish Stealthy and Healthy January 20, 2012 at 4:12 pm

Totally agree about sriracha as one of the best ways to clear your sinuses, and wasabi too.

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22 kari @ Running Ricig January 20, 2012 at 4:44 pm

I’m not even sick and I want all of this food. Those cookies look perfect and that soup, incredible.

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23 Julie @ Table for Two January 20, 2012 at 8:28 pm

TOO FUNNY — about the onset. I get that tickle in my throat too, most of the times it’s right when I wake up in the morning (before the cold gets worse) and I keep swallowing and hoping it goes away and it’s not what I think it is..then BAM, it hits you like mid-day through your workday. HORRIBLE. Even though you were sick, you made some amazing food :)

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24 chelsey @ clean eating chelsey January 20, 2012 at 9:09 pm

This is going to sound weird, but homemade french fries. I don’t know why but every time I’m sick it’s all I want.

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25 Running to the Kitchen January 21, 2012 at 11:42 am

Definitely the first time I’ve heard of that craving, but it sounds delicious and now I want some!

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26 emily January 21, 2012 at 12:33 am

Aww. I was sick last week and all I could stomach were popsicles and minestrone soup. I loathe the stomach flu.
Your soup looks gorgeous. As do those cookies. Every sick person deserves homemade sweets.
Feel better! <3

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27 Jennifer @ Peanut Butter and Peppers January 21, 2012 at 8:10 am

Ha ha!! Every once in a while we need a full blown fatty chocolate chip cookie! There my favorite cookie, but I like the batter I think a pinch more!!! :) Hope you feel better!!

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28 Paige @ Running Around Normal January 24, 2012 at 8:07 pm

Aaaamen, sista!
And those choco chip cookies look damn near perfect.

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29 Emily (Edible Psychology) February 6, 2012 at 2:55 pm

I’m not sick, but I am now craving this soup and cookies!!!

~Emily~

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30 Lance October 15, 2012 at 4:15 pm

Eating cookies when sick seems like the worst thing you could do.
I eat bone broth / chicken soup / hot ginger tea.

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