Ginger Carrot Sweet Potato Soup

Being raised with my grandmother, one of the things I remember most is how much soup she would make and how much soup I was forced to eat!!

We ate a variety of vegetable soups from carrots and potatoes to spinach soup. Finishing the bowl before being able to go outside and play was a daily struggle.

As I’ve gotten older I’m happy to have been raised that way, I think it helped my palette, and I love a nice warm bowl of vegetable soup!

One of the top three favorite soups is this Ginger Carrot and Sweet Potato soup. Its velvety, and full of flavor. The ginger gives it an extra zing, alongside some fantastic health benefits.

This soup is a time saver! The vegetables are all dumped in a pot cooked until tender, blended and served. Topped with a drizzle of olive oil and some seeds to for added texture, this soup is perfect for all.

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Ingredients 

• 3 medium sweet potatoes, chopped

• 4 medium carrots, chopped

• 1 medium onion, chopped

• 2 garlic cloves, chopped

• 1 tbsp ginger, peeled and grated

• 1 tbsp thyme

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 5 cups of water

Recipe

1. Heat a large heavy-bottomed pot. Add the chopped onions, garlic, sweet potato, carrot and ginger, season with salt, pepper and thyme.

2. With a wooden spoon, stir to mix the ingredients.

3. Pour the 5 cups of water into the pot. Cover and allow it to come to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the carrots and sweet potatoes are tender when pierced.

4. Remove from heat and allow it to cool. Transfer to a blender and blend until smooth.

5. Transfer back to pot, heat and serve. Dress the soup with a drizzle of olive oil and pumpkin seeds.
   

Citrus and Avocado Salad

I live in an area where I am lucky to have four seasons. My least favorite of all of them  has to be winter, from the cold to the mountains of snowfall each year, there is nothing I like about winter, except for citrus season.

Interestingly enough, citrus is at its sweetest during the winter. As it may be obvious, these citrus fruits are grown in temperate regions, such as California, Florida and Texas. Luckily for us, we can pick them up at our grocery store and celebrate the citrus season as if they were grown in our own backyards!

The best way to use citrus fruits in your meals during this season is to make them the star of the show. So, for this recipe, I wanted to keep it simple and compliment the balance of the sweetness of the fruit by adding  salted pistachios and  making a vinaigrette with avocado oil and lime. 

 This salad is a perfect pairing with fish, such as a grilled salmon or a great side to brighten up a steak dinner.

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Ingredients 

• 2 cara- cara oranges, peeled & sliced

• 1 grapefruit, peeled & sliced

• 1 blood orange, peeled & sliced

• 1 avocado, peeled & sliced

• ¼ cup avocado oil

• 3 tbsp. fresh lime juice

• 1 tbsp. honey

• 2 tbsp. crushed pistachios

Recipe

1. Using a paring knife, remove peel and white pith from citrus, being careful not to remove too much of the flesh. Slice citrus into ½"-thick rounds. Cut the avocado into slices. Transfer to a medium serving platter.

2. For the vinaigrette, using a small bowl, whisk avocado oil,  lime juice, and honey together. Drizzle over the salad.

3. Scatter pistachios over the salad, finish with sea salt and ground pepper. Serve immediately.