Lentil Kale Soup

What's better on a cold day then a warm bowl of homemade soup? Especially when you have a cold and cough after the flu?

For lunchtime I put together this yummy easy soup that's ready in about 30-35 minutes.No need for hours and hours of stewing. Oh and completely vegan! 

Ingredients:

• 1/4 of an onion
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1 carrot
• 1 celery
• 1L of vegetable stock
• 3/4 cup red lentils
• handful of kale (or spinach would work)
• spices of choice. I used tumeric, coriander seed and cumin. I also used a pinch of Asafoetida, which is commonly used in Indian dishes to add flavour and is a digestive aid. If you don't care if this is vegan you can used chicken or beef stock and you would get some of the flavour missing when using vegetable stock. 

Directions:

1. Heat the pot with the olive oil at the bottom. 
2. Add the diced onions, garlic, celery and carrot. Cook until a little soft and the onions are a bit translucent. 
3. Add the stock and lentils and spices you have chosen.
4. Cook for about 20-25 minutes until the lentils are soft.
5. Add the kale/spinach in the last 5 minutes. Tip, chop them into smaller pieces, making it easier when eating. 
6. Serve and enjoy. 

What's some of your favourite things to throw in your soup?

Love, 

Jen The Bitchin' Housewife

Apple Pie Protein Pancakes

I have a beautiful apple tree in my backyard that produces more apples then anyone knows what to do with. I have many people come each year and pick to their hearts content, baked apple pies and make sauce till I cant anymore and there is still tons. So now it's September and time to pick apples and make apple everything. The applesauce in this recipe I made myself even! Hello fall! There is a bit of work required for these pancakes, so maybe more of a Sunday mornings thing.

What you need

Pancakes:

• 1/3 cup oats
• 1/2 scoop vanilla protein
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• stevia to taste, I used one packet of Truvia
• 1/2 cup egg whites (4 egg whites)
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• tsp vanilla
• 1/2 apple (50 grams), shredded

Topping:

• 1/3 cup greek yogurt
• tbsp almond milk
• tsp coconut oil
• vanilla stevia
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 (25 grams) of apple sliced thinly

Directions

1. Put oats in a food processor and pulse until a flour consistency. I borrowed my sisters Blendtech this week and just mixed the oats with the other ingredients and blended, but if you don't have a high powered blender grind the oats separately.
2. Mix all the pancake ingredients together, folding in the shredded apple at the end.
3. Cook pancakes on medium heat in a non stick pan.
4. Mix greek yogurt, almond milk and vanilla stevia together.
5. Heat coconut oil in a pan and put cinnamon coated sliced apples in.
6. Cook apples until soft and browning and caramelizing.
7. Top pancakes with yogurt mix. I like stacking with a bit between each.
8. Top with sliced apples and enjoy!

Macros: Calories 393, Fat 8g, Carbohydrates 42g, Protein 38g, Fiber 8g

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Protein Pumpkin Pie Pancakes

Protein Pumpkin Pie Pancakes, say that 3 times fast! Let me welcome September 1st with Pumpkin! Days of leaves turning, children heading to school and warm and delicious fall foods. I've never been one to go crazy for the pumpkin spiced latte like some, but pumpkin everything else, bring it on!!! These protein pancakes also have NO protein powder. I realize some people don't use it/have it, so I tried making this without.

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Here is what you need:

• 2 tbsp cocoa (10g)
• 1/2 cup oats
• 1/4  tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• stevia to taste. liquid or powder, a little goes a long way.
• 1/4 cup puree pumpkin. Not pie filling!
• 1/2 cup egg whites (4 egg whites)
• 1/4 cup almond milk, plus a splash more for the topping
• 1/4 cup 0% greek yogurt
• 1/2 tsp lemon juice

The mixin':

1. Put oats in food processor or blender until a flour like consistency. (Tip: I like to blend a bunch at a time and keep in a jar)
2. Mix oats, cocoa, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg.
3. In a separate bowl mix stevia, pumpkin, egg whites, 1/4 cup almond milk and lemon juice.
4. Heat non stick pan to medium.
5. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients.
6. Put mixture in pan. The batter is a little thicker and will need to be spread by the spoon, or add more milk to make it runnier.
7. Flip when starts to bubble.
8. In a small dish mix greek yogurt, stevia and dash of almond milk. Heat in the microwave for a few seconds (tip I got from one of coaches recipes!)
9. Put topping on pancakes and enjoy!

Makes 4-5 pancakes.

Macros for entire recipe: Calories 299, Fat 4g, Carbohydrates 34g, Protein 27g, Fiber 10g!!

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