Food that’s bursting with exciting and unusual flavours, is fresh and healthy, and is served up against the dramatic backdrop of an imposing Mayfair residence? Step into my new love affair – Coya! Having recently digested ‘The Art of Peruvian Cuisine‘, a prestigious cook book gifted to me by a wonderful client, I felt inspired to investigate THE Peruvian joint in London, before attempting my own [easier] healthy recipe from Lima. This post features my Ceviche & Quinoa dish, along with my mini-review of Coya,below…
This is not just a recipe for soup, it’s a way to trick your metabolism. My Winter Lentil Soup is one of my favourites, and one which is super-quick to make (10 min max – recipe below). It has all of the key nutritional values you’d look for (protein rich thanks to the lentils, plenty of dietary fibre and vitamin-B too), but healthy shouldn’t mean tasteless, so what better way to improve a soup’s flavour than with some fresh chili. I’m frozen on these cold winter days but eating spicy foods can make you feel warm and cosy (and occasionally give you a comically red face!) – in chili this is because of the chemical called ‘capsaicin’, which gives it the heat and potency, and also stimulates a natural process where other food you eat is converted immediately to heat. This process is called thermogenesis, meaning you burn up calories immediately rather than storing them.
So, spicing up a meal with chili significantly increases the pace of thermogenesis. More good news – it often boosts the amount of fat, rather than carbohydrate, that is burned in the process, AND it can reduce appetite. So it’s a natural dieting agent that tastes good! A few more foods that can do the same, you ask? Ginger, mustard, green tea, coconut oil and coffee. Click ‘more’ to see my yummy recipe…
