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My Personal Weight-Loss Plan BY DANA JACOBI FOR THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE FOR CANCER RESEARCH

Last year, in addition to my usual work, I finished another cookbook. (Stay tuned for more about that.) Thanks to all the tempting food I cooked, followed by many sedentary hours writing, I gained weight, too.

Serious about taking off these unacceptable pounds, I have a plan. It starts with exercising, specifically walking 30 to 60 minutes a day five times a week. As an exercise wimp, taking this commitment one week at a time, I aim to meet this goal for a month.

Next comes portion control. I am measuring everything I eat, using cups, measuring spoons (especially for fats), and a scale. Consuming fiber is also high on my list because it helps me feel full. Sweet potatoes, corn and apples, all good fiber sources, are my planned treats because they can satisfy my sweet tooth, too.

The experimental part of my weight loss program is using chile peppers. I know from experience that eating hot food is more satisfying and that it makes me feel good (presumably because substances in chiles stimulate the brain to release feel-good endorphins.) According to some scientific studies, the capsaicin in chiles may temporarily rev up your metabolism so that for a time after eating them, your body burns calories faster. Only time will tell if this truly will help. But if you’d like to join me in this experiment, this soup is one of the chile-charged dishes I am enjoying while working on the sensible goal of losing four pounds in four weeks.

Two Chile Chicken Soup -Makes 6 servings.

• 1 corn tortilla, torn in 1-inch pieces
• 3 cups fat-free, reduced-sodium chicken broth, divided
• 1 Tbsp. canola oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp. ground ancho chile (can use regular chili powder)
• 1/4-1/2 tsp. ground chipotle chile
• 1 Tbsp. dried oregano
• 1 (15 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup chopped butternut squash, in 1/2-inch pieces
• 3/4 cup frozen cut green beans
• 1 small green bell pepper, finely chopped
• 1 (15 oz.) can great northern beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup cooked chicken breast, torn into bite-size pieces
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 lime, cut in 4 wedges, for garnish
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves, for garnish

In a blender, whirl torn tortilla with 1 cup of broth until tortilla is pureed and soup becomes a cloudy liquid. Set aside.

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until translucent, 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring often, until onion is soft, 3 minutes longer.

Stir in ground ancho and chipotle chiles until they smell fragrant. Pour in tortilla and broth mixture and bring to a boil, 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add oregano, crushed tomatoes, remaining broth, squash, green beans and green pepper. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.

Add canned beans and chicken and simmer, uncovered, until heated through, about 8 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

To serve, ladle soup into deep bowls. Add a wedge of lime on rim of each bowl, and sprinkle top with chopped cilantro. Serve immediately.

Per serving: 180 calories, 4 g total fat (0 g saturated fat), 24 g carbohydrate, 13 g protein 7 g dietary fiber, 360 mg sodium.

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