Soup for one--Tortilla Soup

Tortilla Soup
Fix-It and Forget-It Cookbook Copyright 2000

4 chicken breast halves
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. margarine
2 14 ½- oz. cans chicken broth I used some homemade broth
2 14 ½- oz cans chopped stewed tomatoes I used diced tomatoes with green chilies
1 cup salsa I used medium - the soup had some kick
½ cup chopped cilantro I omitted this but there was cilantro in the diced tomatoes
1 Tbsp. or more ground cumin
8-oz Monterey Jack cheese, cubed
Sour cream
Tortilla chips

1. Cook, debone, and shred chicken.
2. Add minced garlic to margarine in slow cooker. Sauté. I sautéed it lightly in a small pan before adding it to the slow cooker.
3. Combine all ingredients, except cheese, sour cream and chips.
4. Cover. Cook on LOW 8-10 hours. You could definitely simmer this on the stove for not too long and have good soup. Everything in there is cooked.
5. Divide cubed cheese among 6 individual soup bowls. Ladle soup over cheese. Sprinkle with tortilla chips and top each bowl with a dollop of sour cream.
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I've wanted to make tortilla soup for some time but most recipes call for some sort of bean and I fear the bean. I don't know why. My son eats other legumes - green beans, peas, soy (incidentally - he doesn't eat any soy-intensive foods besides soy sauce in recipes but it hides in many things) - yet I've been hesitant to feed him other beans. Some kids with peanut allergies react to other legumes.

So this recipe was perfect. I really liked it although I might have liked it even more if there was cheese melted right in it, maybe a few cubes of Velveeta (yes, I said Velveeta).

I was the only one who tried it (so I could have made one with beans afterall). No one refused it exactly but my husband decided to get pizza since his nephew was staying over and well, pizza trumps soup with kids and men apparently. I've been enjoying the leftovers for lunch and will end up eating the entire batch.

Speaking of food allergies, we got the results of my son's latest blood test. I was thinking last night that we hadn't heard anything and I should call but I really didn't want to. They retested peanut and I didn't want to bring all of the emotions associated with that diagnosis to the surface. Then I checked the mail and there was a letter from his allergist. I took a deep breath and opened it.

They only tested for dogs (he's had a few hive incidents involving dogs), peanuts, and egg. I wish I had asked for some add'l things (shellfish, other legumes if possible) but I wasn't thinking clearly and I really didn't have any reasons besides being paranoid to ask for other tests.

He is definitely allergic to dogs. He loves dogs and can pet them and be around them but if he gets licked, hives pop right up. I'm not happy about the diagnosis, especially adding a new allergy, but I can live with it. My husband was pushing for a dog but I was against it. I love dogs but I don't think we're home enough and the dog would be lonely. It was a large bone of contention between us and well, the argument is over!

His peanut allergy 'remains about the same'. I'm grateful for that choice of wording since I have no idea if it went up at all and I really don't want to know. It really doesn't matter, allergic is allergic, but I certainly didn't want to see the numbers jump a great deal. I am of course disappointed that they haven't dropped, yet not surprised. He doesn't fit the profile of someone likely to outgrow the allergy.

The good news - he tested negative for egg! He's always eaten foods with eggs cooked in them but not scrambled eggs, quiche or other egg-centric recipes, not since he tested slightly positive for egg allergy. We still need to do an egg challenge but that will have to wait until early next year.

Question of the Day: Pizza or soup? My answer is pizza AND soup!