And things are about to go to a whole new level, because look what I bought myself for my birthday with a gift card from my Mom. (Thanks, Mom!)
I couldn't decide which book to get...so I got both! And I'm so glad I did. These are great cookbooks! I cannot wait till this weekend when I will deposit myself in the corner of the couch with sticky Post-it flaggy things and flag every recipe I want to try. Last night I made Lindsay's Curried Sweet Potato Soup, and it was a great twist on what usually happens with sweet potatoes (dousing them with cinnamon and nutmeg, not that there's anything wrong with that).
But today we're talking about soup and flat bread. This herbed veggie soup from the P90X2 nutrition guide is hearty enough to be a meal by itself. I fixed it with rosemary pepper flat bread from The Cowgirl Chef. The flat bread is so easy and quick, and it's a great alternative to a big fluffy loaf of carb-heavy bread. It whips up in about four minutes and bakes in 10! You can make it while your soup simmers.
By the way, the rumors about brussels sprouts have been greatly exaggerated! I was pleasantly surprised at how good they tasted in the soup. Then last night I roasted the leftover sprouts with olive oil, salt, and pepper, then drizzled a little balsamic dressing on top before we ate them. They were delicious. Seriously! I would tell you if they weren't. I've read the key to picking good brussels sprouts is to make sure they're on the small side, and should be firm to the touch. Try 'em! You might like 'em.
Herbed Veggie Soup
- 1 TB olive oil
- 1 large sweet yellow onion
- 3 stalks celery, chopped into small pieces
- 3 carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 tsp. dried thyme
- 2 tsp. marjoram
- 1 small sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/4" cubes
- 1 cup chopped brussels sprouts
- 1 14.5-oz. can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 2 cups chopped spinach, fresh or frozen
- Sea salt to taste
- Ground black pepper to taste
1. Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat; add onion and saute until soft.
2. Add celery, carrots, thyme, and marjoram and stir together. Cook for another 5 minutes or until carrots are soft.
3. Add sweet potato, brussels sprouts, tomatoes, and broth.
4. Turn heat to high, cover pot, and bring to a boil.
5. Turn heat down to a simmer and cook for about 30 minutes, until sweet potatoes are soft.
6. Add spinach and stir well. Remove from heat immediately. Season with salt and pepper.
Crispy Rosemary-Pepper Flatbread
Break this crackerlike flatbread into jagged pieces for dipping, snacking or serving with salads or soups. It'll disappear quickly, so you may want to double the batch.
-1 3/4 cups flour
-2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
-1 teaspoon baking powder
-1 teaspoon sea salt
-About 1/2 teaspoon pepper (or about 6 turns on the pepper mill)
-1/2 cup water
-1/3 cup olive oil, plus more for brushing
1. Adjust a rack to the lowest setting in your oven and preheat to 450 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Whisk together flour, 1 tablespoon rosemary, baking powder, salt and pepper. Add water and olive oil and stir with a wooden spoon until a ball forms.
2. Using your hands, knead dough a little bit to make sure everything's combined, then divide it into four pieces. Take out a piece and put a piece of plastic wrap over the rest.
3. Place the dough on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and sprinkle the top with a tiny bit of flour. Stretch the dough out with your hands as much as you can, then use a rolling pin to make it as thin as possible. Brush on a little olive oil, add a bit more fresh pepper, and slide into the oven for 10 minutes or until the edges start to brown. Repeat with the other pieces.
To serve: If you're serving this right away, simply crack the flatbreads into pieces and sprinkle the rest of the rosemary on top. You can also let them fully cool, break them up, put them in a sealable plastic bag, and serve them later. Just hang on to the rosemary so you can add it when you do.
********
Workout of the Day
P90X2 Yoga
No comments:
Post a Comment