Sweet potato & red lentil soup

 

 

Good morning beautiful friends,

We are definitely in the midst of autumn now. The morning air is cool (I should actually say cold since it was 2°C – 36°F– overnight!), the grass has frosty little tips and it is now completely dark outside when I wake up at 4:50am. Yes, I wake up at 4:50am… most mornings, including weekends! I mainly do so because it’s really the only time I can get anything done before my son wakes up (he usually wakes up around 6am now which is a huge improvement from 4:30am!) and also because I enjoy waking up early. There is something about the type of quiet in the morning that is not the same as evening or night quiet. Morning quiet is full of mystery and promises. I also feel an immense sense of peace and gratefulness in the morning that I find gets cluttered by all the day’s events by the time the evening rolls around.

And yes I do enjoy the cooler weather. I find it adds to the mystery of the morning. And I find I am simply more productive during the day. When the weather is hot and humid, I find myself daydreaming about taking a swim in the ocean, chillin by the beach or hanging out poolside somewhere exotic…  When it’s colder, I’m just more focused! And because I love colder weather, I inevitably love belly warming food. Like this soup.

This soup…yes, this soup, is just as good as it gets when in need of some warmth on those cold autumn nights. It has a smooth and creamy texture and the mix of spices like coriander, cumin, cardamom and nutmeg warm up your heart and soul right away. The base for this soup resembles a lot the traditional red lentil soup I’ve had the pleasure of eating so many times over while traveling through the Middle-East. I won’t lie, the first time I had it was in Cairo, Egypt and it was love at first bite. Many countries I’ve visited, claim to be the originators of this soup but just like the origins of marinara sauce for Italians, it is a mystery that I’m afraid will remain unsolved.

I’ve diverged slightly from the traditional red lentil soup because I was craving something a bit creamier so I added some sweet potatoes. I also wanted to make good use of the celery I had in my fridge and boost the nutrient content of this soup. I hope you like these additions as much as I did!

Hope you guys enjoy this soup. Leave me a comment and let me know what traditional dish you enjoy but added your own twist to.

xx

 

Sweet potato lentil soup
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 8 portions
This soup is very similar to the one I ate while traveling the middle east. I did however add a few ingredients of my own, to make it a bit more creamy and nutrient dense. Sweet potato and celery are not usual ingredients for this soup but they do find a home here.
Ingredients
  • 1 medium onion, sliced
  • 3 garlic gloves, minced
  • 2 celery stalk, diced
  • 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and roughly diced
  • 3 Cups red lentils, dry
  • 1 tsp coconut oil
  • 2 tsp coriander seeds, ground
  • 1 tsp cumin, ground
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg, ground
  • 1/4 tsp cloves, ground
  • 1/4 tsp cardamom, ground
  • 1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
  • 2 tsp sea salt
  • 2 bay leafs
  • 7 Cups of water
  • 3 Tbs lemon juice
Instructions
  1. In a large cooking pot, melt the coconut oil over medium heat.
  2. Add the spices and stir frequently to prevent burning. Cook for 2 mins. The spices will release an amazing aroma
  3. Add the onion and garlic and coat with the spices. Cook for another 2 mins.
  4. Add the celery and sweet potato and stir. Cook for another minute.
  5. Add the red lentils and stir everything together.
  6. Add the water and bring to a boil.
  7. Once the soup is boiling, stir and bring the heat back down to low and let simmer for 35-40 mins.
  8. Remove the pot from the stove top and let cool a few minutes.
  9. Remove bay leafs.
  10. When cooled, blend the soup using a hand blender. It will give a nice rich and creamy texture.
  11. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
  12. Add lemon juice and serve.

 

Sweet & Savoury Coleslaw

 

 

Hello beautiful people,

I woke up this morning to the perfect Fall morning. The sun wasn’t up yet (I wake up at 5am), but I could see it starting to pierce through the dark sky, the air was cool and crisp and it was a mere 12°C (53°F). Glorious! I went for a short walk with our puppy and I could tell even he was happy we were done with the crazy heat wave we’ve been having.

I went back inside, poured myself a hot cup of black coffee (I kicked the sugar/creamer addiction a little over a year ago), checked the monitor to see if my baby was still asleep (luckily he was), laced up my running shoes and headed back outside for my morning workout.

Now as much as I love going to the gym and lift really heavy things, the reality is, I just can’t make it there most days. So I go when I can, and take it like a “treat” where I get to work on my favourite muscles…or those I feel need the most stimulation like my shoulders and of course, my booty (I’m no JLo, I can always use more booty!) But going to the gym 4-5 times a week is just not happening yet doesn’t mean I’m giving up on my fitness goals. I just adapt them to my reality. Being adaptable, that’s a lesson I’ve had to learn as a new mom. So maybe I’ll make it to the gym twice a week but in order for me to feel my best, I need to get my body moving at least 6 days a week. And because time is always of the essence, most of my workouts are short, under 30 minutes, and work my entire body and especially my core, which I find is still weak, 13 months after my pregnancy. And I always stretch. I never skimp out on the stretching. Because I know that if I don’t do it, I’ll end up really sore and stiff the next day.

You can say these little morning workouts are my “me” time… A little time to do something good for myself.

So what do my morning workouts look like… Here’s what I did this morning:

Warm-up:

  1. 25 air squats
  2. 25 jumping jacks
  3. 50 high knees
  4. 50 butt kicks
  5. 1 minute rope skipping (or you can jog in place)

Circuit: Repeat 3-5 times

  1. 24 walking lunges
  2. 30 toe taps on the patio stairs
  3. 15 push-ups
  4. 30 mountain climbers
  5. 20 yards (60 feet) bear crawl
  6. 20 sit-up to standing

Cool down: stretching

Do not be fooled by the simplicity of the bear crawl. It’s brutal! I had never really done it properly before going to the park with my husband for a workout and he had the brilliant idea for us to try an old football training of his. But that’s for another post… But yes, bear crawl, when done properly, is very hard!

If you’re unsure on how to do any of these exercises, please watch a quick instructional video. Youtube has loads of them like this one for bear crawl. It’s worth the extra minutes so you don’t injure yourself and get the most out of the exercise. Also, know when you are breaking form and take a break. Again, it’s not worth you injuring yourself.

After a workout such as this, you can bet I’m hungry. I’ll usually remain hungry for the following few hours. And there’s no such thing as starving myself. This girl’s gotta eat! Feeding myself highly nutritious meals is so important to me. I spend vary valuable time in the morning to workout, I don’t want all my efforts to go to waste.

This is where a salad like this, comes in handy. I packed this for my lunch, knowing I would be very hungry and need something satisfying, delicious and nutritious. This salad is made of nutrient and protein packed red and green cabbage, hemp hearts, shredded apples and cilantro. The dressing is freshly pressed apple juice and apple cider vinegar. I usually add olive oil to my dressings but this time, I wanted to keep it light and crisp…and I wanted to indulge in a little dessert later on!

This salad also makes the perfect accompaniment to your bean burgers, veggie dogs or open faced sandwiches.

I hope you enjoy it and leave me a comment to let me know if you’ve tried my workout!

 

xx

 

Sweet & Savoury Coleslaw
Recipe Type: Salad
Prep time:
Total time:
Serves: 2-3 portions
This salad is crunchy and refreshing. I usually like to mix two types of cabbage in my coleslaw but if you have or the other, just add more of the same one. A
Ingredients
  • 3 Cups red cabbage, sliced very thinly (i use a mandoline)
  • 3 Cups green cabbage, sliced very thinly
  • 1/2 Cup hemp hearts
  • 1/2 Cup cilantro, roughly chopped
  • 1/4 Cup apple juice
  • 3 Tbs apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp maple syrup
  • Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Using a mandoline, or a sharp knife, thinly slice the cabbage.
  2. Add the sliced cabbage, the hemp hearts and the cilantro in a mixing bowl.
  3. In a separate bowl, add the remaining ingredients and whisk together.
  4. Pour the dressing over the cabbage and stir to combine.
  5. Let it rest in the fridge for at least 15 minutes, for the flavours to combine.