i’m crazy about carrots. i love their textures, their shape, their color and pretty much everything about them. i love how they grow underground, remaining anonymous, only their green leafy parts exposing themselves. i love their crunchy sweetness when you bite into them. i love their wild and carefree appearance, orange roots with crazy green stems and leaves. if carrots were people they’d be sporting the most wild hairdos with a little bit of a rock and roll style.

i’m crazy about carrots. here’s why you should be crazy about them too.

• they’re rich in antioxidants including vitamin C and beta-carotene
• they’re loaded with nutrients and are particularly high in vitamin K
• they support cardiovascular health
• they play a role in good eye health
• they help protect against cancer
• they have anti-aging effects – the high level of beta-carotene help slow down the aging process
• they play a role in healthy glowing skin from the inside and outside. the high levels of Vitamin A prevents premature wrinkling, acne, dry skin, pigmentation, blemishes, and uneven skin tone.
• they help cleanse the body. Vitamin A assists the liver in flushing out toxins.
• they’re high in fiber which supports healthy digestion

i don’t know about you but when the time changes and the clock falls back it always takes a bit for my body and my mind to settle in to the new routine. shorter days, dark at 5:00…less sunshine in the day. i usually go through a couple of weeks where i’m tired earlier and want to be in my pajamas and under a cozy blanket by the time the sun goes down. it tends to take more conscious energy and effort around this time of year to do my daily practice, spend time outside, meditate and nurture myself. there’s nothing more nurturing than filling my belly with a nutritious bowl of warm soup. i love the crunchy texture of uncooked carrots but there’s something about cooking up a warm and creamy carrot soup when it’s cool outside that makes my heart smile. you didn’t know your heart could smile? it can…give it a try.

carrots are the freshest and most flavorful in the fall months. what better time to cook up this soothing, nurturing and healing recipe?

here’s how the recipe goes

roasted carrot and ginger coconut soup

ingredients:

1 pound organic carrots (washed and un-peeled)

1/4 of an onion

fresh organic ginger root

2-3 small peeled garlic cloves

2 cups light organic coconut milk

2 cups water

olive oil

himalayan sea salt

wash the carrots thoroughly and slice the onion into rings. you know onions are crazy healthy right? they’re the member in the band that just make you burst out crying when they walk on stage. must be all those health benefits.

i cry over onions. here’s why you should cry over them too.

• natural anti-inflammatory
• support cardiovascular health
• support healthy bones and connective tissue
• help prevent cancer
• thought to balance blood sugar levels

then comes ginger. ginger and carrots roll together because they both have that funky, rooty, rock and roll air about them. ginger is like the superstar of roots. every other root wants to know it, be with it and share in it’s spicy and powerful essence. i’m like a ginger groupie. i have to have it every day in fresh or powdered form. you can read more about how i get my ginger powder fix on the daily here. it’s a perfect match for my dosha, you might have read about that here. it adds the most delicious flavor to any dish and is loaded with health benefits. i’m mad about ginger.

here’s why you should be mad about ginger too

• natural anti-inflammatory, soothes joint pain, relieves muscle aches and brings inflammation down
• aides in digestion. ginger fires up the digestive system and also helps to soothe a stomach ache, nausea and cramping
• improves the absorption and assimilation of essential nutrients in the body
• it clears the ‘microcirculatory channels’ of the body, including the sinuses
• helps relieve symptoms of colds, particularly congestion
• immune boosting
• helps protect against certain types of cancer

peel a medium size piece of ginger and slice into thin slices (approximately 10 thin slices).

put carrots, onions and sliced ginger in a roasting pan, add olive oil and mix thoroughly with hands. my teacher aadil reminded me of this. he has many more words of wisdom in his beautiful book. i know i mentioned it here. be present. prepare your food with love. play music in the background that lifts your spirits and brings you joy. dance to some good ol’ rock n roll while cooking. sing out loud. why is it that at a certain time in our lives we stop singing out loud? go back to the days when you were a child without all those inhibitions and fear of what others would think of you. let your spirit shine. let yourself be free. the energy and love you put into cooking is the energy and love that will come out in your dish.

add 2-3 small peeled garlic cloves. i swoon over garlic. i’m pretty sure i mentioned that here. add all of these rock stars together and you have a rock-n-roll band starring carrots, ginger, onions and garlic.

bake in oven for approximately 45 minutes or until carrots are thoroughly cooked through.

the aroma of these rock stars baking in the oven will have you salivating and dreaming about their debut.

once the carrots are thoroughly cooked, add them to a blender or food processor with 2 cups of warm coconut milk and 2 cups of hot water. blend until smooth and creamy. add pink himalayan sea salt to desired taste. i tend to like my soup a tad thicker and heartier. add a bit more warm coconut milk or hot water to the blender to thin soup as desired.

add a dalup or spoon full of organic yogurt to the soup and swirl around.

eat. enjoy. savor every delicious bite. feel the warmth of the soup in your belly. nurture yourself. dance to some rock n roll. let your inner rock star shine. sing out loud. let go a little. be you. you rock!

much love, Shawnee