Soup, Enchiladas, and Brownies

Let me first tell you about the soup and enchiladas. I was at the co-op the other day and they had samples of a pumpkin curry soup that was amazing. You can use either fresh or canned pumpkin and either whole milk, half and half, or coconut milk. I used half whole milk and half coconut milk just for kicks. It is a delicious soup.

Pumpkin Curry Soup
serves 8
2 Tbs butter
2 medium onions, chopped (1 cup)
1 medium carrot, chopped (1 cup)
1 celery stalk, chopped (1/2 cup)
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (which I don't have so I used 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp cloves and 1/4 tsp ginger)
2 15 oz cans pumpkin
28 oz chicken broth
2/3 c water
1 c milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Melt the butter in a pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery and saute until tender. Add the curry and pumpkin pie spice and cook for 1 minute. Add the pumpkin, chicken broth and water and bring to a boil and then cover, reduce heat, and simmer about 15 minutes. Puree the soup at this point in a blender (in three batches) and then return to pot. Add the milk and season to taste with salt and pepper. This, like all soups, is even better the next day. And one serving is 158 calories (depending on the milk you use).

Then we have the enchiladas. Growing up I loved my mom's enchiladas which are made with flour tortillas, stuffed with chicken, cheese, and green chilies, and then topped with a cream of chicken/sour cream sauce. Then I had Chelsea's enchiladas which are made with corn tortillas and filled with beans, meat, and cheese and smothered in green enchilada sauce. My mom called me the other day with a recipe that combines the two and I tweaked it a bit and found enchilada heaven. The best part (other than the taste)? Only 107 calories per enchilada.

Best of Both Worlds Enchiladas
makes 24
2 small cans green enchilada sauce (the ones I found had 100 calories per can)
2 small cans fat free refried beans (I used the ones flavored with lime and green chilie and they had 350 calories per can)
2 chicken breasts, baked and shredded
2 oz cheddar cheese (organic valley, grated)
2 pkgs thin corn tortillas (I found one that had 4 tortillas for 140 calories)
1 Tbs butter
3 Tbs flour
2 c chicken broth
2 Tbs sour cream
Garlic powder to taste
Onion powder to taste
Salt and Pepper to taste

I made 12 at a time. Pour the enchilada sauce into the bottom of a 9x13 pan (or larger). Put 12 tortillas on your counter and spread some beans, top with chicken a bit of cheese, roll up and squish in the pan with the enchilada sauce. Repeat with remaining tortillas.

Make a white sauce by melting the butter and adding the flour until golden. SLOWLY add the chicken stock until you reach the desired consistency. Add the sour cream and season to taste with garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. Pour over enchiladas. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes.

Now the brownies. Have I ever mentioned that I am a complete binge eater when it comes to homemade desserts? My happy place is sitting alone in a corner, a brownie in each hand and one in my mouth. Counting calories is not exactly brownie friendly so I tried to make a healthy-ish recipe. It worked, but lacked intense flavor. The good part was a 9x13-inch pan made 12 157 calorie servings, which isn't bad for a brownie. The next day I made real brownies for book club and realized the error of my ways. Brownies aren't supposed to be healthy. They are supposed to be rich and decadent. I fell in love with the brownie at Devil's Food Bakery in Denver, CO and have mourned the fact that I am no longer a mere 4 hour drive from that heavenly establishment. Now I have no need to mourn, because I have found the best brownie recipe of all times. My parents bought the cookbook Baked for my birthday last year and this is the first recipe that I've tried. It is incredible. And, if you cut really tiny brownies, 40 from a 9x13-inch pan, they are only 147 calories a piece. And they leave you feeling satisfied. Make them soon.

The Baked Brownie
serves anywhere from 1 to 40
1 1/4 c all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2 Tbs dark unsweetened cocoa powder
11 ounces dark chocolate (60 to 72% cacao) coarsely chopped
1 c (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 tsp dark unsweetened cocoa powder (the original recipe calls for espresso powder, but I don't do the coffee thing so this is my substitution)
1 1/2 c granulated sugar
1/2 c firmly packed light brown sugar
5 large eggs AT ROOM TEMPERATURE
2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 35p degrees and butter the sides and bottom of a 9x13-inch glass or light-colored metal pan.

In a medium bowl whisk together flour, salt, and 2 Tbs cocoa powder.

Put the chocolate, butter, and 1 tsp cocoa powder in a large bowl and set over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate and butter are completely melted and smooth. Turn off the heat but keep the bowl over the water and add the sugars. Whisk until completely combined, then remove the bowl from pan. Let cool to room temperature.

Add 3 eggs to the melted chocolate mixture and whisk until combined. Add the remaining eggs and whisk until combined. Add the vanilla and stir until combined. Do not overbeat the batter at this stage or your brownies will be cakey.

Sprinkle the flour mixture over the melted chocolate mixture and using a spatula (not a whisk) fold the flour mixture into the chocolate until just a bit of the flour mixture is visible.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake in the center of the oven for 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownies comes out with a few moist crumbs sticking to it. Let the brownies cool completely, then cut into squares and serve. (Or hoard.)