Carly's Chicken Tortilla Soup

March 2, 2015: In February of 2015, I posted a picture on Instagram of a hodge podge soup that I had made. I called it Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Chicken Chili- cause that's what it was, plus black beans & corn. Andy and I were iced in with little in our pantry, so we threw it all together in the crockpot and eight hours later had a delicious soup without ever having to leave our warm little house. My sister-in-law, Carly, posted a comment on my picture on Instagram. She said, "Sounds good! I made tortilla soup tonight." Of course I asked her for her recipe, and once the ice thawed, I adventured to the store and bought the ingredients. Out came Carly's Chicken Tortilla Soup, and I'm pretty sure it was the best damn soup I've ever had. And with new tastes comes old memories. 

Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Chicken Chili

I remembered one cold day, taking my cousin (who on all accounts is my "pseudo-sister") Central Market's Chicken Tortilla Soup when she was sick in college. I'm beginning to think tortilla soup is a cure-all dish for head colds and cold hands. Below is my Maid of Honor toast from Ashlea's wedding in December of 2012. It's not about soup or being cold or even having a cold, but it is about being sisters, so I found it quite fitting for this recipe. And a huge thanks to my new sister for the meal that's sure to be on our go-to recipe list from now on.

Andy, Kate, and Carly at Andy & Kate's wedding
at The Omni Fort Worth Hotel- November 15, 2014

"Hi, for those of you who don’t know me, I’m Kate or “Katherine” to most of my family, and I’m Ashlea’s Maid of Honor.  When I got my note in the mail asking me to fill the role of Maid of Honor, I was immediately overwhelmed with pride, excitement, and a major dose of reality. We are growing up. We were no longer playing dress up in our mom’s clothes, but instead, my Lil Cuz was going to dress up in white lace.  We were no longer decorating our rooms with Tweety Bird & Jonathan Taylor Thomas posters, but, instead, we were decorating for a wedding reception.  Standing in my kitchen, holding your letter, I wasn’t sure I was ready to grow up.

Kate (18 mos) and Ashlea (1 month) with Granny at Kate's parents' house for Christmas 1987
in Fort Worth, TX

When we were little, Ashlea and I both had older brothers, but neither of us had a sister.  I used to ask Santa Claus for a little sister, but apparently it doesn’t work that way.  I didn’t quite understand why I never found a little pink bundle of joy under the tree until I came across this quote, “God made us cousins because he knew our moms couldn’t handle us as sisters.”  Probably true, considering the adventures and mischief we got into.

Kate & Carly at Kate's wedding- November 15, 2014
The Omni Fort Worth Hotel

I think Ashlea would agree with me in saying that our best adventures were at our Granny & Papa’s house.  Their house was home to a garage full of cardboard boxes that were perfect for making forts that went from one end of the house to another.  It was home to a moth-ball smelling, blanket filled closet that made for the best hide and go seek hiding spot.  We spent Christmases in the den, helping Papa scratch off Lottery Tickets and Easters in the backyard having Easter egg hunts.  Then there was the kitchen that made me fall in love with cooking- where we had pizza for breakfast and s’mores & hotdogs for midnight snack, with frozen apple juice & frozen peaches in between.  We made all kinds of messes- dying Easter eggs, making sticky Rice Krispie treats, and mixing every ingredient in the kitchen into what we called a “Portion Potion.”  Despite our messes and adventures, Granny & Papa never told us “No.”

Ashlea & Kate before Kate's wedding- November 15, 2014
The Omni Fort Worth Hotel

We sat on Papa’s lap eating chocolate ice cream while he watched his programs, and we sat on Granny’s lap while she rocked us until we were in our twenties.  We crawled into bed with them in the mornings to read the funny papers and we snuggled up at night to watch Johnny Carson- Ashlea & I were inseparable, and Granny & Papa were our heroes.

Kate & Ashlea at Kate's wedding- November 15, 2014
The Omni Fort Worth Hotel

When I moved to Austin to start at UT, I thought Ashlea and my’s sisterly moments would come to a halt, but luckily I was wrong.  Being the intelligent woman she is, and against her brother’s crimson-colored wishes, Ashlea called me in 2006 and told me she, too, was going to be a Longhorn.  And, to make this proud sister even more proud, Ashlea chose to go through recruitment and pledge my same sorority, Delta Gamma.  I remember calling Granny on bid day, and tearfully telling her, “Ashlea is really going to be my sister!”  Granny, in her calm, sensible, and wise tone simply said, “Well Katherine, I thought she already was.” 

Katherine & Ashlea building a snowman at our Granny & Papa's house
in Wichita Falls, TX

Granny was right- she always was right.  Lee Lee, you have always been my sister.  As little girls, every Christmas at Midwestern’s Fantasy of Lights, every one of your bounce house birthday parties, every lake day ending with a fabulous sunset- you made them all complete.  To this day, I brag to everyone about you- my cousin, my Delta Gamma Grand Little Sis, my UT cheerleader, my Physical Therapist, and my very first friend. 

Kate giving her Maid of Honor toast at Ashlea's Wedding
December 15, 2012

Your courage, patience, faith, hope, and love have been a pillar of strength for your family, through the good times and the hard.  I know Granny, Papa, and your Bubba are watching down on you and Mark today, beaming at their handiwork and crazy proud of the woman you have become, just as I am.  Let’s raise our glasses to Ashlea & Mark- You two have found a love so great and unconditional- a love that lasted across high school halls and across the state.  Y’all have cared for one another, supported one another, and cheered for one another for 7 years thus far, so here’s to 77 more.  As our Granny would say, “Keep on making memories.”  Cheers.

Carly's Chicken Tortilla Soup

Servings: 8; Adapted from The Food Network

Carly's Chicken Tortilla Soup

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 med onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 chipotle in adobo sauce, minced
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 2 tsp salt
• 6 c chicken broth (we use unsalted)
• 1 c corn kernels (fresh or frozen, thawed)
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 3 chicken breasts
• 1/2 c cilantro leaves
• 1/4 c lime juice
• 1 doz tortilla chips, crumbled (for garnishing)
• 1/2 c cheddar cheese (for garnishing)
• 1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and sliced

1. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat
2. Add onion, garlic, chipotle, chili powder, and salt and cook until onion softens
3. Add chicken broth, bring to a boil
4. After this has been boiling for appr 10 mins, add chicken breasts. Allow to boil for 20 mins.
5. Reduce to simmer and add corn. Cook for 5 mins more.
6. Stir in tomato, cilantro, and lime juice
7. Ladle into bowls. Top with chips, cheese, and avocado as desired. 

Keep on cookin'!

-Carly & Katherine

Quinoa Harvest Soup "Late Soup"

Food fads come and go just about as quickly as diet fads. Pomegranate was the miracle fruit. Bananas were good for everything from working out to curing hangovers. Pork was the other white meat. Beef was what's for dinner. Now there's quinoa. Or, as Andy likes to call it from the Bud Light commercial, "quee-no."

I bought some quinoa a few weeks ago at the grocery store, thinking it would be a healthy alternative to rice. There aren't many foods these days that I just plain don't like, so I figured it was worth a shot. High in fiber and protein, I thought I had surely found a super-food side. Well, while quinoa may be a super food, it is also super gross. (In my opinion). It is bland, sticky, and tastes like you're eating cardboard. Not to mention, it isn't the cheapest food on the shelf. So we were left with one bag of quinoa, and neither of us were going to touch it.

Andy found a recipe for a soup to put it in, and he hit the nail on the head. Quinoa has little to no flavor when prepared on its own (even when it claims to be "Mediterranean Flavored," but in the soup he made, it was a healthy, protein filled filler.

We started calling it late soup because it seems that every time we have it, we don't eat until 10:00 at night. Now anyone who knows us, knows that Andy/Kate time is at least 30-45 minutes behind schedule. That being said, the first time he made the soup, Andy underestimated the amount of time it would take to defrost chicken breasts and chop up all of the vegetables. About 9:30pm, I asked if he thought it'd be done any time soon. He wasn't very sure. But it was definitely well-worth the wait. It is a hearty, thick soup chock full of veggies & healthiness.

The second time we had Late Soup, we were helping my dad move offices. Of particular importance is the fact that I'm pretty sure that my dad runs on Andy time, and what was supposed to take about 30 minutes turned into a two hour adventure. Sweet Andy is always willing to help out, but I am seriously thinking about getting him this bumper sticker for his truck.

So all of that being said, gather up your ingredients and start early. It is a great fall/winter soup, but it does take some time to prepare and cook. Or don't start early, and you can keep up the tradition of Late Soup, too. 

Quinoa Harvest Soup "Late Soup"
Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 carrot, chopped (1/2 cup)
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• salt & pepper
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 8 cups chicken stock
• 1 teaspoon parsley flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• Red pepper flakes
• 2 large chicken breasts, cut in half
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and chopped into 1/2″ cubes
• 1 large russet potato, peeled and chopped into 1/2″ cubes
• 1 cup quinoa
• 1/4 cup shredded cheese

Directions:

1. Heat oil in large soup pot over medium heat. 
2. Add carrot and onion, season with salt and pepper, then saute until tender, about 10 minutes. 
3. Add garlic, season with more salt and pepper, then saute for 2 more minutes. 
4. Add chicken stock, parsley flakes, dried thyme, and red pepper flakes, then bring to a boil.
5. Add chicken breasts to the pot then cook for 10 minutes just below boil, or until no longer pink in the center. 
6. Remove chicken breasts to a plate then add sweet potato, russet potato, and quinoa to boiling broth. 
7. Place a lid on top, lower heat to medium, then cook for 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender and quinoa is cooked. 
8. Meanwhile shred chicken.
9. Add shredded chicken back to the soup, then add cheese and stir to combine.

Keep on cookin'!

-Katherine & Andy

Chicken Enchilada Casserole with Red Sauce

July 1, 2012: (Weird that this was written a year ago- so much has changed since this!!) It's official- my status at work changed from "PRN" (as needed) to full-time! Considering I was already working an average of 36.6 hours per week anyway, not much has changed scheduling wise.  However, changing into full-time status does mean that I now get to receive benefits such as PTO (paid time off), health insurance, and a retirement plan.  Since I turned 26 on June 10, 2012, my health insurance under my dad's job at the District Attorney's Office terminated on June 30, 2012, so the timing couldn't be any better!

Wendy, me, Melissa, Holly, & Dr. Murphy representing
Cook Children's Psychiatry at the American Heart Association's Heart Walk 2012

Working full-time has been more tough than I planned, since I'm also balancing an over active social life right now with 9 of my girlfriends getting married in the span of 5 months. However, having benefits, paid time off (PTO), and an ensured 36 hours of pay each week are all well-worth it. I've also been taking on a lot of mini-projects at work, as well. For example, I was asked to be the Psychiatry Team Leader for the American Heart Association's 2012 Heart Walk. A few emails later and psychiatry was teamed up with Psychology and the Tarrant County DA's office in our fundraising efforts.  We raised around $2,000, and I am so proud of our fund-raising efforts!  The day of the Heart Walk, it was pretty chilly, even for September in Texas, but we walked and talked for the whole three miles.A huge shout-out and thank you to our team, and especially those who came out to walk that morning!

Jason, Holly, me, & Andy at the American Heart Association's Heart Walk 2012

I've started attending the monthly Mental Health Connection meetings with both our Director and Nurse Educator to learn about other mental health resources available to families in our area. I also have been representing our department both with and without our Nurse Educator at the hospital's monthly Patient Education Council meetings. I have taken on the role of Parent Education Coordinator at our Partial Hospitalization Program and have worked with a team to successfully revamp the parent education program at PHP. We have brought in guest speakers on safety, playing and relaxing with your children, and water safety. Attendance and satisfaction have both appeared to increase!

Our Cook Children's Team for the American Heart Association's Heart Walk 2012

SO, my plate has been very VERY full lately! The day I officially changed status from PRN to full-time, I made Andy and myself a little fiesta celebration dinner of Chicken Enchiladas with Red Sauce. I order chicken enchiladas a lot at restaurants, usually with green sauce, so I thought it'd be a fun one to try out. They were very spicy but were better than many restaurant enchiladas dishes that I've tried!

Chicken Enchiladas with Red Sauce
Pinterest.com
Servings: 8; Weight Watchers PointsPlus Value: 3

Filling:

• 9 tortillas
• 1 1/2 c chicken breast meat, cooked & shredded
• 1 c onion, chopped
• 1 c bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 c non-fat Greek yogurt
• 1/2 c low-fat  4 Cheese Mexican cheese

Sauce:

•  3/4 c salsa
• 1/4 c non-fat Greek yogurt
• 1/4 c low or non-fat shredded cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Lightly spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with non-stick spray
3. Sautee onions & bell peppers in a small skillet using cooking spray until onion are lightly brown
4. Mix sauteed veggies with non-fat Greek yogurt, chicken, and cheese
5. Spread 1/4 c chicken mixture in middle of each tortilla & roll into a small burrito
6. Place seam down into baking dish
7. Mix salsa and Greek yogurt in a small bowl & spread evenly onto top of tortillas
8. Sprinkle with cheese
9. Cover with foil, bake at 350 for 15-20 min

Keep on cookin'!
-Katherine