Sunday Dinner

There is something wonderful about dinners on Sunday, especially when all the work is done - the house is prepared for the busy work week; Monday's dinner is already warm on the stove; laundry is clean and folded; and, in my case, both the goldfish and the tropical fish are swimming around in a freshly scrubbed tank (we found a surprise new housemate this week, a tiny little snail that magically appeared in the tropical tank).

Everyone can sit down, relax, and enjoy supper with an episode of Lost. Since I had been cleaning, prepping and food shopping all day long, I planned a simple meal that would round up the week - vegetable tortilla soup with grilled cheese. The veggies make me happy, the cheese makes them happy.

Vegetable Tortilla Soup (adapted from Bon Apetit):

1 cup dry black beans
1 onion, finely choppped
4 cloves garlic, minced
half bunch parsley, finely chopped
1/2 jalapeno (or more), finely chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 can stewed, diced tomatoes
6 cups broth (vegetable or chicken) (Trader Joe's has wonderful broth)
1 zucchini, chopped
1 teaspoon cumin
2 bay leaves
6 corn tortillas

Multigrain, sourdough bread
Mozzarella cheese
Cheddar cheese
Butter

1. Cover dry beans with 6 cups of water, add bay leaves and salt to taste. Boil beans for about 5 minutes and let them stand for an hour or so. Reheat and boil until beans are tender (about and hour)
2. Cook onion in a over med-low heat until tender and golden, add garlic and sautee until fragrant. Add cumin, jalapeno, and cumin. Stir until the tomato sauce combines with the onion/garlic/jalapeno mix.
3. Add broth and parsley and let the soup simmer for 20 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, slice the tortillas into strips (2" by 1/2"). Fry the slices until crisp and golden and drain on a paper towel.
5. Preheat oven to 200F
6. Add beans, tomato and zucchini to the soup and boil for 5-10 minutes (until the zucchini is tender).
7. While the zucchini is cooking, butter the and toast the bread. Use two slices of mozzarella and one slice of cheddar cheese for each sandwich. Grill on both sides until cheese is melted. Place in oven to keep warm.
8. When the family is assembled, sprinkle tortilla chips over bowls of soup and serve with grilled cheese.