Foil the flu: Chicken soup
Knock sniffles out cold. Chicken contains zinc, a mineral that can reduce the symptoms and duration of a cold. Carrots contain beta-carotene that help fight off infections; the onion and garlic are potent antivirals and cayenne pepper acts as a decongestant. Who needs Codral?

1.5L low-salt chicken stock
1 onion, chopped
2 tsp grated ginger
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
200g mushrooms, sliced
2 carrots, grated
500g skinless chicken breast, thinly sliced
1 head broccoli, chopped
2 shallots, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

How to

• Combine the first 7 ingredients in a large pan.
• Cover and simmer over a low heat for about 10 minutes, or until the chicken has cooked.
• Add the broccoli and shallots and simmer for another 2 to 3 minutes.
• Season with cayenne before serving.

Serves 6. Cooking time: 15 mins

Lift libido: Minestrone with pumpkin seed pesto
Pumpkin seeds contain zinc, which can help heighten female sexual
desire. Avocado helps to increase both female and male libido, as it
contains high levels of folic acid (which ups sexual energy levels), as
well as vitamin B6 (which improves male hormone production). Basil
is a rich source of magnesium, which helps blood vessels relax and
boosts circulation, which means more blood flows to sex organs.

1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 stick celery, sliced
2 carrots, grated
2 zucchinis, sliced
1 cup peas
150g green beans, chopped
½ cup basil, chopped
½ cup parsley, chopped
1.2L chicken or vegetable stock
400g tin cannellini beans, drained

How to

• Saute onion, garlic,celery and carrots for 5 minutes in 1 tbs olive oil until golden. Add all other ingredients.
• Simmer for another 5 minutes.
• Serve with a spoonful of pesto (see method
• below) on the side.

Pesto
1 avocado, peeled and stoned
2 garlic cloves, crushed
Juice from 1 lemon
1/2 cup basil, roughly chopped
120g pumpkin seeds
1 tsp honey
Black pepper, to season

Combine all ingredients in a food processor until smooth.

 

Pig out healthily: Chunky vegetable minestrone
Pared back your fitness regime on June 1? No worries. This is a very simple but soup-er healthy broth with lots of vegies, fibre and protein to give your body the nutrients it needs when trying to lose the extra body fat that can creep on during the chilly months. It?ll also fill you up ? big time.

1 onion, diced
1 leek, sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
2 large carrots, diced
1 red capsicum, diced
1 yellow capsicum, diced
400g tin crushed tomatoes
400g tin cannellini beans, drained
80g peas (frozen is fine)
1L low-salt vegetable stock or water
Black pepper, to season
1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

Cook onion, leek and garlic in a large saucepan with a little water until soft.
Add celery, carrot and capsicum and cook for a few minutes.
Add the tomato, beans, peas and stock. Simmer over a gentle heat for 15 minutes until vegetables are tender.
Season with pepper.Fold through the parsley just before serving.

 

Cure dry skin: Salmon & mushroom soup
Winter wreaks havoc on skin, but you can combat dryness from the inside out. The vegies in this soup contain vitamins A and C ? essential for maintaining healthy, soft, smooth skin. Vitamin C, when combined with zinc (in the salmon), will also help the body produce collagen to keep
skin smooth. Speaking of, salmon also contains vitamin E and omega-3 fatty acids, which help slow premature cellular ageing. And the more liquid in your diet, the better your skin will be ? so, yep, soups really rock. How to

1.5L low-salt chicken stock
1 stick lemon grass, finely chopped
(white part only)
300g mushrooms (any type), quartered
1 red chilli, sliced
1 head of broccoli, chopped
500g salmon fillet, sliced into chunks
2 shallots, sliced
1/2 cup coriander leaves
Juice from 1 lime
4 handfuls baby spinach leaves

Put the first 5 ingredients into a large pan and cook over a low heat for 5 to 10 minutes.
Add the salmon and shallots and simmer for 2 more minutes until the salmon is just cooked. Fold in the coriander, baby spinach and lime juice just before serving.