All By Myself...

My husband had baseball practice right after work yesterday, and then they went to the batting cages, and then they had dinner together. I had all this energy when I got home from work, so I took the dogs for a walk, and then made a pot of soup with what I had in the house.

Summer Soup

1 tbsp Olive Oil
1/2 Yellow Onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can Petite Diced Tomatoes (no salt added), drained
2 medium Zucchinis, quartered and sliced
1 can Pink Beans, drained and rinsed
1 can Black Beans, drained and rinsed
1 can Chick Peas, drained, rinsed, and pureed
6 cups Broth (I used nonfat, low-sodium Chicken broth)
1 tbsp dried Basil
1/2 tsp dried Rosemary
1/2 tsp dried Oregano
1/2 tsp Black Pepper
1/4 tsp Kosher Salt or Sea Salt
1 cup Pasta (I used Tubettini) - optional

Heat the Olive Oil in a large stock pot. Add Onions and Garlic and cook until Onions begin to soften, about 3 minutes, stirring frequently to keep Garlic from browning. Stir in Tomatoes and cook for another 3 minutes. Add Zucchini and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in all remaining ingredients except pasta, and simmer for 25-30 minutes. Add pasta and cook until soft. Serve with a sprinkle of shredded Parmesan cheese on each bowl.

Things Can Get a Little....

This turned out fabulous! My husband loved it, and I'm really looking forward to the leftovers for lunch. I used a shortcut with the Goya Sazon. If you'd rather use spices, throw in some cumin, paprika, salt & pepper. Makes 4 servings.

Quick Arroz con Pollo

1 tbsp olive oil
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
1 small yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 can Rotell (diced tomatoes with green chile peppers)
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup long grain rice
1 packet Goya Sazon

Heat olive oil in large, deep nonstick chef's pan or frying pan. Saute chicken until all pieces are white, about 7-8 minutes. (Chicken will get cooked again, so don't worry about it being completely done.) Remove chicken and set aside. To same pan, add onion and garlic. Saute about 3 minutes, until onion begins to soften. Add pepper and cook until it begins to soften, about 3 more minutes. Add Rotell, tomato paste, broth, rice, and Goya Sazon. Stir well, then bring to a simmer. Cover lightly and simmer for 20-25 minutes, until rice is ready. Do not stir until the mixture has been cooking for 15 minutes, and then be careful to scrape all rice from the bottom of the pan. I served it with shredded Monterrey and Colby cheese to sprinkle, and a dot of sour cream.