Spanish Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Soup

Spanish Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Soup

I freaking LOVE this soup and the afore mentioned Morroccan Carrot and Lentil soup.As a recent convert to soups (liquid lunches are just wrong unless Champagne is involved,dahhhling!)I like my soups thick and creamy and these soups fit the bill.Sorry,no photos for this one.

1 butternut squash,chopped and de-seeded (skin on or off,up to you)
1 large sweet potato
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 vegetable or chicken stock cube

1.Roast the BNS,sprinkled with the paprika,in the oven at appox 180 - 200 degrees till soft (about 10 mins)
2.While the BNS is roasting,chop and peel the sweet potato and boil till soft.
3.When the veg are ready,dissolve the stock cube in a medium pot and then add the veg and boil about 5 minutes.(You can add another teaspoon of paprika if you like it well flavoured)
4.Cool then whizz in the blender and enjoy!

*Another variation is to add a tablespoon or 2 of taco/nacho/fajita seasoning as well as the paprika.

Soup recipe and some random rambles.......

5 days on track :D I'd better have lost weight on Tues!!!!!!! I even managed to try the Pussycat dolls DVD.Soooooooooo much freaking fun! It requires a lot of co-ordination though (which I don't have.According to my sister being unco is 'embedded in my soul') so I hope the neighbours didn't get a fright.

Still no chocolate which is like my own personal Everest.I could practically inhale a crunchie in 10 seconds flat,chocolate fudge cake was the first thing I would look for on a menu. Eating is still on track,the only thing I could really be working on is the exercise,but one hurdle at a time.

As for the recipes............ Moroccan Carrot and Lentil Soup

5 carrots
1 cup red lentils
1 - 2 Tbs Morrocan seasoning (I prefer 2 for a super tasty,super spiced soup)
1 vegetable or chicken stock cube (whichever you prefer)

1.Bring a medium pot of water to the boil.Add the stock cube and stir until dissolved.
2.Add the lentils,bring to a boil and boil for about 10 mins.
3.Add the peeled and chopped carrots with the Moroccan seasoning.Turn the heat down and simmer the carrots and lentils another 10 - 15 mins,till the carrots and lentils are soft,and the lentils have basically turned to mush.
4.Let the soup cool and then whizz in a blender.Enjoy!

* This made loads to be frozen,and worked out to about 1/2 point per serve due to the lentils.
* Moroccan seasoning isn't 'hot-chilli' spicy,it just adds a nice flavour.You should be able to find it in an Asian shop or even better if you have a local Middle Eastern shop.

Please don't judge me..........................

I had all good intentions of starting today on a fresh,healthy start.As everyone knows,the New Year doesn't officially start till January 2nd.The 1st is a recovery day from all the hedonistic decadence you try to cram in the night before for you know that in the new year everything will change and there will be no more chocolate and champers for breakfast,3 pm lie ins or ordering entire 10 inch pizzas each for girlie DVD-duvet days..............or is that just me?

I had planned,with the OH,to get up at a reasonable hour (we had both worked the early shift on NY Day after 3 hours sleep.8am start for me,9am for him),go to the farmers market,get some lovely fresh organic veg,have something healthy for brunch,go home and bake 'the best bread in the world' (recipe to follow in the next few days) and cook up a few batches of soup.

Instead,cue a 3pm wake up,monstrous post NY recovery and an Indian delivery.It's probably the only thing I'll eat all day though,so it hopefully won't do too much damage calorie wise.

I have however completed my online shopping and will be stocked up to the hilt on fruit,veg,healthy snacks and shed loads of Special K in all it's various fruity forms (I don't work for them or am affiliated with them in any way,but Asda are doing some amazing multi-save discounts on Special K,muesli bars,tuna and healthy stuff in general)

So,on the menu for this week will be tuna pasta salads,some form of rice salad,parsnip and apple soup,Moroccan butternut squash and sweet potato soup,some variation of carrot soup,all accompanied by various forms of sandwich made from the best homemade bread in the world.I really cannot convey just how good this bread is.I was nannying for a family that would eat nothing but this bread and always meant to ask for the recipe but was slightly apprehensive as it seemed to be some sort of closely guarded family secret. I happened upon the recipe one day when I was tidying up their cookbooks (OK,I admit,I was totally trawling the cookbooks,drooling over the photos alone - they had 'Gordon Ramsay's desserts' cookbook.It's like crack for foodies!) and I just can't eat any other bread.

And before I forget here are my resolutions.I may be old enough to know better but I just have to have a list every year.........
1.Learn how to ride a bike (yes,seriously)
2.Learn how to sew - properly.Dresses,skirts,blouses etc.
3.Cook and bake more (of course the baking shall be distributed amongst friends and family and neighbours.)
4.By July,be fit enough to either be doing Flamenco or Parkour
5.Be slim enough to be able to dress up as She Ra,Princess of Power for Halloween
6.Be slimmer than my sister for the first time in our lives.
7.Look at this list next year and know that I have achieved all of these.

I think there's a few more but I will have to write them up when my brains not so fuzzed up.

xox