Tim's Ghetto Fabulous Spicy Layered Bean Dip

1 (15 ounce) can refried beans
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
          Mix together and spread evenly in a deep, oven proof baking dish (Round cake pan, or deep dish pie plate works well.  Might want to spray it a little first.)

3/4 cup sour cream
1/2 package Taco seasoning (about 1 1/2  to 2 Tablespoons)
          Mix together and spread on top of the bean layer.

1 cup salsa (preferably a thick salsa with not a lot of juice)
1 (4 ounce) can diced jalapeno peppers, drained if necessary
          Mix these two together and spread on top of the sour cream layer.  Or you can mix the jalapenos into the bean layer and just put the salsa on top of the sour cream layer.

1 1/2 cups shredded Colby cheese
1/4 cup sliced black olives
          Sprinkle these on top of the dip.  I also like to add a little chopped green onion.

Bake 350 degrees for 15 minutes, covered.  Uncover and bake 15 minutes more.  Let sit a few minutes before serving with tortilla chips.  I like to sprinkle mine with some chopped cilantro, too.

TIM'S NOTES:  There are so many ways to make this spicy (or not).  The refried beans come in different levels of spicy.  The taco seasoning comes in various degrees of spicy.  The salsa spiciness can be determined.  If you don't want jalapenos, just use a can of mild green chiles instead. 

Shchi (Russian Cabbage Soup)

 

    Here is the recipe for shchi, which is Russian cabbage soup.  This recipe is from the Dairy Hollow House Soup and Bread cookbook by Crescent Dragonwagon.  It is a wonderful book that you might consider investing in.  Love the soups!

3 Tablespoons butter

1 large onion, diced

1 medium carrot, scrubbed or peeled, and diced

1 medium turnip, scrubbed or peeled, and diced

1 medium parsnip, scrubbed or peeled, and diced

1 1/2 to 2 quarts chicken stock (or vegetable stock)

1 1/2 cups green cabbage, cut into fine ribbons

1 1/2 cups sauerkraut, bagged or jarred, but never canned, well drained

1 cup canned whole tomatoes with their juice, mashed or buzzed to a chunky puree in a food processor

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup dark raisins

1/4 cup yellow raisins

10 pitted prunes,diced

2 Tablespoons honey, or more to taste

1 to 2 Tablespoons cider vinegar, or more to taste

1 bay leaf

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

6 to 8 small red skinned new potatoes (optional)

1cup sour cream for garnish

1. In a 10-inch skillet, melt the butter over medium heat.  Add the onion, and saute until it starts to soften, about 3 minutes.  Add the carrot, turnip, and parsnip.  Continue sautéing until the vegetables start to soften, about 4 minutes.  Transfer the vegetables to a large soup pot and add all  the remaining ingredients except the potatoes and sour cream.  Use a little of the stock to deglaze the skillet, then add the pan contents to the soup pot.
2. Bring to a boil, turn down the heat to medium-low, and let simmer, covered, until the vegetable are quite soft and the dried fruits are almost disintegrated into the broth, 1 hour or so. Taste for seasoning; the soup should be decidedly sweet and sour, but not sharply so.  Adjust with the vinegar and honey.
3. Towards the end of the cooking period, boil or steam the potatoes if using, separately, until  tender.
4. Serve the shchi very hot, dividing the potatoes among each serving bowl, and ladling the soup over them.  Dollop 1 Tablespoon sour cream over the soup; pass extra at the table.  Serves 6 to 8 as a starter, 4 to 6 as an entrée.

Tim's Notes:  I cooked the vegetables right in the soup pot.  I don't see the need to dirty an extra pan.  I used the 2 quarts of stock.  In the end, the dried fruits soak up a lot of liquid.  I used the 2 Tablespoons of honey and 2 Tablespoons cider vinegar, and didn't feel the need to add anymore.  For me, that balance was just right.  I probably ended up adding 1/2 teaspoon each, salt  and pepper, but wait until the end because the sauerkraut may make the soup salty enough for you. 

Baked Bananas

4 medium bananas, slightly under ripe
4 Tablespoons butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
salt
cinnamon
nutmeg

         Peel bananas, slice lengthwise, and cut in two crosswise.  Arrange in a shallow baking dish.  Melt butter in a small saucepan and stir in sugar. Pour over bananas and bake for 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees until bananas are soft and pale golden. Sprinkle with a dash of salt, cinnamon and nutmeg before serving

Tomato Jam

2 cups peeled, crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 Tablespoons sherry vinegar

Combine tomatoes, sugar, thyme, salt, pepper, and sherry vinegar in a medium saucepan set over medium high heat.  Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring frequently, until mixture is thick and can mound up on a spoon, about 20 minutes (or 10 minutes if using canned tomatoes),  Jam can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for up to three months.  Makes about 1 cup.

To store at room temperature indefinitely, place hot jam into a clean jar, leaving 1/4 inch head space.  Wipe jar rim with a clean damp cloth.  Attach lid.  Process in a boiling water canner for 20 minutes.

TIM'S NOTES:  This recipe was originally part  of a recipe  for a Panini with fontina, tapenade, and arugula.  Other serving suggestions include, but not limited to, using on tender crisp green beans, a bagel with cream cheese, garlic-rubbed bruschetta, savory cheese tarts, even grilled meats and fish.

If using cherry tomatoes in this recipe, I don't think they necessarily need peeling.  I just coarsely chopped them in the food processor.  I don't mind little bits of skin.  With bigger tomatoes, you might want to peel.  And since it is only two cups of tomatoes, peeling should not be such a chore.  I used dry thyme in this recipe.  The rule is usually 3 times as much fresh as dry, so you would need 1/3 teaspoon dried thyme

for this recipe.  I didn't bother with that.  I put in one teaspoon dried thyme.  Make sure to crush it as you are adding it to the pot.  I didn't use sherry vinegar either, but the substitution was 3 parts red wine vinegar and one part cooking sherry.  I don't know about using other kinds of vinegars, but I would say any mild vinegar might work.  I am wondering about balsamic vinegar?

Creamy Fruit Salad

1 package (3.4 ounces) Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding
1 cup cold orange juice
2 nectarines, chopped
2 cups halved fresh strawberries
2 cups cantaloupe chunks (1 inch)
2 cups seedless watermelon chunks (1 inch)
1 cup blueberries
1cup seedless green grapes

Beat pudding mix and orange juice in a large bowl with a whisk 2 minutes.  Add fruit;  toss to coat.

TIM'S NOTES:  I don't like cantaloupe, and I wasn't buying a whole watermelon for this recipe.  Living alone, I don't need that much watermelon.  Besides, I don't think the melons would be very good in this recipe.  I substituted 2 cups of fresh pineapple for one of the melons, and then used a mixed two cups of the other fruits to substitute for the other 2 cups.  This was a nice colorful, tasty combination of fruits, but long story short, you could probably use any combination of fruits as long as you had about 10 cups fruit total.  And depending upon fruits, there is a lot of glaze in this recipe, so you might be able to add more.  I am just suggesting 10 cups as the starting point because that is what the original recipe calls for.

Layered Peanut Butter Dessert Dip

1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup marshmallow crème
1/2 cup thawed Cool Whip topping
1/4 cup coconut, toasted *
1 ounce semi-sweet chocolate
2 Tablespoons chopped peanuts

*How to toast coconut:  Spread coconut evenly in shallow baking pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 7 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring frequently.  Or, spread in microwaveable pie plate.  Microwave on HIGH 3 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring every minute.  Watch carefully as coconut can easily burn.

Spread peanut butter onto an 8 inch pie plate.  Mix marshmallow crème and Cool Whip until blended.  Spread over peanut butter.  Top with remaining ingredients.

TIM'S NOTES:  Thinly sliced apples are a nice complement to this dip.  My only suggestion is if you microwave the coconut (most practical on a hot day) only microwave it 8 to 10 seconds at a time and stir it.  My carousel in the microwave stopped working, so it doesn't rotate evenly, so I had to check it often.  If your carousel rotates, then maybe the original directions might work for you, but I am very leery...

Layered Fiesta Dip

2 fully ripe avocados
2 Tablespoons Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing
2 Tablespoons lime juice
3/4 cup thick salsa
1 cup shredded lettuce
3/4 cup Kraft Shredded Colby and Monterey Jack cheeses
3 green onions, chopped
1 tomato, seeded and chopped
2 Tablespoons sliced black olives

Mash avocados in a small bowl.  Add dressing and lime juice. .Mix well.  Spread onto plate.  Top with remaining ingredients.  Refrigerate 30 minutes or until chilled. Serve with corn chips.

TIM'S NOTES:  This recipe was nothing special, but it was easy, and nice and light, perfect for a very hot summer day when cooking was not very practical.  Ladies, this is probably not a dinner you would want to serve your hardworking husband for dinner, but it would make a light lunch or dinner for you and a friend!  Having said that, these recipes come from a Kraft magazine, thus the brand name.  You could probably substitute any other Italian dressing or cheeses.  I used a Mexican cheese blend.  Two important things to note (I learned these from experience!):  Make sure you use a nice thick salsa, or strain some of the juice off if necessary.  And get a nice thin shred on your lettuce.  It will be easier to eat that way!

Tabouli

A friend, who lived in Lebanon for a number of years used to make wonderful tabouli, and when she gave the recipe to her daughter- in- law, who was gluten intolerant, the daughter-in-law began making the tabouli with quinoa rather than bulgar.  I hadn't thought of that, but having tried it, I like it.  Maybe you will too.  Sadly, I never asked for my friend's recipe before she passed away, but I found two other recipes for tabouli that I like, and this is sort of a compromise between the two.

1 cup quinoa
2 cups of water

Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan.  Add quinoa, stir, cover, and turn heat down to low.  Cook 15 minutes.  Remove from heat and let stand, covered, 15 minutes.  Cool completely.  When quinoa is cool add:

1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/3 cup olive oil

Place the seasoned quinoa in a large bowl.  Add the following ingredients:

1 bunch green onions, chopped
4 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1  (15 oz) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups finely chopped Italian flat leaf parsley
Fresh mint, finely chopped (optional)
1/3 cup olive oil
Additional lemon juice

          Stir well, and refrigerate about 2 hours.  Best if served at room temperature.

TIM'S NOTES:  I was not sure where to add the 1/2 teaspoon salt.  I added it to the cooked quinoa, but I suppose you could also add it to the quinoa when you cook it.  I added it later because I thought it might be better flavor-wise to leave the salt intact rather than dissolve it in the water.  Up to you and your judgment.
            As for the tomatoes, I used large Roma tomatoes.  I thought they would stand up better to the lemon juice because they have a little firmer, thicker texture than other tomatoes.
          One of the recipes called for 1 to 3 cups of parsley, and the other for 1 1/2 cups.  Add as much parsley as you like, but at least 1 1/2 cups.  I used a large bunch of flat leaf parsley, not measuring, but it was plenty.  Make sure to de-stem the parsley and use only the leaves for chopping.  I know this is a tedious job, and for many recipes I don't do this.  This recipe is so much nicer without pieces of stem. 
          As for the mint, one of the recipes called for 1/4 cup dried mint, or 1 cup fresh.  That is a lot of mint, and I wasn't going to get that much out of my small plant.  I would say that if you decide to add the mint, and you have fresh, add whatever amount you can.  I think the mint adds a wonderful flavor, but if you don't care for it, don't add it.
           And I would definitely add some additional lemon juice.  How much, is up to you.  I added about the juice of one lemon.  I can't tell you how much that is because I have a lemon squeezer, and I squeezed the juice of one lemon into the salad.  Mix up the salad first, add the additional lemon juice, and stir again.

"Tired Skin" Salad

  I just read this article on tired skin, and what kinds of foods to eat to make you look less tired.  Obviously, getting enough sleep is the best remedy for being tired, but until that IS possible this article suggests some foods to help you LOOK less tired.  Friends, I am not a health and fitness guru, so I can't substantiate the following claims, but the nutritional science behind the article sounded good to me.  Since I don't always get enough sleep, or the right kind of sleep, I decided to try this now and again. Many of these foods can be incorporated easily into your diet on a regular basis.  You don't need to eat them all at once.  However, as a kickoff, I decided to create a "Tired Skin Salad".  I can't give you too many exact measurements, and my portion size was huge.  So if you decide to try this, use the basic ingredients, but adapt it to your own needs and tastes.  Here are the food suggestions from the article:

1. Green tea (even better with a squirt of lemon!)
2. Salmon
3. Brazil Nuts, Tuna, and Mushrooms (good sources of selenium, though many other nuts and seeds are also good sources.
4. Spinach (Other leafy greens are good as well.)
5. Tofu
6. Water
7. Kiwi fruit
8. Dandelion greens and fennel greens  

So here was my salad idea:

Spinach, torn or chopped (I used about half a bag of baby spinach per salad, though this may be too much for some of you.
Leafy Greens, torn or chopped (I used a couple leaves of Kale, chopped, per salad.  You could use any type of leafy greens.  Just enough to make a nice combination with the spinach.  You wouldn't want to just use all leafy greens because a lot of them are strong flavored.  Best to temper them with the spinach.)
1/4 block tofu, diced small
1/2 cup toasted and chopped Brazil nuts
1/3 cup dried cranberries
Red onion, chopped (I chose red onion because it is more suited to being eaten raw in a salad,  You could probably use green onion if red didn't suit you, though green might not be as flavorful.  I just used enough to flavor the salad, but you can add as much as you like.)
3 crimini mushrooms, sliced and wilted (30 seconds in the microwave.  If there is any juice, add that to the salad as well.)
1 to 2 Tablespoons Bleu Cheese

I put all of these ingredients into  a gallon zip lock bag.  For the  dressing, I squeezed in the juice of one small lemon, added 1/4 cup olive oil, and a couple pinches of salt and pepper.  I often use this dressing on a lot of salads.  Close bag and give it a few good shakes.  Open bag and place salad in a large bowl.  Depending on the size of your salad, you may need to adjust the dressing ingredients.  Play with it and see what you come up with.  As I said, many of these foods can be incorporated individually into your diet.  You don't need a big salad, but it is kind of fun.

The article also suggested staying away from sugar, fried foods, salty foods, and processed food, among other things.

Split Pea Pancakes with Mushroom Relish

1 1/4 cups dried green split peas
8 3/4 cups water, divided
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 Tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger
1 Tablespoon grated unsweetened coconut
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1 teaspoon ground turmeric, divided
1/2 cup plus 1 Tablespoon canola oil, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons mustard seeds
1 cup finely chopped red onion
1 serrano chili, minced
2 cups sliced shiitake mushroom caps (about 6 ounces)
1 cup chopped tomato
2 teaspoons sambal oelek (ground fresh chili paste)

1. Place peas in 8 cups water;  let stand for 2 hours.  Drain.  Place soaked peas, cilantro, ginger, coconut, cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon turmeric in the bowl of a food processor.  Process until smooth.  With processor running, slowly drizzle in 1/2 cup water until a smooth batter forms. 
2. Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat.  Add 1 Tablespoon oil and mustard seeds;  saute 3 minutes or until seeds begin to sizzle and smell pungent.  Add onion and serrano;  saute 3 minutes, or until tender.  Add mushrooms;  saute 6 minutes or until lightly browned.  Add remaining 1/4 cup water, tomato, sambal, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/2 teaspoon turmeric.  Simmer 5 minutes or until thickened.  Remove from pan;  wipe pan clean with paper towels.
3. Return pan to medium high heat; spoon 8 (1 1/2 Tablespoon) mounds of batter into pan;  flatten slightly to make pancakes.  Pour one-third of remaining 1/2 cup canola oil around cakes.  Cook 90 seconds on each side or until golden brown.  Repeat procedure twice with remaining batter and oil.  Top each pancake with 1 Tablespoon relish.

Easy Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup Peanut Butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg

Mix together.  Scoop or roll into 1 inch balls.  Roll in sugar, and place on ungreased baking sheet.  Press down and cross hatch with a fork like a traditional peanut butter cookie.  Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 10-12 minutes.

Tim's Notes:  Watch carefully as these burn easily.  They WILL only take 10-12 minutes to bake depending on what kind of baking sheet you use.  On a single thickness baking sheet they took 10 minutes and on my air bake sheet they took 12 minutes.

Oatmeal Cinnamon Chip Cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 1/2 cups quick cooking oats
1 2/3 cups (10 ounce package) Hershey's Cinnamon Chips
3/4 cup raisins

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Beat butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar in a bowl until creamy.  Add eggs and vanilla;  beat well.  Combine flour and baking soda;  add to butter mixture, beating well.  Stir in oats, cinnamon chips and raisins,.  Batter will be stiff.

    3.  Drop by heaping teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned.  Cool one minute;  remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.  About 4 dozen.

BAR VARIATION:  Spread batter into lightly greased 9 x 13 inch baking pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool.  Cut into bars.  About 3 dozen bars.

TIM'S NOTES:  I didn't add the raisins because I didn't have any the first time I made these.  Though they may be good with raisins, I rather like them without.  I am wondering about adding dried blueberries or cranberries?  I also like making them in the bar form because they are less fussy.  They are like a soft granola bar.  If you want to make them gluten free, use your favorite gf baking mix in place of the AP flour, and make sure your quick oats are certified gf.

Quick Mexican Black Bean Soup

1/3 cup olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped finely
2 tomatoes, peeled and chopped
2 (15 ounce) cans black beans (Do not drain.)
2 potatoes, peeled and diced
7 cups water
1 bouillon cube
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 Tablespoon cumin
2 Tablespoons lime juice
salt and pepper to taste
Sour cream as garnish, with fresh cilantro all around.

1. Pour the olive oil into a good sized soup pot and heat.  Add the onion and sauté for 2 minutes.  Add the garlic, jalapeno pepper, and tomatoes, and continue sautéing for another 2 minutes over medium heat, until it turns into a regular sauce.  Stir often.
2. Add the beans from their cans with their juice, potatoes, water, and bouillon.  Bring the soup to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium low.  Cover and cook slowly for about 20 minutes.

Add the cilantro, cumin, lime juice, salt and pepper.  Stir well and continue cooking for another 10 minutes.  Turn off heat, and let the soup rest, covered for 5 minutes.  Serve hot and garnish each serving with a teaspoon of sour cream in the center and freshly chopped cilantro around the sour cream.

TIM'S NOTES:  This soup comes from a monastery cookbook, makes a lot and is very brothy.  It is very monastic, so feel free to add more of anything you like.  One of the ways I made this soup easier to make was that I pureed the tomatoes and garlic together.  That way I avoided the fuss of peeling the tomatoes, and there is less chopping involved.  However, if you prefer to make the sofrito the traditional way, be my guest!  Jalapeno...You can use half or omit completely if you prefer.  You could also use the seeds and membranes if you like a spicier soup.  I prefer to de-seed and de-membrane and just chop the green fleshy part.
           As to the potato, I like a nice potato that is going to hold its shape, like a Yukon Gold, or a nice red.  However, using Russets does have its advantage.  Russets break down, and give a little thickness to the soup. I have also used a white sweet potato, which holds up well and adds some sweetness.
           Bouillon...This recipe doesn't specify which flavor.  I would prefer chicken, or vegetable (if you want to make this vegetarian) but I have found beef works well, too, if that is all you have.  You may want to add more bouillon (because you can).  The rule is 1 cube or 1 teaspoon per cup of liquid.
           Feel free to be liberal with the cumin and lime juice.  I also like to use fresh lime juice.  And please use the garnishes of sour cream and fresh cilantro.  They are vital to the flavor.  As I said, if you make this soup as the recipe stands, it is very "monastic".  The sour cream and fresh cilantro give the soup some body.

Quick Mexican Black Bean Soup

1/3 cup olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped finely
2 tomatoes, peeled and chopped
2 (15 ounce) cans black beans (Do not drain.)
2 potatoes, peeled and diced
7 cups water
1 bouillon cube
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 Tablespoon cumin
2 Tablespoons lime juice
salt and pepper to taste
Sour cream as garnish, with fresh cilantro all around.

1. Pour the olive oil into a good sized soup pot and heat.  Add the onion and sauté for 2 minutes.  Add the garlic, jalapeno pepper, and tomatoes, and continue sautéing for another 2 minutes over medium heat, until it turns into a regular sauce.  Stir often.
2. Add the beans from their cans with their juice, potatoes, water, and bouillon.  Bring the soup to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium low.  Cover and cook slowly for about 20 minutes.

Add the cilantro, cumin, lime juice, salt and pepper.  Stir well and continue cooking for another 10 minutes.  Turn off heat, and let the soup rest, covered for 5 minutes.  Serve hot and garnish each serving with a teaspoon of sour cream in the center and freshly chopped cilantro around the sour cream.

TIM'S NOTES:  This soup comes from a monastery cookbook, makes a lot and is very brothy.  It is very monastic, so feel free to add more of anything you like.  One of the ways I made this soup easier to make was that I pureed the tomatoes and garlic together.  That way I avoided the fuss of peeling the tomatoes, and there is less chopping involved.  However, if you prefer to make the sofrito the traditional way, be my guest!  Jalapeno...You can use half or omit completely if you prefer.  You could also use the seeds and membranes if you like a spicier soup.  I prefer to de-seed and de-membrane and just chop the green fleshy part.
           As to the potato, I like a nice potato that is going to hold its shape, like a Yukon Gold, or a nice red.  However, using Russets does have its advantage.  Russets break down, and give a little thickness to the soup. I have also used a white sweet potato, which holds up well and adds some sweetness.
           Bouillon...This recipe doesn't specify which flavor.  I would prefer chicken, or vegetable (if you want to make this vegetarian) but I have found beef works well, too, if that is all you have.  You may want to add more bouillon (because you can).  The rule is 1 cube or 1 teaspoon per cup of liquid.
           Feel free to be liberal with the cumin and lime juice.  I also like to use fresh lime juice.  And please use the garnishes of sour cream and fresh cilantro.  They are vital to the flavor.  As I said, if you make this soup as the recipe stands, it is very "monastic".  The sour cream and fresh cilantro give the soup some body.

Quick Mexican Black Bean Soup

1/3 cup olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped finely
2 tomatoes, peeled and chopped
2 (15 ounce) cans black beans (Do not drain.)
2 potatoes, peeled and diced
7 cups water
1 bouillon cube
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 Tablespoon cumin
2 Tablespoons lime juice
salt and pepper to taste
Sour cream as garnish, with fresh cilantro all around.

1. Pour the olive oil into a good sized soup pot and heat.  Add the onion and sauté for 2 minutes.  Add the garlic, jalapeno pepper, and tomatoes, and continue sautéing for another 2 minutes over medium heat, until it turns into a regular sauce.  Stir often.
2. Add the beans from their cans with their juice, potatoes, water, and bouillon.  Bring the soup to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium low.  Cover and cook slowly for about 20 minutes.

Add the cilantro, cumin, lime juice, salt and pepper.  Stir well and continue cooking for another 10 minutes.  Turn off heat, and let the soup rest, covered for 5 minutes.  Serve hot and garnish each serving with a teaspoon of sour cream in the center and freshly chopped cilantro around the sour cream.

TIM'S NOTES:  This soup comes from a monastery cookbook, makes a lot and is very brothy.  It is very monastic, so feel free to add more of anything you like.  One of the ways I made this soup easier to make was that I pureed the tomatoes and garlic together.  That way I avoided the fuss of peeling the tomatoes, and there is less chopping involved.  However, if you prefer to make the sofrito the traditional way, be my guest!  Jalapeno...You can use half or omit completely if you prefer.  You could also use the seeds and membranes if you like a spicier soup.  I prefer to de-seed and de-membrane and just chop the green fleshy part.
           As to the potato, I like a nice potato that is going to hold its shape, like a Yukon Gold, or a nice red.  However, using Russets does have its advantage.  Russets break down, and give a little thickness to the soup. I have also used a white sweet potato, which holds up well and adds some sweetness.
           Bouillon...This recipe doesn't specify which flavor.  I would prefer chicken, or vegetable (if you want to make this vegetarian) but I have found beef works well, too, if that is all you have.  You may want to add more bouillon (because you can).  The rule is 1 cube or 1 teaspoon per cup of liquid.
           Feel free to be liberal with the cumin and lime juice.  I also like to use fresh lime juice.  And please use the garnishes of sour cream and fresh cilantro.  They are vital to the flavor.  As I said, if you make this soup as the recipe stands, it is very "monastic".  The sour cream and fresh cilantro give the soup some body.