Curried pumpkin and lentil soup

Ingredients:

1/2 pumpkin, roasted

100g cooked red lentils

1 onion, diced

1 celery stick, chopped

1/2 tbsp coconut oil

2 tbsp coconut milk

1 tbsp green thai curry paste

500ml vegetable stock

Method:

Cut a medium sized pumpkin, cut in half,  de-seed and cut into large slices. Roast in the oven at around 180 degrees C for around 30 minutes, or until tender and starting to caramelise. Remove from oven, cool and scoop flesh away from the skin. 

In the meantime cook lentils until tender according to instructions on packet. Drain. 

In a large saucepan, melt the coconut oil and add the onion, celery and curry paste. Sweat for around 5 minutes. Then add the rest of the ingredients and simmer over a low heat for around 20 minutes. Blend, add salt and pepper to taste and serve with fresh coriander. 

Tomato soup with a kick

Whenever I'm ill or feeling in need of a hug in a mug (oh god, did I actually just write that? yes i did) Heinz or Campbells Tomato soup is the only thing that does it for me. But feeling virtuous today I decided to make my own tomato and lentil soup. Obviously with added chilli as I am a chilli addict.
Really easy to make and can be frozen or kept in the fridge for a few days.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, roughly chopped

2 celery sticks, roughly chopped

1 carrot, peeled and roughly chopped

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

1 tsp ground cumin

½ tsp ground coriander

150g split red lentils

1.2 litres reduced salt vegetable stock

400g can plum tomatoes 

2 tsp tomato purée

1 tsp dried chilli (less if you don't like the hit)

Any dried herbs you'd like to add (I used something called 'Grandma's salt' from Tiger of all places!)

Method:

Heat the oil in a saucepan. Add the onion and cook over a low heat for 7–8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beginning to soften. Stir in the celery and carrot and cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the garlic, cumin, chilli and coriander and cook for a further minute, stirring constantly.

Add the lentils, stock, tomatoes with their juice and tomato purée . Bring to the boil, reduce the heat, then half-cover the pan with a lid and simmer for 25–30 minutes until the lentils and vegetables are soft. Blend using a stick blender and serve!

Anyone else hate this week?

29th December 2009

Instead of beating myself up about the fact I've not been to the gym in over 2 weeks as i sit on the sofa tucking into another choccy, I've decided that 2010 will be the year to give myself a break.

No, I'm not going to give up my gym seshes and turn into a couch spud, but I'm going to accept that if I do have a week or two of chilling out, it's probably good for me!

If you want to give your health a quick boost, try making something quick and yummy like my French Onion soup- guaranteed to make you feel virtuous as you snuggle up in the warm in your Christmas slippers and tracky bums!

Ingredients: Serves 4
3 large onions, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 litre chicken or beef stock (reduced salt if possible)
500ml water
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
½ teaspoon sugar
4 slices wholemeal bread


Method:

To make the croutons, drizzle half of the oil and the garlic over a baking sheet and toss the bread so that it is covered on both sides. Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes until crispy.

For the soup, heat the remaining oil in a saucepan on medium heat and add the onions, garlic and sugar. Keep turning the onions until the edges are turning dark. Reduce to a low heat and continue to cook the onions for another 20 minutes. Add the stock to the pan and cook for another 30 minutes. Top up with water every 15 minutes. Serve with croutons on top. Enjoy!
I added a touch if chilli powder and sprinkled some camembert on top- yum!




Nutritional breakdown:

Per serving
Calories: 278
Saturated fat: 1g
Salt:0.5g
Fibre:5g