The Healthy Meals Project?

Talking to my BFF, I realized I really, really want to do a Julie/Julia thing.  Take a recipe book, work through the pages, fall in love with cooking again. 

Now, here’s my problem. What project to choose? I’d love to start quilting again. Maybe I should do a block a week… by the end of the year, I’d have a quilt.

Or crochet. I could do a scarf a month.

Or sign up for classes at the chef school in St Louis.

Now, I’m just being silly.

I’m a lot like Julie, at least in the movie version. I have a lot of things I want to learn. I used to work in social services. I have a full time job, a husband who gives me lots of room for meltdowns, and a desire to succeed.

I also have at least three books coming out this year, three manuscripts to edit and shop, and a bunch of new bright and shiny’s calling for my attention.

Instead of 365+ recipes in 365 days, I’m going to commit to one new recipe a week.  50 new recipes in 2014.

Here’s the first – 49 to go…

Mexican Chicken Soup

This soup freezes well and depending on your toppings, is a low calorie lunch, easy to heat up in a microwave. There’s a lot of different versions of Mexican Chicken Soup on the internet, but I liked the simplicity of both the preparation and ingredients of my version. It’s an easy Sunday dinner with a basket of fresh rolls and a chopped salad.

2 split chicken breasts, bone in, skin on
Olive oil
Salt and black pepper
2 cups chopped onions
1 cup chopped celery
2 cups chopped carrots
2 large cloves garlic, minced
2 (28-ounce) cans chicken stock (or homemade)
1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes in puree, crushed
1/4 cup jalapeno slices, seeded and minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander seed
6 (6-inch) fresh white corn tortillas

Directions

Part I: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the chicken breasts skin side up on a sheet pan. Rub with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until done. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, discard the skin and bones, and shred the meat. Cover and set aside. (If you use frozen breast portions, your cooking time will be 20-25 minutes.)

Part II: In 3 tablespoons of olive oil heated in a large pot, add the onions, celery, and carrots and cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, or until the onions start to brown. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the chicken stock, tomatoes with their puree, jalapenos, cumin, coriander, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Cut the tortillas in 1/2, then cut them crosswise into 1/2-inch strips and add to the soup. Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 25 minutes. Add the shredded chicken and season to taste.

Part III: Enjoy! I put crushed tortilla chips and a spoonful of sour cream on the top.