Provencal Soup with Pistou

Fall and soup just go together, so when I saw Ina making this one for her French friends, I knew I had to give it a whirl.  So healthy and yummy looking!  And if you make it with veggie stock, it's totally vegan as well.

2 tablespoons good olive oil
2 cups chopped onions (2 onions)
2 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts (2 to 4 leeks)
3 cups 1/2-inch-diced unpeeled boiling potatoes (1 pound)
3 cups 1/2-inch-diced carrots (1 pound)
1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 quarts homemade chicken stock or canned broth
1 teaspoon saffron threads
1/2 pound haricots verts, ends removed and cut in 1/2
4 ounces spaghetti, broken in pieces
1 cup Pistou, recipe follows
Freshly grated Parmesan, for serving

Heat the olive oil in a large stockpot, add the onions, and saute over low heat for 10 minutes, or until the onions are translucent. Add the leeks, potatoes, carrots, salt, and pepper and saute over medium heat for another 5 minutes. Add the chicken stock and saffron, bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, or until all the vegetables are tender. Add the haricots verts and spaghetti, bring to a simmer, and cook for 15 more minutes.

To serve, whisk 1/4 cup of the pistou into the hot soup, then season to taste. Depending on the saltiness of your chicken stock, you may need to add up to another tablespoon of salt. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese and more pistou.

Pistou
4 large garlic cloves
1/4 cup tomato paste
24 large basil leaves
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/2 cup good olive oil

Place the garlic, tomato paste, basil, and Parmesan in the bowl of a food processor and puree. With the motor running, slowly pour the olive oil down the feed tube to make a paste. Pack into a container, pour a film of olive oil on top, and close the lid.

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

I saw this today in this month's issue of Cooking Light while I was at the grocery store and drooled a little.  Once I'm off of my "near starvation diet" I can't wait to give this a whirl!

Loaded Baked Potato Soup
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: about 1 1/4 cups)

4  (6-ounce) red potatoes
2  teaspoons  olive oil
1/2  cup  prechopped onion
1 1/4  cups  fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
3  tablespoons  all-purpose flour
2  cups  1% low-fat milk, divided
1/4  cup  reduced-fat sour cream
1/2  teaspoon  salt
1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
3  bacon slices, halved
1/3  cup  shredded cheddar cheese
 4  teaspoons  thinly sliced green onions

Pierce potatoes with a fork. Microwave on HIGH 13 minutes or until tender. Cut in half; cool slightly.

While potatoes cook, heat oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 3 minutes. Add broth. Combine flour and 1/2 cup milk; add to pan with 1 1/2 cups milk. Bring to a boil; stir often. Cook 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in sour cream, salt, and pepper.

Arrange bacon on a paper towel on a microwave-safe plate. Cover with a paper towel; microwave on HIGH for 4 minutes. Crumble bacon.

Discard potato skins. Coarsely mash potatoes into soup. Top with cheese, green onions, and bacon.

Calories:  325

Fat:  11.1g (sat 5.2g,mono 4.5g,poly 0.8g)

Protein:  13.2g

Carbohydrate:  43.8g

Fiber:  3g

Cholesterol:  27mg

Iron:  1.3mg

Sodium:  670mg

Calcium:  261mg

Curried Sweet Potato and Apple Soup

I almost always crave apples and sweet potatoes in the fall.  Okay, always.  And I love curry, and I love using my mandoline, so I can't wait to try this one out!

Curried Sweet Potato-Apple Soup
3 medium sweet potatoes
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1 2-inch piece ginger, peeled and grated
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, plus more for garnish
1 1/2 teaspoons Madras curry powder
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/4 cups chunky applesauce
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 to 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Peel and dice 2 1/2 sweet potatoes. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the ginger, nutmeg, 1 1/4 teaspoons curry powder, and salt and pepper to taste and cook until toasted, 1 more minute.

Add the diced sweet potatoes, chicken broth and 2 cups water to the pot, cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium low and stir in the applesauce. Simmer, covered, until the sweet potatoes are soft, about 20 minutes. Puree the soup with a blender until smooth. Season with salt and pepper; keep warm.

Meanwhile, peel and thinly slice the remaining 1/2 sweet potato and toss with the olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake until crisp, 7 to 10 minutes.

Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the remaining 1/4 teaspoon curry powder and cook, stirring, until browned; remove from the heat and add the vinegar. Top with the curry butter, cilantro and sweet-potato chips.

Mi primero clase de cocina Mexicana

Today was my first (expensive) cooking class here in San Miguel de Allende, and it was really fun.  There were only four of us, so the chefs let us kind of run amok and be more hands on with them in the kitchen, even though the class looked to be set up as a demo only.  They taught it in English and Spanish, which was very helpful - both ways.
We made three traditional dishes - a sopa de tortilla that is eaten all throughout Mexico; a pescado a la Veracruzana that is a specialty from the Veracruz region; and flan, por supuesto.
They also served a hibiscus tea kind of drink, and margaritas, woo!  I learned some great new techniques and the food was AMAZING.  Here I thought my dad's tortilla soup was the best. . . I mean, it's still amazing and much easier than today's recipe, but this one. . . que rico!

There were a few "new to me" ingredients as well:
epazote - a green with small, pungent leaves that is typically used in quesadillas or with mushrooms
guero chilies - they have the same smell and color as peperoncinis, but they were long and thin
Cajeta Envinada - a caramel sauce made with goat's milk, which actually did have a flavor reminiscent of goat cheese


I also learned a few new techniques - very helpful for getting a superfine dice as we needed for the Pescado a la Veracruzana.  Typically in Mexican cuisine, the entire tomato is used - skin, seeds, and flesh.  For this recipe we scooped the seeds out though, and they showed us an easy way to do that (though I argue scraping it with a spoon would be even easier).  So, without further ado. . . .

Sopa de tortilla
Pescado a la Veracruzana
Flan de Caramelo

Sopa de Tortilla

Sopa de Tortilla
5 q chicken broth
1/2 pasilla chile - fried
6 Roma tomatoes
1 medium white onion
5 cloves of garlic
2 epazote sprigs (the written recipe calls for an additional 1/4 cup of epazote leaves to be blended with the rest of the ingredients, but we didn't do it, so I'm leaving it optional here)
sea salt to taste
3 tbsp veggie oil


Garnishes:
2 c veggie oil
18 corn tortillas, sliced into thin strips and fried (and left to dry for one day according to the written recipe - we just fried ours)
6 pasilla chiles cut into rings and fried in oil

2 avocados, cut into cubes
2 c ranchero cheese in cubes (optional; we didn't use this)
1 c Mexican cream (optional; we didn't use this)


To make the garnishes:
Fry tortilla strips in hot oil until crispy and brown (and bubbles have disappeared).  Drain them on paper towels.
Cut the pasilla chiles into rings and fry in oil as well.


To make the soup:
Roast the tomatoes, onions and garlic in a very hot and dry skillet until blackened.  When dark, put the entire things (garlic skins and all) into the blender with the fried pasilla, one quart of chicken broth, a nice big handful of the fried tortilla strips, and that optional epazote; blend well.  Strain into a hot cazuela or clay pot with a bit of vegetable oil in the bottom and let it fry a little bit to bring the flavors out even more.  Add in the epazote sprigs.  Finally, add chicken stock and sea salt to taste.  Let simmer and check seasoning periodically.


To serve:
In the bottom of each soup bowl, place a small handful of the tortilla strips, the cubed avocado, and the cheese and cream if using.  Ladle some soup into the bowl, and top with pasilla rings.


Serves 4-6

Pho home!

Pho (pronounced fuh, not faux, you xenophobe) at home is now easy AND SOUTH BEACHY AND GLUTEN FREE OMG.  Thanks Whole Foods!!!

As I was strolling along the other day, I saw this little box in the "new stuff!" area.  Brown rice noodles?  Hmm, you don't say.  Pho at home without hours and hours spent making broth?  Interesting.  I'm in.
I opted for the Garlic Goodness flavor (obviously), but there was also shiitake mushroom and zesty ginger I believe; plus a larger box of plain old noodles with no seasoning packet.  And dudes - you can buy them on Amazon (see the bottom of the post).
Some broth (I recommend sticking to the recommended beef broth, and NOT using the low sodium since I ended up having to add quite a bit of salt), some meat (I used some rotisserie chicken I had on hand, but you could use super thinly sliced beef which will cook in the broth, or cooked shrimp or bbq pork if you wanted), and some veggies (we opted for green onions and cilantro - both musts if you ask me, and mushrooms and red peppers).  Hard boiled eggs, bamboo shoots, basil, sliced jalapenos and mungbean sprouts would also be fantastic additions.
Heat up the broth with the seasoning packet and then toss in your meat and heartier veggies to heat through or cook, then add the noodles and cook til soft.  Add the cilantro and stir in, and finish with a squeeze of lime over the top if you're so inclined, plus a squirt of Sriracha, and dinner is ready.  Decent pho at home, hooray!!!  The box serves two hungry eaters.

Curry Soup

Strangely, my cafeteria at work made a pretty kick ass chicken and curried vegetable soup yesterday with lentils and yumbombs.  It was really good and I was hoping to find a similar recipe online, though I'm sure I could give it a go myself at recreating it.  (it was basically chicken and veggies and curry - ta da!  recipe done)
A peek at the interwebs brought up this intriguing recipe though, and I definitely want to give it a whirl.  See, one of the dishes I dream about is the red curry mussels at Fog City Diner.  The only problem with this, is that I don't like mussels.  I can't order a plate of mussels just so I can eat the broth - that would be stupid.  And I can't always drag Andrea with me to eat the mussels and not share any of the broth with her - that would be mean.
So maybe, JUST MAYBE this soup could do for me, just a little, of what the broth does.  And PERHAPS I can live without the crusty sourdough, but I make no promises.

Bon Appetit tells me that this recipe is from Aruns in Chicago, where owner and chef Arun Sampanthavivat has come up with this fresh take on a traditional Thai recipe.

Thai Red Curry Soup 

2 tablespoons corn oil

1 tablespoon Thai red curry paste

12 ounces skinless boneless chicken breast halves, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-wide strips

4 ounces green beans, cut into 1-inch lengths

2 small Japanese eggplants, cut into 1-inch pieces

3 cups canned low-salt chicken broth

3 cups canned unsweetened coconut milk

1 tablespoon fish sauce (nam pla)

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add curry paste; stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add chicken; stir 2 minutes. Add green beans and eggplant pieces; stir 1 minute. Add broth, coconut milk and fish sauce; bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer until vegetables are tender, about 12 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in basil and serve.

French Onion Soup

After lunch with a coworker at La Terrasse where I tried to be good and South Beachy by ordering a butter lettuce salad and shrimp with ratatouille (that was probably so chock full of butter it's not even funny), I had a hankering for some of my other French favorites. Sure, I couldn't do steak frittes, but I was positive I could do some healthy damage to some French Onion soup. Sure enough, 3 Fat Chicks on a Diet lent a hand.

Below are my subs to their posted recipe. SUCH a winner.


French Onion Soup
serves 4
2 cans (14 1/2 oz) Low Sodium Beef Broth
2 cans (14 1/2 oz) Low Sodium Chicken Broth
4 cups sliced medium yellow onions
3 cloves minced garlic (jar minced = 1/2 tsp = 1 clove)
2 tbsp olive oil (or a combo of oil and I Can't Believe It's Not Butter or something)
1 1/4 cup cooking sherry
salt & pepper to taste
lowfat mozzarella and/or Provolone
optional (depending on phase): 4 Small slices of bread, cut into rounds (any SBD approved bread is okay)

Saute onions and garlic in oil in large dutch over over low-med heat until onions are translucent/browned. Add beef and chicken broth. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer 5 min. Add sherry, salt and pepper.

From original recipe: Put soup into 4 oven-safe bowls. Place one slice bread on top of soup for each bowl, and then place sliced Monterey Jack cheese over bread to cover.
Put in 375 degree oven for about 25 min or until cheese is bubbling and brown.

I didn't know whether or not my bowls were oven safe, so I put maybe 1/4 cup of mozz in the bottom of the bowl and ladled the hot soup over the top, then topped that with 1 slice of the provolone and nuked it til melty, about 1 minute. But believe you me, once I'm sure my bowls are oven proof, this is going straight into the oven.

I served this with a butter lettuce, pickled beet, goat cheese & toasted almond salad with a Dijon vinaigrette and it was perfectly French. I can't wait to have the leftovers for lunch!

Turkey Sausage, White Bean and Kale Soup

I made a yumtastic soup last night. Totally SB friendly, healthy, yummy, and super super easy.

1 medium onion; diced
2-3 cloves of garlic; minced
4 turkey sausages, sliced into disks (I used Aidell's sundried tomato)
1 huge can of chicken stock
1 bunch of kale - washed, large stems/stalks removed, and roughly chopped
2 cans of white beans (great northern, cannelini, whatever)
salt and pepper
olive oil

Heat olive oil (2 tbsp or so) in a large stock pot. Sautee the onion and garlic until soft, then season with salt and pepper.
Add the turkey sausage and cook a bit longer - I like to see the sausage a bit browned.
Add the stock and the beans. Add the kale bit by bit (as it fits in your pot!) and stir to combine. Cover the pot and let simmer for 15-20 minutes until kale is wilted and everything is heated through. Taste broth for seasoning and add any additional seasoning as necessary - maybe even a dash of red pepper flakes if you like it spicy.

Tortilla Soup

Why do I ALWAYS forget to put this recipe in here? I must have called my Dad 3 times over the last several years (when I haven't made it for a while) to remind me. And it's only the easiest thing in the world, and totally tweakable based on your tastes and preferences.

Dad's Tortilla Soup
1 14 oz can whole tomatoes (if you like really spicy you can use the Herdez brand with tomatoes and peppers together, but I'd skip the jalapeno if you do this - no really)
1 jalapeno (determine your spicy level here carefully, you can't take it back)
48 oz chicken broth
1 large onion
handful of cilantro leaves
corn tortillas
shredded cheese

Decide how spicy you want this in advance - I have made it so spicy that it was almost unpleasant to eat (damn Herdez), and so bland it would be good for an ulcer patient. The spice from jalapenos comes from the white ribs and the seeds, so get rid of them if you're white. Ha, just kidding. :o)

Anyway, put the chook broth into a large pot and heat over med-hi. In the meantime, cut the onion into big chunks, and put it in the food processor with the jalapeno and tomatoes. Buzz them all together until they're pureed. You can also put the cilantro in for this step, but I like my pieces a bit larger, so I chop it by hand and add it to the pot directly.
Bring to a boil, then cover and turn down heat to a simmer. Simmer for 2o minutes.

While the soup is simmering, you can make the tortillas (or just use chips if you're lazy, but HONESTLY). My Dad fries them in a pan with oil, but I'm Little Miss Healthy, so I usually bake mine. I slice them into 1/2 - 3/4" strips to start, then spray a cookie sheet with Pam, lay the strips down and then spray them with Pam again. Into a 350 oven for I dunno, however long until they're crispy but not scorched (which is a fine line, believe me). Keep checking on them - maybe around 10 minutes? You can use flour tortillas here as well, but I feel like they get soggy and break down much faster, plus I love corn tortillas.

Once everything is done, put some of the tortillas in the bottom of a bowl and top with cheese. Ladle the soup on top and die in heaven.

Also amazing with additions: chicken, avocado, corn. . .
I wish this is what I was having for dinner now, yum.

Curried Zucchini Soup

Another South Beach hit - great for summer as it's fresh and delicious, but good for fall too since it's warm and cozy. This was the second course for the squash blossom dinner, and while I really should've thought about how I was going to serve it in advance, it worked out okay.

Curried Zucchini Soup
2 tsp Extra Virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 medium zukes, sliced into 1/4" half moons
1 tbsp grated ginger
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp garam masala (which I did not have so I used a dash of Allspice + cumin + chili powder; other folks have actual substitution recipes if you'd prefer)
3 cups veggie broth (low sodium)
1/2 c plain fat free yogurt

garnish:
3 tbsp lowfat/ff sour cream mixed with 1 tbsp ff half and half to thin it out (or creme fraiche if you prefer)
Ginger - using a garlic press, smoosh up your ginger to taste and mix in - I probably used a 1 inch piece of ginger, but I think a little more would've been good

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 min. Add garlic and cook for another minute or so. Add zucchini, ginger, curry powder, and garam masala. Cook 3 more min.

Add broth and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer until vegetable are tender, about 10 min. Puree soup until smooth. Whisk in yogurt just before serving.

Garnish soup with ginger creme fraiche, either a nice little dollop on top, or a swirl if you're feeling fabulous.

Hot & Sour Soup

While we're on the topic of soup, I remembered that I really want to try making Hot & Sour soup at home. I LOVE this stuff, but restaurants can be so hit or miss. Some are awesome, some kind of bleh. Cook's Illustrated was taunting me with their recipe but they can FORGET IT if they think they can get me to subscribe to them again just for this. The interwebs and I will defeat you ATK!!


Hot & Sour Soup
5 dried wood ear mushrooms
4 dried shiitake mushrooms
8 dried tiger lily buds
4 cups chicken stock
1/3 cup diced bamboo shoots
1/3 cup lean ground pork
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons water
1/2 (16 ounce) package firm tofu, cubed
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion

Soak the dried mushrooms and tiger lily buds in warm water for 20 minutes. After trimming off any tough stems, slice the mushrooms. With the fingers, shred the tiger lily stems.
Place the mushrooms, tiger lily buds, stock, bamboo shoots, and shredded pork into a saucepan. Bring to a boil, and simmer for 10 minutes.
Stir in soy sauce, sugar, salt, white pepper, and vinegar. Combine cornstarch with 3 tablespoons water. Add a little of the hot soup to the cornstarch, and then return all to the pan. Heat to boiling, stirring. Add the bean curd, and cook 1 to 2 minutes.
Just before serving, turn off the heat. Stir the egg in gradually. Mix in sesame oil. Sprinkle each serving with scallions.

Several folks mention subbing out shiitakes and other mushrooms for the wood ears and tiger lilly buds, but I have confidence that I'll be able to find them out on Clement. There was also a lot of talk about adding more vinegar, using rice wine vinegar and no sugar, and upping the soy, plus dashes of Sriracha here and there. I'm sure I'll do plenty of doctoring to taste and post my notes here. Word on the street is that the egg makes it cloudy - one clever person waited until it was off the heat for a couple of minutes and then added the beaten egg and she says it makes the difference.

Soup

Aida was calling them one dish wonders, I think they just sounded like some really yummy soups.

Baked Potato Soup

• 4 ounces bacon, small dice
• 1 medium yellow onions, finely chopped
• 5 medium garlic cloves
• 1 medium russet potato, large dice
• 2 medium red potatoes, large dice
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 2 quart (8 cups) chicken stock
• 1 sourdough baguette, cut into1-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup shredded aged cheddar cheese
• Sour cream, for garnish
• 3 green onions, thinly sliced, for garnish

Heat bacon in a large pot over medium-high heat until crisp and fat is rendered, about 7 minutes. Remove bacon to a paper towel-lined plated with a slotted spoon and discard all but 1 tablespoon drippings.

Return pot to stove and add onions and garlic. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and cook until golden, about 2 minutes. Add potato and stir to coat. Add vinegar and scrape up any browned bits. Add stock and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until potato is fork tender, about 20 minutes. Heat oven to 450degreesF and arrange a rack in the upper third.

When soup is ready, ladle into 8- to 12-ounce ovensafe bowls and top with two baguette slices. Pile cheese and bacon on top and repeat to make 4 to 6 servings. Place on a baking sheet and place in oven until cheese is melty and browned, about 5 minutes.

Remove from oven, let cool slightly, top each bowl with a dollop sour cream and a sprinkling of green onions and serve.

"Lazy" Pork Hot Pot

• 1 1/2 quart (6 cups) low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 cup sherry
• 6 tablespoons soy sauce
• 5 medium garlic cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 (2-inch piece) ginger, sliced
• 4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, caps removed and reserved, tops thinly sliced and reserved
• 3/4 pound pork tenderloin, thinly sliced
• 3 green onions, thinly sliced on bias, for serving
• Toasted sesame oil, for serving (optional)

Combine broth, sherry, soy, garlic, ginger, and mushroom stems in a medium pot. Bring to a boil over high heat then reduce heat to low and simmer until broth is infused with flavors, about 30 minutes.

Strain broth, return to pot over high heat, add broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, add pork and mushrooms and cook until pork is just cooked through, about 3 minutes.

Garnish with green onions and sesame oil, if using, and serve.

Jalapeno Cornbread & Tortilla Soup

Ina Garten does it again, tempting me with her tasty treats. Under the ruse of "getting away with something" while her husband is away, she plans a wild night of bridge with her gay boyfriends. Rockin, right? At least there were pineapple margaritas.
She made chicken tortilla soup and these yummy cornbreads. I have a pretty kick ass tortilla soup recipe from my dad but hers looked pretty good too. Yum, tortilla soup. Her recipe is way more involved than mine, and if I could think of it right now, I'd post it, but that might have to wait a bit while my early onset Alzheimer's settles down.

Jalapeno Cornbread

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 cups milk
• 3 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted, plus extra to grease the pan
• 8 ounces aged extra-sharp Cheddar, grated, divided
• 1/3 cup chopped scallions, white and green parts, plus extra for garnish, 3 scallions
• 3 tablespoons seeded and minced fresh jalapeno peppers

Combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the milk, eggs, and butter. With a wooden spoon, stir the wet ingredients into the dry until most of the lumps are dissolved. Don't overmix! Mix in 2 cups of the grated Cheddar, the scallions and jalapenos, and allow the mixture to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking pan.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and sprinkle with the remaining grated Cheddar and extra chopped scallions. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool and cut into large squares. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Tortilla Soup
nocoupons

• 4 split (2 whole) chicken breasts, bone in, skin on
• Good olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups chopped onions (2 onions)
• 1 cup chopped celery (2 stalks)
• 2 cups chopped carrots (4 carrots)
• 4 large cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 1/2 quarts chicken stock, preferably homemade
• 1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes in puree, crushed
• 2 to 4 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander seed
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves, optional
• 6 (6-inch) fresh white corn tortillas

For serving: sliced avocado, sour cream, grated Cheddar cheese, and tortilla chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the chicken breasts skin side up on a sheet pan. Rub with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until done. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, discard the skin and bones, and shred the meat. Cover and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the onions, celery, and carrots and cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, or until the onions start to brown. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the chicken stock, tomatoes with their puree, jalapenos, cumin, coriander, 1 tablespoon salt (depending on the saltiness of the chicken stock), 1 teaspoon pepper, and the cilantro, if using. Cut the tortillas in 1/2, then cut them crosswise into 1/2-inch strips and add to the soup. Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 25 minutes. Add the shredded chicken and season to taste. Serve the soup hot topped with sliced avocado, a dollop of sour cream, grated Cheddar cheese, and broken tortilla chips.

Asparagus Soup

Cribbed from South Beach recipes, this soup is so easy to make it's not even funny. I don't think they can even take full credit for it it's so easy.

2 pounds or so of asparagus
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
4 c chicken stock/broth - I tend to go with the low sodium kind so I can add my own salt later
s & p to taste
parmesan cheese for garnish

In a medium stockpot, heat up a tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Once hot, add the veggies (asparagus, onion & garlic). Sautee being careful not to let the onion get brown, until it's soft - about 5 minutes or so.
Add the chicken stock/broth and bring to a simmer. Simmer for about 10 minutes until the asparagus is just tender.
Use an immersion blender (if you're lucky and happen to own one) or regular blender to puree the mix. I have to do two batches in my blender.
Pour it back into the pot, salt and pepper to taste. Serve with a sprinkling of parmesan cheese (and a big hunk of warm, crusty sourdough if you're not on the South Beach diet).

If you'd like to turn this into cream of asparagus soup, I'd follow the same steps as above, but then I'd add maybe some unflavored Greek Yogurt & TJs fat free half and half to the mix (you know, til it looks right) and stir until blended.

If you want full flavor and full fat, start with butter rather than olive oil, and serve with a crispy BLT. I can't stop thinking how perfect bacon would be with this, probably given my penchant for prosciutto wrapped asparagus.
Here is a good cream of asparagus recipe from All Recipes.