Carrot Soup

I like to make simple creamy soups our of root vegetables or squash combined with a meat stock base.  My go-to vegetable is butternut squash in chicken stock, but as Christa is not a fan of that particular gourd, this time I tried carrots for a similar effect.  The addition of ginger plays well with the roasted carrots, and the real cream turns the soup into a velvety meal.

To make this soup, you will need the following:

• 2.5 lbs of carrots
• 10 cloves of garlic
• 4 or 5 sprigs of fresh rosemary
• 1 quart of chicken stock
• olive oil
• butter
• 1/2 of a large white onion
• 1 cup of heavy cream (preferably non-homogenized grass-fed)
• 1 cup of ginger infused water*
• herbes de provence

1.  Peel the carrots and chop into large rounds.  Place them in a baking dish along with the garlic and rosemary.  Drizzle just a little bit of olive oil on top, and put them into a 375F oven for an hour to roast.  Discard the rosemary afterwards and put vegetables aside.
2. Dice the onion very finely and saute in a large saucepan with about a tablespoon of butter.  When the onion is very soft and translucent but not browned, pour the stock into the pot and add the roasted vegetables and herbes.  Simmer this gently until the carrots are soft and mushy.
3. Take an emulsion blender and begin to liquify the contents of the pot.  At this time, add the ginger water (it will help to increase the volume of liquid while you are blending).  Once the soup is smooth, turn off the heat and use the blender to incorporate the cream.

carrots, garlic, and rosemary all ready for the oven

After blending all of the ingredients, it's ready to serve.

That's all there is to it.  The soup is warm, creamy, and just a little bit sweet, however the sweetness is cut by the ginger which is in turn mellowed slightly be the cream.  Pack it in a hot thermos to take for lunch with a couple of hard boiled eggs, enjoy a steaming cup of soup on a cold evening, or just pour it on your lap.

-J


*Ginger infused water:  Take a finger of ginger, peel it, and dice if up into very small cubes.  Place it in a heat safe container (I like to use a thermos for this as it holds the heat longer) and pour 2-3 cups of boiling water over the ginger.  Let it steep for several hours.

I was thinking about using this for my desktop wallpaper...

Maple Butter Oatmeal

This is my favorite food right now. I have it for breakfast, as a midnight snack, and everything in between. The butter melts and combines with the maple syrup and cream into a rich, heavenly good-for-you treat. It's like pancakes in a bowl.

Once the oats are prepared (look for an upcoming post on that), it's quick and simple to make. Just stir and enjoy!


Maple Butter Oatmeal
1/2 cup cooked steel-cut oats
1-1/2 T grassfed butter
2 T grade B maple syrup
2 T grassfed cream

Combine the warm oats with the butter, maple syrup, and cream. Stir until combined.

Green Smoothies

This is my go-to smoothie. On days where I'm short on time, I'll often throw the ingredients in my magic bullet and take it to-go. It's super customizable, too. You can add or subtract flavors, or substitute similar ingredients. I like to make mine with unsweetened, unflavored kefir. Check out my version below.

Green Smoothie

Ingredients:
1 frozen sliced banana
1 tablespoon all-natural peanut butter (just peanuts and salt)
1-1/2 cup unflavored kefir (adjust to achieve desired consistency)
1 tablespoon honey
a handful of baby spinach

Directions:
Blend all ingredients until smooth.

Makes 1 serving

Adapted from Iowa Girl Eats

Recipes We Love: Skinny Chicken Broccoli Alfredo

This is a dish I've made a couple of times. It's quick and simple. Plus, by using greek yogurt instead of heavy cream, it packs a good amount of protein without sacrificing the creamy flavor of alfredo sauce.

Check it out on Iowa Girl Eats.