Get Healthy with Tina

Embrace the season in the kitchen, eat fresh fruit in season, kiwi fruit, citrus, persimissons all high in vitamin c, to support your immune system. In season vegetables, brassicas vegetables, pumpkin and kumara loaded with beta carotene to support a healthy immune system. I love to make soup in the winter, spicy pumpkin soup, tomato and lentil soup, kumara and blue cheese, curried parsnip soup, dahl, I am always keen to give them a try. My kids love fruit at this time of year, Mandarins natures little sweeties, kiwifruit go good in smoothies, I don’t have much ideas for persimmons, but I only buy vegetables grown in NZ which are in season. If you are buying a peach at this time of year it is coming from USA, probably extensively sprayed and the air miles, I don’t waste my money. Here is my favourtie soup recipe this season. Great news Lemons are coming in season I have a whole tree full, yeah to hot lemon and honey drinks .

Curried parsnip soup

3 parsnips peeled and finely chopped

1 onion peeled and chopped

1 T olive oil or coconut oil

1 T mild curry powder

1 Lt of vegetable stock

½ can of coconut milk or 200mls

Pepper for seasoning

2 parsnips grated

Heat a saucepan to medium and put in the parsnips, onions, oil and curry powder. Cook stirring for 5-10 minutes until soft, do not brown. Add the stock and season with pepper, bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Blend till smooth, and add coconut milk. Add in grated parsnip and cook for a further 8 minutes. Serve with some chopped parsley and fresh wholegrain bread.