Rexie Soup

Ugh, Its blogging time and again I am behind. I spent awhile tonight trying to find all the yummy recipes that go with the pictures that I have taken. I sometimes find recipes online and keep my laptop on my counter while I am cooking so I dont ever print it and so some recipes get lost forever......or until I sit down for an hour and a 1/2 and look back through the history to find them. You would think I would learn my lesson by now. So much going on this summer, weddings, BBQ's all the time, this crazy heat wave in New Jersey which we don't normally have to deal with until August. Since there isnt much good television on these days I dont know what I am doing instead of blogging my delicious dinners? I am taking a photography class that I am really enjoying. Its funny but I keep running across blogs where the blogger is an avid cooker, as well as photographer. Funny that these two things go hand in hand and it makes a happy cooking blog. Ok so now that I have my lame apology out of the way, let me try to catch you up on what's been going on in my kitchen. I have made some awesome recipes lately and I am excited to share them.......

I have a hard time getting my oldest Jackson to eat sometimes. He became picky one day out of the blue and he will take one look and decide its yucky. So since he was watching Toy Story while I cooked dinner, I said it was "rexie" soup. Figured there was green, Rexie is green, it was worth a shot. It worked and then some. He devoured the soup and now asks for it all the time. Yay score one for the good guys!

"Rexie" Soup

based on a recipe from cooking light

6 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
3 cups water
1 1/2 cups uncooked orzo
2 cups finely chopped yellow squash
2 cups finely chopped zucchini

2 cups finely chopped cooked chicken
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Bring broth and water to a boil in a Dutch oven. Add pasta, and cook 8 minutes or until almost tender. Add squash and the next 7 ingredients (through pepper). Reduce heat, and simmer 4 minutes or until pasta is done and squash is tender. Sprinkle with cheese and basil.

VERDICT: LOVE the Rexie Soup! This soup was so quick and easy and packed so much seasonal flavor. I did alter the original by using orzo and adding chicken to make it a more complete meal. I get asked to make this soup all the time now and it is quickly becoming a family classic.