Don't Knock Chicken Soup!

I'm emerging from the ashes!!  For months I managed to dodge that nasty cold/flu that everyone around me was getting.  Then Tom and I went  a lovely, romantic Caribbean cruise, and we both got hit with that bug halfway through.  SERIOUSLY????!!  So much for our romantic get-away; the Love Boat turned into the Coughing & Hacking Boat!

I pushed through and still went cave tubing and zip lining (that cold isn't ruining my vacation!)

 

 ...but when I got home, I was flattened!  My energy was zapped.  All I wanted to do was sleep.  It's one of those vicious Catch 22's.....no energy to cook or grocery shop, and no energy because I wasn't eating.  After a few days, I decided enough was enough.  I had to cook, and I needed chicken soup!

There's some actual science that supports the old wives' tale that chicken soup helps relieve cold and flu symptoms....the aromatics used are powerful anti-inflammatory ingredients, the bones add essential minerals, and the heat itself helps loosen up congestion.  And come on, it's just good old-fashioned comfort food, right?  That makes you feel better with each bowlful.  So off I went to the store for chicken soup ingredients.

Not one to go with the usual suspects, I decided to make Chicken Tortilla Soup.  I thought a spicy version of chicken soup would help sweat out this dang thing....

I started with a base of onions, leeks, jalapeno peppers and garlic.  When they were softened and fragrant, I added shredded rotisserie chicken, black beans, fire roasted tomatoes, chicken stock and smoky spices, and let that simmer away

 Meanwhile, I heated a little olive oil in my cast iron skillet (just enough to cover the bottom), and pan fried corn tortillas that I cut into strips. 

I added some chopped cilantro, lime zest & juice, and a pinch of salt (about 1/4 teaspoon; I've measured my pinches!) to the soup and let it cook for a little bit longer. And now it's time!!  You can lay some of the tortilla strips in the  bottom of the bowl and ladle the soup over them, but I like to  float them on top for a crispy bite.  Add a little dollop of Greek yogurt (or sour cream, if you're one of THOSE) on top, and this is definitely not a bitter pill to swallow!!  Sure, it won't cure me, but it makes me feel warm and just a little bit better.

Sick or not, give this yummy soup a try......

Chicken Tortilla Soup                                                                                                         Serves 6

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 cup chopped onion

2 small jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped

1 leek, white and light green part thinly sliced

1 tablespoon chopped garlic (about 3-4 cloves)

2 cooked chicken breasts, shredded

1 14 oz can fire roasted tomatoes

1 14 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

4 cups chicken broth

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon coriander

½ teaspoon ancho chile powder

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Zest and juice from one lime

Salt to taste

4 corn tortillas, cut into strips

Greek yogurt for garnish

·         Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat.

·         Add onion, jalapeno, leek and garlic.  Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes until softened.

·         Add chicken, tomatoes, black beans, broth, cumin, coriander, and chile powder.

·         Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 20-30 minutes.

·         Add chopped cilantro, lime zest and juice, and salt to taste (about ½-1 teaspoon).

·         Continue cooking for 5 minutes, uncovered.

·         Meanwhile, heat remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.

·         Add tortilla strips and cook, tossing occasionally, until lightly browned and crisp.

·         Ladle soup into bowls, top with tortilla strips and a dollop of Greek yogurt.

Comfort me....

Every once in a while you just need a little comfort food.  Bad day, bad week, bad whatever, there are just those days when you crave a little comfort.  And sometimes it comes in the form of food.

I've been cooking for my friend Randy for years.  She's the perfect client because she loves everything I fix.  Today she asked me if I would cook for a friend of hers who lost her husband and days later was told she had breast cancer.  Puts your own silly problems into perspective when you get a call like that.  Felt like someone needed comfort food more than I did.

One of Randy's favorite meals that I make is my Green & White Manicotti.  With fresh oregano and basil growing like mad in my garden, I thought this would be a lovely offering.  It would be made with love, for sure, but adding fresh ingredients grown with care and tenderness could only make it better.  It may be a silly idea to most people, but I believe that your emotions, your "energy," goes into your food when you prepare it, which is whay I never cook for someone when I'm angry or upset. So today I would cook with love and compassion.

As you know, I try to take familiar dishes and make them a little healthier.  So the key to lightening up my manicotti is cottage cheese.  Traditional manicotti is heavy on the ricotta, mozzarella and parmesan cheese.  I reduce the quantities and replace ricotta with cottage cheese.  And I don't add eggs.  No one can tell the difference; it's still little bundles of creamy goodness.

I mix cottage cheese, mozzarella, parmesan, basil, oregano, chopped spinach, salt and pepper and stuff manicotti shells until they're bursting.  I use fresh chopped tomatoes this time of year to create my own marinara sauce (you can use your favorite bottled sauce if it's easier) and line the bottom of a baking pan with it's chunky goodness.  Then lay the stuffed shells on top of the sauce and cover with more sauce, making sure all shells are fully covered (about 4 cups total should do it).  Then I pour a cup of water around the sides and top with a little sprinkling of mozz or parm.  Bake, covered, for about an hour and your mouth will be watering when you open the oven door.   The smells coming out of that oven will be amazing!  Let it rest for about 10 minutes to absorb some of the liquid and then dig in!  Oh, and try to stop yourself from going back for seconds.

Bad day, bad week, bad whatever.... someone else's journey is harder than yours.  We all just need a little comfort.  If you have the chance to cook for someone who really needs it, do it with love.


Green & White Manicotti
Serves 4-6

3 bunches spinach, stems removed
16 oz cottage cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese, divided
2 tablespoons chopped, fresh oregano
2 tablespoons chopped, fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 package manicotti shells (usually 14 shells)
5 cups chopped heirloom tomatoes
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons each dried basil and oregano
1 teaspoon grade B maple syrup
Pinch red pepper flakes
Salt & peppper to taste

• Preheat oven to 375°.
• Wash spinach (don't dry it) and steam in a large, covered pot until fully wilted. Drain and when cool enough to handle, squeeze out all liquid and finely chop.
• In a large bowl mix cottage cheese, mozzarella, 1/4 cup of the parmesan, oregano, basil, salt, pepper and chopped spinach.  Stuff shells with filling.
• In a separate bowl mix chopped tomatoes, tomato sauce, dried herbs, maple syrup, pepper flakes, salt & pepper.
• Cover bottom of baking pan with tomato mixture.
• Add stuffed shells and cover with remaining sauce, being sure to fully cover tops of all shells.
• Add a cup of water around all sides of the pan.
• Top manicotti with remaining 1/4 cup parmesan and bake, covered, for 1 hour.
• Remove from oven and let stand uncovered for 10 minutes before serving. (This allows the liquid to be absorbed, don't get greedy!)

Enjoy and be well....