Showing posts with label Soup. Show all posts

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Chicken Chili on a Chilly January Day

I hope you are having a great start to the new year. Choosing Happiness is the goal that we set for this new year. On our road trip home on New Year's Day, Dave and I did some reflecting on 2014 and vision casting for 2015 and realized that last year was more of "survival" year in many respects and we want this year to be marked with more joy, happiness, play and laughter! I have determined that my motto for this year is: "Complain Less, Hug More, Choose Happiness!" We'll see how it goes. So far, I already feel more hopeful. I realize that when I extend love (via hugs and other extensions of generosity and compassion), it's hard not to be happier.

I'm glad that the bleak, cold, grey days are more than 1/2 way over. In the meantime it helps if I look for the wintery beauty in the midst of the bleak. And I find great comfort with a piping hot bowl of soup!

I have made this Chicken Chili several times over the past month. During the winter, I really just want to eat soup, sliced apples and crusty bread everyday. Healthy and Comforting!

This recipe has become a new favorite in our house. I'm delighted to have another soup that is 5 for 5 at my table!

This is so very easy to make. In fact, there aren't very many photos because… there is not much to photograph, unless you want photos of me opening cans and stirring.

Also, this soup is hard to capture in photos because the good stuff tends to sink to the bottom of the bowl and pictures don't do it justice.

Every year our Social Work department has a chili supper and the faculty/staff provide crock pots of Chili for students to enjoy. Patsy always makes this Chicken Chili and I always choose it. It is delicious! I got the recipe years ago, but was reluctant to make it for the family because my girls are sensitive to spicy (sad!), and my boy has a bean aversion (really sad!). But Dave loves chili and wishes that I would make it more. So, I decided to make it with mild salsa and reduce the number of beans to accommodate my kids and give it a go. It was very well received! I was happily surprised! It wasn't too spicy and Asher had just come from a 2 hour wrestling practice and was famished and therefore wasn't too picky with the beans! Progress is being made in the bean situation!

It is a Weight Watchers recipe originally, so it is healthy and is simple and versatile.

I roast chicken tenderloins in the oven while I "prepare" the rest of the soup. (The original recipe says to boil them but I prefer the roasted flavor.) It only takes about 25 minutes to roast and then I tear it apart and add it to the soup.

I serve it with sour cream and shredded cheese, like the recipe recommends, but I also add some slices of lime, tortilla chips and diced avocado. OH MY!

I have shared the recipe with a couple of friends and decided that I needed to post it to share with even more friends. It's too great to not pass along!

Chicken Chili

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or I used about 12 tenderloins)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 jars (16 oz. each) of picante salsa
49 oz. chicken broth
48 oz. Northern white beans
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. garlic powder

Roast chicken in oven: Preheat oven to 400˚. Drizzle or brush chicken with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper (and garlic powder and cumin, if you'd like). Place on baking sheet, place it in the oven and bake until fully cooked.

Mix all other ingredients: salsa through garlic powder. Shred cooked chicken and add to the pot. Bring to a boil and cook 20 minutes. Reduce heat and simmer slowly until time to serve. (You can also put it in the crockpot in the morning and let it cook on low all day).

Garnish with sour cream, shredded cheese, slices of lime (for squeezing), tortilla chips and diced avocado. And if you want to turn up the heat, you can splash some hot sauce in your bowl!

Another new year's goal is that I hope I will be able to blog more frequently this year. Last year was much less often than I would choose (thus, the year of surviving). December was so full and blogging didn't happen after all of the grading and closing down of the semester, and then Christmasing and New Year's travel. But I sure did cook a lot last month! And I made some really yummy things, which I photographed for the time when I can post them here and share the recipes. Some will probably have to wait until next year, as they are Christmasy, but others, I will share promptly - like this Chicken Chili.
Enjoy! Wishing you the happiest new year!

Detail: Chicken Chili on a Chilly January Day

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Soup, Salad, & Snowflakes

Several friends told me about this recently published book, Bread and Wine, by Shauna Niequist, thinking I would enjoy it. It is filled with stories of community, food, faith and life around the table – as well as corresponding recipes. Also, the book is endorsed by Anne Lamott and Brene Brown, two of my favorite authors, so I knew I would enjoy it.

I bought the book and had the chance to read it over the holidays. It is inspiring! It made me want to have a cooking club, try every recipe, and keep a record of the special occasion menus we have like Shauna does. I have tried several of the recipes and so far have loved them all.

One that I wanted to write about is her
Super-Healthy Lentil Soup, because January seems to call for soup! This is my adapted version of her recipe. It's really simple to put together, makes a big pot, and keeps well. Shauna introduced this recipe in the book as the one she makes when she's had too much feasting and needs something healthy, nutritious, to have on hand.

I made it a week ago and shared it with two friends, who immediately asked for the recipe and later texted me that they kept thinking about the soup. I laughed. Lentil Soup was not the food that I thought would make such an impression. However, it really is that satisfying. It's not fancy and the texture of lentils takes a little getting used to. But it is warm, savory, and hits the spot on a cold day. And Lentils are a great source of protein, fiber, iron and are low in fat. I added sweet potatoes to the recipe – because I love them in soup, they are a pretty amazing source of all-things-nutritious, and I had them in my pantry. I made it again Thursday night so I could eat on it this weekend and share it with some more people in need of a container of soup.

Super-Healthy Lentil Soup (serves 8 ish)
(adapted from Bread and Wine)
3 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cups onions, chopped (or 2 onions)
1 cup carrots, chopped
2 cups sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
6-7 cups chicken (or vegetable) broth
1 1/2 cups lentils (dry)
2 (14.5 oz.) cans diced tomatoes in juice
Balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
sprinkle of chopped rosemary to taste

Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions, carrots, sweet potatoes, and garlic; sauté until vegetables begin to brown, about 15 minutes. (I chopped my vegetables in the food processor for speed- it works great, though they are no cut semetrically.)
Add broth, lentils, and tomatoes with juice, and bring to boil.
Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until lentils are tender, about 35 minutes.
Season with salt, pepper, rosemary and a splash of vinegar.

And this Caesar Salad was one that I couldn't wait to try after reading her description in the book. It goes nicely with the soup too!

It's basically comprised of: homemade croutons (which are like the ones I made HERE but with parmesan added to them before baking); chopped romaine lettuce, parmesan cheese and this yummy zesty dressing.

Brannon's Caesar Salad Dressing
(from Bread and Wine)
1 garlic clove
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
A few dashes of Tabasco, to taste
Juice of half a lemon
1 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. sugar

Chop garlic clove in food processor, then add remaining ingredients and blend together. Or chop a garlic clove, drop it into the bottom of an old jelly jar, add everything else, and shake like crazy.

Toss lettuce with croutons, parmesan, and dressing.

Also this month, we carried on our annual January tradition of making paper snowflakes to hang in our windows. Everything is so grey and drab in our city, it seems to add some whimsy.

We usually look online for some patterns, like THESE, and then get inspired to make our own patterns.

This year the girls went a little berserk and added frost and icicles too. So much for simple and sweet...it's more like a blizzard in our

living room.

I hope your January is going well – that tasty, healthy soup and zippy, crunchy salad are finding their way to your table and shared with friends. And that the only snowflakes inside your home are made of paper!

Detail: Soup, Salad, & Snowflakes

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Favorite Black Bean Soup

Hooray! It's Soup Season! I love soup!!! Every week during the cold months I try to make soup, hoping it will last a few meals in our home. We have recently added this to our favorite soup rotation of Tomato Basil, Baked Potato, DIY Tortilla & Tortellini Soup.

This is my favorite Black Bean Soup Recipe I have found. I'm not sure why we love it so much, but we do.

Maybe it's because when it's cooking on the stove, it makes the house smell like a Mexican fiesta, and my girls yell down from the top of the stairs (which is the spot where smells from the kitchen are most pronounced, oddly enough) and ask, "What are you cooking, Mom? It smells sooo good! Are we having tacos for dinner?"

Or maybe because it is a meatless meal, which I prefer, and yet one that Dave, who prefers a meaty meal, calls "hearty and delicious".

Or maybe because my son, who is the only non bean-fan in our house tasted it yesterday and said, "you are right, it's good. I like the flavor, I just don't like the texture of beans". This was a big step in the right direction. I declared, with elation..."Oh, you are on the verge!" We are standing on the precipice of bean-dom with this guy, y'all!

(Another hopeful moment regarding this advancement was last night, when we had Greek for dinner and he was devouring the Hummus and commenting on how much he loves it, I reminded him, "you do know that hummus is made of garbanzo BEANS, right?")

Black beans are a favorite food of mine, but when it comes to soup, it's never been my favorite soup. I like it, but if I am at a restaurant, it's not the soup I typically order. I think because it is sometimes so pureed, and I like hunks of something in my soup, and sometimes is thick and gloppy. Also, I usually want rice or cornbread with a bowl full of beans!

This Bean Soup recipe is from Bon Appétit magazine from 2004, that my friend Gretchen passed along to me a couple of years ago. It is a really nicely balanced soup, as some of the soup is pureed for thickness, but some beans are still intact. (I have added an additional carrot, and more beans – and therefore a little more chicken broth – to the original recipe.)

I love sour cream dolloped on all things black bean, and my girls definitely want it on this soup. But the recipe calls for garnish of green onion, cilantro and feta cheese. Brilliant idea, Bon Appétit. The feta is so delicious. I think it really takes the soup to the next level. I highly recommend you try it topped with feta.

Black Bean Soup with Jalapeño
adapted from Bon Appétit magazine

2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tsp ground cumin
1 to 2 tsp. chopped jalapeno chile with seeds, divided
3 15-16 oz. cans black beans, undrained
1 15 oz. can petite diced tomatoes in juice (or you can use 2 cans if you like more tomatoes)
2 cups chicken broth

Chopped fresh cilantro
Chopped green onions
Crumbled feta cheese

Chop onions, carrots and garlic.

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrots, and and garlic; sauté until vegetables begin to soften, about 6 minutes. Mix in cumin and 1 tsp. jalapeño. Add beans, tomatoes with juice, and broth; bring soup to boil. Reduce heat tot medium, cover, and cook until carrots are tender, about 15 minutes.

Transfer 3 cups of soup to a container/blender and blend until pureed smooth.
(I love using my immersion blender, and if you have ever tried to puree hot soup in your traditional blender and it exploded and made a mess, you'll understand why this speedy, tidy and simple blender solution is such a winner!)

Return puree to the pot. Simmer soup until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt, pepper and remaining 1 tsp. jalapeño, if desired.

Ladle soup into bowls. Top with cilantro, green onions and feta cheese (or sour cream if you'd rather).

Dave told me the other day, when we were making Tomato Basil Soup, that he has been craving soup and that his love for soup seems to be ever-increasing. This was music to my ears! He likes soup and has been supportive of my cold-months soup crusade for years, but now, he's begun to crave this mainstay.

P.S. If you were looking for a kitchen gadget to add to your Christmas wish list, the immersion blender is a lovely tool to have in your kitchen and much-appreciated in a recipe like this!

Detail: Favorite Black Bean Soup

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Sick Days: Soup, Vicks, Emergen-C and TLC

We have had a week of sickness around the Hunt house. Strangely, it has spanned the gamut from a migraine headache mom; to a stomach-nastiness-turned dry-coughing-at-night and runny-nose-in-the day girl; to a coughing-hacking-sniffling boy... and in my mind is swirling, "the nighttime, sniffling, sneezing, coughing, aching, stuffy head, fever..." NyQuil's classic ad.

So, the comfort measures in our home have been:
drinking lots of liquids – water, water, water (the healing flush)
and hot tea with honey,
and icy orange juice.

Eating popsicles, and taking Emergen-C (I swear by it, to help preempt the sickness when you first start to detect it, and to lessen the symptoms and quicken the course for after the sickness has already set in). It's like Airborne. It's a packet of tangerine fizzy yumminess that is packed with vitamins and protective factors.

And Soup. I made Tortellini soup, which I had made just the other day for Valentine's dinner when Lane came to hang out. Though that day, it was actually ~~Tortellini~~ Ravioli Soup. Dave had done the grocery shopping and there was a slight mix up in that he got cheese ravioli from the freezer section instead of cheese tortellini. Thankfully it was mini ravioli and so it could legitimately be eaten as soup because it fit in the spoon. So, we had ravioli in our "tortellini" soup. I told Dave it was apropos for our Valentine meal, as "love bears all things" came to mind from I Corinthians 13.

~~Tortellini~~ Ravioli Soup

I made it this week again, and this time with the tortellini and it was super yummy and I would have to say, less awkward to eat.

You really can't go wrong with this recipe. You can add to and take away from and make it the way you like it. You can use meat-filled tortellini, you can add beans to the soup, or use cheese-filled and then add hunks of Italian sausage or turkey/chicken sausage if you'd like. You can add other veggies chopped and sauteed; or add more diced tomatoes or less spinach. Tweak it and make it your own.

Asher described it as tasting like "pasta soup".
He's right.

Tortellini Soup and Salad

Tortellini Soup
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 to 1 cup onion, chopped (depending on your preference)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes, with juices
4 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
1 bag of tortellini, any variety (fresh or frozen)
3 cups fresh baby spinach, loosely packed and cut into slices
Salt and Pepper to taste
Crushed Red Pepper flakes (optional)
Grated parmesan, for serving

In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions to the pan and cook until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add in the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, just until fragrant, about 1 minute. Mix in the oregano, basil and diced tomatoes. Add the broth to the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil. Add the tortellini to the pot and cook according to the package directions. One minute before the tortellini is fully cooked, stir in the spinach. Remove from the heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste (and a few crushed red pepper flakes if you want a kick). Serve warm with grated parmesan as desired.

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I also made a new twist on Snickerdoodles, as per this BLOG that I love, In Praise of Leftovers. They are Brown Butter Snickerdoodles and are rich and lovely. Dave, my resident Snickerdoodle-freak, however, still stands by my recipe as his favorite.

And then my mom, knowing that I had children coughing up lungs around here, texted me the amazing trick she just heard of. You put a liberal coat of Vicks Vapor Rub on the bottoms of the child's feet and cover with socks, before bedtime and it keeps their coughing at bay during the night. She emailed me this LINK to the article. Fascinating, huh? Therefore, we have been slathering Mentholatum and/or Vicks on my kids feet this week and it has been really effective. And, of course, the humidifier is being rotated room to room each night depending on who's in the greatest need.

So, that's what's happening in our house.

I hope you and your household are doing well. We are hanging in there, making the most of the time for snuggles, and comfort food, and lots of Tender Loving Care.

Detail: Sick Days: Soup, Vicks, Emergen-C and TLC

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Lemon Artichoke Soup

A couple of years ago when our Social Work program was going through our accreditation reaffirmation we had a dinner with our site visitor. My colleagues, the site visitor, and I met on a rainy weekend evening at Midtown Cafe. I had never been there but had heard it was the "it" place for prestigious locals to dine. It is lovely, dimly lit, quiet, and understated. I was told that the house soup, Lemon Artichoke, is a must-order. So, of course, I ordered it.

We were having a nice time, visiting with each other, talking about family, books, and travel. I recall that we all ordered some type of seafood entree and we each ordered a cup of soup. The soup was delicious. It was complex, smooth and memorable. However, I found myself in a bind. I was analyzing the soup in my head, and really wanting to analyze the soup with my fellow tasters. I wanted to ask everyone's ideas on what was in the soup, pull out my note pad and brainstorm the ingredients, and ask the server for some inside information on the recipe, so I could recreate this at home. The problem was, it was not the time or place. I'm sure I couldn't resist commenting on the flavors or soliciting the input of my companions, but I tried to keep it tame. If the site visitor hadn't been there, my colleagues would have fully expected me to snap a photo, scratch down some notes, analyze it, and ask their input. They have learned this about me and have accepted this quirk about me. (Thank you, team).

I remember thinking: butter, wine, garlic, onion, lemon juice, something with kick...cayenne I bet, artichokes, salt...

Once home, I started looking in cookbooks and searching online for soup recipes with these ingredients. I found one and played around with it and I think it is really good. I wish I could go to the Midtown Cafe and try their soup again, for comparison sake. But I can't afford to go there when it's not a business dinner.

My friends who have tried this soup really like it and Dave is a fan, though, it's not the most popular with the kids, (and when I told my mom what I was writing about this week, she was not so enthusiastic). She said it goes in the Sushi post category...interesting, but I doubt if I will try it.

If you like creamy, lemony, artichoky dishes and a little kick...you'll love it. It's quick to put together and I think it's nice to have a different soup up your sleeve. You can add couscous or orzo if you wanted it to have more of a starchy soup. (Though I usually lean on the crusty bread served with it to be my starchy addition).

It would be a lovely soup for the first course of a dinner, or great with a yummy sandwich like this one (turkey, apple, spinach, co-jack, craisins, honey mustard on Ciabatta). It is great to a enjoy as leftovers for lunch or an easy second-day dinner.

Lemon Artichoke Soup

1/4 cup butter
1 cup onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups chicken broth
1 can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
2 Tbsp. olive oil
juice of 2 lemons (about 1/4 cup or more)
1/4 cup cornstarch
3 cups milk (2% or whole milk- depending on how heavy you want it to be)
1/4 tsp. coarse salt
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
dashes of cayenne pepper

In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add minced onion and garlic; cook until clear. Add chicken broth, artichoke hearts, and olive oil. Bring to a boil. In a separate bowl, whisk together lemon juice and cornstarch. Stir into the boiling liquid and continue boiling for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in milk and heat through. Season with salt, pepper and cayenne. I like to sprinkle a little on top for added color and kick.

One of my favorite things about winter is soup-making and eating.

It is comfort in a bowl. This one is a bright mix of tangy, creamy, and kicky that makes it nice any season.

Enjoy!

Detail: Lemon Artichoke Soup

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Chili Nights

It has been chilly here this week, which means it’s time for some Chili! I like chili, especially when it is topped with sour cream and served with chips, grilled cheese or cornbread. There are many opinions about what makes chili, well... chili. And some people passionately defend their definition of chili as the way it is meant to be.

There is Texas Chili, which is typically meaty, with chili peppers and spices added. It is usually thick. It can be made with ground beef or with beef tips – or even with venison.

Then there’s the question of beans and the option of tomatoes: to include or not to include? I think yes on both accounts, but some people disagree.

And there are varieties of soups in the Chili category like Taco Soup, which includes beans, ground beef, as well as corn and tomatoes.

And chicken chili OR white chicken chili (which is white because it has chicken and white beans and no tomatoes, so really I guess it’s the presence of chili peppers that even allows it to be called chili. I'm guessing Texans would call it sacrilege to have chili in its name.)

I like them all! I really like the flavor and heartiness of chili. And since I don’t adore meat and don’t love what beef does to my stomach, I really like vegetable chili. (It is also healthier and less expensive!)

So last winter I decided to try to create a Vegetarian Chili recipe that would be so yummy that meat-lovers wouldn’t even miss the meat. I recall making Barefoot Contessa’s Chicken Chili from her Parties Cookbook, which calls for an unbelievable 8 cups of onion and 8 cups of peppers in the recipe and and it is delicious! So I decided to start with gobs of onions and peppers and improvise from there.

Here is what came of it.

As I was throwing things into the pot, I began scribbling down on a piece of paper the ingredients and measurements that I used, JUST IN CASE it turned out good. [I recommend you do this, when you are experimenting with recipes, so that you don’t forget what you did, in case it was good enough to repeat it.]

Vegetable Chili

2 Tbsp. olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 cups onion, chopped

3 bell peppers, a variety of colors, chopped

2 tsp. cumin

3 tsp. chili powder

4 tsp. salt

a sprinkle of crushed red pepper

if you want more kick sprinkle enough cayenne pepper to your liking

2 cups tomato juice

1 cup apple juice

1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes, with juice

1 can Rotel tomatoes with chilies

4 cans of beans (of your choice) I use black,
kidney, and white

Chop peppers and onions. Drain and rinse beans. Heat olive oil in large pot on stove top.

Add garlic and onions, cooking until onions are translucent.

Add peppers and spices. Stir together and cook for a few minutes.

Add beans, tomatoes and juices. Stir together.

Bring to a boil, then return to a simmer for 30 minutes,

or until the flavors meld.

Serve topped with sour cream, cheese, etc.

(It tastes even better day 2!)

I thought about calling it "Vegetarian Chili", but then it seems a little off-putting for meat eaters, like it's a chili for a specific people-group.

So then I thought about calling it:

"You Won’t Miss The Meat Chili"

but maybe that is too declarative...so maybe

"Where’s the Beef? Chili"

and then I quickly realized this would date me and not make sense to many of you.

[For those of you who were born before 1980 will probably remember the funny Wendy's "Where's the Beef" commercials that were popular in the early 80's. ]

This time-lapse seems to be a trend for me this week.

Yesterday in my social work class, we watched a video, after which I asked the students if anyone else thought the man in the video sounded like Michael Douglas. They said, “Who?” I said, you know Michael Douglas! Super star! He's got that amazing, raspy, intense voice. He's been in a ton of movies: The American President, Fatal Attraction, Traffic, etc." A couple of students, two I think, said they knew and tried to help the others to remember. One said, "You know, he's battled cancer." Another said, "He's married to Catherine Zeta-Jones and he was really popular in the 90's." I realized that all of the films I mentioned were in the 90s and my students were born in the 90s! They were probably not seeing Fatal Attraction at age 4! (I would hope not.)

So maybe let's call it: Vegetable Chili

And alongside Chili I recommend fancy grilled cheese sandwiches, or these corn cakes made on the griddle. I like cornbread, especially nice, moist cornbread. I am not the best at getting cornbread cooked properly and without dryness, so corn cakes are great. You can’t mess them up. They are fun individual little cakes, and delicious hot off the griddle.

When I was looking for the recipe the other night to make them, I laughed when I found 3 different handwritten copies of the recipe in various places in my kitchen. All of them were written while calling my mom on the phone for the recipe. It’s a winner and can be altered as you’d like.

Corn Cakes

½ stick butter, melted

2 cups self-rising cornmeal

2 eggs

½ cup onion, finely chopped

1 small can of creamed corn

1 cup sour cream

Melt butter, add other ingredients, stir until blended. Heat a griddle, or skillet on medium high heat. Lightly grease with butter.

Pour blobs of batter onto griddle. When the edges start to come up, and bubbles form on the wet side, flip.

Serve with softened butter and with a bowl of Chili.

I think I might put on a pot of Chili, make some corn cakes and turn on The American President (since it's in my instant queue) and enjoy a little Annette Bening and Michael Douglas on a cold night this week.

Detail: Chili Nights

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DIY Tortilla Soup

A couple of years ago I went to a Mexican Cantina and ordered their Chicken Tortilla Soup. When the meal arrived, to my surprise, I was served a plate with a bowl that contained rice, beans and chicken in it and a spread of fresh ingredients beside it on the plate including diced tomatoes, avocado slices, pico de gallo, and shredded cheese. The broth was brought in a pitcher and was poured over the ingredients in the bowl at the table-side.

I then topped the soup with the fresh ingredients from the plate. It was so fresh, tasty and fun. I thought it was brilliant! Fresh soup, with fresh ingredients and made to order. I took the idea and thought I would recreate it at home and make DIY Tortilla Soup.

Our small group for church has dinner each week at our home and we decided to do a taco night. In addition to tortillas, we had a pot of broth on the stove. That way, with the same ingredients we could offer soup and tacos. People could choose the ingredients they like, topped with broth rather than wrapped in a tortilla.

It was a hit. You can spice it up with salsa and peppers, make it meatless, or bean-less, or experiment with your favorite combinations. Subsequently, we have embraced it as a new, crowd-pleasing menu at our table.

And it's Do It Yourself - and there is something novel about that.

the Broth (click to print)
4 cans Chicken Broth
juice of 1/2 lime
1 to 2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 handful fresh cilantro

Place all ingredients into a large pot.
Let broth simmer for a few minutes on the stove, allowing the flavors to meld.
(You might want to alter the seasoning of this to your liking - add spices, add hot sauce, decrease lime, omit cilantro, etc.)

the Beans
1 Can Black Beans, drained and rinsed
1 Can water
2 cloves of garlic, minced
Sprinkle with cumin and salt

Place all ingredients into a small pot.
Heat on the stove.

the Chicken
4 Chicken breasts, cut into medium sized pieces
juice from 1/2 lime
A sprinkle of cumin
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
A pinch of Salt
A dash of Cholula

Place meat in a glass dish and add other ingredients. Toss to coat well.
Grill on stove top grill (or sautee on stove top, or bake in the oven on a baking sheet, or grill on the grill...whatever you choose).

Prepare other toppings:

Rice (you can make a pot of white or brown rice or one of the mexican rice packages found in the grocery store for more seasoned rice)
Diced tomatoes
Shredded cheese
Sour cream
Chips slightly broken (which are conveniently located at the bottom of the bag of chips)
Salsa (my favorite salsa recipe is HERE)
Avocado- sliced (I thought I would share with you how I prepare an avocado. It can be intimidating but usually this method works like a charm).

Using a sharp knife, cut a lateral line through the center, cutting around the large center pit

Using a large spoon, insert the spoon as close to the skin as you can and shimmy between the edge of the avocado and the skin.

Repeat the process with the other side.

Place the avocado on the cutting board and slice.

Using a sharp knife,
cut a lateral line through
the center, cutting around the
large center pit

Using a large spoon,
insert the spoon as close
to the skin as you can
and shimmy between the
edge of the avocado
and the skin,

Remove the avocado.
Repeat the process
with the other side
Place the avocado
on the cutting board
and slice

Detail: DIY Tortilla Soup

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Fall Favorites

I'm on my second lap. It's year 2 for my blog and I have posted through each season. I like to write about seasonally inspired foods and since I began my blog last August, I posted some of my perennial fall favorites lastSeptember and October. In the next couple of weeks, I plan to make some of these recipes at our house.

So I wanted to remind you about them. (Or if you have come to my kitchen recently and haven't read the posts of these time honored traditions at my table, I wanted to share them with you).

Pumpkin Iced Sugar Cookies

My childhood tradition at every holiday. They are beautiful and delicious!