Chicken Fajita Tortilla Soup

With all the excitement of Christmas and family visiting I have neglected this part of my life once again. After holiday burnout I have not been too motivated to cook. Does anyone else get like that after all the big holiday meals? I planned for fairly simple and familiar meals. After all, a family's still gotta eat.

This recipe is from Rachael Ray's newest cookbook Just in Time. I have to say, this is not my most favorite of hers. Many of the recipes are the same from previous with either a few extra ingredients or replaced with something like fire roasted tomatoes. I was not expecting much out of this recipe for some reason. But actually ended up really enjoying it.

This is supposed to be a 15 minute meal and it took about that minus kid distractions. You start by cooking chicken tenders in EVOO with coriander, thyme, salt and pepper. You can also substitute shrimp; if desired. However, that did not appeal to me. Add onion, bell peppers, and jalapeno, and cook until charred and still crisp. Add your usual stock and tomatoes and heat through. I opted to let it simmer a bit longer[which took it over 15 minutes, however, with kids, simmering soup is a relief in the kitchen]. Serve over tortillas with Pepper Jack cheese and top with avocado[in lime], scallions, and cilantro. Easy peasy and light tasting. This is something I will keep in mind for the future.

For dessert, I made Nigella's Sticky Toffee Sauce, which was fantastic. However, sadly, I do not have a picture. First dumb kitchen disaster of the year: I had it sealed up and ready to go into the refrigerator, the heat somehow built up[I think] and the tupperware popped open. Sticky Toffee Sauce....all...over...the kitchen. I was ready to kick myself. Think heavy cream, butter, corn syrup, brown sugar...all...over. Yes. However, it was worth it.