Ok, maybe lazy isn't the most accurate word....it sure isn't the most flattering! So instead, let's go with busy. I am a busy cook. I like to eat. I love food. I even like to cook. But I also have a job that keeps me really busy, so don't have a ton of time to spend preparing meals. But I also don't like eating a lot of packaged or pre-prepared foods, because they are just so bad for you.

I don't have little kids to try to feed, but I do have an 18 year old nephew living with me. So the trick is to try to balance meals for me and for him. On my side, you've got an adult female who is trying to eat in a healthy way and lose weight. On Josh's side, you've got an 6', athletic teenage boy who could happily eat 4,000 calories a day and stay slim and athletic. Sometimes, he makes me crazy! And let me add that I love to try new things and be adventurous in my cooking, and Josh would be happy always eating the same 5-6 meals, every 5-6 days. So the happy medium is that I cook healthy meals, making them in ways that make Josh's teenage boy appetite happy, provide lots of veggies, and always have a batch of cookies in the cookie jar.

So anyway, to wrap this up. I know I have a lot of friends who find themselves to be in the same meal preparation situation as me. I've found and collected some really great, simple recipe's. And, since I like to play with things when I'm cooking, I've created some dishes of my own that are pretty darn tasty! Soooo....I figured I'd start a blog to share those recipe's with my friends. I'll only post recipe's that I've made and have passed approval from my family. If they're my own creation, I'll claim credit. If I lifted it from somewhere, I'll give credit to the culinary genius I stole from!

Monday, January 9, 2012

Chicken Enchilada Soup

This is such a good soup, and so filling!  Also super easy.

1 lb chicken breasts (3-4 fillets)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 C diced onion
1 garlic clove
4 C chicken broth
1 C masa harina (flour)
3 C water
1 can enchilada sauce
16 oz. Velveeta Cheese
1 tsp salt, to taste
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin

Add chicken breasts and one can of cream of chicken soup to a crock pot and bake for about 4-5 hours on high.
When the chicken is done baking...
Add onions and garlic to a pot and saute over medium heat for about 2 minutes, or until the onions begin to become translucent.
Add chicken broth to the pot.
Combine masa harina with 2 cups of water in a medium bowl and whisk until blended.
Add the masa mixture to the pot with the onions, garlic and broth.
Add remaining water, enchilada sauce, cheese and spices and bring mixture to a boil.
Shred the chicken into small, bite-size pieces and add it to the pot.
Reduce heat and simmer soup for 30-40 minutes or until thick.
 Serve in cups or bowls and garnish with shredded cheese, diced tomatoes, sour cream, and crumpled tortilla chips.

(I made my own tortilla chips for this soup. Slice up several flour tortillas into thin strips and saute with a 1 tsp of olive oil and a pinch of salt until the tortillas strips are crispy).

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