Warmth | Cavities & Cravings

How has it been 14 months since my last post?! When I spend time and reflect on the past year, I think to myself – how has it only been a year? At the same time I think, how has it already been a year? It’s funny how time messes with you like that.

My first year of my pediatric dental residency has come and gone; I sure have learned a lot. Honestly, I blame being on call for my time away from blogging. These kiddos seriously know how to mess up their teeth at all hours of the day and night. I’m not even joking. My future children will be missing out on so many things thanks to my residency experience: no playing baseball, basketball, soccer, football, lacrosse, they can forget about bike riding, no running through the house with socks on, no trampolines, no jumping in to swimming pools, no water slides, no roller blading, no coffee tables allowed in the house, no running on cement … I’m sure there’s more that I am missing. The point is, my future kids will be watching a lot of tv.. while wrapped in a bubble. Take a moment and be thankful for your two front teeth (please forgive me if you’ve experienced a trauma and are missing your front teeth).

Anyways, what matters now is that I’ve been re-inspired and reminded of my love for the kitchen, I’m back and I’m committed. Boom! I already have so many recipes to share with you.

The weather is cooling off here in Cincinnati… aka soup season aka crockpot season. I threw together this delicious Crockpot Chicken Tortilla Soup one day last week. This recipe is great because you can literally use what you have. Make substitutions/additions with veggies based on what’s in your fridge. Husband and I made grilled cheese sandwiches on the side (Mine: cheese and avocado. Husband: cheese, turkey, bacon, ranch). Yum in my tum. I’ll be making this recipe many more times!

Ingredients:

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup of your favorite salsa
2 cups corn
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup water
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
Optional Toppings:
- shredded cheese*
- sour cream*
- diced tomatoes
- green onions
- cilantro
- diced avocado*
- tortilla strips*
- (* = what I put on mine)

Instructions:

Spray crockpot with non-stick cooking spray. Place chicken breast at bottom of crockpot.
In a medium sized bowl mix together condensed cream of chicken, chicken broth, salsa, corn, black beans, water, and all spices. Mix well. Pour on top of chicken in crockpot.
Cook on low for 4 – 6 hours (I think mine cooked for 8 hours)
Remove chicken and shred. Stir shredded chicken back in to crockpot. Serve soup with your favorite toppings.

Modified from: The Recipe Critic

Mom: What did you make for dinner tonight?

Me: Lasagna soup

Mom: Ewww. That sounds terrible and soggy.

So maybe I’m crazy and I’m the only one who thinks lasagna soup sounds delicious? Guess what? It was delicious!! It had all the flavors of a lasagna but the lightness of a soup. I loved this recipe. All you lasagna soup doubters out there, should try this recipe. So yummy!

Enjoy!

Ingredients for the soup:

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 pound lean ground beef
2 cups chopped onions
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 28 ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes
5 cups chicken stock
8 ounces egg noodles
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil leaves
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Shredded mozzarella cheese

Ingredients for the cheese:

8 ounces reduced fat ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Instructions:

1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions and garlic until golden yellow. Add ground beef, breaking up into and cook until browned. Drain any excess fat.

2. Add oregano and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 minute. Add tomato paste and stir well to incorporate. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes/

3. Add diced tomatoes and chicken stock. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

4. In separate pot cook egg noodles. Be sure not to over cook as they will end up being soggy in the soup.

5. While the pasta is cooking, prepare the cheesy goodness. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper.

6. Right before serving, stir in the basil in to the soup and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

7. To serve, in a bowl place egg noodles toped with soup. Add a large dollop of the cheesy goodness. Sprinkle some mozzarella on top and ladle the hot soup over the cheese.