Getting Back to My Fighting Weight

Many of you might know that I had a medical procedure at the end of 2015 to shrink a rather large fibroid that had grown in my abdomen. After finding out that my stomach was distended to the size of a woman who is four months pregnant, I thought "when that thing is gone, I'll get back to my fighting weight!"

Still home recovering for another week, I'm able to move around. I even go for walks during the day, and I can "return to my normal diet," which I want to get more right this time.

My hope is to blog weekly, showing my progress and adapting some recipes for a more healthy and more plant based lifestyle. So, stick with me to see the progress!

First up

Vegetarian Tortilla Soup

This is adapted from Oh My Veggies' Slow Cooker "Make and Freeze" Veggie Tortilla Soup, with some crucial adjustments.

Here are the ingredients:

1 T Olive Oil 

1 medium Onion, diced small

2 medium cloves Garlic, minced 

2 1/2 teaspoons Chili Powder 

1 t ground Cumin 

1t Smoky Paprika

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced Fire-Roasted Tomatoes 

1 (14.5-ounce) can Black Beans, drained and rinsed 

1 bag (2 cups) frozen Corn kernels (fresh, if it's in season)

6 cups Vegetable Stock (low sodium, if you can find it)

1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt 

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground Black Pepper 

Fresh spinach leaves

Suggested Add-ins:

Tortilla strips

Fresh limes

Diced avocado

Shredded cheese (I used "Mexican Blend")

Chipotle cream (recipe in the next paragraph)

The soup comes out perfectly mild, so I make a chipotle cream to dollop on top. This way, the diner can adjust the heat level as they wish. I literally just add the sauce from a can of chipotle peppers to sour cream, until it reaches the level of heat I'm looking for.

Soup instructions:

1. Heat the oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add Onion and cook until softened, 5-7 minutes. Add Garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute more (be careful not to scorch your garlic)

2. Add the Chili Powder, Cumin and Smoky Paprika, stir into the onions and garlic (it will look dry). Cook for about one minute to "bloom" your spices

3. Add Tomatoes, Black Beans, Corn, and Stock. Season with black pepper. And if you are using low sodium, add 1/2t Sea Salt. Stir and bring to a simmer.

4. When the soup is heated through, the corn will be thawed by then. Assemble and serve as you like with the suggested Add-ins

I prefer to place the spinach at the bottom of the bowls so the soup just wilts and heats it. If you like it a little softer, you can add it to the pot as it's simmering.