Fall weather has left, but I still want soup!

While last week held the promise of fall, this week temperatures soared into the low 90s. Though it certainly was not fall weather, I had soup on the menu and gosh darn it, I was going to make it. I'm glad I did because it was delicious, but it sure did heat up the kitchen! I didn't make any changes, but I did use skim milk instead of 2% because that was I had. If I make it again, I would add a little more cheese plus just a little bit of salt. I thought it was a little bland; surprising, since there is half a pound of cheese. Very tasty, though!

Baked Potato and Broccoli Cheese Soup

from Southern Living (found on Julie's blog)

1/4 c flour

2 (14 1/4-oz) cans low-sodium fat-free chicken broth, divided

3 c peeled, cubed potato (about 1 1/4 lbs)

2 c broccoli florets, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

1 1/4 c 2% reduced-fat milk (I used skim)

1 (8-oz) block 2% reduced-fat sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded

7 t shredded 2% reduced-fat sharp Cheddar cheese

7 t fully cooked bacon pieces (I used turkey bacon)

7 t chopped green onions

Whisk together flour and 1/3 c chicken broth until smooth. Combine remaining chicken broth and next 3 ingredients in a Dutch oven. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 8 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Gradually stir in flour mixture. Cook, stirring often, 5 minutes. Stir in milk and 8 ounces shredded cheese. Cook mixture over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until cheese melts. Top each serving of soup with 1 teaspoon cheese, 1 teaspoon bacon pieces, and 1 teaspoon chopped green onions.

Chicken with Tomatillo Salsa

When I renewed my Bon Appetit subscription, they offered me a free gift subscription for anyone I wanted to send one to. I immediately thought of my mother, as she is one of the predominant reasons I love to cook. I come from a family of extremely talented women and one of their many talents is the ability to turn food into an adventure. I will always be grateful that my family dinners were never boring and always different. I still look forward to what new dishes will grace the holiday table. Anyway, I digress.

Every Sunday my husband and I are in town, we go to my parents house for dinner. Since giving my mother the subscription, many of the meals have been pulled from the pages of the latest magazine. Last Sunday was no exception. Usually, my mother chooses a recipe I missed or hadn't dog-eared in my own copy of the magazine, but this time she made a few dishes from "The Green Party" in August's Bon Appetit, a menu I had marked for my next dinner party. It gave me a chance to try a few of the recipes before I subjected others to them.

The tomatillo salsa from one of the dishes (Grilled Park Chops with Tomatillo Salsa) was absolutely fabulous and my mother sent me home with some leftovers. After I polished the salsa off on Monday, I began craving some more. So the salsa made it's way onto my weekly menu. The potato salad also found it's way to my dinner table. It's a very green meal, so it feels healthy, and besides the olive oil and the carbs from the potatoes, it's a very health conscious meal. Not "light", but very healthful.

Chicken with Tomatillo Salsa

Adapted from Bon Appetit

12 tomatillos (1 lb), husked and rinsed

4 garlic cloves, peeled

2 jalapeno chiles

2/3 c finely chopped white onion

2/3 c (lightly packed) chopped fresh cilantro

Salt and pepper to taste

2 chicken breasts, trimmed and sliced

Olive oil

Preheat broiler. Place tomatillos, 4 whole garlic cloves, and jalapenos on rimmed baking sheet. Broil until tender and vegetables are slightly charred, turning occasionally, about 7 minutes for garlic and 8 minutes for tomatillos and jalapenos. Transfer to plate and let stand until cool enough to handle. Stem and seed jalapenos. Place tomatillos, garlic, jalapenos, onion and cilantro in processor. Puree until almost smooth. Season tomatillo salsa with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Heat olive oil in a skillet and cook chicken until no longer pink. Serve chicken with brown rice and top with salsa.

Potato Salad with Basil Oil

From Bon Appetit

1 c packed whole fresh basil leaves, plus 3 T thinly sliced basil

1/2 c plus 2 T olive oil

2 1/2 T unseasoned rice vinegar

2 T Dijon mustard

1/4 c chopped red onion

2 lbs medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled

Blanch whole basil leaves in boiling water for 1 minute; drain. Run under cold water; drain and squeeze out any excess water. Place basil in kitchen towel and squeeze out water. Transfer basil to processor. Add 1/2 c oil; process until basil is very finely chopped. Transfer to small bowl and season with salt. Whisk vinegar and mustard in small bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in remaining 2 T olive oil. Stir in red onion and 3 T thinly sliced basil. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper. Place potatoes in large saucepan. Add enough water to cover potatoes by 1 inch. Bring to boil, reduce heat to medium, and simmer until tender, about 17 minutes. Drain. Let potatoes stand until just cool enough to handle. Cut into 3/4 inch cubes and place in large bowl. Drizzle dressing over warm potatoes and toss gently to coat. Serve potato salad warm or at room temperature.