Italian and Chicken Soup for the Mind

No, this is not going to be one of those treacly, positive-thinking writings that claim to cure what ails ya.  I have a recipe for you if you like Mexican food (real Mexican food, not the Taco Bell stuff).

Chicken soup for two:

In a heavy bottomed pan, fry a single whole chicken breast, skin-side down first, until golden.  Turn and brown other side.  Remove from pan onto a plate.

Saute finely diced carrot, celery, and onion until soft; add diced garlic and fry only until fragrant.  Add low sodium chicken broth and the chicken breast.  Broth does not have to cover chicken, add enough for soup for two people.  Add salt and pepper.  Lower heat and simmer covered until chicken is tender.

Meanwhile, toast cumin seed until fragrant and grind in a morter or molcajete (I use a lot because I love it; play it by ear).  Chop coriander (also, according to your taste). 

When chicken is tender, remove from pot, strain out the vegetables, and return soup to pot.  Shred chicken and add to pot, along with coriander and cumin.  Add a small dose of chipotle chile powder or canned chipotle, check seasoning again, and heat until simmering.  Turn off heat.

Top soup with slices of avocado and shredded Monterrey Jack cheese, and serve with hot tortillas or tostadas.  If the soup is to be a whole meal, you can top the tostadas with refried beans and sour cream as well.  Delish!


It is possible that some people have a brain capacity for a limited number of languages; my limit seems to be two.  Now that I'm trying to add Italian, odd things are happening.  Yesterday before my conversation class I went to the store and found myself addressing people with an occasional Italian phrase, but once I sat down with my teacher, after a while I short-circuited and couldn't think in any language at all--no English, no Spanish, even less Italian.  As I ground to a halt, the girl took pity on me and carried the conversation herself--good practice for my listening, at least.  She seems to think I'm doing well, but compared to what?  My dog?  And even that is a risky assumption--since I've been using a little Italian with him, he may remember more of the lingo than I do. 

My running has also ground to a halt.  The weather and barometric pressure changed and put me out of action all week.  This may be a losing battle.  If I could run five kilometers the way I can run one, I would be down to 35 minutes for a 5K.  Ha!  The only remedy at the moment is to go off and make a chocolate pound cake.