It's a cold wet drizzly day here today and as I was working from home I thought it was time to put the slow cooker on. I decided to make a batch of soup, had a read through my recipe books, couldn't find anything I felt like so made one up ! LOL I was happy for it to be a freezer meal or lunch for tomorrow if it tasted ok. Fortunately my experiment was a roaring success and after a taste test by the family, the menfolk have decided they would just like soup and toast for dinner. SCORE!
I made this one in the slow cooker, but you could just as easily do it on the stove or in a pressure cooker. If you are not a fan of spicy foods then halve the amount of curry paste- this is not screamingly hot but does pack a warming punch :)
You will need:
1/2 butternut punpkin (or whatever pumpkin you like!)
1 large piece of sweet potato
4 stalks of celery
I'm sure you could add other veg if you wished!
1 400g can of chick peas
4-6 cups of vegetable stock
150ml coconut cream (I used the full fat version as it is a small amount in a big batch of soup, but feel free to use fat reduced if you are watching calories more closely)
2 tsps ground coriander
2 tsps ground cumin
2 tsps ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste (Indian tandoori paste would work fine too)
Fresh coriander (cilantro) or parsley and a dollop of Greek yoghurt to serve
Peel and roughly chop your root veggies, dice the celery, drain the chick peas and pop it all in the slow cooker (or in a heavy based pot on the stove). Add dry spices, curry paste, stock and give it a stir. Feel free to add extra stock / water depending on the size of your pot.
Simmer until vegetables are soft. I cooked for 3 hours in the slow cooker, but probably 40 minutes on the stove would give you the same result. Whizz with a stick blender or food processor until a smooth consistency then add coconut milk to blend and return to the heat until warmed through.
Serve hot with a dollop of Greek yoghurt, some chopped fresh coriander, black pepper and some crusty grainy low GI bread. Guaranteed to warm your soul!
Lyndal @ Lean Green and Healthy
Health news 10 June, 2014.
Do you enjoy reading about health as much as I do?
Here are links to a few health and nutrition related articles I was reading today. Click on the links for the full article and to read them from the source. Hope you find them interesting.
Lyndal @ Lean Green and Healthy
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Oats for d-health
This article was originally published on Diabetes Counselling Online
Oats are an awesome topic for a d-blog as they bring together so many aspects of food in our lives with diabetes including the glycemic index of carbohydrates, the importance of whole grains in our diets, soluble and insoluble fibre, heart health and the chance to talk about more delicious recipes. Not to mention with winter on our doorstep, oats are a wonderful comfort food breakfast for the coming cold mornings – Yes! And this idea follows on well from a recent blog about healthy eating on a budget as oats are definitely a bargain food! -
See more at: http://www.diabetescounselling.com.au/diabetes-and-weight-management/oats-for-d-health/#sthash.NK7IqbL6.dpuf
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Great Recipe - Fragrant Baked Carrot Stack
This article was originally published on Alexx Stuart - Real food. Low tox Living.
There is abundant variety when it comes to cooking veg – I always like to stretch my creativity in the kitchen and this was born on a typical ‘what can I do to make carrots exciting today’ thought train… So, I started by chopping them long ways, then when deciding what to do with all of these long carrot strips, this ‘stack’ idea emerged, inspired by the French Daphinois potato dish of layered potatoes with butter, whisked egg and cream. This is of course a little different I wasn’t really digging the egg / carrot combo as an idea.
See more at: http://alexxstuart.com/fragrant-baked-carrot-stack?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+AlexxStuart+%28Alexx+Stuart%29
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20 Kitchen Hacks: The Natural Mama’s Guide to Saving Time in the Kitchen
This article was originally posted on Mama Natural
Home cooked meals are much healthier than packaged alternatives, right? But between shopping, planning, prepping, cooking and cleaning, keeping meals on the table can be quite time consuming. So, how can a busy mom (or dad) find the time to cook nutrient-dense meals instead of resorting to take-out or prepared foods? Well, let me share what I’ve learned along the way with these 20 kitchen hacks that will help you save time (and your sanity) and increase your enjoyment with family and friends.
See more at: http://www.mamanatural.com/20-kitchen-hacks/#sthash.Fq752gOr.dpuf
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Why the exercise guidelines take a stand on sitting
This article was originally published on ABC Health and Well Being
Australia's exercise guidelines have recently been overhauled, and they're going to come as a rude shock to many of us. Not only are we being told we need to do a lot more physical activity, but we're also being urged to get out of our chairs – even if we do the right amount of exercise. The new guidelines are now officially known as Australia's Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines, and they focus not just on the exercise but on the amount of time we spend being sedentary. Sedentary behaviour is the term used to describe physically inactive tasks that don't require a lot of energy, basically sitting or lying down.
See more at: http://www.abc.net.au/health/features/stories/2014/02/24/3947295.htm
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