Healthy Parsnip & Lentil Soup Recipe

Healthy Parsnip & Lentil Soup Recipe

With Christmas over with you may be feeling a) full b) run-down c) ready for a healthy new year ... if you're any of these, or indeed all three, then this recipe can help! As I've said before, soups are fantastic for health.. they are crammed with nutrients, vitamins and minerals and are super filling. This soup recipe in particular is great as it's low in calorie (no butter, oil or cream in sight!), has a low glycaemic index (releases it's energy slowly), and also helps you to use up any left over veg from Christmas (get those parsnips & carrots ready!!)

If you would like to make this delicious winter soup then all you will need is...

250g of lentils (not pictured) - optional
1 red onion
2 parsnips
6 carrots
2 celery sticks
1 garlic clove
~3 pints of vegetable stock (enough to cover the vegetables)
2 tsp paprika
Pepper - to season

And here is what to do..

1) Chop up all of the vegetables and place into a large saucepan along with the garlic and paprika..

2) Add the vegetable stock and boil your mixture for 10 minutes before reducing the heat, covering and simmering for a further 20 minutes..

3) Meanwhile.. cook your lentils (I used a broth mix this time) according to the packet..

4) Blend your vegetable mixture (once the vegetables are tender) using a hand blender (or food processor)... and then add the lentils (further blender is optional!)

5) Serve with a side salad and a bread roll... then enjoy!

 

This soup is packed with lentils which are a great low fat source of both protein and fibre.. perfect for vegetarians too! Soups are perfect to take to work and are great for on the go lunches as well

(just pop in a flask to keep warm).

 

For more delicious recipes check out my recipes page.. Have a great week!

 

Nic x

 

Ps there's still time to enter my Christmas giveaway!

Low Calorie Carrot, Celery & Apple Soup Recipe

Low Calorie Carrot, Celery & Apple Soup Recipe

I'm a big fan of soups - they make the perfect lunch as well as healthy starter.. which is why I wanted to blog this recipe now - as this soup would be perfect for an alternative 'light' Christmas dinner starter! Like I said in my tops tips video for how to keep well over winter, soups are a great way of eating lots of vegetables in a tasty way. Soups are also filling and satisfying. This soup though isn't too heavy which is why it would be the perfect starter to Christmas (or any!) dinner.

 

Carrot, Celery & Apple Soup Recipe.. :)

This soup works out at just 30-38p per serving and provides ~160 calories. Serving wise it serves 5 x starter portions and 4 x lunch portions.. So, if you'd like to make this delicious soup recipe then here is what you will need... !

 

900g carrots, finely chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
3 celery sticks, diced
1 litre of vegetable stock
3 medium eating apples (1 for serving)
2 tablespoons of tomato puree
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoon of sugar (I used brown sugar) - it's only a small amount!
1/4 of a lemon
salt & pepper
To garnish: Shredded celery leaves 

And here is what to do.. !

1) Place the carrots, onion and celery in a large pan and add the vegetable stock. Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat.. cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

2) Peel, core and dice 2 of the apples and add to the pan along with the tomato puree, bay leaf and sugar.. bring to the boil and then reduce the heat to simmer for 20 minutes (partially cover).

3) Pour the soup mixture into a food processor or blender and blend until smooth (I did this bit in batches).. then return the soup to the pan to reheat... season with salt and pepper.

4) While the soup is reheating, wash and core the remaining apple and cut into small thin slices, without peeling.. place into a small pan and squeeze over the lemon juice. Heat for 1-2 minutes until the apples pieces have softened slightly.. then drain.

5) Serve the soup topped with apple and shredded celery leaves.. then enjoy!!

 

Optional: I found this soup a little light for lunch and so added 1/2 a can of cannellini beans per serving.. (making the total soup serving ~50p / portion x 4)

 

 

This 'lunch' soup provides more protein (9g per serving x 4) and is still low in calories (only 270 kcal) .. enjoy with bread rolls as a starter or  with Ryvita crackers (my fave!) for lunch.

 

 

Happy soup making!! Soup is really SO easy to make .. I really hope that my step by step pictures have made it as simple as it really is!

 

Nic x

Hooked Inc.

Hooked Inc.

Yep, we literally got hooked right in with colourful fish cutouts in the storefront window. Walking around on a Saturday afternoon in Leslieville looking for a coffee shop, we didn't expect to randomly find one of Toronto's newest fish store.



"Wow, this is an awesome place, how long have you been here?".... "Actually we just opened yesterday!". Hooked Inc opened on March 11th. They call themselves the knowledgeable fish store, and pride their efforts in finding sustainable and ethnical methods of providing fresh fish to Torontonians. We met Kristin, one of the owners, who explained to us their process of sourcing fish across Canada directly from small fishing boats. Supporting small businesses not only support local industries but also ensure that the fish are caught responsibly. Large scale mass fishing has a high impact on our environment as often they will trawl the sea beds with giant netting that destroy the ecology and captures more wildlife than they are fishing for.

The owners are both professional chefs with experience in Toronto's food industry and restaurants. They are also currently working on a cooking demonstration counter at the back of the store where they will host culinary workshops offering instructions in selecting, handling and cooking seafood. You will also find cookware, various tools, cookbooks and prepared foods that compliment your seafood adventures.


a cute chalkboard displays the fish available and where the fish was caught.


the space has an east coast feel, and at the back they have a counter for future culinary classes


there were shrimp, oysters, mussels from all over Canada as well as local ontario lake fish


also larger wild fish caught in local seas, including Chinook salmon, Sablefish and B.C. Halibut.

Everything looked very fresh and reasonably priced consider the extra steps they've taken to by pass a mass supply chain. Unfortunately that weekend we already had dinner plans, but returned the following week to buy some B.C. Halibut ($24/lb) and B.C. spotted prawns ($20/lb). We cooked the following meal at a cost of about $10 a portion, for 4 portions. Higher than we would budget for our average meal, but this is no average meal and we'd spend easily a minimum of $30 if we were to have this in a restaurant. We quickly referenced this simple recipe for a simple broth for our seafood through a quick search on my iphone while buying groceries.  I also noticed that Loblaw's had Halibut too (although from Alaska), but it definitely didn't look as fresh, possibly once frozen, slightly discoloured, and it was still $21/lb.  I would much rather spend the extra $3/lb knowing where my fish came from and how it was caught.


On the left is our fresh halibut from Hooked, and on the chopping board we have two shallots, one large carrot, parsley, ground coriander and a lemon.


We created the simple broth with the shallots, carrots, and added a carton of chicken broth, a cup of white wine, lemon zest, half a lemon's juice and a knob of butter to finish. The halibut was seared on both sides, seasoned with the ground coriander, salt and pepper. The Prawns were quickly sautéed with a little bit of butter and a splash of broth. Since May wanted rice and I wanted beans, we decided to combine them together with some chopped parsley which sat nicely at the bottom of our dish soaking up the flavours of our broth.


And there you have it! everything kinda collapsed when we pour the broth over the dish, but everything tasted amazing, the flavour and texture of the fish stood out on its own, and the prawns were extremly sweet.

Although we don't cook like this that often, there is no reason why we shouldn't. It was a very special meal that was affordable and simple to make; we only had to wait for the broth to simmer for 20mins, otherwise everything else was quick. The nice thing about cooking seafood is that there usually is very little prep work involved. So there should be no excuses, go visit Hooked and have some seafood tonight!


For more information on the great things they are doing over at Hooked Inc., check out the Globe and Mail's article.  To find out some of the harsh realities of the fishing industry I recommend watching The End of the Line. If you're wondering how sustainable the fish on your dinner table is, check out Ocean Wise's seafood guide.

as seen at canteen

as seen at canteen

my brother and I treated my family to dinner at Oliver & Bonacini's latest, Canteen in the new TIFF building. The menu was simple and tasty, the service team was noticebly novice but not terrible. It is definitely my kind of place, not too pretentious, but still a refined, comforting and soulful meal. I'm sharing my favourite dishes of the night.


love the little Le Cruset. this is french onion soup, that isn't overly salty as it always is when eating out. the cheese is Gruyère is sharp and aromatic.


the chicken liver is brilliant! the current compote is a perfect sweet compliment. at $8 this is the best deal in the house.


my dad ordered the meatball pasta and i want to find a way to make meatballs like this at home. reminds me of the meatballs i'd order at Fusaro's when i worked near there back in the day.


braised lamb and gnocci. well seasoned, the braising juice has deep flavours. The Gnocci isn't as fluffy bouncy as the gnocci at Quince, but I still enjoyed it. A larger portion would be better, or at least the addition of a squash or veggie.

sorry no dessert photos! we were too quick to finish them up before i even though of taking any photos. the Soma brownie is a no brainer and the Espresso Affagato is something i'd love to have everynight after dinner.

the only thing i'll add is that i've been there since again once more and noticed some dishes weren't as good as my first visit. the french onion soup was much saltier for example. I hope this quick convenient food joint serves consistently in the future.

all seafood everything

all seafood everything

in case you were wondering, may hasn't posted in a while as she's currently in Beijing visiting her family. China's pretty tight with web access, so she hasn't been able to log in to hit up a post. i'm sure she'll post some goodies after she gets back this week!

so, we definitely love our seafood. and a few weeks before may left, we had lunch with my family. all lobster everything.


we bought canning lobsters for cheap! $4.75 each? at foodie mart and my mom steamed a giant batch of them. we chopped up the lobster meat, added chopped apples, celery, mayo, sour cream, paprika, salt, pepper.


mixed it all up together. this was a lunch collaboration, and lobster rolls was our duty.


my mom fresh clams which she steamed and used the broth to start the chowder. she added a rue (cooked butter & flour) and then added other aromatics such as carrots, onions and celery. chopped potato added more thickness and completed it as chowder. of course she topped it off with crispy bacon that may brought back from the farmers market in cambridge


and here's the final lobster roll, with a small wedge of quiche (as if we didn't have enough to eat already).

not so recent meals

not so recent meals

I meant to post these a while ago, but totally forgot!

First dish up is a dish I made from a Jamie Oliver recipe. I happened to flip through the Jamie book that Gabe left here for me, and found this super simple chicken breast recipe. All you need to do is to mix the leek and thyme with olive oil and salt (I didn't have any thyme, so I used a bit of sage), wrap the chicken breast with a few pieces of bacon, and then place them all on a tray so you can cook them in the oven for 30 minutes. I also made a side of sweet potato fries to go with the chicken, but it didn't turn out so crispy. If you have a better recipe that makes good and crispy sweet potato fries, please let me know!

I don't have too much to say about this one, except to say that tomatoes and ham with cheddar is my favourite sandwich combo!

Normally, if I have some tortellini, I'd make it into a pasta, but after I came back from Rome, I made way less pastas. I'm not sure if it's cuz I ate too much of it in Rome, or that my standard of pasta has gotten higher and my pastas can never measure up to those I've had in Rome. Anyway, I made the tortellini into a soup this time. I looked up this, and substituted a few things that I don't have. It turned out delicious. The leek added in so much flavour in the soup.

scallops for your birthday

scallops for your birthday

so i asked her, what would you like for your birthday dinner? she said scallops and oh what a good choice that was. turns out it was on sale at loblaws that weekend too.. yay


thanks to Jamie Oliver, this recipe turned out perfectly. Simply Seared scallops, added some bacon and asparagus but i think the key was the crispy sage leaves as it definately added another dimension and aroma.


i wasn't sure if there'd be enough food so we made fennel salad too. simple, just slice up fennel, add lemon juice, honey, salt pepper. done!


spontaneously we decided to bring a light out to the balcony and have dinner in the sky. Fireworks too, cuz that's how we roll! (hehe.. it was victoria day weekend)


the next day we still had scallops so we made the same thing again, but since we weren't that hungry we just topped it on some leftover butternut squash soup. yummy

random mash ups

random mash ups

hello there, haven't posted in a while. we've been all over the place this past week and here are some meals we've been mashing up randomly while trying to eat up our pantry


we breaded chicken breast with panko that was on sale, then added boccocini, tomatoes, sauce on pasta with basil. no leftovers here, but definately a random mash up of things


we made this dish with some left over rice and stir fry and completed it with a slice of spam with a hole of a fried egg inside! oh and that's a left over shrimp on top.. haha (like i said, mash up)


some split pea soup from a previous meal, with a sandwich where i added a good layer of antipasto that we bought from costco

split pea soup

split pea soup

Hello there.

I've been busy these days, but I'll be back on track with blogging again, starting today hopefully.

Here's a split soup Gabe made a week ago. I don't know exactly how he did it, all i saw he put in was split peas, frozen peas, onions, carrots, and that smoked turkey leg.

The soup is delicious! Oh and the smoked turkey leg is my favourite part in the soup, so tender and flavourful! Mmmm

Have I told you we love Gabe's cast iron pan? it makes very yummy grilled sandwiches.

TGIF!

more egg-licious meals

more egg-licious meals

so to follow may's egg burrito post, i have eggs in the starring roll of quiche!



may started off by prepping a beautiful buttery crust. it took a lot of arm muscles to combine all the ingredients so she jumped on the chair infront of the television to get churning while resting the pot on a stool.



we chopped some cauliflower, red peppers, onions and grated cheddar. i think on the second quiche we supersized it some sundried tomatoes and leftover ricotta cheese. here William combines the egg mixture into the uncooked pie crust with toppings already placed in it.



and voila! a huge portion of quiche for the 3 of us. We made 2 quiches good for 8 servings.. 1/4 slice each and salad of course. now i want to make a deep dish pizza. haha.



the next day with the unused cauliflower i made a soup with 2 potatoes and more onions. turned out great!