Sweet potato...con leche

I skipped the run club sprints today. I love the Wednesday night workout but I still feel the pesky IT band knee pain, so I'm still not running. It's only been a week, and so far I have found tons of ways to spend this newly but regrettably acquired free time.

Take this evening for example. I made a pot of soup, washed dishes, baked cookies for friends, read parts of Rough Guide to Cuba (one never knows when the travel bug will hit...like maybe Sunday), played some Dead Space, played with the cat, iced my knee and texted the "student" (long story).

But I worry. Oh, I fret. About the race. Whether I should go. If I can't run. All summer. I will lose it. My mind. My happy place.

Well. No need to put the cart before the horse. (The horse is hungry and the cart is full of apples.) Tomorrow morning I'll see my wonderful massage therapist. She will give me her opinion, and hand me the kleenex box when she does. I am prepped to hear the worst.

Before I settle in for a lame summer - pun intended - I'm here to share a delicious recipe that rocked my soup bowl tonight.

Sweet potato soup

• 3-4 tbsp fresh ginger root, minced


• 2 cloves garlic, minced


• 1 onion, chopped


• 1 tbsp butter


• 3-4 sweet potatoes, cubed (and peeled, if desired)


• 1 tsp cumin


• 2 tbsp Thai green curry mix


• 1 large tomato, seeded and chopped


• 4 cups veggie stock


• 1 can reduced-fat coconut milk

Melt the butter in a large pot. Add the ginger, garlic and onion, sauteing for 2 minutes or until your mouth starts to water from the fragrance. Add the remaining ingredients except for the coconut milk. Cover the pot and bring the mixture to a boil, then simmer for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are very soft. Remove from heat. After the mixture has cooled, puree in a blender. Pour mixture back into pot, add the coconut milk, et voila! A fiesty, orange soup.

Could use a squeeze of lime juice at the finish.