Mexican Vegetable Soup

I've had prejudice against soup in the summer.  I don't know why.  I eat other foods hot, so why the aversion to soup?  This is one of my favorite dishes.  I like Mexican food so I came up with this during the Daniel Fast.  It is "Chicken Tortilla Soup" without chicken or tortillas.  The green chilis and the cilantro make it EXTRA good.

CAUTION - THIS MAKES A HUGE POT OF SOUP

1/2 to 1 whole onion chopped
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 14 oz can stewed tomatoes  - chopped
1 can Ro-Tel
1 can Dark Red Kidney Beans (drained and rinsed)
1 can Black Beans (drained and rinsed)
2 cans whole kernel corn
3 cans chopped green chilis (use the liquid too)
4 cans vegetable broth (I use chicken broth if we are not fasting meat)
2 cups cooked brown rice (it's a whole grain, better for stable blood sugar)
1/8 cup cilantro, finely chopped (it's in the produce aisle, looks like parsley)
3 tspns cumin
2 tspns garlic (I usually use the minced stuff in the jar, sometimes I'll chop a clove instead)

Directions
Saute onion & garlic in olive oil.  Add everything else and simmer for at least an  hour. 

Since we are not fasting, when I made this tonight I added the meat off of a rotisserie chicken.  There is still protein in this meal even without the chicken.  The beans and rice provide it nicely.

I  hope you make this.  It is exciting to have satisfying mexican flavor without all the cheese that is usually added into mexican dishes.

Thanks for reading and your comments!!!

Crunchy Snack

Roasted Chickpeas

2 15 oz cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans)

2 Tblspns olive oil

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 Tblspn chili powder

1/8 tsp ground red pepper

Rinse chick peas in collander, drain them well.  In a medium size bowl, combine chickpeas, olive oil, salt & pepper.  Mix well to coat.  Spread the chickpeas out on a foil lined baking sheet. 

Bake in 400 degree oven for around 20 minutes, shaking the pan twice during baking.

Remove chickpeas from the oven.  In a small bowl, combine chili powder & ground red pepper.  Place mixture in a small sieve to sprinkle over cooked chickpeas.  Bake another 5 minutes or until dark golden-red.

That is the official recipe.  When I made mine, I halved the recipe (cause I only had one can of chickpeas).  After I baked them the first time, I divided the chickpeas in half again and seasoned one half with the recipe and the other half with a half Tblspn of dry ranch dip mix.  They turned out pretty good.  The flavor is nice, but I would like them crunchier.  You may have to play around with the temp and the baking time to accomodate different ovens.  Hope you will try it!!!!

Thanks for the recipe Kim!!!!

Roasted Cauliflower?

Who knew you could roast cauliflower in the oven?  You can, and it's delicious!!!  I made this recipe about a week ago.  My husband & I both liked it just the way it is, but next time, I may try lemon juice instead of the vinegar and I think a little garlic would be good too.

Ingredients
8 cups 1 inch thick slices of cauliflower florets (1 large head)
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. dried marjoram
1/4 tsp. salt
Pepper to taste
2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup finely shredded parmesan cheese




Preheat oven to 450.

Toss cauliflower, oil, marjoram, salt & pepper in a large bowl.  Spread on a cookie sheet.  Roast for 15 to 20 minutes until cauliflower is softening and staring to brown on the bottom.  Remove from oven, return to large bowl and toss with vinegar and parmesan cheese.  Return to the oven and roast until cheese is melted and any moisture has evaporated, 5 to 10 minutes more.