Tortilla Soup

Warm and Sunny.
Happy Monday, Happy MLK Day. My cousin Angie posted a quote that was very simple.... "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter". What a great reminder to never stay silent when something isn't right, no matter what. Sometimes it's just easier to let things go, but  life isn't about taking the easy road. Hats off to Martin Luther King, Jr. for being such an incredible inspiration for all of us.

So, tonight's inspiration was Tortilla Soup. Funny, it hasn't an ounce of tortilla in it, only the wonderful flavors that make up this great winter soup. It's really a stand-by recipe that we've been serving for a few years now. It was inspired while on the South Beach diet because there isn't a trace of Carb in it. The bad kind, anyway. Three out of five of us like it. Katy, no and Hannah has decided to be picky lately with a new hate for black beans! Go figure the teen brain....

We went skating today on our no school day, downtown. It was great breathing in the fresh air and working off some of the pounds packed on while dining in Italy! Mexico isn't going to be much different, I have a feeling. It's really all about the cheese. Italians have the Mozzarella and I just bought a big bag of queso chihuahua, also called queso menonita after the Mennonite communities of northern Mexico.

Yummo. Just getting ready for the 100 day challenge that begins next week. A week where the Mediterranean may be calling my name!

Tortilla Soup
2 TBL. olive oil
1 TBL. minced garlic
2 tsp. cumin
2 cans fire roasted diced tomatoes
2 cans green chiles
48 oz. chicken broth
2 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cooked rotisserie chicken, diced

Heat olive oil and garlic and cumin in soup pot for a few minutes, browning the garlic. Add tomatoes and green chiles. Saute' for two minutes. Add Chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add chicken and black beans. Turn down heat to a simmer and cook for 45 minutes to an hour.

Serve with fresh cilantro, shredded cheese and green onions.
 (I also made cheese quesadillas to dip into the soup)


p.s. remember a few blogs ago I mentioned having to hide food in the house that matters? Well, we had tears tonight. Two girls skirted my question of whether Katy was eating the leftover cake with them earlier in the day since it was hers and that said yes. They polished it off and I dealt with a tears on the way to dance when I had to tell Katy after she told me she was going to have it for her treat tonight...and the truth came out! Harsh.