garlic – 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

food, Three things, Thursday

TTT

January 9, 2015 Movin' it with Michelle

Three Things Thursday!

Ok, so my Three things Thursday post is going to go a little like this:

1. I’ve been at my current job for nearly 10 months now. I’m finally settling in, feeling more comfortable, and really making connections with my staff, peers, and Pathology staff. I’d been told a pay raise was in the works, as my annual merit raise was pennies since I was only with the hospital technically one quarter of last year (June 30th ends the fiscal year for our hospital). Today when checking my pay stub, I saw that my raise kicked in and I smiled. It’s not huge, but it made me feel really good that my hard work is recognized. YAY. Every little bit counts!

2. Today marks the 2 week anniversary of my self mutilation – aka Christmas injury. You can read about it here: https://movinitwithmichelle.com/2014/12/27/christmas-injuries/ I am happy to report that for the first time in 2 weeks, I was able to take a REAL shower without my uber bandaged thumb. The wound is healing NICELY, I am able to cook again, and am looking forward to RUNNING next week!!! Tonight is the first time I have a regular Band-Aid on the wound, but will probably add more padding when I leave the house-just for safety purposes. It’s still very tender, hasn’t closed completely quite yet and is still very bruised. But…it gets better every day, and soon I’ll be back it all with full force, despite lacking a slice of my digit LOL!!

3. We are currently experiencing Polar Vortex #2 with our 3rd day in a row of a crazy artic blast. Temps have plummeted, schools closed, and winds are blowing at top speeds. I also just found out that I’ll be back on single Mom duty for the next month and a half while my husband travels off and on… SOOOO….What does that mean?

COMFORT FOOD!!!! Here’s my take on a healthy beef stroganoff:

What you’ll need:

1 lb of beef chuck roast, cubed, and seasoned with kosher salt and pepper. Place in a bowl, and sprinkle a 1/8 cup of flour (I used gluten free, Namaste brand-my fav!!) Set aside.

1 can of low fat golden mushroom soup/1 cup of low sodium beef stock.

1 white onion, diced

3 gloves of garlic, minced

2 cups of mushrooms, chopped (I used Shitake, but any brand will do)

2 tablespoons of low fat sour cream (add this at the VERY end)

4-5 splashes of Worcestershire sauce

Thyme, chives, and parsley-pinch of each

1 cup of gluten free rice (or the rice/pasta of your choosing), cooked to package directions

Preheat your wide sauce pan with EVOO at medium to high heat. Cook your beef until golden on each side-do not cook through. Remove from the pan, and drain the grease. Add a touch more oil, and sauté your onions, garlic, and mushrooms for 5-7 minutes until tender. Season with salt and pepper.

Add back in the beef, and increase the heat just a touch. In a separate bowl, add the mushroom soup and stock and mix well. Pour over your meat. Add 4-5 splashes of Worcestershire sauce. Season by adding the Thyme, Parsley, and Chives. Lower the heat and let simmer for 15 minutes (I use this time to cook my rice). Add in the sour cream in the last 2 minutes, stir well and get ready to plate. Taste for seasoning, serve, and enjoy!!!

Time for 3 questions!!!

How do you handle recognition/raises at work? Is it frigid where you live? What’s your favorite comfort food?

Keep Movin’ forward, y’all!

❤ Michelle

food

Lemon Vinaigrette with a little twist

June 17, 2014 Movin' it with Michelle

Here lately I have had people asking for my lemon vinaigrette recipe-which I have found to be so versatile, and my go to dressing for salads, fish, and even chicken/pork/steak.

What you’ll need:
The juice of one lemon
1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard
1 small clove of garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon (to taste) of apple cider vinegar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 pinch of Mediterranean oregano and basil

Lightly mix, and whisk in a couple tablespoons of a good extra virgin olive oil

Serve over your favorite salad or protein! Delish!!

Here is a pic of my latest creation that I dressed with this vinaigrette.
I got a new “noodle” gadget tonight, where you can take veggies and make them into noodles! It’s GREAT!
I “noodled” 3/4 of a zucchini, added 1/4 thinly sliced red onions, and some sliced roasted (gluten free) roasted turkey as well as some cherry tomatoes! Looking forward to lunch tomorrow!

This took only 10 minutes or less to prepare!!

Hope you all enjoy!

This week starts back to better eating and exercise…although I’ve done pretty well with my running, I know my eats haven’t been top notch! Here’s to more recipes and better adventures to share with you all!!

❤
Michelle

food, moving forward, running

Meatball and veggie soup recipe and running

February 10, 2014 Movin' it with Michelle

I spent the weekend with my two daughters, embracing fun, shopping, errands, and even housecleaning (to include laundry, ACK). But even though the hubby had reserve duty, I am proud to say my girls were troopers and pitched in with helping around the house.
Both Saturday and Sunday were filled with errands and chores, but we managed to make it fun.
Today, I decided to make a simple soup for dinner, and I am so glad I did after running a very tough and frigid almost 4 miler. I set out today to go for 5 miles, as I did 4 for my longish run last weekend, but the bitter winds slapping me in the face caused me to cut it short….3.8 miles in 37:15. Not my best, but not my worst either.
During this run, I tried….tried so hard to lose myself in the run. But I just couldn’t settle in. I couldn’t lose myself in nature, or my music. So I trucked along, did a second loop in my neighborhood, and finished strong at an average 9:46 pace. I need to get my pace back to under 9:15 or so if I want to run a strong half marathon in May.

For the soup-here is what you’ll need…First, preheat oven to 450, and get your crock pot out and ready.
Meatballs:
1 lb lean ground beef
1 lb lean pork sausage
2 eggs
1 handful of panko bread crumbs (can omit if preferred)
kosher salt and pepper to taste
pinch of parsley
pinch of cumin
pinch of cayenne pepper

Mix well, and form meatballs. Bake at 450 degrees for about 20 minutes or until golden brown. Set aside to rest.

Soup:
1 box of sodium free vegetable stock
Additional 4-6 cups of water
1 medium red onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
4-6 ribs of celery, chopped
4 carrots, chopped
pinch of sage, thyme, cumin, and season with kosher salt and pepper to taste
4-6 splashes of hot sauce
2-3 splashes of liquid smoke

Combine all soup ingredients in your crock pot and cook on high for about 2.5-3 hours, allowing your veggies to still have some crunch. In the last 30 minutes before serving, add your meatballs, and let warm through.

Easy peasy and warms the soul! Enjoy!

Tag: garlic

Carrot soup with a little kick!

TTT

Lemon Vinaigrette with a little twist

Meatball and veggie soup recipe and running

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