Sarah Di Lorenzo shares her delicious winter soups to warm you up from the inside
And on Tuesday, she showcased a number of winter soups.
Today, Sarah will be showcased three soups:
Lasagne soup – this is a viral trend at the moment, it's basically all the elements of lasagne in a hearty meat soup with pasta in it (Sarah will use rice & corn pasta as a health substitute).
Greek meatball soup.
Mediterranean fish soup.
Recipe below:
LASAGNA SOUP WITH A TWIST
Serves 6
750 grams of beef mince
1 onion, diced
6 cloves of garlic, minced
2 teaspoons of dried thyme
2 teaspoons of dried basil
Pepper and salt
1 litre of beef stock
750 grams of pasta sauce
1 cup of mozzarella cheese
225 grams of wholemeal lasagne sheets uncooked and broken (or corn and rice lasagne sheets)
1/2 cup of shaved parmesan cheese
Method
Cook the beef in a casserole dish, once browned add the garlic, herbs, salt, pepper, onion and cook for another couple of minutes.
Add the pasta sauce and cook for another 5 minutes. Next add the beef stock.
Stir in the lasagna pasta sheets and cook until al-dente which is around 15 minutes more.
Serve with a mix of mozzarella and parmesan.
Serves 6–8
Ingredients Method
Broth
8 cups water3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1⁄2 teaspoon sea salt
Meatballs
500 grams beef mince1 cup uncooked brown rice1 large onion, grated1 egg1⁄2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley 1⁄2 cup chopped fresh mintsalt and pepper1⁄4 cup olive oil
Avgolemono
2 eggs2 large lemons, juiced
freshly squeezed lemon juice, cracked pepper and sourdough, to serve
1. For the broth, put all the ingredients in a large soup pot and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes.
2. For the meatballs, combine all the ingredients and mix together well. Roll spoonfuls of mixture about the size of an apricot intolittle meatballs in the palm of your hand. Be sure to roll them tight so they don't break apart during cooking. You should get about 40 from the mixture.
3. Transfer the meatballs to the simmering broth and cook for about 30 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, make the avgolemono. Separate the eggs, placing the whites in a mixing bowl and the yolks in another bowl. Whisk the whites until fluffy. Then add the yolks and lemon juice, whisking until incorporated.
5. When the meatballs are cooked, take some broth from the meatballs and slowly whisk into your egg mixture, and repeat one more time. Add this mixture back into the soup and stir through, it will look foamy. Turn off the heat and let the soup sit for about 15 minutes until it reaches a thick consistency.
MEDITERRANEAN FISH SOUP
Serves 6
As a young girl, I remember eating my first lobster tail and thinking it was the best thing ever. There's also something sensational about a good fish soup. Fish has many health benefits – it's a great source of protein, good fats, zinc, iodine and iron. Try to have three serves of fish a week to reap all those wonderful health benefits.
Ingredients
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chilli flakes
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
salt and pepper
750 grams white fish fillets, cut into mouth-sized pieces
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 red onion
1 capsicum
2 celery stalks
5 cloves garlic, crushed
1 x 400-gram can crushed tomatoes
1 litre chicken stock
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
juice of 1 lemon
2 spring onions, chopped
1 cup chopped fresh coriander
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
Method
Put all the spices in a bowl. Season the fish with salt and pepper then coat in the spice mixture.
Heat the olive oil in a soup pot and add the onions, capsicum, celery and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes before adding any remaining spice mixture.
Add the tomatoes, chicken stock and vinegar to the pot and cook for 20 minutes on a simmer. Add the fish at the 15-minute mark and cook for the last 5 minutes.
When ready to serve, stir in the lemon juice, spring onions and fresh herbs.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
West Australian
2 days ago
- West Australian
Cardiologist tips: 10 science-based ways to prevent heart disease and heart attacks from Dr Eric Topol
The buildup of cholesterol and other substances in the wall of our arteries, known as atherosclerosis, is common. It can lead to severe plaques that narrow the artery and limit blood flow, or to a crack in the artery wall that can trigger blood clot formation, resulting in a heart attack. While we've seen some major advances in treating heart disease, it remains the leading killer in the United States even though about 80 percent of cases are considered preventable. There are evidence-based steps you can take to stave it off. As a cardiologist, here's what I recommend to my patients. - - - This is considered the single most effective medical intervention to protect against atherosclerosis and promote healthy ageing. Physical activity lowers inflammation in the body. Evidence has shown that both aerobic and strength training forms of exercise are important. But only 1 in 4 Americans meet the two activity guidelines from the American Heart Association: aerobic exercise of 150 minutes per week of at least moderate physical activity, such as walking, bicycling on level ground, dancing or gardening, and strength training for at least two sessions per week, which typically translates to 60 minutes weekly. The protective benefit of exercise is seen with even relatively low levels of activity, such as around 2,500 steps per day (via sustained physical activity, not starting and stopping), and generally increases proportionately with more activity. It used to be thought that people who exercise only on the weekend - known as 'weekend warriors' - put themselves in danger, but recent data shows the benefits of exercise can be derived from weekend-only workouts, too. - - - A predominantly plant-based diet - high in fibre and rich in vegetables, fruits and whole grains, as seen with the Mediterranean diet - has considerable evidence from large-scale observational and randomised trials for reducing body-wide inflammation and improving cardiovascular outcomes. Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, also form part of a diet that suppresses inflammation. On the other hand, red meat and ultra-processed foods are pro-inflammatory, and you should limit your consumption. High protein intake of more than 1.4 grams per kilogram of body weight per day - around 95 grams for someone who is 150 pounds - has also been linked to promoting inflammation and to atherosclerosis in experimental models. That is particularly related to animal-based proteins and the role of leucine, an essential amino acid that is obtained only by diet. - - - Being overweight or obese indicates an excess of white adipose tissue. This kind of tissue can increase the risk of heart disease because it stores fat cells, known as adipocytes, which release substances that contribute to inflammation. In studies, we've seen that glucagon-like peptide (GLP-1) drugs can reduce inflammation with weight loss, and a significant reduction of heart attacks and strokes among high-risk patients treated for obesity. Lean body weight also helps protect against atrial fibrillation, the most common heart rhythm abnormality. - - - Tied into obesity, in part, is the problem of insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome. Two out of three people with obesity have this syndrome, which is defined as having three out of five features: high fasting blood glucose, high fasting triglycerides, high blood pressure, low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and central adiposity (waist circumference of more than 40 inches in men, 35 inches in women). Metabolic syndrome is also present in a high proportion of people without obesity, about 50 million Americans. Prediabetes often overlaps with it. Prediabetes is defined as a hemoglobin A1c (a measure of how much glucose is stuck to your red blood cells) between 5.7 and 6.4 percent, or a fasting glucose between 100 and 125 milligrams per deciliter. Both metabolic syndrome and prediabetes carry an increased risk of heart disease and can be prevented - and countered - by weight loss, exercise and an optimal diet. As the glucagon-like peptide drug family moves to pills and less expense in the future, these medications may prove helpful for reducing risk in people with metabolic syndrome and prediabetes. For those with Type 2 diabetes, the goal is optimising glucose management and maximal attention to lifestyle factors. - - - Hypertension is an important risk factor for heart disease and is exceptionally common as we age. The optimal blood pressure is 120/80 mm Hg or lower. But with ageing, there is often an elevation of systolic blood pressure to about 130 mm Hg, related to stiffening of arteries. While common, it is still considered elevated. Ideally, everyone should monitor their blood pressure with a home device to make sure they haven't developed hypertension. A mild abnormality of blood pressure will typically improve with lifestyle changes, but more substantial elevations will probably require medications. - - - We now have the means of determining your genetic risk of coronary artery disease with what is known as a polygenic risk score, derived from a gene chip. The term polygenic refers to hundreds of DNA variants in the genome that are linked to risk of heart disease. This is very different from a family history, because we're a product of both our mother's and father's genomes, and the way the DNA variants come together in each of us can vary considerably for combinations of variants. That means you could have high or low risk for heart disease that is different from your familial pattern. People with a high polygenic risk score benefit the most from medications to lower cholesterol, such as statins. A polygenic risk score can be obtained from a number of commercial companies, though it isn't typically covered by insurance. I don't recommend getting a calcium score of your coronary arteries via a computed tomography (CT) scan. This test is overused and often induces overwhelming anxiety in patients with a high calcium score but without symptoms or bona fide risk. If you have symptoms suggestive of coronary artery disease, such as chest discomfort with exercise, then a CT angiogram may be helpful to map the coronary arteries. It is much more informative than a calcium score. - - - The main lipid abnormality that requires attention is low-density cholesterol (LDL), which is often high and for people with increased risk of heart disease should certainly be addressed. While lifestyle improvements can help, significant elevation typically requires medications such as a statin; ezetimibe; bempedoic acid; or injectables such as evolocumab (Repatha), alirocumab (Praluent) or inclisiran (Leqvio). The higher the risk, the more aggressive LDL lowering may be considered. It should be noted that the use of potent statins, such as rosuvastatin or atorvastatin, especially at high doses, is linked to inducing glucose intolerance and risk of Type 2 diabetes. While this is not a common side effect, it requires attention since it is often missed from lack of awareness. A low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol often responds to weight loss and exercise. We used to think that high HDL was indicative of 'good cholesterol,' but more recent evidence suggests that is not the case and it may reflect increased risk when very high. To get a comprehensive assessment of risk via your blood lipids, it's important to get the apolipoprotein B (apoB) test at least once because about 20 percent of people have normal LDL and a high apoB. Like low HDL, high fasting triglycerides may indicate insulin resistance as part of the metabolic syndrome and will often respond to lifestyle factors. The lipoprotein known as Lp(a) should also be assessed at least once because it indicates risk when elevated. The good news is scientists are on the cusp of finally having medications to lower it, with five different drugs in late-stage clinical trials. - - - In recent years, we've learned a lot about the substantial pro-inflammatory effects of air pollution, microplastics and forever chemicals, all of which have been linked to a higher risk of heart disease. In one study, microplastics or nanoplastics in the artery wall were found in about 60 percent of more than 300 people. Researchers found a vicious inflammatory response around the plastics, and a four- to five-fold risk of heart attacks or strokes during three years of follow-up. While we need policy changes to address these toxic substances in the environment, risk can be reduced by paying attention to air and water quality using filtration or purification devices, less use of plastic water bottles and plastic storage, and, in general, being much more aware and wary of our pervasive use of plastics. - - - By this point, it should be well known that cigarette smoking is a potent risk factor for coronary artery disease and should be completely avoided. - - - Although we tend to connect sleep health with brain and cognitive function, there's evidence that sleep regularity and quality are associated with less risk of heart disease. Regularity means adhering to a routine schedule as much as possible, and its benefit may be due to our body's preference for maintaining its circadian rhythm. Sleep quality - meaning with fewer interruptions - and maximal deep sleep can be tracked with smartwatches, fitness bands, rings or mattress sensors. Sleep apnea, when breathing stops and starts during sleep, is fairly common and often unsuspected. So if you're having trouble sleeping or you snore loudly, talk to your doctor about ruling out the condition. Testing for sleep apnea can involve checking for good oxygen saturation throughout one's sleep. That can be done through a sleep study or at home using rings or smartwatches that include oxygen saturation in their sensors and body movement algorithms that pick up disturbed breathing. - - - Eric Topol, MD, is a cardiologist, professor and executive vice president of Scripps Research in San Diego. He is the author of 'Super Agers: An Evidence-Based Approach to Longevity' and the author of Ground Truths on Substack. Special to The Washington Post
The Age
3 days ago
- The Age
French fries that work like Ozempic: The push to make medicine you can eat
'It's about 100 or so times more potent than gabapentin, which is the clinically used drug for neuropathic pain,' Craik, from UQ's Institute for Molecular Bioscience, said. His team then genetically tweaked mustard plants to produce the venom-derived cyclotide. 'Those seeds are tiny, the size of a pinhead, so they're never going to be enough to be therapeutic. But we'd be interested in putting it into something bigger … peanuts or chickpeas.' Craik's team has also crafted cherry tomatoes that contain a cyclopeptide going through clinical trials in Sweden as an experimental treatment for multiple sclerosis symptoms. It's very hard for a new drug to make it through the clinical trial process, and many promising candidates falter. But if the peptide proves effective, Craik can imagine people with multiple sclerosis eating a Greek salad or sipping a Bloody Mary made with the tomatoes and feeling their symptoms ease. The ARC grant and partnership will also explore a cholesterol-reducing drug that could be spliced into vegetables, as well as a peptide that targets an appetite receptor and induces fullness. Craik said it could serve as an alternative to Ozempic. Loading 'My dream would be to put that into potatoes so that you could have your McDonald's French fries and not worry about obesity.' These products, at this stage, are hypothetical. One of the research goals is to have a food product ready for trials by the end of the three-year grant. It's also unclear which regulatory jurisdiction the products would fall under. Whether they're considered nutraceuticals, medicines, or genetically modified foods will dictate which bodies need to be involved before they're grown and sold commercially, such as the Office of the Gene Technology Regulator. 'We're hoping, to start with, that they will fall under a nutraceutical, where it's a very light dose, and you'd have to eat tonnes of product to get anywhere dangerous,' said Phyllome chief executive Sebastien Eckersley-Maslin. Phyllome grows packaged vegetables such as spinach and rocket in automated 'plant factories'. Robots whizz around the indoor vertical farm in inner Sydney's Alexandria and take a photo of plants every hour, analysing the crops with AI, and harvest them when they're ready. 'In essence, our entire farm here has zero human interaction, from sowing through to picking bags off the back of a packager,' Eckersley-Maslin said. 'Everything in the middle is automated by robots.' The partnership will first focus on growing peptides aimed at pain relief, cholesterol management and appetite suppression in the native tobacco plant Nicotiana benthamiana. The tobacco plants can't be eaten, but work as natural 'bio-factories' to produce the target peptides, which can be extracted from the plant's leaves. Loading The plants were discovered near Wolf Creek in Western Australia, of Hollywood horror fame, and proved useful because they have weak immune systems, which makes it easier to insert the genes that code for the production of cyclotides. The next stage of the research will work on making the same genetic tweaks in plants that produce food. Said Craik: 'It's sort of, if you like, going back 3000 years to Hippocrates, who said, 'Let food be thy medicine'.'
Sydney Morning Herald
3 days ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
French fries that work like Ozempic: The push to make medicine you can eat
'It's about 100 or so times more potent than gabapentin, which is the clinically used drug for neuropathic pain,' Craik, from UQ's Institute for Molecular Bioscience, said. His team then genetically tweaked mustard plants to produce the venom-derived cyclotide. 'Those seeds are tiny, the size of a pinhead, so they're never going to be enough to be therapeutic. But we'd be interested in putting it into something bigger … peanuts or chickpeas.' Craik's team has also crafted cherry tomatoes that contain a cyclopeptide going through clinical trials in Sweden as an experimental treatment for multiple sclerosis symptoms. It's very hard for a new drug to make it through the clinical trial process, and many promising candidates falter. But if the peptide proves effective, Craik can imagine people with multiple sclerosis eating a Greek salad or sipping a Bloody Mary made with the tomatoes and feeling their symptoms ease. The ARC grant and partnership will also explore a cholesterol-reducing drug that could be spliced into vegetables, as well as a peptide that targets an appetite receptor and induces fullness. Craik said it could serve as an alternative to Ozempic. Loading 'My dream would be to put that into potatoes so that you could have your McDonald's French fries and not worry about obesity.' These products, at this stage, are hypothetical. One of the research goals is to have a food product ready for trials by the end of the three-year grant. It's also unclear which regulatory jurisdiction the products would fall under. Whether they're considered nutraceuticals, medicines, or genetically modified foods will dictate which bodies need to be involved before they're grown and sold commercially, such as the Office of the Gene Technology Regulator. 'We're hoping, to start with, that they will fall under a nutraceutical, where it's a very light dose, and you'd have to eat tonnes of product to get anywhere dangerous,' said Phyllome chief executive Sebastien Eckersley-Maslin. Phyllome grows packaged vegetables such as spinach and rocket in automated 'plant factories'. Robots whizz around the indoor vertical farm in inner Sydney's Alexandria and take a photo of plants every hour, analysing the crops with AI, and harvest them when they're ready. 'In essence, our entire farm here has zero human interaction, from sowing through to picking bags off the back of a packager,' Eckersley-Maslin said. 'Everything in the middle is automated by robots.' The partnership will first focus on growing peptides aimed at pain relief, cholesterol management and appetite suppression in the native tobacco plant Nicotiana benthamiana. The tobacco plants can't be eaten, but work as natural 'bio-factories' to produce the target peptides, which can be extracted from the plant's leaves. Loading The plants were discovered near Wolf Creek in Western Australia, of Hollywood horror fame, and proved useful because they have weak immune systems, which makes it easier to insert the genes that code for the production of cyclotides. The next stage of the research will work on making the same genetic tweaks in plants that produce food. Said Craik: 'It's sort of, if you like, going back 3000 years to Hippocrates, who said, 'Let food be thy medicine'.'
