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Simple Lentil Dahl
Today I bring you a simple, nutritious, economical and comforting recipe that can be made predominantly with long-life pantry supplies. I hope that it is of help in these strange times when people may be finding themselves in need of such a recipe.
Perhaps you are trying to use up the contents of your pantry to avoid going to the shops, maybe you are an essential worker who is busier than ever (you can batch cook this meal and it freezes really well), perhaps you are living on a reduced income and are looking for quick and frugal meal ideas or perhaps you find yourself with a little more time on your hands and are enjoying the comfort of pottering in the kitchen.
Whatever brings you here, welcome.. let's cook together.
I often hold back from sharing recipes here on the blog as I am not one of 'those' cooks. I love cook books but use them as inspiration rather than following their recipes verbatim, I like to wing it and get a weird satisfaction out of coming up with recipes on the fly using whatever I have on hand. Then I usually forget how I did it! My recipes generally aren't very fancy or pretty. But when I did a live chat on Instagram the other week, quite a few people asked if I had any go-to recipes that I'd recommend, so.. here we are! My recipes are more of a guide, use what you have, substitute where you can and I'm sure it'll all work out!
Simple Lentil Dahl
(serves 4)
Ingredients:
3/4 cup dried red lentils
400g can crushed tomatoes, or passata or the equivalent of chopped sautéed tomatoes
Chicken or vegetable stock (or just water if you don't have stock)
1/2 a finely chopped brown onion (you can substitute onion powder, shallots, leek, spring onion etc)
1 clove grated garlic (you can substitute garlic powder)
2-3cm grated fresh ginger or 2 teaspoons ground ginger (the ginger is my favourite part of this recipe but it still totally works without it)
3 teaspoons ground spices (a mix of whatever you have out of the following - garam masala, turmeric, cumin, coriander, curry powder)
Method:
Sauté the onion, garlic and ginger in a generous tablespoon of olive oil, coconut oil or ghee over a low heat.
Add your spices and stir for a minute.
Add you tomatoes and then fill your (now) empty tomato can with stock or water and add that too. Bring to the boil.
Add the lentils and simmer for about 30 minutes. Stir it pretty regularly. Add more stock or water if it is starting to dry out and your lentils aren't cooked yet.
Once the lentils are soft, they're cooked! You want it thicker than soup but not quite as thick as a risotto.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Sometimes I throw frozen peas in right at the end. Sometimes I throw a big handful of baby or English spinach leaves in for the last couple of minutes of cooking. Sometimes I add grated zucchini. The world is your oyster, go wild.
You can serve it with basmati rice or naan bread or roti (both aren't super tricky to make, just google it). I like mine with a dollop of natural yoghurt, some coriander and finely chopped chillies sprinkled over the top.
Enjoy! If you make it, please share on socials.. I'd love to see you getting your lentil on.
Take care everyone,
Tara x
Nourishing Spring Soup
Fragrant, warming and nurturing, soup is comfort in a bowl. For this reason it seems to be commonplace to relegate soup to the dinner time rotations of the cooler seasons and bid it farewell as the days grow longer.
My love for soup doesn't allow me to do that. I prefer for soup to stay on the menu year-round, however the style of soups I enjoy definitely changes with the season.
In Spring and Summer, I move away from minestrones, root vegetable soups and anything thick and start making lighter soups - such as miso-based vegetable or spicy noodle soups.
If you don't normally eat soup in the warmer months (or even if you do).. I have a recipe for you!
It is not the prettiest meal you have ever seen but it is delicious, nourishing, perfect for warmer weather and easy to make. In other words, it ticks all the boxes in my books.
It is a combination of salmon, edamame, cauliflower and lime and can be spiced up with dried chillies if you like it hot.
Nourishing Spring Soup
Ingredients (for 2):
1 salmon fillet, at least 200g, skin off and cut into roughly 2cm chunks
1 spring onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 2cm piece of ginger, finely grated
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 cup cauliflower, chopped/processed super-fine (pre-made cauliflower 'rice' works too)
200g frozen edamame beans in shells, steamed and shelled or 100g defrosted shelled edamame beans
1 cup English spinach or silverbeet, finely shredded
1 sheet roasted nori, shredded
500ml broth (I use homemade chicken broth but veg stock would work just as well and there's nothing wrong with shop-bought either!)
1 tsp coconut oil
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 a lime
Method:
1. Heat the coconut oil in a medium saucepan over low-medium heat.
2. Add spring onion, garlic, ginger and turmeric and stir.
3. Once the spring onion is soft, add the cauliflower and stir until everything is well-combined.
4. Add the broth and bring to a boil.
5. Add edamame, spinach and salmon and reduce heat to a simmer.
6. Simmer for a couple of minutes until salmon is cooked.
7. Serve into bowls, season to taste, add a squeeze of lime and garnish with shredded roasted seaweed.
Mama Journeys with Emily Rose Yates
I 'met' Emily (we haven't actually been together in real life but we have skyped and chatted online plenty) a couple of years ago when I joined one of her seasonal cleanses. I had been wanting to set aside time for a bit of a physical reset ever since I finished breastfeeding my youngest babe and Emily appeared at the perfect time for me.
When we hear people talk about self-care, it is easy to tune out and think that it is unobtainable to us in our current season of life. We can equate self-care with tropical holidays, a day spa visit, week-long retreats or daily classes at a gym. To this we can mentally reply, but I'm too busy.. I have small children, I am caring for others, I'm working two jobs etc.
Emily echoes Nourish and Nest's philosophy that self-care can come in the form of small daily rituals that are accessible to everyone (although holidays and retreats are pretty fabulous too!)
What I think gives Emily's self-care message even more credibility is that she lives it. And she lives it as a business owner with three young energetic boys. Plus, during her early years of motherhood, her husband lived away for work. She could have easily ignored her own needs but instead she has learnt to nourish herself in realistic ways and so I am very pleased that she is sharing a glimpse into her motherhood journey here. Enjoy!
Are there any ways that you have noticed motherhood has changed you?
The question is, are there any ways motherhood hasn't changed me? I feel motherhood truly changes you on a cellular level, so then everything is your life is different, your relationships, your connection to yourself, your outlook, the things you care about, I often feel concerned about the quality of the planet and the environment we are bringing our children into. I also felt like when I became a parent I could feel the changes within my parents that happened due to that. There really is a major ripple effect throughout the generations. Super powerful.
What were the most difficult transitions for you when becoming a mother?
The most difficult for me was the yearning to be the best mother possible and feeling quite anxious about most decisions I was making AND confronting all the stuff you need to work through from your own childhood to become good parents. My husband and I had a rough time with the first baby working through our own stuff in order to be in a relationship with one another and to be good parents.
How do you practise self-care?
I have prioritised my self care more and more after every baby, I learnt the hard way through burning myself out a few times that actually I was the most important person in the family and that it can't function without me being energised and happy. So I block out a 4 hour block of time every week on a Sunday afternoon where I go missing from the home and either go for a walk with my girlfriend, swim in the ocean, have a meal out or see a movie. It's SO important and I love that time. I also prioritise my meditation, and try to grab 5 or 10 minutes each day in amoungst the chaos to meditate.
What is one of your favourite small rituals? (a simple act that brings you joy)
My morning cup of tea or bulletproof hot chocolate (recipe below!)
Do you have any family rituals?
Yes we do! I LOVE rituals and when I was introduced to the journey of a ritual in my early 20's I felt like I was coming home. So I felt passionate about instilling it in my children from very young. On birthdays, full moon, christmas, easter or if a friend is leaving we create a circle in the backyard, surrounding crystals, essential oils, sage and palo santo and chant together and share what we are grateful for. Sometimes its total chaos and other times its bliss. We have had some really beautiful moments of presence with each other around a ritual.
What do you find your greatest challenge in motherhood?
My boundaries, I want to give them the world and always say YES, thats my nature, so I'm constantly working against that to provide healthy boundaries for them so they feel safe and secure.
Is there anything that helps you connect with yourself as a woman (beyond your role as a mother)
YES, dancing, I'm an ex-dancer, and when I move my body in a dance class I feel deeply connected to myself and I find now I am surrounded by 3 boys and my husband I crave women's circles and doing anything that involves being with groups of women.
What piece of motherhood wisdom (whether shared with you or learnt) has served you well?
I think the best piece of advice I read was that our children are our mirrors, they show us the beautiful parts of ourselves but they also expose the darkness and to pay attention to your own energy within the interactions with your children.
Want more of Emily? Find her online here. She is based in Sydney but offers online consultations.
Mix together 1 tbsp raw cacao, 1 tsp MCT, coconut oil or organic butter, honey to taste and hot water.
Pre-bed rituals: the key to good sleep
Confession.. I have never liked things coming to an end. Case in point: I bemoan leaving parties early, I shed a tear after reading the last page of a good book and I have never been skilled at going to bed at a sensible hour and falling asleep like a normal person. If you relate to this last point, read on, help is at hand.
It's kind of embarrassing to admit that you're not great at something that comes as naturally as breathing to most people, but I am owning the fact that sleeping has never been my strong point.
Even as a kid I would try and defy bedtime and secretly read under the covers with a torch, determined for the day to not quite be over yet.
I've always had a bad habit of trying to fit in one more hour of 'stuff' before I went to bed and then being so mentally wired once I hit the pillow that I couldn't sleep. Maybe I didn't like saying goodbye to the end of the day, not wanting to accept that there was nothing more I could squish into this 24 hour cycle.
It has taken me years (and it's still a work in progress) to learn to listen to my body and accept when I need to go to bed. I never used to be able to get past the fact that there are always more things I want to do: books to read, projects to work on, things to make, conversations to have, friends to catch up with, shows to watch and things to look up online (can you have goats in a suburban backyard? how much is a plane ticket to Portugal? whatever happened to the cast from Scrubs? etc.)
Then the cycle began of going to sleep at 1am, waking up feeling exhausted, drinking all the coffee to try and feel awake, feeling unproductive in the afternoon as the tiredness resurfaced, getting a second wind in the evening and staying up past midnight doing all the things, only to start the whole unhealthy cycle again.
I am happy to report that I am no longer stuck in that cycle and pre-bed rituals are largely to thank for it. I now deeply value sleep, going to bed at a rather sensible hour at least 5 nights a week.
Why? Simply because sleep is good for you. There are stages in life (hello to having young children, menopause and middle of the night cancer diagnosis anxiety) when sleep is scant, and I think during those stages it is in your best interest to not count the hours you're getting, make the most of resting when you can and knowing that it's not forever (and crying on someone's shoulder periodically). Plus I believe a regular late night out with friends is just good for the soul, bedtime be damned. But when we are in a position to sleep 7-9 hours a night, we really should.
There are some interesting books that go into the science of it all, I'd recommend The Sleep Revolution and Night School, but suffice to say good sleep benefits our physical, mental, emotional and cognitive health. And on the flip side, when we're not sleeping properly it can affect everything from our hormones to our metabolism.
Even though I intellectually knew that I needed to sleep more, I had to make ending my day and going to bed earlier something I really looked forward to if I was actually going to do it.
Cue pre-bed rituals. Adding some simple pleasure and enjoyable ceremony to the end of the day makes it a joy rather than a drag for me.
Perhaps pre-bed rituals would work for you too if you find good sleep hard to come by. Maybe think about what you need at the end of the day and what might work for you. Your rituals will probably look different to mine, but here's a glimpse into what currently gets me to bed with minimal whining ;)
My pre-bed rituals
Before I share what works for me, it is worth pointing out that your bedroom should really be your sanctuary. There was definitely a shift for me when I finally set our room up in a way that made me want to hang out there. Think about what you need. It doesn't have to be expensive. Because my house is often loud and chaotic (usually in a fun way, though not always), I needed my room to be a neutral space. It's a very simple room with minimal fuss and lots of white on white and a couple of plants. You might want something more plush, colourful etc. The main thing is that it's a room you feel peaceful in.
- Prepare for the next day - I sleep a lot better knowing that I am totally sorted for the next day. I've checked in my diary what I need to be ready for, clothes are laid out, bags are packed etc.
- Self-massage - read more about this here (I use sweet almond oil with some lavender added to it for my body and rosehip oil for my face)
- A good stretch - and a few restorative yoga poses if I'm feeling a bit wound up.
- Writing in my journal - not a lot, maybe even just one line or reflection.
- Reading a book - it has to be one I love. While I often read a bit of non-fiction when I get a chance during the day, the books I read before bed are usually fiction, preferably a book I can't wait to get into at the end of the day.
- A cup of Dreamy tea - while I write/read.
- Reflection prayer/meditation
- If I really can't sleep, I'll throw on an audiobook or sleep story (there's a great free one about lavender fields in Provence read by Stephen Fry).
I don't do all of these rituals every night, sometimes just 1, 5 & 7, but it's a good guide for me.
Do you have pre-bed rituals? Does sleep come easily to you or is it something you've had to work at? Please share in the comments, would love a glimpse into what works or doesn't work for you.
Tara xx
Mama Journeys with Naomi of Billy Button Photography
We are back with our next glimpse into the life of another Mama friend of Nourish and Nest. Thank you for the feedback on the 'Mama Journeys' interviews so far (catch up here if you haven't read them). We all have so much to glean from one another and I so appreciate the honesty of each of the women contributing to this series.
Today I would like to introduce you to Naomi Mackie. You may already know Naomi from her Instagram (@boys_run_free) where she shares glimpses of her life on an old dairy farm (not too far from Nourish and Nest HQ!) with her husband and four sons or from her photography business Billy Button Photography.
Naomi has such a sense of adventure and freedom in both herself and her parenting that has long inspired me, I'm excited to share this interview with her.
Are there any ways that you have noticed motherhood has changed you?
Motherhood has changed me so much and still is every single day. Being a mother has helped me to become more patient and resilient to any situation that comes before me.
What were the most difficult transitions for you when becoming a mother?
Baby number 1 and 4 – baby number one because I had no idea on what I was doing, and baby number 4 because life is now so busy it’s hard to find time to stop.
How do you practise self-care?
Taking a shower or having a cup of coffee.
What is one of your favourite small rituals?
Early morning coffee is my most favourite start to my day and trying to sit down through the whole cup together with hubby.
Do you have any family rituals?
Our family rituals are always eating meals together, this is a wonderful way to chat about life and read the bible together.
What do you find your greatest challenge in motherhood?
Finding time to balance spending time with each of the children individually as well as personal time with my husband.
Is there anything that helps you connect with yourself as a woman (beyond your role as a mother).
Lately trying to wear more dresses, rather than daggy mum pants, as this makes me feel more feminine
What piece of motherhood wisdom has served you well?
Let the children play to their hearts content, let them climb, let them stumble, allow them to explore their world around them without too many no’s.
Naomi and her family are embarking on an exciting adventure next year.. check her out on Instagram if you'd like to follow along.
Embracing Winter
When we choose to align ourselves with the seasons, we learn to seek and embrace all that is good about each particular time of year.
Sinking into the season at hand allows us to welcome the particular pleasures that only this season provides. When we're focused on escaping or evading the season, we miss out on the small joys.
How do we align ourselves with the current season? I believe it begins with presence. Before we can find and create everyday beauty, we need to be present with the everyday in the first place. As fabulous as a mid-Winter tropical holiday can be, it's not always an option and even if it is, it only provides a temporary fix. We can choose to be present in the season at hand (which is currently Winter here), to not try to escape it but to instead immerse ourselves in it and find the treasures that it has for us.
If however, we focus on all that we don't like about a season (something many of us are more inclined to do during Winter), we miss the beauty and opportunity that await us.
So, let's embrace Winter. If you find yourself at home more than other times of year, why not learn a new craft or skill or immerse yourself in books that make you want to go to bed early? Cook with seasonal produce, make some mulled wine for the end of a cold day or have a picnic with friends complete with a thermos of something hot.
Winter can traditionally be a time for introspection, for inner work. Take the time to think, to journal, to come out of the darkest season of the year with a little more strength and grace than you had when it began.
And as so often happens.. what we learn from nature, serves us in the course of our lives. What we learn from embracing the different seasons of the year teaches us a lot about living well through the different seasons of our life.
Some seasons of life are easier to love, just like the seasons of the year. But that doesn't mean there aren't joys, wisdom and beauty to be found in each of them.
Mama Journeys... with Laksmi of Copper and Cross
Welcome to our second instalment of the ‘Mama Journeys’ series, a homage to the wisdom that women can glean from one another’s journeys and a celebration of our ‘Little Nourish and Nest’ range.
We hope this series inspires Mamas to honour their unique motherhood paths and remember the importance of finding realistic, soul-filling ways to nourish themselves along the way.
If you don’t already know her, allow us to introduce Laksmi of Copper and Cross.
Laksmi is the creator of luxury handcrafted homewares, made in Byron Bay. The aesthetic of Copper and Cross focuses on textures, tradition, culture and quality. Planter baskets, chunga rounds, crosses, wall baskets and much more. Go and see for yourself and you’ll see what all the fuss is about!
After discovering La’s swoon-worthy, handcrafted homewares range through Instagram, I ended up visiting her beautiful home in the Byron hinterland a few years ago to buy one of her pieces. I was taken straight away with her warmth, authenticity and lack of pretension. We shared tea while our kids picked fresh mulberries and chatted the realities of small business, motherhood and staying true to our own business paths.
It is a complete treat to have La on the blog, sharing a glimpse into her own journey as a creative business owner and mother to her son Illy. I particularly love her family rituals.
Enjoy!
Are there any ways that you have noticed motherhood has changed you?
It’s changed me immensely! Feeling more connected to the world. More relaxed to self questioning - like those “what should I be doing in life?!” questions just kinda go out the window! Mostly, far happier - with less time spent self-obsessing and more time spent caring for someone else. It’s also been the catalyst for other amazing things like starting my creative business, “Copper + Cross”.
What were the most difficult transitions for you when becoming a mother?
I remember the huge shock those first few days of just realising how incapacitated I was to do things I had taken for granted before. Like shower, get myself a glass of water, call someone etc. I remember looking out at my verandah and just imagining myself sitting out there with a glass of wine and feeling this weird sense of loss. I also felt apprehensive when night time approached knowing this stretch of waking, cries and tiredness was coming for me. Sometime it felt a bit bleak.
How do you practise self-care?
What’s that? Ha ha. No, but really. I’m trying to imagine what I do that someone would call that? I shower, is the first thing that comes to mind? But most people do that I guess … I honestly can’t think of anything. Sometimes I have a bath! That’s just like showering I guess. Gah. In my ideal fantasy life I would go get every therapy under the sun! Massage, Acupuncture, Kinesiology … Yep. One day.
What is one of your favourite small rituals?
Making a cup of tea to sit down to work. I work from home so that is VERY exciting as it breaks up the day!
Do you have any family rituals?
Nothing major.
My son and I have weird little songs we sing together that we’ve made up or act out some routine we have come up with every few days.
We have a bit of time in my bed every night before he goes to bed where we just lie next to each other and ask each other questions and cuddle.
My partner and I try and play golf together every Thursday afternoon.
We all usually sit down and watch Masterchef when we have dinner at home! But that doesn’t always happen (it took us 8 months to finish one season haha).
What do you find your greatest challenge in motherhood?
Hmmm. I hope this doesn’t sound too “whatever" but I honestly feel like I thrive through motherhood. It was challenging when I was sleep deprived the first year but actually being a mother is the best feeling in the world. The challenges I have faced are honestly more to do with I guess social aspects. It isn’t natural for me to make friends easily with other mothers, get involved in school activities etc. And there is a juggle that comes with living with your child and partner (when your partner is not the dad!), mostly in trying to manage everybody’s feelings. Oh and coming up with dinner every night! Blah, just let me eat some toast and lie in bed one night! I guess I do have challenges!
Is there anything that helps you connect with yourself as a woman (beyond your role as a mother).
Spending time with my beautiful partner. Having that amazing intimate, emotional, sexual connection with another adult. I’m not a very girly girl. I only very recently became the proud owner of some moisturiser. I don’t really adhere to things like “girls night” or gender specific activities. I like to surround myself with friendships that aren’t exclusive of other friends no matter the day or activity! In saying that, I play soccer every year on an all-women’s team and it’s such an awesome environment and SO fun!
What piece of motherhood wisdom has served you well?
I’ve always just followed my instincts with raising Illy. We spend a lot of time exploring ideas and thoughts. I try not to impose any beliefs or norms on him and see how he feels about different topics he brings up with me. I answer his questions honestly and always have (within the scope of his understanding). We are really weird and quirky with each other and there’s a lot of mate-ship and extreme love and respect there.
Mama Journeys.. with Nicole from Little Willow Vintage
We're excited to launch a new blog series interviewing some fabulous friends of Nourish and Nest. Different women, staying true to their own paths, who also happen to be mothers.
Nourish and Nest seeks to inspire small daily moments where we nourish our bodies and souls. Simple rituals of self-care that let us check in with ourselves, practice gratitude and find everyday beauty.
Since the launch of Little Nourish and Nest, I have wanted to hear from other mothers about how motherhood has shaped their journeys, the challenges, the rituals that benefit them and the simple ways they nurture themselves as women.
If you've ever found yourself on Instagram looking for some children's room inspiration, chances are you've stumbled across Nicole's beautiful feed and much-loved brand.
Little Willow Vintage is a baby homewares brand inspired by its 'less is more' philosophy. Nicole hand-stitches the sweetest custom linen cushions and heirloom baby wraps, inspired by simpler times. Her range also includes beautiful linen bedding.
I love that her brand really honours slow design and ethical crafting of pieces that are to be treasured for years to come.
I am lucky enough to know Nicole in 'real life' (she's a complete delight) and she immediately came to mind when I started putting together this series.
What do you find to be your greatest challenge in motherhood?
The Nourish and Nest Gift Guide
The Nourish and Nest Gift Guide
Gifting made simple
For the tea lover: the tea lovers gift pack
For the homebody: the enjoy small rituals gift pack
For the adventurer: a Turkish towel
For the little one: a wooden bowl & spoon set & baby Turkish towel
For the new mama: a Little Nourish and Nest gift pack
For the foodie: the linen apron gift pack
For the person always on the go: a glass tea flask
For the entertainer: the linen lovers gift pack
For anybody else: an aromatic coconut & soy candle
Calm + Bright - Day 6
Festive season self-care
As paradoxical as it sounds, it is when we are the busiest that it is the most important that we create time for some self-care.
Neglecting to look after ourselves during the festive season can lead to the kind of deep exhaustion that potentially manifests itself in pretty unpleasant ways (i.e. family gathering melt downs, ugly crying in the car at the supermarket carpark, telling your boss what you really think of them after too much champagne etc).
As much as you may enjoy a late night Netflix binge or a session of Instagram scrolling, these kinds of activities don't generally refuel our tank. Self-care looks like doing something that allows you to truly rest, relax and restore.
If you've hung around this space for a while now, you'll know that the ethos behind Nourish and Nest is all about enjoying small rituals, achievable moments of self-care, accessible to anyone.
Perhaps take a moment today to think of a few simple self-care rituals and then create a small pocket each day to mindfully and intentionally partake in one.
We're all individuals and what works for one may not for another, but here are some simple examples of self-care that work for me:
- Taking a bath, even if I only have 10 minutes to spare. I love to add bergamot, ylang ylang and lavender oils and to use a Lemongrass Nourishing Body Bar.
- Sitting in the sun and sipping a Refresh tea
- Doing a few restorative yoga poses (legs up the wall is an instant calmer for me)
- Giving myself a massage with olive or macadamia oil (and a few drops of the aforementioned essential oils), making sure to include my scalp, before jumping in the shower.
How can you care for yourself today?
Wishing you a peaceful, happy Christmas,
Tara x