All posts tagged: Christmas

IMG_3053 (4)

Warming Ginger and Turmeric Lentil Soup

Published by Carmen

Okay, I admit, I think I over stayed my holiday time away from here, but I’m back! And this time with more energy than ever to bring you lots of exciting new developments on The Pregnant Chef platform. I’m kicking things off by giving you a recipe to the most amazing soup ever. I don’t say that lightly, I can safely say that this is my favourite soup. I make it at least a few times a month as it’s super easy, quick, and really delicious. Pretty much all of my friends and family that have come over for lunch or dinner have had this soup, and it’s always a huge hit! So, naturally, I knew exactly what recipe to share first after this long ‘holiday’. A Perfect Winter Warmer This lentil soup is perfect for the cold season, as it has lots of warming spices like ginger, cinnamon, and turmeric to leave you feeling all warm and fuzzy inside, especially when it’s miserable weather outside. The lentils together with the coconut milk make a …

Christmasparty

Christmas Party Survival Guide during Pregnancy

Published by Carmen

Christmas parties are not quite the same when you’re pregnant. These usually revolve around wine and cocktails, soft cheeses, meats, pates and smoked fish, all wonderful delicacies that will leave you feeling left out, and wondering if there’s anything that you can eat or drink at the party. Not only that, but if your colleagues still don’t know you are pregnant, they may be pretty certain that you are by the end of the party if you’re having to avoid everything. So let’s start with what you can eat, so you can relax a little and find things that you know are safe: CHEESE All those hard cheeses such as cheddar, goat’s cheddar, gouda, gruyere, gloucester, halloumi, lancashire, manchego, parmesan, pecorino, leicester, jarlsberg, are all fine to eat. Soft cheeses including mozzarella, mascarpone, feta, cream cheese, ricotta, quark, goats cheese without rind, roulade, cottage cheese are all safe as well. Brie & camembert are not safe to eat uncooked, but oven baked until piping hot they are absolutely fine. So if you have a say …

img_0508-2

Rooibos & Cinnamon Poached Pears

Published by Carmen

As the weather turns cooler and the leaves start to turn a beautiful auburn colour, we also start to naturally gravitate towards warm, cooked and soulful meals. Our bodies are still very much in tune with the seasons, despite the supermarket isles tricking us into believing otherwise. That’s not to say we aren’t incredibly fortunate to have all of this produce available to us, but it also means we have lost touch with natures intuitive way of providing us with what we need, when we need it. Most of us are even unaware of what grows seasonally unless we have a veggie garden or go to farmers markets, and even so, I still see mangoes being sold in October in the markets in Holland! So, lets take cucumbers for example (but you could say the same for radishes, lettuce, celery, etc); these grow during the summer months and are about 96% water (the rest being nutrients & fiber). During the summer heat we sweat and loose a lot more water than during the winter, which …

belliniF

Virgin Bellini

Published by Carmen

With the festive season in full swing, along come the Christmas parties, wine, cocktails, mulled cider, and all the things you can’t have. But just because you’re pregnant it doesn’t mean you need to stay on boring old water or cordial all night. It’s time to explore the ‘mocktail/virgin’ part of the menu. You might be pleasantly surprised  to find that you may not be able to tell much difference! And who doesn’t love a bellini? Lightly sparkling, it’s refreshing and feels like a celebratory drink. Plus, if you haven’t told anyone that you are pregnant yet, they’ll never know your not drinking. Originally an Italian drink made with white peach and prosecco, I’ve stuck to the traditional peach puree, but substituted the alcoholic prosecco for sparkling grape juice. It is a perfect drink for those of you who love a glass of bubbly, or if you are suffering with heartburn as it’s not overly acidic as most other cocktails. You can always try different fruits instead of the peach of course, such as strawberry, …