Rainy Day Curried Sweet Potato Soup with Almonds, Raisins, and Kefir

I apologize for taking so long between posts, a lot of exciting things are happening in my life leaving little time for cooking elaborate meals. Unfortunately, it feels like I have been living off of cantaloupe and almonds for weeks now instead of real nourishing foods. AS for the big life changes coming up, I will let you in on all that very shortly. 

Yesterday, I spent a lovely day hiking with the sun shinning and lots of soul sharing with one of my best friends but today the rains are back and with it a need for some wholesome, comforting sustenance, basically, not ice cream, which I do often associate with wholesome, comforting sustenance!

What is better on a rainy day than a bowl of lightly spiced and creamy soup that is packed with antioxidants like beta carotene and vitamin c as well as anti inflammatory and blood-sugar regulating nutrients?! Plus adding kefir into the equation adds fermented probiotics while still being friendly to those with lactose intolerance. 

Kefir is a fermented milk product that is loaded with vitamin B12, calcium, magnesium, vitamin K2, biotin, folate, enzymes and probiotics. Kefir boosts immunity, fights candida overgrowth, builds bone strength, supports digestions, improves allergies, heals skin, and potentially fights cancer. Kefir is packed with 10 to 34 types of probiotics and unlike other forms of probiotics which just add good bacteria to your gut, kefir aggressively attacks pathogens and bad bacteria making it a very powerful food. Kefir can be made with milk, coconut milk, or water, when purchasing commercial kefir just be cognizant of the amount of sugar contained and try to purchase the plain variety as opposed to all those lovely flavor combos. 

As you can tell, I am a big fan, give it a try and enjoy this soup as well! 

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Curried Sweet Potato Soup with Almonds, Raisins, and Kefir

3 Sweet Potatoes, Peeled and Cubed

2 Carrots, chopped

1 Onion, Sliced

2 Large Garlic Cloves, chopped

2 tbs Olive Oil

2 tbs Yellow Curry Powder

1 tbs Red Curry Paste

1 tbs Honey

1 tbs Apple Cider Vinegar

1 tbs Miso Paste

2 cups Hot Water

1/4 cup Kefir

Pink Himalayan Sea Salt to Taste

Raw Almonds, Raisins, and Chives to Garnish

In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onion, garlic, sweet potatoes and carrots, cooking until the onions are softened. Add the curry powder and paste, cooking for another minute until fragrant. Dissolve the miso in 2 cups of hot water, add to the pot along with the honey and apple cider vinegar. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the sweet potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. 

Puree the soup in a blender, food processor or with an immersion blender until smooth, adding additional water until your desired consistency. Return to the pot and add the kefir and salt to taste. 

Ladle into bowls and top with a drizzle of kefir, chopped almonds, raisins and chives. Enjoy and healthy eating!

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Bikini Season: Raw Zucchini Noodles with Olive, Garlic and Lemon Tapenade

The time has finally come...BIKINI TIME! The dreaded season when women shed their clothing and prance around in less than their underwear for all to see! No matter how fit or slim you are, every self conscious thought pops into your head, especially those first few days of display when you awkwardly let winters many layers drift to your bedroom floor. Generally, by the end of the season you could care less about prancing around in your bathing suit its just those first few weeks that take you down that psychological journey in which you consider your abdominal muscles, question your glutes and generally start thinking about your diet. 

Gone are the moments of, well its winter: one more serving won't hurt and I shoveled today so 3 pieces of pizza is acceptable and in strolls salad galore. Lucky for us, bikini season corresponds with fresh veggie season and suddenly we say hello to arugula, zucchini, peaches, strawberries, tomatoes that taste like tomatoes and more. 

As you know, alkaline eating is all about moderation with a heavy dose of vegetable power and I try my hardest to keep that philosophy running strong through the many endless months of cold weather but even I start leaning more towards the naughty side of eating as winter drags on.  So what can you do now that summer has shown, your bathing suit is staring you down and you've spent the last three weeks telling yourself that tomorrow you will get back on the bandwagon?  

Spend a little time eating raw! Raw food, mainly fruits and vegetable is the quickest and healthiest way to alkalinize, feel lighter and look great. Spending one week drinking fresh juices or smoothies, sticking to easily digestible veggies and eliminating carbs and dairy will have you feeling like strutting your stuff in that bikini. It will also cleanse your body of those bad cravings and force you to get creative in the kitchen.

Eating raw foods doesn't mean chomping on carrot sticks all day, although they are a great snack, instead it forces you to focus on flavor combinations and super fresh delicious produce. This dish does just that, it combines some great spicy arugula, zuccini noodles, salty kalamata olives, garlic, lemon, and juicy tomatoes to create a refreshingly satisfying meal that can be made in 15 minutes. Give it a try!

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Raw Zucchini Noodles with Olive, Garlic and Lemon Tapenade

Makes 2 servings

2 Zucchini, spiralized into noodles

1 handful of Arugula

2 Tomato, chopped

1/2 cup Kalamata Olives

2 Garlic Cloves

1/2 cup Walnuts

1/4 cup Olive Oil

1/2 Lemon, juiced

1 tso Dried Basil

1tsp Dried Oregano

1tsp Dried Parsley

To make the tapenade, combine the olives, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, herbs and walnuts in a food processor. Pulse until well blended, adding more olive oil if needed. Place the arugula, zucchini noodles and tomatoes into a large bowl, add the tapenade and stir to combine. Divide between two plates and enjoy!  

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