Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Hot 'n Spicy

So....how was your 4th of July?!?! Did you have a great long weekend busy with friends & family, or just hanging out like Woody and I did?


On the 4th, we went running in Central Park then walked through the (quiet for NYC) streets to Times Square before getting on the subway to head downtown. Then we hit up a typical NYC street fair where I got the grilled corn and Woody got this delicious looking dish from a Turkish booth.


Later we walked over to the Esplanade on the west side. It was much busier than we had expected, but it was a beautiful day out so I guess we shouldn't have been surprised. We had to have our picture taken with Lady Liberty in the background!


For dinner, we enjoyed a picnic in our 'secret' garden near our apartment. It was a nice and relaxing evening before we watched the Macy's Fireworks from the comfort of our couch!


Sunday afternoon when it was pretty gross outside, I did some more cooking! I haven't really cooked a meal for a while, as much as I wish I could consider throwing salads together 'cooking' so it was about time I did something!


Every issue of Runner's World includes a recipe from a well-known chef under the Athlete's Palate. In February I tried Marc Bittman's Mac & Cheese recipe; Sunday I gave Rocco DiSpirito's Tortilla Soup with Avocado.


The thing about this recipe is that it sounded spicy. "Fire-roasted tomatoes," "chipotle chiles in adobo sauce," "hot fresh salsa." I like a little heat, but not a lot. Woody, on the other hand, thinks the hotter, the better. It's easier to add heat than take it out though, so I went a little light when I put this together. The recipe can be found on page 48 of the August issue of Runner's World.


While putting this together, I noticed...
1. It ended up more chili like than soup like as it was pretty thick & chunky. 
2. This was even by using a whole can of diced tomatoes rather than just 1 cup and adding a little extra low-sodium chicken broth.
3. While I think our chipotle powder from Penzey's is more heat than spicy, the chipotle chiles were actually really spicy.
4. Corn fresh off the cob was delicious.
5. Because the recipe calls for low-fat, low-sodium chicken broth, skinless chicken breast, and other healthy ingredients like tomatoes (go for diced tomatoes and salsa that's low in sodium), and healthy fats like avocado, this is a healthy meal with a lot of flavor.
6. The only way this recipe actually makes four servings is if they're really small servings. With adding extra chicken broth and tomatoes, and dishing out 1cup of soup each, there is only about one extra serving.


While this was thicker and a little hotter than I expected, we both thought it had great texture and was very flavorful. Topped with avocado and corn tortilla strips, I'm sure I'll make this again. Oh, and because it can be served hot or cold it's great for any season!




Later that night, Woody ate an entire chipotle chili on a tortilla chip and said "actually, I don't think it's that bad. A little hot, but not that bad." I'm in awe of his ability to eat spicy foods!
  • What was the best part of your weekend?
  • Do you love going out to watch fireworks or do you prefer to watch from home?
  • Spicy or mild?
Check back tomorrow - I have a giveaway in store!!
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Today's workout -
35min elliptical
125 ab exercises
1x40sec plank
2x15 donkey kicks
2x18 resistance band woodchops
2x20 upright row
2x15 squats
stretching

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

I saw that recipe in Runner's World too and it looks delicious! I like spicy stuff, as long as it's not too hot that my nose is running and I'm chugging water. Glad you had a good long weekend!

KT80 said...

That looks yummy, thanks for sharing your feedback. I always think abut trying their recipes, but never seem to think of it. I think I need a list somewhere of all the recipes I want to try so I can reference it easily when I'm cooking.

Gina; The Candid RD said...

I think this recipe sounds great. I do LOVE spicy food, but as I get "older" I am finding that my spice tolerance is decreasing...but still...I love it!

Nick and I were completely set on going to our fireworks with friends, but after they both cancelled, we said ok, let's just "watch" them from our house. A tree was blocking them the whole time so we went inside and watched the Bachelorette :) haha

Susan said...

NYC- what a great place to celebrate the 4th! One of my dreams! Recipe sounds delish! My family loves spicy!

gracekelle said...

I had a lovely picnic in the park yesterday. I brought the fruit salad :) On the walk home, Mike and I caught the fireworks on the East River. Watching them on tv ensures that you see all of them, but there's nothing better than seeing them in person. Part of the allure is the noise they make.

And LOVE spicy stuff!! If only my body could take more of it.

misszippy said...

That sounds really good!

We were at the shore for the weekend, which was lovely. Not a big fireworks fan, but walking one block to the beach to watch them, I can handle!

Callie said...

I'm so glad you tried that recipe!! I just saw it this weekend and have been going back and forth about making it. I was worried about it being spicy, but figured I'd substitute since me and spicy/hot foods don't get along. Can't wait to try this! I'm so excited for the avocados :)