Running from a cold, eating Chipotle-Black Bean Soup

Hello, hello!

So, remember Tuesday when I ran really fast, unpacked loads of boxes and was really, really tired by the time I was making dinner?

Yeah.

Well, I woke up yesterday feeling a lot less tired but, as the day progressed, I was not feeling good at all.

Scratchy and sore throat, congestion, fatigue.

*sigh*

So, I tried to take it easy.  I didn’t do too much – except bake bread and make some really awesome Chipotle-Black Bean Soup.

But, hey, cooking isn’t hard work like unpacking boxes! And, I totally didn’t do any of that yesterday at all.

But, it’s hard to NOT want to make stuff in my awesome and cozy kitchen.

I totally love it so much!

Anyway, I drank plenty of water and some echinacea complete care tea and just rested my bod.

This morning?

Ugh.

Not better.

But, I decided I would still run (after a MAJOR argument with my lazy side) because I’m not running a fever and maybe I could sweat it out.

Welp. Fate intervened and I discovered that I’m missing a pair of running capris.

Not cold enough for full tights (for me, that’s weather below 32 degrees) and definitely not shorts weather (has to be over 50 degrees).

And, I decided that I’m not gross enough to wear a dirty pair so, I started the laundry and decided today would be a rest day with loads of fluid and Emergen-C consumption.

I’m also thinking some Hot and Sour soup would be a good thing. 🙂

I’ll cover some slow and easy miles tomorrow (probably not 8) and then hit my 16-miler on Saturday.

Now, I just need to figure out where that other pair of capris went.  Have you seen them?  How exactly could they just disappear?!

source

Anywho, let’s talk about that soup.

I absolutely love black bean soup.

LOVE!

And, you know how I feel about cooking things that take hours and make the house smell good.

*swoon*

I was browsing my Cooking Light Reader Favorites cookbook and saw the recipe for the black bean soup.

I have dried black beans!!!  And, dried peppers!!  Jackpot!!!

This soup was totally worth the time it took to cook.

Although, honestly, active time is barely anything.  The hardest part is waiting for it to cook because it smells So. Darned. Amazing. that you’re going to want to eat it before the beans are done.

Wait for it. Trust me.

The recipe calls for a dried chipotle chile which I didn’t have. I had dried Guajillo peppers so I used 2 of those instead and added 1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle chile pepper.

So. Delicious.

Chipotle-Black Bean Soup
Makes 4 servings

1 cup dried black beans (about 6 ounces)
1/2 cup boiling water
1 dried chipotle chile
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
2 cups water
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
1 (15.75-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chiles, undrained

Toppings
2 (6-inch) corn tortillas, cut into 1/4-inch strips
Cooking spray
1/2 cup plain fat-free yogurt
1/4 cup (1 ounce) finely shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese

1. To prepare soup, sort and wash beans; place in a large Dutch oven. Cover with water to 2 inches above beans; bring to a boil. Cook 2 minutes; remove from heat. Cover and let stand 1 hour. Drain.

2. Combine 1/2 cup boiling water and chipotle chile in a bowl; let stand 15 minutes or until soft. Drain, seed, and chop.

3. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion; saute 2 minutes or until tender. Add garlic; saute 1 minute. Add beans, chipotle chile, 2 cups water, oregano, cumin, and broth; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 3 hours or until beans are soft. Place 1 cup of soup in a blender; process until smooth. Return to pan. Stir in pepper and tomatoes; cook until thoroughly heated.

4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

5. To prepare toppings, place tortilla strips in a single layer on a baking sheet. Lightly coat tortilla strips with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes or until toasted. (Honestly, I skipped this part and we used tortilla chips. Lazy me won that argument.)

6. Ladle soup into each of 4 bowls; top with tortilla strips, yogurt, and cheese.

Calories 276; Fat 3.7g (saturated 1.2g, mono 1.4g, poly 0.7g); Protein 15.8g; Carbs 42.7g; Fiber 7.9g; Sodium 769mg

Questions: What are your go-to remedies when you’re not feeling well? How do you determine if you’re going to workout or rest when you’re under the weather?

– jennifer

Fiesta 10k and Crockpot Jambalaya

Race day! Thank goodness the rain left before the race started but it left behind cooler temps. It was downright chilly and a little windy! Brrr! But, really, perfect weather for a race.

My first 10k race since high school. No, really! Obviously, anything I did was going to be a PR. But, I was actually a little surprised to do this:

Finished 2nd in my age group!! Woot!!

Here’s a little song to get you in the mood for dinner. 🙂

I love jambalaya. Such a perfect dish! Kind of spicy (depending on your tastes) and definitely delicious. This recipe calls for the rice to cook all day which kind of makes the rice break down and gives the dish a slightly mushiet look but doesn’t affect the taste at all. If you don’t prefer that, you can certainly add the rice with the shrimp (which I left out – still delicious). Or, cook it separately and serve the jambalaya over it; if you do this, make sure you adjust the liquid in your crockpot … unless you want jambalaya soup. It’s a free country – eat jambalaya soup if you want. Either way, eat! You’re hungry. 🙂

Crockpot Jambalaya

1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes, undrained
1 pound cooked andouille sausage, sliced*
2 cups boiled ham, diced
2 cups water
1 cup uncooked rice
2 onions, chopped
2 celery stalks, sliced
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 tablespoons olive or canola oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon freshly minced parsley
1 to 2 teaspoons hot sauce, to taste
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 whole cloves
1 pound medium to large shrimp, peeled, deveined and cleaned

*or substitute 1 pound cooked smoked sausage or kielbasa

1. Place all ingredients except shrimp in crockpot. Stir well to combine. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours or HIGH for 4 to 6 hours.

2. 30 minutes before serving, turn crockpot to HIGH. Add shrimp and continue cooking until shrimp are done. Adjust seasonings, if necessary.

3. Put it in a bowl. Om nom nom!

Farmers’ Market Quesadillas

Quesadillas – the fat bomb of the Mexican restaurant. They’re usually huge and absolutely loaded down with cheese. Delicious?  Yes, definitely!  A good, healthy choice? Um, no, sorry. Try again. Making them at home is always the way to go because you can control the cheese content; plus, you’re free to add whatever else you want! So, when I found this recipe for Farmers’ Market Quesadillas, I was intrigued. Of course, Thing 2 decided that she needed to escape and suddenly “had plans.” Well, teenagers are ridiculous and she totally missed out! These were fantastic and tasty and are my go-to quesadilla recipe.  Of course, if meat-free isn’t your thing, you can add shredded chicken or pork to the quesadillas. But, they certainly don’t need it. Also, if you prefer a smokier flavor, grill the veggies instead of sauteeing them. Yum!

Farmers’ Market Quesadillas
Recipe from Cooking Light
Serves 12

1 to 2 poblano peppers (I couldn’t find them and used Anaheim peppers instead)
1 large red bell pepper
Cooking spray
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow squash
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup chopped oyster mushrooms (optional, if you don’t do mushrooms)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled goat cheese
8 (8-inch) fat-free flour tortillas
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1. Preheat broiler.

2. Place poblano and bell peppers on a foil-lined baking sheet, broil 10 minutes or until blackened, turning occasionally.

Place poblano and bell peppers in a zip-top bag; seal. Let stand 15 minutes.  Peel poblano and bell peppers; discard seeds and membranes. Cut peeled peppers into thin strips.

3. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat with cooking spray. Add onion; saute 3 minutes or until onion is lightly browned.

Add squash and garlic; saute 3 minutes.

Add pepper strips and mushrooms; cook 5 minutes or until mushrooms are tender and moisture evaporates, stirring frequently. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

4. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons Monterey Jack and 1 tablespoon goat cheese over each of 4 tortillas; top with 2/3 cup vegetable mixture.  Sprinkle 2 tablespoons Monterey Jack, 1 tablespoon goat cheese, and 1 1/2 teaspoons cilantro over each vegetable-topped tortilla; top with remaining tortillas.

5. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Place 1 quesadilla in pan; cook 5 minutes on each side or until tortillas are crisp. Repeat procedure with remaining quesadillas. 

Cut each quesadilla into 6 wedges.

Serving size: 2 wedges
Calories 140; Fat 5.3g (sat 2.8g, mono 1.2g, poly 0.2g); Protein 6g; Carb 17.9g; Fiber 1.5g; Chol 12mg; Iron 1.2mg; Sodium 360mg; Calcium 132mg