Two for one.

I miss cooking. After some serious family drama at the holidays, the loss of two amazing Aunts, a client's house to finish, my husband working continuously on a move outside of his 40 hour a week job, room-mom for my children's classrooms, and housewife duties, I seriously got my ass kicked in the last few months, and have truly missed my connection here.

We had an awesome early and much needed spring break, and upon return I am ready to jump right in. Only in Cali can you be sunburned (or is it sunburnt? Webster says either),and it be raining outside. Glowing in my sun kisssed skin I still feel the urge to burrow in on days like this, crawl under the blankets, read a good book, and snuggle with the fam. The constant drum of the rain outside calls to me.....yummy warm sustenance, or in other words soup and chili!

Appraising what we had left after a week away and what we needed for a week at home I hit the store. After spending a grip load of money on not so great food on our vacation I am ready to dig in this week, and to get it started I am doing a two for one combo.

Roasted Red Pepper Soup & Soy Chorizo Chili

These two dishes have many common ingredients, and are so easy to cook side by side. They will set your week of lunches and easy dinners up nicely.

List of ingredients:
Two cans of diced tomatoes
Two large onions

8 cloves of garlic

4 carrots

A few old bell peppers

1 can of white beans

1 can of black beans
2 boxes of chicken stock

Cumin

Salt  & pepper

Garlic powder

Fresh basil, or dried if you have it

1 package of soy chorizo

Pinot Noir if you have it or beer will work.

Frozen corn

Side by side in two large pots or saute pans, saute the onions, carrots and 4 cloves of garlic in each ( I chop the onions, carrots, and garlic in the food processor).

Obviously one will be for the pepper soup and one for the the chorizo chili.

Add the soy chorizo to one of them.

Cook until tender adding the garlic last.

When they are nice and soft add 1 can of diced tomatoes, with the juice, to each.

Follow recipes below.

Roasted Pepper Soup:

1 box of chicken stock

3-4 roasted bell peppers,chopped, preferably red, yellow or orange (if you use green the soup will be brown, see how to roast peppers in "roasted peppers entry")

5-7 fresh basil leaves, or 1-1 1/12 dried basil

salt & pepper to taste, & a pinch of garlic powder

Bring to a boil and puree with an immersion blender or cool until steam subsides and blend in blender.

Serve hot.

I put a swirl of heavy cream and crushed red peppers on top. It was a heavenly moment. A fresh basil leaf will send your guest over the limit if you need to dress it up.

Soy Chorizo Chili:

Drain and rinse beans, 1 can white, 1 can black, put in pot.

1 box of chicken stock

1 tsp cumin

A splash of pinot, and a glass for yourself.

2 handfuls of frozen corn

Salt and pepper & a pinch of garlic powder

Bring to a boil, reduce heat and let the liquid reduce until desired thickness. If you love a thick chili add a thickening agent like corn flour, rice flour or Wondra. Remember to remove some of the liquid and add the adjent to a side dish whisking thoroughly, making sure there are no lumps, and then slowly add to the pot of chili, otherwise you will have lumps galore.

Serve with your favorite chili toppings: Chopped onions, cilantro, cheese, avocado.

This chili has enough just heat from the chorizo I did not feel like it needed more. If you like it hot the by all means spice it up.

If you are a veggie then sub out the chicken stock for a veg, stock. Mushroom would be great in the chili.

This made enough for my husband and I to enjoy today and a couple of times during the week for lunch, as well as putting half of each aside in the freezer for next week. Each pot will serve at least eight.

So snuggle up and dive in.

 Me personally, I am stuffed. Yum.