Chicken Tortilla Soup

I keep saying I am not quite ready for the cold but now that I have started this soup thing, I am on a roll. I'm watching the local news and they are calling for rain all day tomorrow. September is my busiest month of the year and this has been a particularly rough week. So I am secretly hoping that I will be able to stay in, eat my soup and enjoy doing absolutely nothing tomorrow, other than listen to the rain against my window. Wishful thinking, I know.

Chicken Tortilla soup is great for rainy days and football Sundays. Pair it with a cold Corona...good times, good times. You can garnish it with a myriad of things - avocado, fresh tomato, red onion, sour cream, four cheese blend, cilantro, lime, tortilla chips...so many options.

I will say, this soup has helped to open up my clogged sinus cavities. I might have to keep some of this on hand on a regular!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 medium onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 Serrano pepper, diced
1 clove garlic, diced
1 tsp cumin
3 tsp chili powder
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper
Ground pepper, to taste
4 c low sodium chicken broth
3 c  water
2 c fresh tomatoes, diced
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
2 c fresh corn

Preheat oven to 375°.

Drizzle some olive oil onto chicken breasts. Season chicken breast with salt and pepper and bake chicken for 25-30 minutes, or until chicken is done. Shred chicken, pulling breasts apart with a fork. Set aside until ready to use.

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a stock pot over medium high heat. Add the chopped onions, garlic and peppers and cook for 3-5 minutes. Stir in the remaining spices, add the shredded chicken and stir until combined. Stir in the tomatoes, chicken broth, water, black beans and fresh corn. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly; then reduce heat and simmer for 30-45 minutes. Garnish with your favorite toppings and serve hot.

All photographs are actual pictures of the recipe listed, prepared by Sweet Treats 'n Good Eats, and cannot be used without the owner’s consent.

Shiitake Mushroom Soup

Ugh! I’m getting sick. This weekend the weather turned from 90° to 60° overnight and I feel like crap. Headache, sneezing, eye pain, stuffy nose, stuffy head, earache. So I decided to try the age old chicken broth remedy. I am not in the mood for chicken noodle. So I tried my version of a mushroom shiitake soup. The reason it is “my version” and not just mushroom shiitake soup is because I did not have any shiitake mushrooms. So it is technically mushroom soup but…who’s checking?

This soup is incredibly quick and easy to make. Now if this cold would go away as easily…

Shiitake Mushroom Soup

Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 clove of garlic finely chopped
1 small yellow onion diced
2 c fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced thinly
1 c button mushrooms, sliced thinly
Salt and pepper to taste
2 c chicken stock
2 c water
Scallions

Saute’ the garlic and yellow onion in a stock pot, with olive oil, until the onion is translucent. Add the mushrooms and sauté for a few minutes, adding salt and pepper to taste. Add the broth and water and simmer for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with scallions and serve.
 
All photographs are actual pictures of the recipe listed, prepared by Sweet Treats 'n Good Eats, and cannot be used without the owner’s consent.

Pumpkin Pancakes

Fall must be around the corner as my girlfriend Kendra has started her pumpkin spice latte ritual as of yesterday morning. She has an addiction to pumpkin spice latte...to the extent that she has been known to raid all of the local Target stores until she has purchased every tin she can get her greedy little hands on. She seems blissfully unaware that they will likely expire before she can finish them all. But, whatever the case, I think she is comforted knowing that she will never run out of pumpkin spice during the cold and holiday season. No one else in the city will ever know what it tastes like; but a least my friend will be content.

I feel inspired by Kendra this morning - who not only had pumpkin spice latte yesterday, but also a pumpkin cream cheese muffin for breakfast. She's really digging this pumpkin thing, eh? So I am having pumpkin pancakes to set my lazy Saturday plans in motion.

It is supposed to be a cold, gloomy day all day. So in terms of my agenda...the only thing I know for sure is there will be lots of good eats, a few light naps and some good movie watching today.

 Pumpkin Pancakes

1/2 c whole wheat flour
1 c spelt flour (or AP flour)
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
3 tbsp light brown sugar (or 1 packet Stevia)
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
¼ tsp of cloves
½ tsp nutmeg
1 1/2 c buttermilk
1/4 c orange juice
1 tsp pure vanilla
1 tsp brandy
1/2 c pumpkin puree
2 eggs
2 tbsp melted butter, plus extra for griddle

Combine dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl with a whisk. Combine wet ingredients in a separate bowl. Incorporate wet and dry ingredients, mixing just until blended. Batter will be lumpy.

Preheat griddle or cast iron pan. Brush with butter. Ladle batter onto griddle or into pan. Cook on the first side until bubbles form and begin to pop. Flip the pancake and cook until golden brown. Keep cooked pancakes warm until ready to serve, in a 200 degree oven.

All photographs are actual pictures of the recipe listed, prepared by Sweet Treats 'n Good Eats, and cannot be used without the owner’s consent.

Fish Stew

Brrrrrrrrr. It is a chilly September day in the Queen City, coming on the heels of a near 90-degree day yesterday. I don't mind the cooler weather...but at this moment I am not quite ready to put the toes up yet. In addition, I need at least 30 days relief between the air conditioning and heat...we used to have something called fall. What happened to that? Those days with the windows open and the breeze wafting in? 

As soon as I got up and felt the chill in the air I knew I was making some type of soup with dinner. Comfort foods are one of the things I enjoy most about the cooler months. I debated about making chili, which is one of my absolute favorites. But I decided to prepare a fish stew instead.

It was exactly what I needed. There was just enough kick to open up my sinuses and it warmed me all the way to my freshly painted toes.

Fish Stew

4 tbsp olive oil
1 c chopped yellow onions
1/4 c celery
3 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
2 c fresh tomato, chopped
8 oz fish (or chicken) stock
2/3 c dry white wine (or coconut milk)
1 1/2 lb fish fillets (cod, halibut, sea bass) cut into pieces
1/2 tsp oregano
1 tsp curry powder
Salt and pepper, to taste

Heat olive oil in large pot over medium heat. Add onion and celery and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add parsley and tomato and cook 2 minutes longer.

Add liquids and fish and simmer until fish is cooked through, approximately 10 minutes. Add seasonings and cook for 5 minutes longer. Serve. 

All photographs are actual pictures of the recipe listed, prepared by Sweet Treats 'n Good Eats, and cannot be used without the owner’s consent.