Tortilla Soup

I found this recipe last year and we LOVE it.  I seem to make it when I have left over chicken I need to use.  I had made some chicken breasts in the crockpot earlier in the week for veggie & chicken quesadillas and I had some left over.  Click here to get the chicken recipe-- it's a favorite too.
Both recipes are courtesy of Martha Stewart.  I changed the soup recipe just slightly, below is how I made it:

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon chili powder

2 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) diced tomatoes in juice

2 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, rinsed and drained

3 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 package (10 ounces) frozen corn kernels

1 small can diced green chilis

shredded chicken

Coarse salt and ground pepper

1 cup crushed tortilla chips, plus more for serving (optional)

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving

1. In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium. Cook garlic and chili powder until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes (with juice), beans, broth, corn, chilis; season with salt and pepper. 
2. Bring soup to a boil; reduce to a simmer.   Add chicken.  I leave my soups on the stove to simmer for a while, anywhere from 30 minutes to over an hour.  Remove from heat; stir in lime juice, and season with salt and pepper. Serve soup with lime wedges and, if desired, tortilla chips, avocado, and shredded sharp cheddar cheese.

Healthy Oatmeal Cookies

This recipe is courtesy of Martha Stewart.  The key to making healthy cookies is using whole wheat flour (or oat flour) and dark brown sugar (or turbinado sugar).  These ingredients are not stripped of their nutrients like white flour and granulated white sugar. 

1/2 cup whole-wheat flour (spooned and leveled)

1/2 cup all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/3 cup vegetable oil

2/3 cup packed dark-brown sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup rolled oats (not quick-cooking)

1/2 cup dried currants or raisins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flours and baking powder; set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together oil, sugar, egg, and vanilla. Add flour mixture, and stir to combine; mix in oats and currants.

Using two tablespoons of dough per cookie, roll into balls; place on two baking sheets lined with parchment paper, 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake until lightly browned, 15 to 17 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through.
Cool 5 minutes on sheets, then transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
Prep time:  10 minutes

Tomato, Corn, and Avocado Salad

Many thanks to my friend Amy (and Martha Stewart) for sharing this delicious recipe.  The abundance of fresh vegetables this time of year some what makes up for the 100 degree weather we've been experiencing!

1 ear corn (husk and silk removed; tip cut off)

2 pints cherry, grape, or pear tomatoes, halved (or quartered if large)

1 avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, and diced

2 scallions, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon vegetable oil, such as safflower

Coarse salt and ground pepper

Stand ear in a large wide bowl; with a sharp knife, carefully slice downward to release the kernels. Discard cob. Add tomatoes, avocado, scallions, lime juice, and oil to bowl. Season with salt and pepper, and toss gently to combine.

Prep time:  10 minutes

This is a new favorite summer salad.  You can also add a sprinkle of feta cheese.

Blueberry Cornmeal Cake

I made this for a Memorial Day party we went to last weekend.  I brought it as a dessert, but it's not super sweet so it would be great for breakfast or a brunch.   I used oat flour instead of white flour, and turbinado sugar instead of white granulated sugar.  The recipe calls for blackberries but we love blueberries in our house so I substituted.  Another great recipe from Martha Stewart!  Not the healthiest, but yummy.

1 1/4 cups oat flour (spooned and leveled)

1/2 cup yellow cornmeal (I used Bob's Red Mill Stone Ground Cornbread Mix available at Sprouts & Whole Foods)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, and 1/4 cup for sprinkling

1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk

2 large eggs

7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus 1 tablespoon for skillet

2 containers fresh blueberries (5.6 ounces each)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, and 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar. In another bowl, whisk together buttermilk, eggs, and melted butter; pour over flour mixture, whisking to combine.

In a 10-inch skillet (preferably cast-iron), heat remaining tablespoon butter in the oven until melted and skillet is hot, about 5 minutes. Remove from oven; swirl to coat bottom of pan. Pour batter into skillet; scatter blueberries on top, and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup sugar.

Bake, with a baking sheet on rack below (to catch any drips), until top is evenly browned, 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool slightly, about 30 minutes. Run a knife around the edge to loosen; cut into 8 wedges. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Prep time: 15 min.

Strawberry Cake

We are going to a couple parties this weekend so I've been baking all day.  This first recipe is courtesy of Martha Stewart.  I slightly modified the recipe by using oat flour and turbinado sugar.  I also cut the amount of sugar to be sprinkled on top of cake:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pie plate

1 1/2 cups oat flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup plus 2 teaspoons turbinado sugar

1 large egg

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

6 ounces raspberries

6 ounces blackberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 10-inch pie plate. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together into a medium bowl. 

Put butter and 1 cup sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-low; mix in egg, milk, and vanilla.

Reduce speed to low; gradually mix in flour mixture. Transfer batter to buttered pie plate. Arrange strawberries on top of batter, cut sides down and as close together as possible. Sprinkle remaining 2 teaspoons sugar over berries.

Bake cake 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Bake until cake is golden brown and firm to the touch, about 1 hour. Let cool in pie plate on a wire rack. Cut into wedges. Cake can be stored at room temperature, loosely covered, up to 2 days.

Prep time: 15 minutes

I came across this recipe right after I had already gone grocery shopping and bought raspberries and blackberries hence the fruit substitution.

I also have a batch of Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies in the oven right now.  These have become a big favorite because they are healthy and SO good.

Slow-Cooker Chili Chicken Tacos with a side of Beans

This EASY chicken taco recipe is courtesy of Martha Stewart.  I am always on the look out for simple, delicious crock pot recipes and this one is a favorite.  I use the La Tortilla Factory low carb, high fiber tortillas.  They are whole wheat and loaded with fiber and protein.

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 6)

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1/2 cup prepared tomato salsa, plus more for serving (optional)

1 to 2 tablespoons chopped canned chipotle chiles in adobo

1 tablespoon chili powder

Coarse salt and ground pepper

8 hard corn taco shells

Cilantro, shredded cheese, lime wedges, and sour cream, for serving (optional)

In slow cooker, combine chicken, garlic, salsa, chiles, chili powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and teaspoon pepper. Cover; cook on high, 4 hours (or on low, 8 hours).

Transfer chicken to a serving bowl, and shred, using two forks; moisten with cooking juices. Serve in taco shells, with toppings, if desired.

TIP:  Make sure your chicken is immersed in the wet ingredients to avoid dry chicken.  If needed, add more salsa.  Also, know your crock pot.  Mine is super charged so I usually have to cut the cooking time in half.

I make my own pinto beans rather than buy canned to avoid the sodium.  I typically make a huge pot then freeze portions in quart size ziploc bags.  Jack Henry loves beans and can eat them every day so I always make sure to have them on hand.  You can buy a bag of dried beans at the grocery store, or buy them in the bulk section.  *Plan ahead because these beans are an overnight process.

2 lbs pinto beans
1/2 onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
4 slices turkey bacon, cut up into bite size peices
1 can Rotel
pepper and salt

sort through the beans by hand, discarding rocks and broken beans.  rinse thoroughly in a collander then put in large pot filled with water.  soak the beans overnight.  beans expand so be sure there is plenty of water in the pot to ensure the beans remain immersed in the water.  the next day drain water and add fresh water.  add onion, garlic, cilantro, pepper and salt.  bring to a boil then simmer for 3-4 hours.  stir occasionally.  you may need to add additional water every hour.   the last hour, add rotel and bacon.

A couple  notes:  I never measure any ingredients for these beans.   You can add a can of green chiles, too.   I've made black beans and white northern beans, too.  Just add the onion, garlic and pepper and salt.

TIP:  When eating out at a Tex-Mex or Mexican restaurant, be aware of all the high fat foods:  cheese, avocado, red meat, beans, and fried tortilla chips.  Be selective!