Once the excitement of Christmas and New Year is over, January can be rather a dreary and depressing month, with everyone going on diets, giving things up and trying to re-vamp their lifestyles. I am an advocate of eating healthily, but you do need to keep your spirits up at this time of the year and its a good idea to boost both your mood and your immune system with good, hot, nutritious food.
For a simple supper; low in fat and high in protein and vitamins, I plump for lentils. Just roast some vegetables – bulb fennel, carrots, leeks and peppers are good – and then put them in a large saucepan with orange lentils, ground cumin, hot smoked paprika or chilli powder, tinned tomatoes and water. Cook gently until the lentils are soft (about 25 minutes) and then season with salt, pepper and a splash of cider vinegar. Top with chopped parsley for a hearty, filling meal.
Vegetable soups are great winter warmers and I have dug up the last of my parsnips and carrots from the garden and combined them with Swiss chard, which grows throughout the winter, stock and coconut milk to make a delicious soup. Cauliflowers are also good at this time of year and make a divine, velvety soup. Add some milk once you have blended to get creaminess without too many calories.
Finally, a great way to cheer up a winter weekend is to get preserving and Seville oranges are coming into season now, so search out a good marmalade recipe and steam up the kitchen with some lovely citrus smells.
