Three Bean Cassoulet

I don't know whether I would call this a stew or a solid entree, but whatever it was, it was good! I really did not think I would like it, I made it just because it would be cheap, but it was sooooo good! I ate it with a crusty roll and a spoon as my utensils and loved every moment if it.

Need MORE reasons to make this dish?
-its good for you! Very high in fiber and protein and counts as 2 or 3 veggie servings if you eat an entree size portion
-super easy. Chop. Mix. Bake, mixing occasionally.
-freezes well. I froze the leftovers in individual portions and microwave them for a great quick lunch
-Did I mention it is cheap and delicious? It cost about $5 to make 5-6 dinners that I loved!
-It makes an entry for Legume Love Affair

Three Bean Cassoulet

• 2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) stewed tomatoes
• 1 can (15 ounces) garbanzo beans or chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1 can (15-1/2 ounces) great northern beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can (15 ounces) butter beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup finely chopped carrots
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme- I didn't have, so I used oregano
  
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

In an ungreased 3-qt. baking dish (I used a 9x13 pan), combine all ingredients. Cover and bake at 350° for 60-70 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Discard bay leaf.

Spicy Chicken Soup

Sometimes you just pull a Bucky Dent. Bucky Dent was a not so fabulous baseball player who hit a crucial and unexpected grand slam. I have pulled 2 Bucky Dents that I can recall. One was last summer when I made an in the park grand slam for my work softball league, and Bucky actually became my nickname. Sadly, we still lost the game. The next one was about a month ago with this dish.Picking up the ingredients during our weekly grocery shopping, the roomies clearly were not expecting much. Salsa, 2 types of canned tomatoes...and tomato soup?! What good could come of this? Not much was expected of this odd list of ingredients.Then came the homerun. It. Was. Phenomenal. It was spicy, but not overpoweringly so. It was filling, but not heavy. Just wow. You have to try it. It is like a really good version of a chicken tortilla soup.

I changed the recipe to fit our desires. I used low sodium chicken broth, decreasing the water, instead of using salty chicken bouillon. I used a can of diced tomatoes, drained and a can of diced tomatoes with garlic and onion with the liquid (instead of a can of plain diced and a can of whole tomatoes). I decreased the amount of chili powder because we don't like too much spice,but you can bump it back up if you want. Also, I only put 1/2 the sour cream in the soup so that I could put pretty dollops on top. I wouldn't change anything for next time though. I LOVED it.
Spicy Chicken Soup
1 cup water
4 chicken breasts
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 TBSP dried parsley
1 1/2 tsp onion powder
3 1/2 cups chicken broth (low sodium)
1 1/2 TBSP olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 (16 oz) jar chunky salsa
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes w/ garlic and onion
1 (10.75 oz) can condensed tomato soup
2-3 tsp chili powder (recipe says 1 1/2 TBSP so you can up it)
1 (15 oz) can corn, drained
1 (16 oz) can black beans, undrained
1 (8 oz) container sour cream, divided
4 flour tortillas
cooking spray
salt to taste
cheddar or mexican cheese
1.In a large pot over medium heat, combine water, broth, chicken, salt, pepper, garlic powder, parsley, and onion powder. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 1 hour, or until chicken juices run clear. Remove chicken, reserve broth. Shred chicken.

2.In a large pot over medium heat, cook onion and garlic in olive oil until slightly browned. Stir in salsa, diced tomatoes, tomato soup, chili powder, corn, beans, 1/2 of the sour cream, shredded chicken and the broth. Simmer 30 minutes.

3.While it simmers, cut tortillas in 1/2, then cut into thin strips. spray with cooking spray and bake in 350 oven until lightly browned. Toss with salt to taste. 4. Serve soup in bowls. Top each bowl with cheese, sour cream and tortilla strips.

Italian Grilled Cheese and Tortellini Tomato Soup

A while ago, I mentioned that I had a project I would be working on. The project has changed slightly since then, but here is what's happening: I'm hosting J and O'L's engagement party! I'm highly excited. I am hosting it in my apartment with my room mates and I 'm catering it! Ya! The party is April 27th, so I will be trying to find the best recipes until then. We are trying to keep it as finger food but replace dinner food with hors dourves here.While we had one hiccup with a thai chicken skewer that will not be served, this sandwich recipe was immediately approved to be served. It is an Italian Grilled Cheese Sandwich and it was a great dinner sandwich but will also be adorable cut into 4 triangles to serve as noshes.
But, because of the classic grilled cheese/tomato soup combo, and the fact that Danielle and Robin are hosting a recipe remix, I didn't stop at the grilled cheese. I added a Tortellini Tomato soup to the side for a super easy, delicious Italian supper.

Tips and Changes: Be sure to butter even the edges of the top of the bread for the sandwiches, or else it will burn before other parts toast. Otherwise both dishes were perfect.Tortellini Tomato Soup (Adapted from Allrecipes)

• 2 Tbsp oil
  
• 2 carrots, diced
• 1 onion, diced
  
• 32 oz box of reduced sodium chicken broth
• 3 cups water
  
• 1 (9 ounce) package small cheese tortellini
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes with basil and oregano
• 2 medium zucchini, diced
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• parmesan cheese

1. Saute carrot and onion over medium/high heat for about 8-10 minutes until softened. Add broth and water. Bring to a simmer.
2. Add tortellini, tomatoes, zucchini, and basil and simmer 10-20 min.
3. Serve and top with parmesan.

Italian Grilled Cheese (adapted from Allrecipes)

• 1/4 cup softened butter or country crock
  
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
  
• 1/8 teaspoon parmesan
• 8 slices white or potato bread
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano or basil
  
• 1/2 of an 8 ounce package shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup jarred vodka marinara sauce

1. Preheat your oven's broiler.
2. Place 4 slices of bread onto a baking sheet. Spread a few spoonfuls of sauce onto each slice then top with a small handful of the mozzarella cheese. Top with the remaining 4 slices of bread. Mix together the butter, parmesan, basil/oregano and garlic powder, brush some over the tops of the sandwiches, or spread with the back of a tablespoon.
   
3. Place baking sheet under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes, until golden brown. Remove pan from oven, flip sandwiches, and brush the other sides with butter. Return to the broiler, and cook until golden, about 2 minutes.
4. Cut sandwiches in half diagonally, and serve immediately.

Chicken Cacciatore Stoup

Shhh…please don’t tell on me. I have a dirty little secret. Perhaps you can blame it on the fact that I’m a broke college student who will have an extra 3 years of law school tuition to pay for. I don’t know, but whatever the reason, I have a secret.

I consistently replace chicken breasts with small chicken cutlets in recipes. I cannot imagine eating a whole chicken breast myself, and sometimes, even when I halve the breast and serve it as 2 cutlets (1 per person) roomie still doesn’t eat the whole thing. According to the food pyramid, a serving of protein is the size of a deck of cards, When is the last time a full chicken breast was less than 2-3 times that size! So I am cheap and I halve the breasts to make them only slightly above the recommended serving size. Thus, I get the 6 packs of chicken breasts (about $8 on sale) and get about 12 servings out of them. Yes, I am cheap and violating many recipes, but it works for us.
There are some recipes, however, where the writer seems to understand my plight and my hesitation to give each person 3/4lb of poultry in one sitting. Rachael Ray seems to get it, especially in her chicken cacciatore stoup recipe. Between the potatoes and the veggies, you don’t ALSO need ¾ pound of chicken per person. She recommends “1 package boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 1 to 1 1/3 pounds” but I don’t think I see this size pack in my local grocery store. I usually figure it is 2 large or 3 small breasts, and it works great for portioning.

This recipe is great. Very hearty, healthy and versatile. I don’t feel bad doing substitutions (I have marked my normal subs below- due to my hate for mushrooms and lack of celery most times). It always comes out great if you follow the cooking times (I learned the “if you don’t follow cooking times” the hard way- follow cooking times). Keeping the chicken down and switching out mushrooms makes this a great, affordable dish.

Even for a cheapo with a secret like mine…

Chicken Cacciatore Stoup
A stoup is thicker than a soup, thinner than a stew.
Serves 4

1 package boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 1 to 1 1/3 pounds, diced (2-3 breasts)
Coarse salt and black pepper or grill seasoning (I use McCormick’s poultry blend)
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

3 to 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (3 turns of the pan)
2 russet potatoes, peeled and cubed into 1-inch squares (Depending on the size, I sometimes use 3 or 4)
4 portobello mushroom caps or 16 cremini mushrooms, sliced or chopped (I omit or replace with carrots, diced- see below)
4 ribs celery hearts, chopped (I don’t buy celery specifically for this. Can replace with carrots or omit)
1 medium onion, peeled and quartered lengthwise then thinly sliced (I realized I prefer a large chop not slices)
1 red bell pepper, seeded and quartered lengthwise then thinly sliced (I realized I prefer a large chop not slices) (Can also use a green pepper)
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup dry Italian red wine, eyeball it

1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (28-ounce) can fire-roasted crushed tomatoes
2 cups chicken stock
3 tablespoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped, 3 or 4 sprigs (or 1TBSP dried)
1 cup basil, arugula or baby spinach leaves, shredded or torn (optional)
Grated Parmesan, to pass at table
Crusty bread, to pass at the table

Heat a deep skillet or a medium soup pot over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons EVOO, 2 turns of the pan, and the chicken. Season it with coarse salt and pepper/grill seasoning and red pepper flakes.

While the chicken cooks, chop up the veggies.

When the chicken is evenly and lightly browned all over, 3 or 4 minutes, remove it to a plate and reserve. Add another tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil, 1 more turn of the pan. Add the potatoes to the pan. Cook a couple of minutes, then add in the mushrooms (carrots), celery, and onion and cook another couple of minutes. Add in the peppers and garlic and cook another 1 to 2 minutes. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper.

Add chicken back to the pan. Toss it with the vegetables. Add red wine to the pan and deglaze it, picking up drippings. Add tomatoes and stock to the stoup and stir to combine. Stir in rosemary and reduce heat to low. Cover and cook 8 to 10 minutes.

Turn off stoup and ladle into shallow bowls. Top with basil (for a sweet finish and balance to the spice in the soup) or arugula (for a peppery finish) or with spinach (for a woodsy finish). At the table, pass grated cheese for sprinkling on top of the stoup and bread for mopping up the bowl.

Vegetarian Chili with Butternut Squash

I HATE about you, Mr. Butternut Squash. You mock me. You say I cannot cut through your hard exterior, even with my largest bread knife or sharpest paring knife. Yes, you are so evil. Yet, I managed to cut you (after about 40 minutes of work). Thankfully this recipe was worth it.

While making this meal, roomie and I kept saying "this had better be the best freaking chili ever." In a way it was, in a way it wasn't. It was phenomenally delicious, but I don't know if it was chili. It was a soup? A stew? I don't know, but it was very hearty and very good. Oh, and bonus, it's good for you too. Lots of veggies in this one and little fat. Fantastic meal and it will be repeated.
We ended up using the top 1/2 of a 4 lb squash (because we didn't feel like going through the work of cutting the rest). I'd say it was the perfect amount, so a 2 lb squash would be fine too. Because the squash was REALLY hard, we thought it would be flavorless, but once cooked it was great. You just have to cut it first.

HOW TO CUT THE ANNOYING SQUASH
1)peel the part you want to use: we used a large vegetable peeler.
2)cut into large block (i found a large bread knife best, but even that was hard)
3)create small cubes using a small knife.
Tips for next time: Try using a frozen boxed squash instead if fresh. I can't guarantee it will be as good because i used the real thing, but it would sure be easier. This is a very versatile recipe, so feel free to play around with it. I did! Things I changed are noted on the recipe.

Vegetarian Chili with Butternut Squash

Ingredients:

4 tsp. olive oil

1 medium butternut squash peeled and cut into 3/4 inch pieces

3 medium carrots cut into 1/4 inch pieces (I used cut up 1 or 2 handfuls of baby carrots)

1 large onion, chopped

2 tbsp chili powder (I used less)

2 garlic gloves, chopped

2 cans (14 1/2 ounces) plum tomatoes (I used diced tomatoes)

3 jalapeno chilis seeded and minced (I left these out)

1 cup reduced-sodium vegetable broth (I used chicken and used a little extra)

1 tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

2 cans black soybeans/black beans rinsed and drained (I used 1 can black beans)

1 cup lightly packed cilantro leaves (omitted)

plain nonfat yogurt (optional, I used sour cream)

1. In nonstick 5-quart pot, heat 2 tsp oil over medium high heat until hot. Add squash and cook, stirring occasionally until golden, 8-10 min. Transfer to bowl and set aside.

2. In same pan heat remaining 2 tsp oil. Add carrots and onion and cook stirring occasionally until golden about 10 min. Stir in chili powder and garlic, cook, stirring, 1 minute longer.

3. Add tomatoes with their juice, jalapenos, broth, sugar and salt. Heat to boiling over medium-high heat, stirring to break up tomatoes with side of spoon. Stir in beans and squash. Heat to boiling over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until squash is tender, about 30 minutes (because I cooked the squash a little extra at the begining, I only cooked about 15 min here)4. Remove from heat, stir in cilantro. Serve chili with yogurt, if you like.

Prep Time: 30 minutes Cook: 50 minutes Makes: about 10 cups or 6 servings

Broccoli and Cheddar Soup

I went broccoli picking. Yes, broccoli picking. It was so much fun, yet so odd! I never knew how broccoli grew before. I came home with so much fresh broccoli. I used what I could, then chopped and froze the rest. This recipe was an attempt to use up some of that fresh broccoli.

It was delicious. I recommend serving with fresh bread and a salad or a baked potato. I also would recommend topping with extra cheddar cheese in the bowl to make it extra cheesy and make it look pretty. Oh, and the SHARP cheddar is critical, as is the pepper. Overall, very good.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 onion, cut into medium dice
• 2 teaspoons garlic chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper (I think I used extra)
  
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  
• 1 (16 ounce) package frozen chopped broccoli
• 1 quart chicken broth
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups whole or 2% milk
• salt to taste
• 8 ounces shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Melt butter over medium heat in a stockpot. Cook onion in butter until softened. Add garlic, nutmeg and pepper; cook for 1 minute then stir in broccoli, and stir in chicken broth. Bring to a boil and simmer until broccoli is tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
2.	Meanwhile whisk flour into milk until dissolved. Stir into soup stirring frequently until thickened. Reduce heat, and stir in cheese until melted and heated through.
3.	Season with salt to taste.

Chicken and Onion Stoup

I love federal holidays. As today was Columbus day, I didn't have work. Happy dance! So, what did I do? Well, I studied, I read about the environmental impact statement of a power plant in California, and I watched the Rachael Ray show. Very fun and gave me inspiration for tonights meal. She made a roast beef au jus stoup (soup/stew). It had crusty bread on the bottom, then roast beef, then onion soup. Yum, right? Well, we aren't meat eaters around these parts, so I made it with chicken instead and chicken broth in the soup instead of beef. Was very good. Didn't look pretty, but that's comfort food. Only taste matters here.The recipe needs a little work on the assembly, but with some tweaks would be delicious. The caramelized onion flavor was phenomenal, and I never thought I could make onion soup, but I just pleasantly surprised myself. The bread was good, but it got soggy, so next time I will not put it underneath the soup.

Tips for next time: Make the layers: soup, chicken, toast. And keep some toast on the side to add as you finish the first bread or it gets soggy.Chicken and Onion Stoup

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 large onions, thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• sprinkling of thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 2 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 loaf crusty bread, torn into bite-size pieces and toasted
• 3 chicken cutlets
• italian dressing
  

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Preparation

1. Marinate chicken in italian dressing and heat a foreman grill.
   

2. Heat a deep pot over medium to medium-high heat. Add EVOO, about one turn of the pan, and butter to the pot. Add the onions to the pot as you slice them and the chopped garlic. Season with salt and pepper then add thyme and a bay leaf. Cook the onions for 20-25 minutes, stirring frequently, until tender, sweet and deep caramel-colored. If the onions are burning in spots before browning all over, add a splash of water and stir every now and then, scraping the bottom of the pot.

3. Once the onions are tender and brown, add the white wine and scrape up all the brown bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the stock and cover the pot to bring the soup up to a quick boil.

4. Grill chicken until cooked through. Let rest a moment then slice into small bite size pieces.

5. Place a few chunks of the toasted bread into each of four deep soup bowls or crocks and top the toast with a handful of the chicken. Once the soup reaches a boil, remove the bay leaf and ladle into bowls to cover the chicken (note,put bread in AFTER soup)

Chunky Chicken and Vegetable Soup

This was another recipe from my long weekend alone. I wanted a semi-good for me recipe with chicken that would make good leftovers. Despite the oppressive heat outside, I had been in air conditioning all day, so I decided on Chunky Chicken and Vegetable soup. It’s from the “Chicken: Best Ever Poultry Recipes” book that a friend got me last year. I’ve made this recipe before and I certainly intend to make it again. It is hearty without being heavy. And it is so easy to make! The whole trick is just the prep. Have the veggies and chicken cut up before you start and there is virtually no work involved.

I love the combination of the savory chicken, pasta and veggies with the sweet but tangy fresh tomatoes. I add about ¾ of the tomato when it says to, and I add the rest to the bowls as I am serving to give it even more of a fresh tomato bite. Because of the pasta in the soup, I will be listing this for Presto Pasta night. This time I used orzo pasta, but you can use whatever pasta you want. Next time I may try macaroni to just switch it up a little bit.

Tips and changes for next time: try different pastas. Perhaps use more pasta to thicken the soup a bit. Add some chopped garlic to the pan when I add the chicken.
Chunky Chicken and Vegetable Soup
1 TBSP oil
1 carrot, sliced
1 leek, chopped (I used ¾ of an onion)
2 chicken thigh fillets cut into 2cm pieces (I used a chicken breast)
1/4 cup ditalini pasta (I used a little more than that of orzo)
1 liter vegetable stock (I used 3 cups chicken broth and 1 cup water)
2 ripe tomatoes, diced
Salt and pepper
(Pinch red pepper)
(Pinch garlic powder)

Method
Heat the oil in a saucepan and cook the carrot and leek over medium heat for 4 minutes, or until soft. Add the chicken and cook for a further 2 minutes, or until the chicken has changed color.
Add the pasta and the vegetable stock, cover and bring to the boil. (Add garlic powder, red pepper, salt and pepper to taste.) Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked. Add the tomato halfway through cooking (or just add 3/4 of the tomato and add the rest at the end). Serve with fresh crusty bread.

Serves 4

(Green) Red Bell Pepper Soup (AKA My Mojo, Baby, Pt 2)

This is a follow-up to the last post, referencing my lack of kitchen mojo. I am happy to report that since this incident, I have gotten my mojo back and have made some tasty delights which will be written about later.

The lovely picture above, as well as the mystery picture from last week are of a red bell pepper soup that I decided to make with green peppers. Ya, definitely changed the look of the dish. On Smitten Kitchen’s page, the dish is a luscious red, much like a tomato soup. You just want to dive in head-first and swim in the rich, deep red liquid. Mine, looks like the goo from ghost busters. I was surprised it didn’t start dancing when I sang to it. Note to self…AGAIN…follow instructions. This one may taste ok, but that color is not acceptable. If I had only used the slightly more expensive red peppers, I would have a good soup. As is, it tastes decent enough, but, because of the color, I don’t know if I can eat it. It is all in storage containers in my freezer waiting for St Patty’s day, I think!

Besides the color, my lack of mojo was apparent with the ingredient “1/4 cup dry white wine.” I could not, for the life of me, get the bottle open. It still sits on my counter with a shredded cork, mocking me and my inability to open it. And it is supposedly a decent wine too! I don’t know what to do?! Should I break it open or just throw it out? So sad and pathetic. As for the soup, I halved the recipe so that I didn’t waste 12 peppers if it wasn’t good. I am quite glad about this fact since I can’t get the green good into my mouth. Below is the full recipe as it appears on Smitten Kitchen’s blog. My notes are in parentheses.

Tips for next time: There won’t be a next time for me,just because of the color and expense of the peppers, but if you would like to make it, use good RED bell peppers. I just think following the instructions would fix it right up.

Red Pepper Soup (New York Times 9/21/05 )
Total time: 45 minutes
2 tablespoons olive oil

3¼ cup sliced onions

3 large cloves garlic, crushed

¼ cup dry white wine (I used cooking sherry since it was already open)

12 large red bell peppers, cut in 1-inch pieces (I used green. Do not use green. Use red!)

2 cups no-salt-added chicken or vegetable stock or broth

2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme (Could not find it at the farmers market or the store- is it a winter thing?- so I used basil)

¼ to ½ teaspoon hot red pepper flakes

Salt and white pepper

Crème fraîche for garnish

Thyme sprigs for garnish.

1. Put oil in large pot. Add onion when oil is hot. Cook onions until they begin to soften and take on color.

Add garlic and cook another minute. Add wine and cook down quickly, until about 1 tablespoon is left.
2. Add peppers, stock, thyme and red pepper flakes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer until peppers are tender, about 30 minutes. 3. In food processor or blender, purée mixture in batches until smooth. Adjust seasonings.4. Cover and chill overnight or for as long as 2 days or freeze (whisk well before serving if thawed). Can also be served warm.
5. Serve in demitasse cups or soup bowls, topped with a dab of crème fraîche and a tiny sprig of thyme.

Chilled Cherry Soup

I am sooo excited. There are just 3 weeks between me and a cruise to an island paradise! Three weeks and then I will be laying on deck, watching the waves go by. Three weeks and I will be snorkeling with the boy in Mexico. Three weeks and I will be treated and fed like a princess. This last aspect may be my favorite part of any cruise.

For those of you who have never cruised, do. You become so relaxed because everything is taken care of for you. You want a towel? Soon you will have one folded into a swan. You want food? Here, have a 6 course meal with at least 3 choices for each course. I’m telling you, it is so hard to readjust to real-life afterwards. You have to cook, clean and think about issues beyond whether you want the shrimp cocktail or duck confit as your appetizer.

This dish is a prelude to my tropical vacation on the seas. As I just mentioned, there are many choices of what to eat on a cruise, but my favorites are the chilled fruit soups. Sometimes they are as a soup course, other times as a dessert. I made this chilled cherry soup as a dessert.

This is my first entry into Sugar High Fridays. The theme was tropical sweets. Because it is what I have while cruising, chilled fruit soups say tropical to me. I chose cherry just out of practicality, because I had 2 cups of frozen tart cherries from when I went fruit picking.

Tips and comments- It ended up a little tart, so I sprinkled chopped semisweet chocolate on top. That fixed it right up! I love the combination of chocolate and cherries, so perhaps next time I would blend some chocolate into the soup, then also top with chocolate shavings.

Chilled Cherry Soup

1. In a blender, combine 1 cup cold tart cherries (mine were halved, frozen cherries, defrosted) with ½ a cup orange juice until smooth. (Would also add chocolate during this step next time)

2. Add a dash of chili powder, and cinnamon and a few drops of lemon juice. Combine.
3. Pour into a bowl. Take a spoonful of raspberry syrup and make a design (I tried a flower by making a circle and using a skewer to drag 4 points to the middle, as well as a heart). If you don’t like your design, stir the syrup into the soup and try again. 4) Chop or shave chocolate and sprinkle on top.