Week One: Monday (Day 1)

It's official. I'm starting TODAY. I feel confident after my "Test Run" Week menus.

I'm home today, so I will do something that is a little more labor intensive.

I LOVE the Baja Enchilada soup from a certain Mexican restaurant that starts with an "M" and ends with an "oe's." One day a few months ago I looked on the back of a barley box and found a recipe that is darn close to their recipe. I tweaked and ended up with my own version. I'll call it Chicken Baja Soup. Descriptive, no?

The Recipes:

Chicken Baja Soup

28 oz. can diced tomatoes
2 C stock
3 C water
1 C quick barley
1 T chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
1 (15 oz.) can black beans
1 (15 oz.) can whole kernal corn
1 C shredded zucchini
3 C cooked chicken breast, cubed or shredded
small can chilis (optional)

• Combine first 6 ingredients and bring to boil. reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add beans, corn, and chicken. Bring to boil. Reduce and simmer 5 minutes, or until barley is tender.

I don't have the black beans, so I will leave that out. If it's too thick, thin with water. Adjust seasonings.

Now, the cornbread is a different story. I've ALWAYS used a cornbread mix from the store. I have cornmeal in my pantry (I have NO idea how that got there or why.) On the back of the box I found this:

Easy Cornbread:

1-1/4 Cups flour

3/4 Cup corn meal

1/4 C sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 C milk

1/4 C vegetable oil

1 egg

• Heat oven to 400. Grease pan.
• Combine dry ingredients.
• Stir in milk, oil, and egg and stir until moistened
• Pour batter in pan
• Bake 20-25 minutes until done.

We'll see. It looks easy, but how will it taste? So many worries.

Verdict:

Me: My GOODness that is one thick soup! One could probably double the amount of liquid (preferably stock), and definitely it needs more "kick." I'm adding water, cayenne, and salt to balance the flavors. Otherwise, very nice. The black beans would have been nice, too.

Hubby: Definitely add the "hot" spices, but otherwise very good wintery soup.