By Request...Chicken Fajita Soup

It is a snowy, snowy, snowy, snowy, COLD, cold day. And it's certainly not our first snowy day of the year ...no no no! Not by FAR. We've been watching the white stuff fall since EARLY OCTOBER. And I'm sick of it. Sick and tired. Sick and tired and CRAAAAANKY about it. Something had to be done. So, what could heal a grumpy soul better than a deep bowl of hot chicken soup (besides a large chocolate cake, obviously), right?

The thing is, I'm also pretty worn out and weary of my usual roasted chicken soup recipe (which I have yet to post here...but it's yummy). And I'm tired of trying and failing at multiple "Chicken Tortilla Soup" recipes (especially those with condensed soup listed as primary ingredents...BLECH). So tonight I gave up trying to make chicken tortilla soup and decided, instead, to tackle a soup with the flavors of one of my favorite dishes of childhood...FAJITAS!

Please forgive the lack of photos. I wasn't planning on adding this tonight but since some of my buddies have requested the recipe I figured WTH? Also, you'll have to forgive the somewhat poorly organized list of ingredients and directions. I'm not even entirely sure that all of the measurements listed below are completely accurate. I tend to get a little lazy about writing things down while I cook, especially if I'm feeling grumpy about the weather.

The good news is that this warming stew, along with a big bowl of fresh guacamole and chips (shall I post my guac recipe too?) really DID lift my spirits. It eased the crankiness right out of me. (My family is so grateful.) However, I might have to eat it for breakfast in order to force myself out of the house and into the frigid air tomorow morning...to clean off my car...oh dear...
:::::SHIVER::::::

INGREDIENTS
2 T olive oil
1 T butter
1 medium yellow onion, small dice
1 green pepper, small dice
1/2 red pepper, small dice
3 large cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp chili powder
juice from 1 small lime
5-6 cups chicken stock
Meat from 1 rotisserie chicken, chopped or shredded
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can crushed fire-roasted tomatoes, pureed (with my stick blender)
2 small cans chopped green chilies
3 T grits (or cornmeal)
Salt & pepper to taste.

Shredded cheese, sour cream and cilantro for garnish

DIRECTIONS
Heat large soup pot or dutch oven over med-high heat. Add butter and oil. Saute onion and pepper until onion is translucent. Stir in seasonings and garlic; cook for 1 min. Add in lime juice, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan as you stir it in. Stir in chicken stock, chicken, beans, tomato puree, chilies, salt&pepper and grits. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for at least an hour or up to 3 hours, stirring occasionally and adding more stock/water if necessary if it reduces too much. Taste after about 45 min to see if it needs more seasoning. Alternatively, you can throw all of the above into your crock pot and cook it all day long. :)

Serve in deep bowls, generously topped with cheese, sour cream and a little cilantro.

Confession: Because I happened to have some leftover heavy cream in my refrigerator, I *may* have thrown in a tablespoon (or so) of that as well. :) Just saying...

Tree Trimming Dip

Some of my fondest memories of the Christmas season, growing up, were the nights we'd gather as a family (usually on a Sunday evening) to decorate our tree. There was nothing especially unique about our evening, when compared to most families we knew, but it was still a special time. We had Christmas music on the stereo, discussions about how many lights to use (as many as possible), questions about which side of the tree was the straightest, varying degrees of participation (as we grew older and more teen-aged) and the same stories to tell every year about where each ornament came from.

Our food tradition that evening was simple. My mom would make a handful of our favorite appetizers and serve them with simple cut veggies and fruit, maybe a bowl of popcorn and sometimes a plate of Christmas cookies.

At the end of the night, after everyone else had gone to bed, I'd sneak into the living room (usually after snatching just one. more. cookie.) and turn off all of the lights except for the tree. Sitting in the silence I'd squint my eyes until all of the lights (which were colored, of course) blended together into one shiny blob of Christmas happiness.

Tonight, with the help of our just-turned-2 (!!!) year old babygirl, we continued an old tradition with our new family with a coffee table full of tasty treats and some shiny (also new) ornaments for our little tree. Most of the ornaments are only about 36 inches off of the ground (and we watched Dora's Christmas Carol rather than listening to Christmas Carols) but the tree is just as beautiful and the evening just as magical.

In honor of appetizers of Christmas Tree-Trimmings past, I combined two of my favorite dips into one ridiculously sinful pan of joy. You can serve this with toasted bread, cut veggies and tortilla chips but it is also just as good with only a spoon. I'm hoping to sneak one more nibble of it just before bed, with only the Christmas tree lights for company...

Tree-Trimming Dip
Also Known As,
Hot Artichoke, Crab and Spinach Dip

1 8 oz. tub whipped cream cheese
1/2 low-fat sour cream
1/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack
1/4 cup shredded Parmeson
1-10 oz can artichokes in brine, drained and chopped
1/2 10 oz. bag frozen spinach, thawed and well strained
1-6 oz can crab, drained
3 green onions, white parts only, finely sliced
juice of half a lemon
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp dry mustard powder
dash or three of Tabasco
2 T shredded Parmeson

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Lightly oil a 9 in pie plate.
Combine the cream cheese and sour cream together in a large bowl. Mix well. Stir in the cheeses, artichokes, spinach, crab, green onions, lemon juice, garlic salt*, mustard and a few (or more) dashes of Tabasco. Mix everything together well but don't stress over it. It's hard to mess this up. (Feel free to grab a spoon at this point for a wee taste of it while it's cold. You won't be sorry.)
Spread the whole, delicious mixture into the pie plate and even out the top a bit with a spatula. Sprinkle evenly with the rest of the Parmesan cheese. Use more if you feel like it.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes. Crank the heat up to 375 and bake 15 minutes longer or until the top is browned.
If you can stand the wait, let it sit for about 10 minutes before serving.

*Note: Seriously. Garlic Salt. This is supposed to be quick and easy so you can get to the decorating (okay, eating) part faster. I wouldn't screw it up by dealing with a sticky mess of minced garlic. Just saying...