Easiest Black Bean Soup

Warm and earthy, perhaps a little salty... Black Bean Soup warms the soul.  Healthy as well as belly filling, a slice of crusty bread makes a meal.  Or if you are my daughter, Liv, a side of tortilla chips makes the dish a tasty dip.  Or, if you are my son, a tortilla wrap makes it a very messy burrito.

However you serve it, the beauty of this recipe is the ease of preparation.  Minimal ingredients find their way into a pot for maximum flavor.  After a 20 minutes simmer a quick spin with an immersion blender lets you decide silky or chunky.

And do I have an immersion blender for you!  Add this powerful beauty to any foodie gift giving list and you'll have a best friend for life.  May I introduce the OXO On Illuminating Digital Immersion Blender?

With an easy to use dial allowing adjustments through a range of speeds the choice of delicate blending or powerful pureeing is up to you.  Note powerful as a keyword here... using the blender for the first time in our Coconut Sweet Potato Soup, the ingredients transformed from chunky to silky in mere seconds.  Smooth like I've never seen before... pure puréed perfection.

Illuminating, you may ask?  Yes, illuminating, literally.  With a decently bright headlamp just at the top of the stick, the immersion blender brings better light into your pot on our dark winter nights (and poorly lit kitchens like mine).  A feature Liv though was so cool she took to blending water in the dark just to try it out.  If only I had taken video...

The nylon head covering the powerful blade makes the blender safe for even your most delicate pans, but it's the ease of cleanup that made me smile.  The stick easily pops off after use, and while it's not meant for the dishwasher a quick rinse directly after use makes clean up a breeze with no worry of damaging the electric parts or keeping the plug out of the water.

But one of my favorite reasons to use an immersion blender is the ability to see and control how smooth you want your final product.  For soups such as this Black Bean version, I like a chunkier texture that on past occasions became over processed when using a counter blender.  And besides, how many times have you poured hot soup into a blender only to have the steam splatter your face after lifting the lid?

Have I sold you on the OXO On yet?  Good.  Now let me sell you on this soup.

Aromatic onions and garlic sautee with oregano and cumin before adding canned beans.  Simmering in broth and water until soft, all that's remaining are seasonings and my favorite part - the garnish.

Ripe avocado, chopped cilantro and a drizzle of sublime Coconut Lime Cashew Crema bring irresistible flavors, textures and colors to the bowl.  Be it soup, dip or burrito filling, your family will be returning for seconds and once again you're a superhero.

Grilled Corn California Mexican Quinoa

Homework... I thought it was a thing of the past.  But faced with an end of semester Spanish ll project including "creating a recipe with origins in a Spanish speaking country, photographing it and researching the ingredients" I volunteered to help when Liv needed to finish an ACT practice test.  (This has been the summer of extra "get-ahead" work for this girl...)  Recipes, photos and ingredient research, all kind of right up my alley.

Living in San Diego just 52 miles from the Mexican Border where Mexican food is akin to life itself, Mexico became our Spanish speaking country of choice.

Now for ingredients... corn?  Historians believe that people living in what we now call Central Mexico developed corn over 7,000 years ago.  Known as Maize, the corn didn't look, exactly as it does today, but the cobs with small kernels farther apart became a crop the Indians of South as well as North America heavily depended upon for much of their food.

As important as corn was to the indiginous Mexicans, so were beans, and you will find much of Mexican food based on these two ingredients.  Apparently neither food on it's own provides a full complement of amino acids needed for protein synthesis, however put the the two together they do.

More recently, cilantro and lime have become known a quintessential Mexican ingredients.  While they may not have thousands of years of history in the country, it's said that the conquistadors brought coriander seeds, cilantro, to Mexico in the 1500's.  And as for limes, Mexico has been the largest exporter of the fruit since at least the 1950's.

Next we have my beloved avocado.  Said to be a native of Mexico, the fruit is believed to have originated in the state of Puebla, Mexico where the oldest avocado artifacts have been found - dating back to 10,000 BC.  Today though, California produces over 90% of the cultivated avocado crop.

Jalapeño... it's name taken from the Jalapa, the capital city of Veracruz Mexico, the jalapeño is the most widely grown chili in the country and has a history dating back to the Aztecs who smoked the chiles to preserve them.

And lastly quinoa.  While not exactly from Mexico, quinoa originates from the mountains of Peru and Bolivia - which are both Spanish speaking countries and therefore fit our homework bill.

And there we have it.  A dish filled with modern and historical Mexican ingredients which are also popular in California and considered quintessential Mexican Cuisine.  Mix them all together and we simply have what I call "dinner".  The leftovers??  We call them "lunch".  My homework here is done.

Super Potato Bowls (Bites) with Salsa, Black Beans and Avocado

The Super Bowl... what does it mean to you?  Football?  Shopping?  Commercials?

For me Super Sunday has evolved over the years.  As I find myself ever so slightly older than the Super Bowl itself, I don't have many childhood memories of the event, but entering my 20's the Super Bowl stood for one thing... Joe.  Montana that is.

You may remember him... handsome, young guy who could do no wrong (in my eyes) with a football in his hands.  Total calm under pressure, Joe led the 49ers to 31 fourth quarter comeback wins in addition to 4 Super Bowl Championships.  Nicknamed "Joe Cool", Montana remained a vision of calmness in the midst of chaos and simply marched his team down the field to earn those final few points necessary for the expected win.

ESPN's Larry Schwartz describes it best:

"Take the 1989 Super Bowl against the Cincinnati Bengals. The San Francisco 49ers were down by three points with 3:20 left when Montana spotted -- no, not an open receiver -- but a personality. "There, in the stands, standing near the exit ramp," Montana said to tackle Harris Barton. "Isn't that John Candy?" And then he led the 49ers 92 yards, throwing for the winning touchdown with 34 seconds left."

Cool and calm under pressure, that's how I'd like to think of myself handling the appetizers at one of our Super Bowl Extravaganzas, and these Super Potato Bowls, much like Dwight Clark or Jerry Rice, make my job easy.

Roasted until tender, potato bowls are filled with either homemade or store bought salsa with added black beans.  These super potato bowls are then topped with diced avocado (did you know that Super Sunday sees the consumption of more than 158 million avocados?) and chopped cilantro... add a squeeze of lime if you like, then sit back and watch these bites disappear faster than Joe could have turned around a score in the last few minutes of a game.

Black Bean and Butternut Squash Ragout

I'm still not openly embracing fall, but I'm admittedly happy to be seeing my beloved butternut squash at the local farmers markets.  Appearing in earnest just a few weeks ago, my pantry now always has a few hourglass shaped squash stashed away and ready for a quick supper.

Then along came the most recent Vegetarian Times Magazine in addition to a fabulous Facebook photo with a version of this Black Bean and Butternut Ragout, and I planned this must make meal featuring my butternut.  Simple ingredients mix together in less than half an hour, and spooned over prepared rice or quinoa I had a fairly quick, super flavorful meal that appealed to my entire family.

Low in calories and with no saturated fats or cholesterol, butternut squash is a rich source of dietary fiber.  With more vitamin A than pumpkin, the brilliant hues of the butternut bring high levels of beta-carotene (noted as a deterrent against breast cancer as well as macular degeneration) and a 1-cup serving will give you nearly half the daily recommended dose of antioxidant-rich vitamin C.  Add to the mix the fact that the butternut earns its name with its luscious, buttery texture, and we have a true winner.

Combined with black beans, onion, and summer squash, then spiced with adobo, a squeeze of lime brought a lovely brightness to this dish.  A cilantro garnish tops off the fresh flavors and has this beauty of a bowl just as good the next day for lunch.

While fall may or may not be what you are craving now, I can guarantee this butternut dish will ease you into the season.

Mexican Chicken Tortilla and Rice Soup

Chicken soup... it's good for the soul, right?  Liv completely agrees.  A year or so ago she found her love of chicken soup (she prefers potatoes and noodles usually) and has now (finally!)  branched out to flavors beyond the norm.

Her request last night to "make something with cilantro" led me to this spin on one of our favorites, Tortilla Soup.  Filled with her chicken soup faves - carrot, onion and chicken - we thickened the mix with a chopped tortilla.  Substituting rice for the noodles and potatoes, and adding beans and tomato, we had a Mexican flavor of her favorite comfort food.

Topped with avocado, a sprinkle of crushed tortilla chips and handful of the requested cilantro, I pretended not to watch as she hesitantly took her first taste.  Her quick smile told me we'd found something good, and the empty bowl moments later proved it.

California Greek Salad

Crystal clear waters giving way to white sandy beaches, vibrant colors filling my lens and our Captain and Master Chef, Iakis, grilling on the back of his 20 metre boat...  Such are the memories I took with me from our day on the Nautilus as we cruised the shores of Corfu, Greece (Click here for a recap of our day in Corfu).

With traditional Greek treats including Saganaki, stuffed baby squid, homemade wine and a simple Greek Salad I've never forgotten, the food of Greece has stuck with me years later.  While the ambiance may have enhanced our day, Iakis put together a feast I can never hope to recreate in my own kitchen.

Corfu, Greece - 2012

However, the simple Greek Salad he served has become a favorite and finds its way to my table often.  Adding avocado for a California twist, this salad goes together in mere minutes and brings bright, fresh flavors to your table.

I've not thought to post it in the past as it's something I just toss together, but over the last few weeks I've had friends and my mom request a formal recipe for this fabulous Greek creation.  Fresh ingredients can make or break the salad, but beyond that you can adjust the ingredient measurements to suit your taste.  Love cucumber?  Add a little extra.  Not an onion fan?  Leave it out all together!

As we enter this spring season our markets are beginning to bring fresh produce and this salad just might become a regular in your kitchen too.

Quinoa Salad with Kale and Chickpeas

Once again I'm totally late to a food trend... this time it's kale.  For years I've read the incredible health benefits of this high fiber, iron-rich, vitamin k and antioxidant filled leafy green, but to be honest, I've always been a little scared of it.  Kale just seemed sort of tough, and it was... well... it was really, really green.  Not that there's anything wrong with that, but I just didn't find it appealing.

Knowing the health benefits though, I began adding kale in very small doses to our smoothies and blended juices, and no one even knew it was there.  Then Liv came home from dance one night begging to try Kale Chips after her highly respected choreographer, Miss Abbie, sang the praises of its crunchy goodness.  We tried it, and low and behold when drizzled with a little truffle oil, roasted kale is awesome!!  But in a salad?  I  just couldn't get over the toughness.

However, a lack of spinach earlier this week had me turning to that bag of Tuscan Kale just waiting to be used.  Chopping it up really, really small, the kale found it's way into one of a lunch-time regular, my beloved quinoa and chickpeas.  Adding a squeeze of lemon and a splash of avocado oil to the mix I've found a new love.

So here I am discovering that kale really isn't all that bad just when many food blogs and websites are calling an end to the kale trend.  What do you think... is kale here to stay??

California Quinoa Orange Salad

Living in San Diego our winter has been nearly nonexistent this year... and I'm not complaining in the least.  With recent highs tipping 78º, my roses are filled with foliage, the irises are sporting buds a month early and the orange trees are heavy with fruit.  Dad has been by weekly with bags of orange overflow from his tree, and now with our tree in peak condition I've got oranges everywhere.

Trying not to let any of the precious fruits go to waste we've been sharing with neighbors as well as dropping whole oranges into our smoothies.  The fruit has been popping up in nearly every meal.  From scones to salmon to simple salads, orange is a flavor my entire family embraces, and this California Quinoa Salad is no different.

Filled with my beloved, protein-rich quinoa, the tiny seeds soak up the orange flavors and combine with spices and cilantro to bring a winter salad, San Diego style, to the table.  Black beans up the protein content and a bed of spicy arugula, or rocket as they call it in Australia (I love the name rocket!), rounds out the ingredients.  Only a perfect avocado could have made this concoction any better, and word has it that a certain teenage boy finished off the last avo, hence we find ourselves completely unexpectedly "avocadoless" and in need of a run to the grocery store.

Bright and flavorful, this salad will bring a little sunshine into your Polar Vortex... wishing you all sun and warmth soon!

Almost Greek Pasta Salad with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Travel... I live for it.  The getting away from home for a few days in addition to getting out of the kitchen brings that relaxation we all need every once in a while.  That said, one of the best parts of traveling is coming home and getting back to food that makes you feel good.  When I'm on the road I tend to disregard some of my regular eating habits (low carb) in favor of "living in the moment" (there's nothing wrong with Brioche French Toast 3 days in a row, is there?), and I find that sometimes I just don't feel right... happy, but not "right".  Hence, as I return from a week in Palm Springs, this month's entry into Wendy, The Weekend Gourmet's, Monthly Salad Bar Club couldn't be more timely.

This month's title of "Potluck Salad" had my mind immediately turning to a creamy Pasta Salad.  Years ago I found the perfect recipe for Traditional Pasta Salad, however my eating habits over time have changed.  Mayo doesn't really enter my diet any longer, and pasta is added more as an enhancement rather than a main feature.

Enter beans and sun-dried tomatoes!  5 years ago I would have turned my nose up at anything sun-dried tomato, but lately I can't get enough of Trader Joe's Sun-dried Tomatoes in Oil.  With a jar always in my pantry, these beauties tend to find their way into all sort of menus, with the latest being this Greek-like version of a potluck pasta salad.

Just a few ingredients toss together quickly for this flavorful side or light lunch, and the addition of spinach, cannellini beans and cucumber add texture as well as nutrition.  Feta brings that lovely saltiness that I love so much, and the sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil have the ingredients melding perfectly in no time.

Wendy... thanks for inspiring me to get back on track with this versatile salad, I'm eager to see what everyone else has brought to the July Salad Bar Potluck.

Grilled Corn Salad with Avocado, Tomato and Lime

Driving our carpool to dance the other day one of the girls asked, "Mrs. Kelly... if you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?"  Without hesitation I described a tropical island complete with graceful palm trees swaying in the afternoon breeze, a hammock strung between them and a view of sea turtles and dolphins frolicking in the crystal clear turquoise waters.  Back in the present time, Molly gazed at me, somewhat perplexed, and then asked, "But what about winter?  Don't you want snow and seasons?".  Nope... I'm good without.

I think Molly was a little shocked when I explained that life without snow, temps below 65º and sweaters was indeed my little paradise.  I can't remember a time when I wasn't dreaming about that tropical island and the fresh, summer foods that would come along with it.

My summer garden, or at least the summer garden I shop from at my local Farmer's Markets, providing endless fresh, local and bursting with flavor foods, is indeed my favorite time of year.  All winter (and I really can't complain about cold here in San Diego) I crave the brilliant heirloom tomatoes, freshly picked corn and the plethora of herbs that grow along with them.

Hence, when my last visit to Trader Joe's provided a crate of fresh corn in early May, I pounced on a bagful of ears and promptly popped them on my grill.  Grilling brings out even more sweetness in the already sweet corn, and tossing my grilled corn with the first of the market's cherry tomatoes and some of the avocado left on my doorstep by a good friend, I had summer in my bowl.

Leaning back in my chair I closed my eyes and my heart soared just a little as the dolphins and turtles smiled back at me.

Thai Coconut Chickpeas from The Passionate Vegetable

Have you ever had someone write a cookbook just for you?  I never expected it to happen, but it has.  Much as I know it may not be true, I'm firmly sticking to my belief that Suzanne Landry had me in mind when she created her new book, The Passionate Vegetable.

First and foremost, the pictures in Ms. Landry's book immediately had me flipping through the photo splashed pages while gaining visual insight about the recipes included in the book.  Sections including Healthy Start Breakfasts, Salads, Soups, Grain, Beans and Vegetables had my heart, but it was the To Meat or Not to Meat chapter that let me know Ms. Landry understood my hope to increase vegetarian foods while still enjoying my favorite animal proteins.

Meat has been and always will be a part of my life, but as I age, I'm finding my meat requirements and desires are waning as more vegetarian tastes take over.  Not having been a huge fan of vegetables as I was growing up, my vegetable repertoire has remained fairly slim and I find myself quickly tiring of steamed broccoli.  Ms. Landry, however, seems to fully understand my quandary and hence, wrote The Passionate Vegetable to help.

A mother who raised her children to look to nutritious foods for health, Ms. Landry has been teaching vegetarian cooking classes for over 30 years.  What she discovered in her classes though, were people just like me.  People hoping to increase vegetables, grains, beans, etc, but who were not ready or willing to become a full fledged vegetarian.

Raising my own children with similar ideas, we often turn to natural, organic when possible, nutritious foods to keep us all healthy and to grow their young bodies.  With Liv entering the teen years and also being an athlete, food is vitally important in keeping her bones strong and her body energetic.  She's discovered first hand how different foods can have huge impacts on her energy and performance levels as well as overall health, and has found herself naturally turning to fruits and vegetables to keep her immunity up through her incredibly demanding schedule.

The Passionate Vegetable approaches life the way we "Liv" it, and Ms. Landry's recipes make it easy for a mom to feed her family to meet those healthy requirements I listed above.  Clear, organized and filled with information, The Passionate Vegetable includes sections with easy to understand information on foods, stocking your pantry, making choices, and cooking tips galore.

Her book brings family favorites like Breakfast Fruit Muffins, Hawaiian Cole Slaw, Bison Chili Con Carne and Marvelous Minestrone to the table along with better for you sweet treats like Best Ever Apple Pie and the one I'm eager to try - Chocolate Coconut Bars with an oatmeal crust and a chocolate, cocnut-infused topping.  "Bits of Insight" listed at the bottom of many recipes bring additional information regarding ingredients and cooking tips as well as serving ideas and additional health information.

Ms. Landry's book goes beyond the simple "cookbook" and instead brings a plan for a healthier yet flavorful and enjoyable way to Liv Life.  I'm honored to review this book and bestow my highest endorsement on The Passionate Vegetable.  And personally, I can't thank Ms. Landry enough for writing a book just for me...

California Corn Salad with Avocado and Abbie Lee's Dance Moms go to Hollywood

Abbie Lee and the Dance Moms in Hollywood watching the In10sity competition.  Abbie Lee is actually recording one of our girls in this photo.  Can't blame her...

I'm a dance mom.  Yep, a real, honest to goodness dance mom.  With 3 years of practice under my rhinestone belt, I can whip out a bun in no time flat, handle costume changes in mere minutes, and keep my dancing girl fed and energized in between it all.  Have I mentioned that I'm also a Nationally acclaimed costume designer?  (That's my story and I'm stickn' to it!  You can read about The Boots, here and here.)

Their girls are good...

However, watching Lifetime's weekly version of Dance Moms, I can honestly and thankfully say my life is nothing like theirs.  Spending my weekends with my own group of Dance Moms, we have none of the back stabbing, no yelling and arguing, and nothing but pure support and encouragement.  These moms have become some of my best friends, just as the girls on the team have become some of Liv's best friends.

That being said, we are competitive, and given the chance to dance against Abbie Lee's talented team, we knew this was an opportunity not to be missed.  Taking our National Champion team to Hollywood's In10sity dance competition to meet up against Chloe, Brooke, Paige, Nia, Maddie, Kendall, and Mackenzie, was an afternoon filled with pure fun and competition.  While we didn't have a chance to compete against the little girls, our team did compete with Brooke and the group number.

California girls might be better...

While I will admit to being a tad envious of the private dressing rooms the Dance Mom girls had access to, we managed just fine in our own crowded room under the stage.  The girls, theirs and ours, all danced beautifully, and everyone had a good time meeting the tv girls and moms.

Personally, I didn't have much of a chance to speak to them, however I did bump into Dance Mom Holly in the hallway and she was nothing but happy and extraordinarily friendly.  Christi and Kelly on the other hand, literally turned their heads and wouldn't even make eye contact while walking by.  Understandable, I guess, as they are probably tired of making small talk with other moms.

As they sat in the audience, the moms appeared to be good friends, and with the addition of Jill, who has recently returned from the Candy Apples Studio, I was eager to see their interactions.  On tv they are portrayed as frequently arguing and bickering, however, here in the audience we didn't witness a single argumentative moment, and Jill seemed to be a welcomed part of the group.

Dance Mom Jill takes the stage during the Parent Dance Down

Seeing Jill on tv, my perception of her was not a super positive one, but after watching her interact with the other moms and then participate in a Parent Dance Down, she's quickly becoming one of my favorites.  She glowed onstage as she danced, cartwheeled and radiated pure fun, seeming to really have a good time while some of the other moms seemed to be more inhibited and not really happy to be up there.  Admittedly, you won't ever find me up there either.

Tomorrow's episode (9/4/12) of Dance Moms is this competition, so I won't give away the details.  But, just know that when Abbie Lee talked last week about going to Hollywood and the quality of "those girls in California" and how talented they are, she was talking about us...

Cherry Tomato Salad with Beans, Blue Cheese and Arugula

For the last few weeks my eyes have casually strayed to those magazine racks that always seem to tempt me at the checkout line.  While a pretty food picture always draws my eye, I've recently been on the lookout for a particular issue, the Fine Cooking August/September issue, to be exact.

Today as I strolled my semi-filled cart towards the Costco checkout lanes, those magazines beckoned once again, and this time, the issue I have been waiting for was there.  Reaching past one of those adorable food sample ladies who was taking a break, she asked, "Do you like Fine Cooking?"

"Yes," I answered.  "But I've been waiting for this issue.." I commented as I began to flip through the glossy pages.

"Really?  Why?  Do you like summer recipes?" the sweet little lady asked.

"Well, yes.  But I think I'm actually in this issue..."  I mumbled as I turned even more pages.  My new friend yelped and leaned in closer to peer at the pages with me.

It didn't take long, and as I flipped to page 19, there it was.  Yep, it was me smiling back at me from the bottom of the page next to my favorite tomato salad recipe from last summer.  The little lady clapped her hands as she squealed, "That's you!!  That's really you!  You're in the magazine!"

My face flushed as another passing customer stopped and also leaned in for a look.  The little sample lady proudly put a hand on my arm and explained to the customer, "That's her!  She's in the magazine!"  At which point she and the passing customer both picked up copies to buy.

Helping myself to a copy of my own along with one for my mom, I proceeded to the checkout counter sporting what I'm sure was a very goofy grin.  Coming home, even my teenage son took a double take and commented that my 1/8 of a page was "pretty cool, but did anyone really buy that magazine?"  Chuckling, I told him I knew of at least three people who did today.  He smiled again, even gave me a little hug and said, "Not bad Mom, not bad."

A few handfuls of  cherry tomatoes get you started along with about half a can of beans.  Preferring Garbanzo Beans (chickpeas) or White Beans, we toss them with the tomatoes, add in a little onion (red, white or even scallion) and toss gently with white balsamic and a little oil.  Salt and Pepper bring out a little zing and the oiled arugula serves as a base.  Topped with a sprinkle of crumbled blue cheese, you have a bright salad singing summer's praises!

Chicken Chowder with Swiss Cheese, White Beans and Butternut Squash

I'll admit that soup has never been really high on my favorite list.  My poor husband, the man who could eat soup each and every day, is a sport though and doesn't really complain about my lack of soup preparation.  However, when a steaming bowl of soup, stew or my favorite combo - "stoup", is placed in front of him, I'm always pleased to see the elation on his face.

As my over-indulgent baking, cooking and eating holiday season has somewhat depleted my urge to spend time in the kitchen, soup has begrudgingly become my unexpected friend.  Easy to toss together, filled with all sorts of ingredients and simple to make large amounts so that I don't have to cook tomorrow, soup has graced our table no less than 3 times in the last few weeks.  I think that might be a record.  And... I think I might even be liking it.

This chicken chowder from Cooking Light is an old favorite, and a note scrawled across the bottom, dating back to 2001, reminds me that my husband proclaimed it a keeper... and keep it we have.  An entire meal in a bowl, the chowder is filled with chicken, beans and veggies, and receives a silky, creamy touch from Swiss cheese and half and half.  The original recipe calls for wild rice, but the Trader Joe's Brown Rice Medley that I use adds even more textures and flavors with the addition of brown rice and black barley.

I've been told, soup is good food...

South of the Border Chicken and Butternut "Stoup"

I love the word "stoup"...  A perfectly apt description for the thicker soup that is not quite a stew.  Filled with all the soupy goodies, yet not brothy like a watery chicken noodle soup or bullion scattered with a few sliced scallions.

Stoups are thick, hearty and filling, and easy to make as they are all in one pot.  Perfect for that crock pot, however I always forget I have one and make mine on the stove.

Stumbling upon a recipe printed from way back in December of 2000, this stoup fit the bill on our "freezing" and rainy San Diego afternoon and warmed our bones while filling our stomachs.  Yes, I stood out in the drizzle while I grilled my chicken (nearly got frostbite...), but I'm guessing it would do just as well baking in the oven before being shredded.

Spiced with cumin and smoked paprika, black beans, butternut squash, corn and a can of tomatoes round out the ingredients for the pot, and a steaming bowl of flavor topped with your favorite garnishes such as avocado, grated manchego and cilantro will warm your hungry family from head to toe.  Word has it that the stoup is sure to ward off any frostbite you receive from the outdoor grilling as well.