Why am I still sick???
On Monday I thought I was getting better, but then I sort of plateaued and have been in a steady-state of coughing up green gunk in the shower every morning, feeling tired all day, coming down with an incessant cough around 8:30, going to bed at 9:30, waking up and doing it all over again.
On Wednesday I went to the convenience store at work to buy cough drops and a box of kleenex. My conversation with the cashier went something like this:
Him: And how are you doing today?
Me: (in raspy smoker voice) Not too bad, yourself?
Him: (glancing at my purchases) ....better than you, apparently.
Uh, thanks dude.
The good news is, my appetite is back! And, my appetite wants soup. All soup, all the time. Usually my soup preference is for something that is packed full of veggies and different textures, and that is more of a full meal in a bowl (see, Roasted Pumpkin Soup w/ Chickpeas and Curry) ...but this week all I've wanted is something warm and soothing. And maybe a little spicy to clear my sinuses.
I made some pretty major modifications to my favorite Red Lentil Soup recipe, but ended up with a similar flavor palatte. Think of this as the puree version of that recipe, with a bit of a tropical kick. I fell in love with red lentil soup in Turkey, and also picked up the habit of adding citrus there... so I kind of fall back on it a lot. Plus I always have red lentils in my pantry and they cook quickly, so it's easy to whip a soup together at the last minute with whatever else I have on hand.
p.s. if you make this, DO NOT skip the lime juice! It kicks the whole thing up about a billion notches. All the way to 11.
I need to stop watching movies and have a life.
RECIPE: SWEET POTATO AND RED LENTIL SOUP
- 1.5 tablespoons ghee or butter
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- 5 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup red lentils, rinsed
- 1-2 teaspoons curry powder
- 1/2 cup coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon salt (or salt to taste)
- Fresh squeezed lime juice (for garnish)
- plain yogurt (for garnish)
Melt the ghee or butter in a soup pot on the stove over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and red pepper flakes and sautee until just beginning to soften. Add the sweet potato and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is fully soft and translucent.
Add the chicken broth and red lentils to the pot. Cover and simmer for about 25-30 minutes, or until lentils are falling apart and sweet potato is cooked through. Remove from heat and puree with an immersion blender (or if you don't have one, transfer the whole mess to a blender or food processer, blend and return to the pot. You can also puree in batches). Stir in the curry powder, coconut milk, and salt.
Serve garnished with a few squeezes of fresh lime juice and a dollop of plain yogurt. DO NOT SKIP THE GARNISHES THEY ARE VERY IMPORTANT. Hem.
Hopefully this damn illness is on the upswing. I did manage to get to the yoga studio last night for the first time in a week, though. I'm always nervous about getting back to class after a long break from practicing, but every time I'm surprised by how easily I fall back into my practice. It almost feels like a few days off helps me wipe the slate clean and see poses with fresh eyes. Handstand and cobra in particular felt brand new poses last night, in a good way.
Anyways, have a wonderful weekend! I don't have a lot planned but I think that is probably for the best... can't wait to have a couple of days to sleep in.
Happy Friday!
On Monday I thought I was getting better, but then I sort of plateaued and have been in a steady-state of coughing up green gunk in the shower every morning, feeling tired all day, coming down with an incessant cough around 8:30, going to bed at 9:30, waking up and doing it all over again.
On Wednesday I went to the convenience store at work to buy cough drops and a box of kleenex. My conversation with the cashier went something like this:
Him: And how are you doing today?
Me: (in raspy smoker voice) Not too bad, yourself?
Him: (glancing at my purchases) ....better than you, apparently.
Uh, thanks dude.
The good news is, my appetite is back! And, my appetite wants soup. All soup, all the time. Usually my soup preference is for something that is packed full of veggies and different textures, and that is more of a full meal in a bowl (see, Roasted Pumpkin Soup w/ Chickpeas and Curry) ...but this week all I've wanted is something warm and soothing. And maybe a little spicy to clear my sinuses.
I made some pretty major modifications to my favorite Red Lentil Soup recipe, but ended up with a similar flavor palatte. Think of this as the puree version of that recipe, with a bit of a tropical kick. I fell in love with red lentil soup in Turkey, and also picked up the habit of adding citrus there... so I kind of fall back on it a lot. Plus I always have red lentils in my pantry and they cook quickly, so it's easy to whip a soup together at the last minute with whatever else I have on hand.
p.s. if you make this, DO NOT skip the lime juice! It kicks the whole thing up about a billion notches. All the way to 11.
I need to stop watching movies and have a life.
RECIPE: SWEET POTATO AND RED LENTIL SOUP
- 1.5 tablespoons ghee or butter
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- 5 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup red lentils, rinsed
- 1-2 teaspoons curry powder
- 1/2 cup coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon salt (or salt to taste)
- Fresh squeezed lime juice (for garnish)
- plain yogurt (for garnish)
Melt the ghee or butter in a soup pot on the stove over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and red pepper flakes and sautee until just beginning to soften. Add the sweet potato and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is fully soft and translucent.
Add the chicken broth and red lentils to the pot. Cover and simmer for about 25-30 minutes, or until lentils are falling apart and sweet potato is cooked through. Remove from heat and puree with an immersion blender (or if you don't have one, transfer the whole mess to a blender or food processer, blend and return to the pot. You can also puree in batches). Stir in the curry powder, coconut milk, and salt.
Serve garnished with a few squeezes of fresh lime juice and a dollop of plain yogurt. DO NOT SKIP THE GARNISHES THEY ARE VERY IMPORTANT. Hem.
Hopefully this damn illness is on the upswing. I did manage to get to the yoga studio last night for the first time in a week, though. I'm always nervous about getting back to class after a long break from practicing, but every time I'm surprised by how easily I fall back into my practice. It almost feels like a few days off helps me wipe the slate clean and see poses with fresh eyes. Handstand and cobra in particular felt brand new poses last night, in a good way.
Anyways, have a wonderful weekend! I don't have a lot planned but I think that is probably for the best... can't wait to have a couple of days to sleep in.
Happy Friday!
Its so pretty! I have a sweet potato sitting on the counter but I'm pretty sure its getting turned into a mashed sweet potato/ veggie mess with blue cheese on top haha, the usual.
ReplyDeleteHaha nothing wrong with that! Mmmm...sweet potato with blue cheese...that sounds delicious :)
ReplyDelete