Dishes that will warm your belly on a cold day

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Wednesday, December 6, 2017
Patricia Lopez's tortilla soup recipe
Patricia Lopez's tortilla soup recipe

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- For folks who live in Texas, we know that the cold weather doesn't last long. So when the temperatures drop, people immediately think about dishes that will warm their bellies.

We asked some of the ABC13 morning team to share what they love to eat when it gets cold out. Plus, here are some recipes you can try at home:

Katherine Whaley - Gumbo

Ingredients:

2 lbs. cooked chicken

1-2 lbs. andouille sausage

1 cup flour

1 cup vegetable oil

1 cup chopped celery

2 cups chopped white/yellow onion

1 cup green bell pepper

2 cloves minced garlic

2-32 oz. cartons of chicken broth

2 bay leaves

1 tbsp. hot sauce

Cooked white rice

Chopped scallion for garnish

Instructions:

1. Bake the roux. Preheat oven to 350 F. Whisk flour and vegetable oil together in dutch oven or large heavy-bottomed pan until completely combined. Bake for two hours, whisking the mixture every 30 minutes. Roux should be dark chocolate brown. Don't wuss out.

2. Add onion, celery, green bell pepper and garlic to roux, and cook on stove over medium heat until vegetables are tender for about 10-12 minutes.

3. Slowly whisk in chicken broth. Add chicken, sausage, bay leaves, hot sauce, and bring to boil.

4. Reduce to simmer and cook uncovered for about 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

5. Serve over rice and garnish with scallion. Add hot sauce to taste.

"I like to serve with french bread, green salad, and potato salad (it's a Cajun thing!)," Katherine said.

Patricia Lopez - Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:

Your Favorite Tortilla Soup Base

1 can Goya Black Beans

1 can corn

Chopped cilantro

1 roma tomato, diced

1 avocado, cubed

2 chicken breast, cooked and shredded

Tortilla Strips

Shredded cheese for topping

Cooked rice

Instructions:

1. Boil Chicken breast in 1 tablespoon oil and salt to taste or take a short cut by buying a ready-made rotisserie chicken.

2. In a big saucepan, bring tortilla soup base to a medium heat. Then add corn, beans, chicken and cooked rice. Serve in a bowl and top with a fresh tomatoes, cilantro, cheese, cubed avocado and tortilla strips.

Elita Loresca - Italian sausage soup

Travis Herzog - Chili

Travis said he and his family like to eat chili when the temps drop. Here's a turkey chili recipe we found that would be perfect for this weather.

Ingredients:

Two to three cups of shredded leftover turkey

2-8 oz. cans of chopped tomatoes

4 oz. can of green chilies

8 oz. can of pinto beans

8 oz. can of red kidney beans

2 tbsp. chili powder

1 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

Instructions:

1. Throw all ingredients into a crockpot and cook four to six hours on high.

2. Garnish with whatever you like: corn chips, shredded cheese, sour cream, chopped green onions, avocado, and the list goes on.

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