The Cold Weather Method of Eating Your Veggies

There's no getting around it-- winter is here.  I was in Palm Desert and it was snowing.  SNOWING.  In the desert.  Insane.

It's, like, snowsuit cold.

So unless you're living somewhere that the temperatures never drop below balmy, you're probably looking for a way to warm up.  The good news is, ice cream's probably not on your menu right now.  The even better news is, exercise is a great way to keep warm.  And even more good news-- this is the best time of year to break out the slow cooker and make yourself some soup.

Soup is the ultimate healthy meal, in my humble opinion.  It's nourishing and warming and comforting, and it's a phenomenal way to put a ton of veggies into your diet, even if you don't usually like veggies.  The broth of the soup will generally hold onto the nutrients that cook out of the veggies, so you'll get much more nourishment (and flavor!) from soup than from some other methods of cooking them, and the best part is, it's easy enough for a complete novice to make.

Here my very basic recipe for making soup:

1)  put ingredients in slow cooker in the morning.
2) put slow cooker on "low" for 8 hours.
3) eat.


Possible ingredients:
-sweet potatoes
-celery
-turnips
-rutabagas
-carrots
-parsnips
-celery root
-fennel
-any dark, leafy green
-beans of any kind (if dry, soak overnight first)
-sprouted beans (often do not need soaking)
-sprouted brown rice or other sprouted whole grain
-sprouted pasta (Ezekiel makes a good one)
-quinoa
-garlic
-leeks
-onions
-veggie broth, either homemade or boxed (I like no-chicken broth by Imagine foods)
-diced tomatoes
-coconut milk

The possibilities are endless. 

This is a Jamaican-style bean curry I did not long ago: diced tomatoes, coconut milk, veggie broth, baby carrots, sweet potatoes, scallions, garlic, olive oil, adzuki beans, kidney beans, jamaican jerk seasoning, curry powder.

I'd be happy to post other very easy winter recipes if you're interested; just let me know.

What are some of your favorite healthy winter recipes?

Questions?  Comments?  Post 'em here!