Wow—my first official blog post is here…in the midst of a worldwide pandemic! No wonder I had time to cook up the tasty soup pictured here. 

Food and relationships—they go together like bread and butter. The epiphany came to me several years ago, after parting ways with my ex. I found myself hungry, starving actually. But it wasn’t for food; when I sat with the sensation of desire, I discovered that I was desperate for connection. 

Suddenly, a flood of food references percolated (see what I mean?? Coffee anyone?) in my head:

Boy I’m in a pickle!

              I’m craving a sweetness I don’t know how to find.

             I’m ravenous…for company.

             My upcoming book (launching July 2020:), The FriendshipDiet, explores the physical, spiritual and psychological metaphor between our intimate relationships and food. 

            The Friendship Diet requires us to look within, to explore the emotional terrain of ourselves in order to better understand our past and current relationships—what better time to reflect than during a worldwide pandemic!

            I leave you with an easy recipe I created based on a combination of my inner nutritional guidance and what I had on hand during our current stay-at-home order. Just like a relationship, you’ll notice that the best soups require time—something we are gifted with right now.

Roasted Red Pepper and Lentil Soup:

Ingredients:

1 pint of sweet peppers

1 cup of red lentils (rinsed well)

1 cup of grape tomatoes

2 cups of chicken or vegetarian broth

½ an onion (roughly chopped)

Directions: 

Sautee the onions in 1 tablespoon of olive oil/butter/avocado oil/canola oil

Mix the peppers and grape tomatoes with ¼ tsp. of salt and 1 tablespoon of olive oil (or others above)

Roast peppers on a baking sheet for 20 minutes at 400 degrees

Place broth and washed lentils in a pot with the now roasted peppers, tomatoes and sautéed onions. Allow to simmer for up to an hour.

Using an immersion blender or regular blender, mix the ingredients together until a thick soup forms.