100 Calorie Courgette Soup Recipe...

Hey! At this time of year many if us (including me) are desperate to shed a few pounds for summer, and personally I am bored of the usual salads which leave  my tummy rumbling away all afternoon! So when on the hunt for a quick, easy, filling, yet low calorie and healthy lunchtime option, I came across this tasty courgette soup, which for a pretty generous bowl full comes in at around 100 calories and takes me about 30 minutes to make; sounds hard to believe I know! I would usually have this with two rice cakes or low fat cream crackers just to give it that extra tummy filling factor and I'm good to go!

The recipe serves 2 people if your having it as a meal, or you could have it as a light starter and spread it between 3-4 people; I like to make it in big batches, bung it in the freezer in containers and then heat it in the microwave when I want  some!

Ingredients

2 large courgettes

1 large onion

350ml of vegetable or chicken stock

Salt and pepper to taste 

Method 

1. Chop the onion and courgettes

2. Sweat the onions in a tiny bit of olive oil, I have a spray bottle which I love as you don't use any excess oil. You can get them in cook shops for less than a tenner and they're a really good investment if your serious about the dieting lark!

3. Once the onions are softened, add the courgettes, followed by the stock and simmer for 20 - 30 minutes or until everything is softened.

4. Now blend the soup, either using a hand or a jug blender, serve, and enjoy!

Let us know if you find these recipes useful in the comments or on twitter - @vanillavelvets

Bye for now! x

Raspberry and Banana Smoothie

Hi, I made a really nice smoothie the other day so thought I'd tell you how!
I didn't plan it in advance so it was just what I had in and if you planned you could probably make a much nicer one, but hey ho!
I used
A Handful frozen raspberries
A splash of orange juice
1 banana
I don't know the exact measurements because as I said I just chucked it all in and luck of the draw it turned out well!
You don't have to use frozen raspberries obviously, however I always try to use at least one frozen ingredient as it makes my smoothie come out super cool and refreshing.
Smoothies are a lovely healthy snack as well as a way of getting some of your 5-a-day but if you want a nice treat add in a few scoops of vanilla ice cream - it's yummy!
I'd live to know some of your smoothie recipes, please leave some in the comments below or let me know your favourite secret ingredients!
Bye for now! x x x