Home HEALTH How’s everyone spending their Easter?

How’s everyone spending their Easter?

March 30, 2013

Vegetable Stock

I’m catching up on my studies (my exams start on Monday, scary!) and incorporating some good workout in between, a bit of Tracy here, a bit a BB there, while my home-made vegetable stock is magically shaping it’s way into the world, for over 3 hours now.

This is my new favorite thing (gosh, this girl’s boring!), okay one of a few new favorite hobbies, along with many other things, that are less ‘square’ and boring I swear!

If you manage to get three hours at home on a weekend, throw your favorite veggies in a large pot! In my case: 2 red onions – throw in the skins as well, 3 medium carrots, 3 celery sticks, 1 large parsnip– chop into chunks but not too small, throw in some fresh herbs as well: some whole peppercorns, 3 bay leaves, a handful of thyme and a handful of parsley, then sprinkle with a bit of sea salt, cover it all with 3 litres of water and simmer for as long as you can. (3-4 hours).  When done strain it through a cheesecloth or a sieve and voila your vegetable stock is born, just like in the olden days.

 

I guarantee any meal you’ll make the following week will taste much better, be much healthier, super rich in minerals and your house will smell amazing.

Here’s a recipe for my favorite, filling soup that includes this vegetable stock , you can make it for Sunday lunch and it will feed you for almost a week. It’s just a simple recipe out of millions of meals that will make use of this stock, be it soups, stir-fries (you’ll end up using less olive oil, which is much healthier), stews or meat dishes, all will work great with this. Store it for up to 3-4 days (depending how cold your fridge is) or freeze it for a later use.

 

 

Skin glowing carrot & lentil soup

Serves 4:

1 litre (34 fl oz) hot vegetable stock

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves of garlic

4 large carrots

3 large celery sticks

handful of fresh parsley

200g (7 oz) red split lentils, soaked for a few hours (or overnight) for a better digestion and to get rid of any possible moldiness. If there’s no time for soaking, at least rinse them thoroughly!

 

How to?

 

1-    Heat the coconut oil in a large deep pan, then add onion and garlic and sweat for approx. 5 min

2-    Add the carrots, celery sticks and lentils. Add your ‘well-earned’ and delicious vegetable stock. Cover and bring to the boil. Simmer for about 10 minutes.

3-    Add fresh parsley and simmer for a few more minutes (5 min max or until the lentils have softened properly).

 

DONE and DONE!

Happy Easter everyone!

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