dinner – Movin' it with Michelle

My co-workers and I love, LOVE, love to talk about food. Today was no different, so when one of my coworkers started talking soup-my ears perked up quick! I LOVE soup in a probably not so healthy way, especially in the winter time. She mentioned making a carrot soup with curry….”HMMMM,” I thought…that sounds AMAZING.

I will admit the underlying effort to lose the belly fat that this winter has given me as a ~~not so sweet~~ gift fueled my motivation to head to the grocery store after a very busy day at work. I picked up a bag of “horse carrots” as my youngest calls them, shallots, and some fresh herbs so I could make my OH so yummy soup for dinner.

This was such a hit, and you can omit the crème fraiche if you desire!

Here’s the recipe and what you will need:

6-8 large “horse” carrots, pealed and chopped

2 shallots, roughly chopped

2 cloves of garlic, smashed

6 cups of organic vegetable stock-low sodium if possible

2 sprigs of fresh thyme

2 pats of unsalted butter

1-2 teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil

Seasoning: Tumeric, Curry, Cayenne pepper, Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Garnish-Crème Fraiche and chives

Get a large sauce pot and heat to medium high heat. Add in your butter and olive oil. Add all the veggies, and sauté until soft. Add your seasonings, but just a pinch at a time to ensure your get the right flavor. Next, add your stock, and bring to a boil. Reduce down to a simmer and let cook for about 25 minutes.

Remove the soup from the heat, and puree with a blender or immersion blender until smooth. Return the soup to the heat, and let simmer for a few additional minutes while you ensure the seasoning is just right. Garnish with crème fraiche and chives, and serve! I accompanied the soup with a yummy shrimp salad (dressing free-just marinated the shrimp in lime juice, salt, pepper, and evoo!) that was the perfect pairing for this spicy soup!

Question-are you a soup eater? What is your favorite kind? Do you enjoy making your own soups?

Thanks all, I hope you have a wonderful week!

❤ Michelle

Weekends always seem to fly by in my house. There is so much to get done in the short two days we call “the weekend.”

The hubby and I got new kicks this weekend for his upcoming half marathon training, and what will more than likely (unless I sign up for another before hand) my 10th half marathon this fall.

I got two pairs of shoes-both Saucony-the fast witch 7’s for shorter runs, and the Guide 6’s for distance. After shoe shopping we headed out to lunch as a family, saw the movie Godzilla (great movie!) and then came home to do a few hours of yard work. We live on an acre and a half lot, so while the hubby mowed, the girls and I trimmed hedges, planted seeds, and weeded the garden. I have an electric hedge trimmer, and I’ll admit my arms were on fire this morning after 2 hours of trimming, LOL! I am so glad we are finally seeing spring weather!
I was woken up by my hubby this morning after letting me sleep in until 9 am for our run. We had 5-6 miles on deck, and I am so beyond proud of my husband for logging 6 miles today. It wasn’t easy, but he didn’t give up. I had him try Sport beans for fuel at the four mile mark, which he quickly spit out, LOL. I guess we need to research fuel for him!!

For dinner, we had roasted chicken with a cucumber salad and Brussels sprouts.

Here is the recipe:
You’ll need:
8 skinless/boneless chicken thighs
The juice of 4 lemons
2 sprigs of Chinese celery chopped finely
4 cloves of garlic, minced finely
salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard

Whisk all the ingredients (minus the chicken) together, and pour over your chicken in a sealable container. Refrigerate for 2 hours. Roast at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes and let rest.

Brussels sprout recipe:
You’ll need:
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
3 strips of bacon, diced
salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes
3-4 cups of Brussels sprouts cleaned, and halved
Sautee your onions, garlic, bacon, and red pepper flakes until crispy.
Add your Brussels sprouts, salt, and pepper for about 20 minutes or until lightly browned

Cucumber salad recipe:
You’ll need:
8 mini cucumbers, halved and diced
1/2 cup of cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 of one small red onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
dash of salt, pepper, oregano and basil
dash of white wine vinegar and extra virgin olive oil
Mix well and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving

I needed a couple more miles to keep up with where I’ve been, so after dinner I laced up my new Guide 7’s with an added surprise of having my eldest ask if she could join me. We did an easy 2 miler, and although she struggled with her breathing I am so proud she decided to run with me tonight.

And, at the end of the day I find myself counting my blessings. I don’t have the picture perfect family with my kids getting uber grades or winning amazing awards in sports or music. They struggle with grades, school, social crap that I think we all struggle with in life. BUT…we struggle like champs…we don’t pretend to be something we’re not…we take the good with the bad, and we continue to hang on to each other which I believe has made us stronger.
BUT…we keep movin’ forward, and that is what counts, right?

Tag: dinner

Carrot soup with a little kick!

New kicks, and first double run today

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