As we continue with these declining winter temperatures, it’s important to fuel our bodies with nourishing food to boost our immune systems. Whilst you can’t beat a good old Pumpkin Soup, why not use this time of ‘hibernation’ to experiment with other recipes that will leave you feeling good too. With that being said it’s my pleasure to have holistic lifestyle coach Jordanna Levin on the Boody Blog today, to share three of her nourishing winter warming recipes.

Jordanna Levin, creator of The Inspired Table, is a holistic lifestyle coach whose focus is to heal people’s ‘complicated’ relationship with food. She believes food should inspire and nourish, not be a source of stress and anxiety. Through her coaching programs, cooking workshops, inspiring speaking gigs, podcast series, and popular food blog she’s rewriting decades worth of misleading messaging and creating a new movement of mindful and inspired eating.

Here are some of Jordanna’s top recipes...

The Best Vegetarian "Bolognese"

Vegetarian Bolognese by Jordanna Levin, The Inspired Table

The secret is in the bountiful array of vegetables, especially the grated pumpkin. It’s my secret weapon for sweetening up sauces.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 brown onion, finely chopped
• 3 stalks celery, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, finely chopped
• 8-10 button mushrooms, sliced
• 300g pumpkin, peeled & grated
• 1 clove garlic, peeled & crushed
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• generous splash of red wine
• 1 can of cherry tomatoes
• 1 BPA-free can of organic lentils, drained & rinsed
• 1/2 cup basil, finely chopped

Method

1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery and carrot and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until soft. Add the mushrooms and pumpkin and cook for 3 minutes or until soft. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant.
2. Stir through the tomato paste and red wine and bring to the boil. Add the cherry tomatoes and lentils and reduce the heat to low, stir through the basil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover with a lid and gently simmer for 15-20 minutes to let the flavours develop. Add a little water if the sauce is reducing too fast.
3. Serve with zucchini noodles, aka zoodles, your favourite pasta or I love it on some sprouted rye toast with a generous sprinkle of grated parmesan and cracked black pepper. YUM!

Chicken & Vegetable Soup for the Soul 

Chicken & Vegetable Soup by Jordanna Levin, The Inspired Table

Ingredients

• 6-8 organic chicken drumsticks
• 3 litres of water
• splash of apple cider vinegar
• celery stalk ends (you can throw the leaves in too)
• 1 teaspoon peppercorns
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 leek, finely sliced
• 1 carrot, finely diced
• 2 celery stalks, finely diced
• 400g pumpkin, skin removed finely diced
• 1/2 head cauliflower, cut into small florets
• 1 zucchini, finely diced
• 1 cob corn, husked & kernels removed
• 150g greens beans, cut into 2cm lengths
• coriander, to garnish

Method

1. Place the drumsticks in a large saucepan or slow cooker over a high heat. Add the water, vinegar, celery stalk ends and peppercorns. The celery in just for flavour. If cooking in a saucepan bring to the boil and then reduce to a gentle simmer and cook covered for 3 hours. If cooking in slow cooker cook on high for 3 hours or low for 6 hours.
2. Remove drumsticks from the liquid. Discard the skin and then shred the flesh off the bones and discard the bones. Set aside.
3. Drain the stock through a strainer discarding the celery and peppercorns.
4. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium-high heat. Add the leek, carrot and celery and cook stirring for 3 minutes. Cover with a lid, reduce the temperature to medium and sweat vegetables for a further 2 minutes. Add the pumpkin, cauliflower and zucchini and stir to distribute evenly. Replace the lid and sweat for a further 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock and bring to the boil. Reduce to a medium-low heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Add the corn and beans and cook for a further 2 minutes or until tender.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Divide soup between bowls and garnish with fresh coriander leaves. 

Healthy Banana, Cacao & Beetroot Muffins

Healthy Banana, Cacao & Beetroot Muffins by Jordanna Levin, The Inspired Table

Cacao and Beetroot are the best of buddies, - beetroot is low in fat, full of vitamins and minerals and packed with powerful antioxidants and cacao is a guilt-free treat that boasts antioxidants and magnesium.

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups spelt flour
• ½ cup cacao powder
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate soda
• 1 teaspoon vanilla powder
• 2 tablespoons cacao nibs
• pinch of salt
• 3 medium overripe bananas, peeled & mashed
• ½ cup coconut milk
• ⅓ cup coconut oil
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 medium beetroot, washed & grated

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced. Line a muffin tray with baking paper or patty cases.
2. In a large bowl combine the flour, cacao, baking powder, bicarbonate soda, vanilla, cacao nibs and salt.
3. In a separate bowl combine the mashed banana, milk, oil and maple syrup. Stir through the beetroot.
4. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined. Don’t over mix or your muffins will become rubbery.
5. Spoon the muffin mixture into the prepared muffin tin.
6. Cook in the oven for 30-35 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
7. Cool for at least 10 minutes. You can store muffins in an airtight container for up to 1 week. 

“Let food be the medicine and medicine be thy food.” - Hippocrates