January 6, 2008

• Soup

  Hey all.

  I am on a journey to eat healthier this year. That means eating more fresh stuff instead of all the prepackaged stuff. Being single, that means I make food and then eat it and eat it and eat it. For example, last week on New Year's Day, I made a casserole. I've eaten some every day! There are 2 more servings left. I will eat those for lunch the next two days.

  I decided to invest in a slow cooker or crock pot. I tried it out this weekend and made my first homemade soup. I got the recipe from the internet at the Weight Watcher's site. I thought I would share it with you. It's called Southwestern Slow Cooker Chicken & Potato Soup.

  Ingredients:

  • 3/4lb boneless, skinless chicken breast (cut up in bite size pieces)
  • 2 medium sweet potatoes (peeled and cut up in bite size pieces)
  • 1 large onion (chopped)
  • 29 oz canned diced tomatoes - salsa style with chilies drained
  • 14 1/2 oz fat free chicken broth
  • 1tsp dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 1/2 cup frozen corn -- not thawed

  Mix chicken, potatoes tomatoes, broth, oregano, and cumin in a 4 qt or larger slow cooker. Cover and cook on low heat for at least 6 hours. Stir in corn and cook on high heat until chicken is no longer pink and vegetables are tender.

  It said that the servings were 1 1/4 cup each. But I found that about a half cup to 3/4 cup did the trick. If you are doing weight watchers, the serving size they said was worth 5 points. It was yummy and hearty.

  It was kind of fun. I made it yesterday but didn't have any. I put the slow cooker back on this morning before church. I was determined to invite someone home for lunch. My friends Mark and Jill often head home after church. Mark is the pastor, so it is a work day for him. They have a tradition of Sunday afternoon naps. When I invited Jill, I assured her they could just come for lunch and then head out for their naps. They came along with 3 of their kids. I made a few grilled cheese and cut them in half. I also put carrots out as well.

  It was fun and they seemed to enjoy the lunch. Most of it is gone, but I think there is another 1-2 servings (my size) left.  The slow cooker was so easy!

  If you like soup, give it a try.

   

  • 9:13 pm
  • 6 Comments