It's Hot, It's Cold, It's Hot Again....

You've got to love living in Houston. It's hot, it's cold, it's hot again....and you are still in the same day. The standing joke around here is that if you don't like the weather, give it an hour and it will change. Yesterday we saw 80, today the high is unlikely to get out of the 50s. No wonder all of our kiddos are sick.

I love the cool weather. Remember, I am a runner, the cooler and drier, the better it is for running. I also love the cool weather because it is a great time to break out the soup recipes. Yummy! Not to mention that most of them are saute a few things and then leave them to simmer. Can't beat the ease of a soup recipe. Of course, we have been pretending it's cool enough to eat soup around here because I can not keep up with the ever changing weather.

Here are a few of our favorites:

Southwestern Chicken and Rice Soup
1 med onion, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
(not called for but I add mushrooms and celery)
1 Tb veggie oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup uncooked white rice
2 medium plum tomatoes, chopped
1 - 2 Tbsp chopped pickled jalapeno slices
1 tsp cumin (I usually do 1 Tbsp)
1/4 tsp pepper
8 cups chicken broth
1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
juice of 1 lime
1 ripe avocado, chopped
tortilla strips

1. Saute first 3 ingredient in oil for 7 min or until tender. Add garlic and saute 1 more minute
2. Stir in chicken and next 5 ingredients. Stir in chicken broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes or until rice is tender
3. Stir in cilantro and lime juice
4. Serve with avocado and tortilla strips

Tortilla strips

Cut corn tortillas into strips. Place on a baking sheet and spray strips with cooking spray. (I usually lightly brush mine with oil instead).
Bake at 400 for 20 min - stir every 5

From Southern Living


Chicken Tortilla Soup
6 Tbsp veggie oil
8 corn tortillas, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
½ c fresh cilantro, chopped
1 med onion, chopped
28 oz can diced tomatoes
2 T ground cumin
1 T chili powder
3 bay leaves
6 Cups chicken stock
1 tsp salt
½ tsp cayenne pepper
4-6 shredded, cooked chicken breasts
Toppings: cheeses, avocado, sour cream, chips

Heat oil over medium heat
Add tortillas, garlic, cilantro and onion
Saute until soft and translucent.
Stir in tomatoes
Bring to a boil and add cumin, chili powder, bay leaves and chicken stock. Return to a boil
Reduce heat and add salt and cayenne pepper.
Simmer 30 minutes
Remove bay leaves and stir in chicken. Heat until chicken is warm
Garnish with above toppings


5 Can Soup
1 can evaporated milk
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can Rotel
1 can French onion soup
1 can cream of potato

Add shredded chicken and warm. Top with shredded cheese. Serve with salad and bread.


White Christmas Chili
This one makes a lot so I half the recipe

8 skinned and boned chicken breasts
2 medium onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 TBSP veggie oil
2 cans chicken broth
4 cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 can cannellini beans, rinsed, drained and mashed
2 cans chopped green chilis, undrained
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp dried oregano
`/1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/8 tsp ground red pepper

Cut chicken into bite size pieces
Saute chicken, onion and garlic in hot oil over medium high heat for 10 minutes or until chicken is done.
Stir and broth and next 10 ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, 30 minutes
Serve with shredded Monterey Jack cheese, salsa, sour cream, cilantro

Taco Soup
This is a staple for any Texas kitchen. This is another one I half for our family.

2 lbs ground beef
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 4 oz can chopped green chilis
salt and pepper
2 - 1 1/4 oz package taco seasoning
1 - 1 oz package hidden valley ranch dry dressing mix
1 15 oz can white hominy
1 15 oz can golden yellow hominy
2 - 14.5 oz stewed tomatoes - Mexican style
1 - 15 oz can whole kernel corn
2 - 15 oz cans Pinto beans with jalepenos
2 cups of water
1 bag of Fritos
1 8 oz bag shredded cheddar cheese

Brown meat with onions and 4 oz can of chilis. Stir in taco seasoning and hidden valley dry ranch. Then add undrained cans of vegetables and 2 cups of water. Serve in bowls and top with cheese and fritos.