Exercise and A to Z

Well, I expected to feel it after my exercise class on Wednesday, but I was aching all over on Thursday and bowled like a man with no arms. I barely crept over the 100 in all three games. Even a glass of wine (aiming fluid) didn't help. I felt like the 100 I w as trying to score. I will be going again this afternoon and hopefully will begin to loosen up. In fact, I had to pick up a scrip on the way home so I also picked up a rotisserie chicken for supper. Had it for supper with some sautéed snow peas.

Well, the A to Z starts on Saturday, but this year I will not be participating. Too much going on in my life at the moment - not least of which is the dentistry stuff I have talked about. Just couldn't cope with A to Z this year although I will probably still be writing a blog every day except Sunday. However, I don't feel bound to do so nor to do all the necessary visiting which takes up masses of amounts of time. So my best wishes to all of you who are participating and I hope you make it through to the end successfully. I know many write their posts before it all starts, I always did, but it's the rest of it which takes such a lot of time which I just don't have at the moment.

Asparagus season is nearly here. Could be at the end of April or early May. As most of my readers know, I go nutty about asparagus and publish asparagus recipes practically the whole time. I also eat some every day. Here is one recipe to be going on with.

Asparagus, Lemon, and Mint Soup

This soup is easy to make. Asparagus has a strong flavor by itself, so I chose to add a few mint leaves and lemon zest to give it a wonderfully fresh.

1 lb fresh asparagus, trimmed (unless farm fresh, when you can eat the whole stalk)
1 Tbs olive oil
1 shallot, chopped
1 Tbs chopped fresh mint
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 cups chicken stock, or more if needed
1 tsp lemon zest
1 hard-boiled egg, chopped

1. Cut tips from 6 asparagus spears, about 1 1/2 inches from the top; reserve for garnish later. Chop the remaining asparagus into chunks.

2. Heat olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat; cook and stir shallot in the hot oil until softened, about 3 minutes. Add chopped asparagus; season with mint, salt, and pepper. Cook until asparagus are slightly tender, about 3 minutes.

3. Pour chicken stock into asparagus mixture; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until asparagus are tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Stir in lemon zest.

4. Blend soup using a hand blender or a food processor until smooth.

5. Bring a small pot of lightly salted water to a boil; cook asparagus tips in the boiling water until just turning bright green, about 2 minutes. Strain asparagus tips and run under cold water to stop the cooking process. Garnish soup with asparagus tips and hard-boiled egg.

Servings: 2

Tips: You may substitute a leek for the shallot, if desired.

Source: fromgardentosoupbowl.com


Have a great day