Well, hasn’t it been quite the week? Challenging politics in a small environment makes for an intense atmosphere.

After ten amazing years, and with a Bermudian husband and children, I have invested everything I have here — both emotionally and financially.

Three years ago I started my own business and know the incredible highs and troublesome lows that come hand in hand with that responsibility.

There’s no doubt that this is a tricky economy for most of us and we’re all looking for savings where we can. Despite a decade of acclimatising to prices here, the cost of groceries still gets me every time.

I had an interesting moment at the register the other day. The customer behind me watched me fill a bag with laundry liquid, vegetables and dates and said: “You’re spending $40 on that? You have more money than sense!”

I confess I have thought similar things looking into other people’s carts. We can be so quick to judge, can’t we?

It’s true that I buy the best quality food I can. It’s easy to look on it as a luxury but to view it fairly you would also have to look at what I am not buying.

I am not buying soda or snack packs or microwave meals. I am cooking dinner from scratch and baking snacks — and I honestly don’t think it’s more expensive than buying takeout or junk.

My $10 dates make enough energy bites for lunch boxes for two weeks. The fresh vegetables get stretched through every meal imaginable. Some get given to Cottontail-Colleen, the free-range bunny who has become a permanent resident under our hedge. I am tempted to charge him rent. (If you didn’t read this last week, look back online so you don’t think I have gone completely mad.)

The only problem with home cooking is the odd collection of bits and pieces you have left at the end of the week.

It’s easy to look in your fridge and think there is nothing to eat — it’s especially easy if you only ever really cook following a recipe. But there’s usually something you can pull together, especially if you are willing to be flexible with ingredients — and this is where soup always ends up saving the day.

I’ve given you two really great recipes here — one is smooth, one is chunky, and both are flexible. To add protein to the celery soup, have hummus or chicken/ham, with a bread roll on the side. To add more protein to the kale soup, throw in some cooked quinoa, chicken or another type of bean. Essentially though, you can use any leftover vegetables you have to hand. And if you are feeling creative or want to make the most of what you have, here are some tips for making your own:

Ask Google

If you have cauliflower, ask Google how to make cauliflower soup. I just did and it gave me 3.5 million hits, so there have to be some tasty recipes out there. You can also search Pinterest — although once you are in, it’s hard to get out. So addictive!

Start by sweating an onion!

If you are brave enough to be totally experimental, start by sweating an onion in a large pan. This means peeling and chopping it finely, sautéing it lightly in oil and then popping on the lid to allow the onions to “sweat”. Keep the heat really low, stir occasionally and wait til your onions are translucent or tender. You can add garlic too for extra flavour. From there, you can add chopped vegetables, a few herbs or spices, cover everything with stock and then let it all simmer til the vegetables are tender. Pesto can also make an interesting add-in but it all starts with the onion!

Use root vegetables as thickeners

If you want to make a smooth and creamy soup, you don’t need to add cream.

Let’s say you are aiming for cauliflower or pumpkin soup — add in one or two peeled/chopped white or sweet potatoes and they will bind everything together beautifully when you blend it all.

You don’t need a fancy blender — a regular one will do, or an immersion stick blender.

Get herbs/spices in early

Try to add the bulk of the flavour early in the cooking process. This allows the flavours to develop and merge and is much more effective than adding herbs, salt or spice at the end. You can use bay leaves to add flavour but remember to remove them if you blend everything!

Be creative with your add-ins and toppings

Rice, quinoa, chopped chicken/meat/tofu, beans and lentils are all great add-ins for chunky soup and help to stretch things further. Spinach leaves are also easy to throw in at the end for some wilted greens. These are all best in chunky soup, but you can add toppings to either. Try crumbled lean bacon on top of creamy cauliflower or celery soup, or top a chunky soup with toasted pine nuts (luxury!) or toasted almonds.

It’s hard to go all that wrong really, so get creative! Oh and note that both the recipes here are super heart healthy. February is heart health month so get off to a good start!

Heart Healthy Celery Soup

Ingredients:

1 large onion, finely chopped

3 large leeks, peeled, trimmed and chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

16 stems celery (organic if possible), trimmed and chopped

2 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped into 2cm cubes (approx!)

1 litre low sodium vegetable or chicken stock

½ heaped tsp ground nutmeg (fresh or pre-ground)

½ tsp ground ginger

2 tbs olive oil

Pinch of black pepper

Method:

1. When preparing the celery, make sure that you remove any of the tough outer strings — they should peel off easily.

2. Warm the olive oil and 1 tbs water in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the chopped onion, leeks, garlic and celery. Stir and reduce the heat to low. Cover and allow the vegetables to “sweat” for three minutes.

3. Add the potatoes and vegetable stock, bring to the boil.

4. Reduce the heat. Stir in the nutmeg, ginger and black pepper. Cover and leave to simmer for 20 minutes.

5. When the vegetables (especially the potatoes) are cooked through, take off the heat and leave to cool.

6. When cooler, you can blend the soup. I prefer this soup totally smooth, but it is up to you! You may need to blend this in batches.

7. Reheat gently but don’t allow to boil — this ruins the consistency.

8. Serve with warm whole-grain rolls and some hummus.

Winter kale soup

Ingredients:

• 1 tbs olive oil (coconut oil)

• 1 large onion — chopped

• 1 large red bell pepper — chopped

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 2 cups sweet potatoes, peeled, diced

• 6 cups kale (about one bunch) — stemmed and chopped

• 1 can Eden organic cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

• 1 can fire roasted or regular chopped tomatoes, undrained

• 4-6 cups low-sodium organic chicken or vegetable stock

• Salt, pepper to taste (optional)

Method:

1. Melt the oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook five to seven minutes until soft and lightly browned.

2. Add pepper, carrots, garlic and sauté for five minutes.

3. Add potatoes, kale, beans, tomatoes, stock — simmer gently til potatoes are tender (about 15 minutes, but flavour is better if you continue for about 45 minutes.)

4. If it becomes too thick, add additional stock.

The advice given in this article is not intended to replace medical advice, but to complement it. Always consult your GP if you have any health concerns. Catherine Burns BA Hons, Dip ION is the managing director of Natural Ltd and a fully qualified nutritional therapist trained by the Institute for Optimum Nutrition in the UK. Please note that she is not a registered dietitian. For details, please go to www.natural.bm or call 236-7511. Join Catherine on Facebook: www.facebook.com/nutrifitandnaturalnutritionbermuda