How to Eat Healthy & Hearty During the Winter Months
Posted on 12. Nov, 2009 by Justine in Lifestyle, Recipes
Our instinct in winter is eat heavy. The chill in the air, the mince pies and Christmas pudding that appear on the shelves of Marks and Spencer. Who could resist? Ok, so maybe Christmas is a reason to pack it in a bit but in reality winter really should be a time of refuelling and beginning the healthy habits that will deliver us fit and happy to the promise of spring. Face it, inthe winter we watch more television, we exercise less and we indulge more so how do you fight the winter slump?
I don’t think that Spartan is the way to go. We all know that denying ourselves the pleasures of our favourite winter comfort foods leads to those late night binges and the “throw in the towel mentality.” So how do we nurture the winter tummy and eat healthy during the Winter months? My first instinct is soups and stews. They can cook all day or be thrown together fast. They can be chunky and hearty or velvety smooth. They are affordable as a main course with meat or root vegetables paired with a lovely dark green winter salad of warm kale and some good multi-grain bread. Try this very simple souprecipe that is both elegant and satisfying.
Hearty Winter Soup Recipe
First begin as all soups begin with your base.
- Chopped carrots, celery and onion never dissapoint. Sautee this trio in a good bit of olive oil until soft but don’t brown.
- Add some parsnip and potato dices cut so that they cook at about the same time.
- Add stock to just cover (if you have some on hand but most of us don’t so add a very good store-bought stock) and bring to a bare boil until your root vegetables are soft but not mush.
- Cool a bit and put in a blender and blend until smooth adding stock as needed.
- Finish with a good dollop of cream and season with herbs or a drizzle of while truffle oil. Perfect. And this recipe can be used with any root veggie. Carrot, swede,or celery root.
For a lovely winter salad on its own or with your soups quickly sautee some onion and garlic in olive oil. Add shredded kale leaves and drizzle with a good vinegar and some fresh Clementine juice and Clementine segments. Finish with salt, pepper and another drizzle of olive oil to finish. Add a slice of good bread and you are set for a lovely and healthy winter feast. But don’t forget dessert. I love a good cheese and some fruit in winter. It pairs well with the rest of the meal and gives you an excuse to linger around the warm glow of the dinner table a bit longer.
