Orange is the new green - Carrot, Lentil soup

This is not a fancy soup, it's very a straight forward yet filling and nutritious soup. Only 5 ingredients and water are required. You can use fresh herbs to change the flavour profile.

You might know that carrots are healthy but why? Well it's because they contain a nutrient called carotenoids (named after carrots), which is a type of vitamin A. Carotenoids can be found in all orange, yellow and deep green veggies and some fruits. Carrots health benefits are perhaps best known for their benefit on eye health. That's due to the carotenoids, which is also an antioxidants  and has anti-inflammatory properties. So get your orange on.  Start adding more color to your meals, orange is the new green!

Ingredients soup to fill 4 medium sized bowls:
- 4 medium sized carrots
- 1 dl red lentils, rinsed
- 1 veggie or chicken stock cube*
- 1 medium sized yellow onion
- drizzle of cooking oil
- fresh herb choices; 2-3 sage leaves, 2-4 stalks of dill, small handful of parsley, a few leaves of rosemary
- 5-6 dl water

*Make sure to use a stock cube that isn't loaded with extra salt or other ingredients you don't recognise or can't pronounce. This includes any E numbers.

1. Begin by peeling and chopping your carrots, and onion. Keep the carrots at a 3cm size while the onion 1cm cubes.
2. In a pan large enough to hold the soup add a little cooking oil, and the onions and carrots. Fry on a low heat for approximately 4-5min. If you choose to use sage, the chop into thin slivers and add to the last few minutes of frying the onions and carrots. 
3. Then add the rinsed lentils, stock cube and water. Bring to a boil and then turn down so it's simmering. 
4. Leave to simmer for 30minutes. Taste and add salt and pepper if you find necessary.  Then blend in a blender. 
5. If you have chosen another herb than sage, then chop it to a desirable size, and add this to the blended soup. And serve. 

A simple dinner or lunch with lots of goodness in it.

A play on Coleslaw

Here is a play on Coleslaw. Simple to make and full of healthy benefits such as:

- beta-carotene (antioxidant and related to improved vision)
- vitamin A (helps night vision, skin and immune system)
- vitamin C (antioxidant, needed for collagen production which keeps skin looking young)
- vitamin K (regulated bone mineralization and thus improves bone density)

I used purple cabbage because it has higher nutrient levels but green cabbage will taste just the same just look less colorful. 

Here's how to make it serves 2 large portions which could serve as side for 4 people:

1/3 purple cabbage
1 large or 2 medium carrots
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds (use the unhusked as they retain more nutrients)
1 tbsp toasted pumpkin seeds
1,5 tsp nigella seeds (black onion seeds)*

*optional in replacement of the nigella seeds, could be spring onion or red onion

Dressing:
1/2 tbsp diijon mustard
1/2 lemon juice
1 tbsp white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp tamari sauce
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil or any other cold pressed oil

1. Cut the cabbage into half and then a quarter. Use a madeline to finely slice the cabbage. If you don't have a madeline use a cheese slicer and carefully slice the cabbage over a leveled area (as if slicing cheese).
2. Peel and grate the carrot(s)
3. Make the dressing, mixing the dijon, vinegar and tamari first so as to dissolve them before adding the oil. 
4. Add the toasted seeds**
5. Add all the ingredients to a bowl, mixing in the dressing. 

**You can easily toast seeds in a pan on a low heat without any oil or greese until they begin to pop. You need to be watching and stiring them to get an even toast and avoid burning them)