Warm up with a hot, spicy bowl of vitamin A for your skin

You know all those retinoid creams and lotions you pay big bucks for to reduce the signs of aging or treat acne?  Well your skin makes it! If you provide it with the nutrients.  Get your beta carotene from sweet potatoes, butternut squash, carrots, greens. Yes, greens. Just because they aren't orange doesn't mean they aren't loaded with beta carotene. They just also contain a lot of other nutrients that come in other colors.

Sweet Potato Coconut Soup, with greens.

This recipe originated with Nigella Lawson which is why it's in grams. I don't have a scale, but that's ok, I don't really follow the recipe anyway. I usually use the baked sweet potatoes I always have on hand in winter because I turn the oven on to take the chill off the house and pop in a few. They are my go to lunch and used to make pancakes and soup.  I also use poblano peppers rather than red for a slight bit of heat. (bell peppers should be organic and they are hard to find) And I add turmeric and curry spices. And spinach at the end of cooking. Because I add spinach or other green to just about everything. And you should too. Keep a bag of organic chopped frozen spinach on hand so you can easily add it to everything.

 Sweet Potato Coconut Soup

25g butter
1 onion, chopped
1 crushed clove of garlic,
1 tablespoon ground coriander
450g grated sweet potato
2 chopped red peppers.
700ml vegetable stock
400 g can of coconut milk.

Serves: 2

Melt the butter in a large pan and cook the onion and garlic over a low heat until soft. Add the coriander and cook for 1 minute. Add the sweet potato and pepper, cook for 5 minutes. Pour in the stock and bring to the boil; cover then simmer for around 20 minutes. Allow to cool a little then puree Return to the pan, add the coconut milk, heat gently until piping hot then serve.