Mom’s Chicken Tortilla Soup + My New Must-Have Ingredient

Confession, I’ve stopped buying chicken stock. It used to be a staple I’d pick up when we were at costco to be able to whip together soups in a pinch. BUT I’ve discovered something even better and you can still find it at Costco. I started using Better Than Bouillon which is essentially a concentrated chicken stock. It comes in a jar and you just scoop out a little bit, mix it into a little water to dissolve it, and BAM you have instant chicken stock that is far more flavorful than the boxed stuff. Bonus, it takes up way less space than cartons of chicken stock do (which is a major win for someone who lives in a very tiny space.) I promise, once you buy it you’re never going to go back to buying the cartons. Moving on to the reason you really came over here —the soup.

When we were visiting my family three years ago my mom made this Chicken Tortilla Soup and it transported me back to coming home from school and smelling something yummy simmering on the stove. I have many fond memories of my mom making this soup, but until we had it again three years ago I hadn’t used it in my own recipe rotations — maybe it’s because certain things just taste better when your momma makes them. Here nor there, for the times I can’t have my mom make this soup I asked for the recipe so that I could attempt to recreate a little bit of that comfort in my own kitchen and it’s been on repeat since then. And I know you all love a good soup that is simple, hearty, and super cozy I figured I’d share it with you all too.  The recipe can easily be adapted to swap zucchini for another type of squash, the red pepper for any other colored pepper, and so on and so forth.

Mom’s Chicken Tortilla Soup

• 4 tablespoons olive oil 

• 12 ounces of frozen corn

• 1 small zucchini, diced 

• 1 medium onion, diced 

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 red pepper, diced

• 1 lb chicken breast (cut into cubes) 

• 2 teaspoons cumin 

• 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning 

• 8 ounce can of tomato sauce 

• 28 ounces stewed tomatoes

• 3 cups chicken stock or bone broth, I’ve started using this instead of chicken stock and it’s heavenly

• 1 tablespoon adobo sauce 

• Salt and pepper to taste 
  
  Take a large pot and place it over medium-high heat. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and allow the olive oil to heat. Then add in the zucchini, onion, garlic, and pepper and sauté them for about 5-7 minutes. Drizzle in the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and then add in the chicken, cumin, and poultry seasoning. Allow to cook for about 7 minutes longer. Then add in the tomato sauce, stewed tomatoes, chicken stock, corn, and adobo sauce. Allow to simmer for several hours, but if you don’t have the time just allow the soup to heat and serve as is. We’ve eaten both ways and it’s delicious no matter what, but if you have the time the extra simmer time really brings out the flavors.
  
  Serve with cilantro, sour cream, tortilla chips, cauliflower rice, regular rice, or whatever floats your boat! Store in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Toast for when you’re feeling fancy, but don’t have time to be fancy (Fig Jam + Blue Cheese Toast)

In our house we eat a lot of toast. Sometimes it’s just toast with a smear of butter. Sometimes it’s with a lot of peanut butter.

But sometimes, we are feeling fancy and want to elevate our toast. In these times where we desire to be fancy, it’s also highly likely that we don’t have the time to be fancy. Enter, this fig jam and blue cheese toast.

This toast only requires a few ingredients, but feels like I should be in a fancy cafe in Europe wearing a really cute outfit flipping through the manuscript for my next novel. I’m tellin’ ya, fancy. Or maybe that’s more romantic..? Either way, you get the picture.

The best part about this toast is that it can be served anytime of day. I’ve had plenty of evenings when I unintentionally got home from work late and the last thing I wanted was to cook a complicated meal, but I was also starving. This toast fits the bill.

I’ve also had times where I wanted an unfussy breakfast, but also wanted it to be pretty. This toast does it again.

Now let’s talk about the blue cheese. Blue cheese is one of those things that I know can be very, very polarize. Like, you either love it or you hate it and I for one LOVE it. It’s sharp and tangy and is so lovely paired with something sweet. I chose fig jam for this because something about fig jam felt fancy to me, but feel free to use whatever jam you’ve got on hand. I topped the toast with sprouts to give it a little dimension, but microgreens would be equally as delicious and if you don’t have them, just leave them out.

So the next time you want to feel fancy, throw this toast together and move on with your day, because being fancy shouldn’t have to take all day.

Fig Jam + Blue Cheese Toast

• 1 teaspoon olive oil

• 1 egg

• A sprinkle of salt and pepper

• 1/4 cup blue cheese

• 1 slice sourdough bread, If you’re local to Omaha I think Lola’s has the best

• 1/2 tablespoon butter

• 1 tablespoon fig jam

• A handful of sprouts or microgreens

1. Begin by preheating a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Drizzle the olive oil into the skillet and wait a minute or two until the olive oil has heated up. To test if it’s hot enough you can splash a tiny bit of water onto it to see if it sizzles. If it sizzles then you’re ready to crack your egg. Crack your egg into the pan and then sprinkle with a little bit of salt and pepper. Then sprinkle the 1/4 cup of blue cheese onto the egg. Allow the egg to cook until the whites have set. If you prefer a less runny yolk than you can continue to cook until they have achieved your preference.

2. While the egg is cooking, place the sourdough bread into a toaster and toast until lightly brown.

3. Then smear the bread with the 1/2 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of the fig jam. Remove the egg from the skillet and place on top of the toast. Sprinkle with microgreens or sprouts and serve.

Honey Cinnamon Apple Galette

When it comes to desserts my heart will always gravitate towards chocolate. Like, someone is saying, “Should we get dessert” and I am very vividly imaging a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting or chocolate ice cream with chocolate sauce. Chocolate is dessert. Dessert is chocolate. You get the picture.

In this season, the fall season, I’ve allowed my perception to shift. Maybe it’s the copious amount of apples filling my fridge or the crisp air that’s got me turning from my usual chocolate dessert to an apple filled pastry. Whatever it is, this honey cinnamon apple galette with a scoop of vanilla ice cream has me rethinking my chocolate narrow-minded-ness.

This galette has a caramely flavor from the honey supported further with the brown sugar. The crust is flaky. It’s saucy and juicy and flavorful and just so dang yummy.

If you’ve got a lot of apples to work through, this is for you. And if you have to hunt down a bunch of apples to make this galette happen i guarentee your labors ill be worth it.

Enjoy, friends.

Honey CInnamoN Apple Galette

Recipe adapted from Alison Roman

For the Crust:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour

• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

• 1 ½ teaspoon salt

• 1 ½ cups unsalted butter, chilled, cut into 1-inch pieces

• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

• ⅓ cup ice water

For the filling:

• 5 cups firm, tart baking apples, cored and thinly sliced

• 1/2 cup honey

• 1/4 cup brown sugar

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

For the Assembly:

• 1 large egg

• 3 tablespoons turbinado sugar (optional, but I highly recommend)

Directions

1. Make the crust: Combine flour, sugar and kosher salt in a large bowl, and use your hands to mix well.

2. Add the butter to the bowl, and use your palms and fingertips to smash the pieces into the flour until you’ve got large, flat butter pieces that are evenly distributed among the flour. Pop the bowl into the freezer for 5 or so minutes.

3. Combine vinegar and 1/3 cup water, and drizzle over the flour-butter mixture. Like you’re running your hands through sand, deliberately yet delicately mix the water into the flour/butter mixture. Resist the urge to add more water until you see that it’s absolutely necessary, and even then, use only an additional tablespoon or two.

4. Turn the dough out onto a work surface, and use your palms to knead it lightly until the shaggy ball transforms into a slightly-less shaggy ball of dough. (It should still be relatively shaggy.) Pat the dough into a disc about 1 inch thick, rotating it to create a nice circle. Wrap in plastic or place in a resealable plastic bag and chill until firm, at least 2 hours. The dough will hydrate a bit as it sets in the fridge so do not be alarmed at the shagginess of the dough.

5. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Remove dough from refrigerator, and let it soften slightly at room temperature, about 10 minutes or so.

6. As dough rests, make the filling: Combine apples, honey, brown sugar, 2 TBS flour, vinegar and the cinnamon in a large bowl. Toss the ingredients so every slice of apple is evenly coated.

7. On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough into a 9 x 13 inches square-ish shape or until it is about 1/4 inch thick. Transfer dough to a large, lightly greased baking sheet.

8. Transfer the apples to the dough leaving behind any of the juices for now. Drape the excess dough over the filling covering the apples by 1 1/2 to 2 inches on all sides and tuck the corners together nicely. Now you can pour the juices remaining from the bottom of the apple mixture bowl onto the apples that are on the dough (now that everything is sealed and you risk losing less juices out the side of the pastry.)

9. Whisk the egg with a teaspoon of water and use it to brush the exposed crust. Sprinkle with turbinado sugar.

10. Place galette and bake until the crust is deeply golden brown the apples are tender, and the juices are bubbling and thickened, 45 minutes

11. Remove galette from the oven and let cool completely before slicing and eating.

The Banana Peanut Butter Cake of My Dreams (AKA my 30th Birthday Cake!) + 30 Things I've learned about Life over the past 30 years

Today is my 30th birthday! It feels surreal to even say that. I remember turning 20 and thinking 30 felt so far away, but man it was basically a blink. What a decade it has been! I’ve learned so much and grown so much. It’s such a treat to be able to take the time this weekend to celebrate another trip around the sun!

I haven’t always let myself love my birthday. I didn’t know why at the time, but a few years ago I read something a psychologist wrote about birthdays and it really resonated. He said that a lot of people struggle to celebrate their birthday because of fear of unmet expectations. Woof. I resonated so hard.

I spent a lot of my early 20’s being worried that the ideas I had dreamed up in my head would never come to fruition. I avoided letting myself be celebrated because it was hard to manage those expectations. What if I planned a party and no one came? What if everyone actually just forgot about my birthday? So instead of letting myself be celebrated I tended to shut down and down-play how much my birthday meant to me. Because if I said my birthday was “no big deal” then I couldn’t be dissapointed when everyone else made it “no big deal.”

The truth is, my birthday is a big deal to me. It’s always been a big deal. And finally I’m starting to be honest with myself and others about how I really feel.

After I read what that psychologist wrote, I decided I needed to do two things:

1. Not let the fear of unmet expectations keep me from enjoying my birthday.

2. Refocus my birthday to be a reflection of the past year and a celebration of how far I’ve come.

Keeping the focus of my birthday on myself and what I can choose to do to celebrate versus what other people were going to do to celebrate me has made birthdays so much more fun. Birthday’s are a chance to treat myself to things I don’t always do (fancy coffee, dinner out, a manicure, etc.). But most importantly they’re a chance to celebrate how far I’ve come in the last year. A chance to reflect. Reevaluate. Redirect.

With this year being my 30th I feel like I have a lot to reflect on. A lot has happened over this short little life of mine and I have learned so, so much (and am still learning!). For fun I rounded up a list of 30 things I’ve learned (and some that I keep relearning) over the past 30 years to share with you all. And as an added bonus I’m sharing the recipe for The Banana Peanut Butter Cake of My dreams that I’m sure you’ll all love too. I hope you enjoy. Thank you as always for following along.

30 Things I’ve learned in 30 Years

1. Perfection doesn’t exist and waiting for it often keeps you from experiencing what’s in front of you.

2. Create, even when you don’t feel like you’ve got something good to create.

3. Getting started is the hardest part. With pretty much all things. (Working out, practicing piano, getting up to get ready for bed, etc.)

4. Humans are fully capable of feeling more than one emotion at once. Understanding that people can be both happy and sad at the same time is really important.

5. Listening is far more important than giving good advice.

6. Other people care far more about their own lives than yours so stop worrying about who is watching.

7. People are really good at hiding their anxiety and depression.

8. Parchment paper is worth the effort. I promise.

9. It’s okay to ask for what you want in a relationship (i.e, “I’d love if you bought me some flowers!”, “It would make me feel really special if you planned a date night for us together.”). Your partner can’t read your mind and there is no shame in communicating your wants.

10. I. AM. NOT. RESPONSIBLE. FOR. OTHER. PEOPLE. My therapist will be proud that this one made the list.

11. Cellulite is really not a big deal.

12. Wear whatever the heck you want.

13. Life is too short to worry about what other people think.

14. Buying yourself flowers will make your day better.

15. People often criticize your choices because they want to validate their own. Stay true to what you want.

16. Friendships ebb and flow and it doesn’t mean you did something wrong. It just means, sometimes you hang out every night for a week straight and sometimes you don’t see each other for a month and that’s okay.

17. Piggybacking off of that last one, when you do make a mistake in a relationship it’s important to face it head on. It might be painful and uncomfortable in the moment, but it will be worth it.

18. Always go on the trip.

19. This is the only chocolate chip cookie recipe you’ll ever need.

20. Drinking lots of coffee makes you feel like garbage.

21. Drinking lots of alcohol makes you feel like garbage.

22. Drinking lots of water makes you feel less like garbage.

23. Always give yourself permission to change your mind.

24. No one has it all figured out.

25. A good probiotic can change your life. I swear by this one.

26. If you’re out of peanut butter you need groceries.

27. No amount of worrying will change the future.

28. Drinking coffee in the shower is one of life’s greatest pleasures.

29. Healing isn’t linear.

30. Carbs are necessary (and delicious!).

The Banana Peanut Butter Cake of My Dreams

This cake fully embodies my love of peanut butter. The banana aids in the cake sweetness without being overpowering in flavor. This cake is moist, chocolatey, and I promise it will be a hit. I’ve made this cake to celebrate not only my own birthdays, but a few other birthdays of loved ones over the past couple of years. It’s gluten-free and could be made dairy-free if you used vegan butter which makes it great for people with dietary restrictions, but I promise it will be enjoyed by all.

For the cake:

• 3 very overripe medium bananas (lots of brown spots is ideal), mashed

• 4 large eggs, at room temperature

• 3/4 cup pure maple syrup

• 3/4 cup natural creamy peanut butter

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 2 cups super fine blanched almond flour, packed

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 cup chocolate chips, mini or regular — whichever you prefer

For the frosting:

• 1/2 cup butter, at room temperature

• 1/2 cup natural creamy peanut butter

• 2 cups powdered sugar

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 2 tablespoons milk

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of three 6-inch round cake pans or two 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper rounds. Spray parchment paper and sides of pan with nonstick cooking spray. Highly recommend the parchment paper here otherwise the cake will probably stick.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together mashed bananas, eggs, maple syrup, peanut butter and vanilla until smooth.

3. In another large bowl, mix the almond flour, baking soda and salt together. Set aside. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until well combined. Fold in mini chocolate chips.

4. Divide batter evenly between pans and spread out with a spatula to smooth the tops. Bake for 20-30 minutes if using two 8-inch pans and 25-35 minutes for three 6-inch pans. Cakes are done when a tester comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached. Allow cake to cool completely before frosting or removing from the pans. The cake should be room temperature or cold when you frost it.

5. Make your frosting: In the bowl of a stand-up mixer, add the softened butter and peanut butter and whip on high until light and fluffy. Add powdered sugar, vanilla and 2 tablespoons milk. Beat slow at first, then increase speed to high and beat for approximately two minutes. Frosting should be nice and creamy.

6. Frosting the cake: Place about 1-2 tablespoons down onto the cake stand and spread out. Invert 1 cake onto the cake stand, add about 1/2 cup of frosting between each layer, repeat with each cake, then frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting.

   Option to decorate with flowers, but be sure to do that right before serving as the flowers will not look fresh long. Cake will stay good for 5-7 days covered in the fridge.