Category Archives: Soups

Chipotle Chili

chipotle chili

Chili, is there anything better on a cold winter night than a piping hot bowl of Chili?  I posted my age-old favorite Chili recipe a while ago.  That is my go to Chili recipe but when I saw this one in Bon Appetit’s Fast Easy Fresh, I knew I had to try it.  You see, I LOVE Chipotle Chilis.  Love, love, love them.  I like it hot.  The original recipe had you add 2 Chipotle peppers.  I started with 3 and ended up with 5 :).   I also added the tomato paste and brown sugar as it needed a little sweetness to balance the chilis.  Other than that, I was pretty true to the recipe.  When I served mine I added avocado, low-fat sour cream, a little cheddar cheese, raw red onion and a few big spoons of  hot sauce which Bill found a little perplexing.  I told you I like it hot!  🙂

I have had this cookbook for a while, but recently spent some time going through it again and have about 20 recipes tagged with a stick it note.  The recipes are all meant for quick, healthy weeknight dinners, so you will see more of them here for sure! Continue reading Chipotle Chili

Chicken Stew with Tomatoes & White Beans

chicken stew Yesterday I was feeling the effects of 5 days in a row of eating rich food that I don’t normally eat and really wanted to make something healthy and comforting for dinner.  We had friends coming over too and it was just going to be casual, so something make ahead was needed to.  I turned to this delicous Chicken Stew with Tomatoes and White beans.  It is comforting and served with a salad makes a light meal.  You could make it even lighter by skipping the bacon, but the bacon has only 30 calories a slice cooked, so I think it is worth it.  🙂 Continue reading Chicken Stew with Tomatoes & White Beans

Posole (Mexican Pork Stew)

Posole 2

Have I told you how much I adore soups and stews?  Well, I do.  There is something so warm and welcoming about a hearty bowl of homemade soup.  Homemade soup is healthy and inexpensive to make.  Whenever I make a batch, I always double it and freeze the leftovers in individual containers to have on hand for a healthy delicious lunch.  If you are going to double this recipe, make sure you make it in 2 different pots.  I really found making this that if you double in a large pot, the flavors are never as intense as when you make a single batch in one pot.

If you like spice, add more chiles!  I will usually add 3 or so and then an hour into the cooking add a little more if it’s not too spicy. Continue reading Posole (Mexican Pork Stew)

Italian Wedding Soup

italian wedding soup 2

This soup is from one of my favorite cookbooks, Back to Basics by Ina Garten.  When you are craving a hot comforting bowl of soup, this is a satisfying, healthy option.  I always make a double batch and freeze the rest.

Cook whatever pasta you want on the side.  If you add it to the pan, the leftovers won’t freeze well and get really soggy.  I tend to grab whatever pasta is open and needs to be used up.  In this case, I cut up some spaghetti.  You can skip the pasta if you are Gluten free or Paleo.  Continue reading Italian Wedding Soup