Can You Spare A Bowl? Bowling Lanes Restaurant In Bigfork, Mont., Serves Up Delicious Chicken Tortilla Soup

Dear Merri Lou: While vacationing last summer near Bigfork, Mont., we stopped at the local bowling lanes restaurant. My granddaughter ordered a bowl of Chicken Tortilla Soup and has raved about how good it was (and only slightly spicy). Hope you can help. J. Brown, St. Maries

Dear J. Brown: I was able to locate the restaurant and the chef who developed the recipe. It is a little spicy, but you can surprise your granddaughter with a piping hot bowl the next time she visits.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

From chef Joseph Pace of The Chances Restaurant, Bigfork

1/4 cup oil

1 medium onion, diced

2 carrots, diced

1/4 cup cumin

1/3 cup paprika

2 tablespoons chili powder

3 cups chicken stock

1 cup canned, diced tomatoes, in juice

2 cups cooked, diced chicken meat

2-3 cups corn tortillas, quartered

Salt and pepper, to taste

Sour cream and tortilla chips, garnish

Saute onion and carrots in oil until translucent. Add spices and cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add stock, tomatoes and chicken. Bring to a boil. Add tortilla pieces a little at a time, stirring until they soften and soup comes to desired thickness. Lower heat, and simmer for a few minutes, stirring frequently so soup does not burn. Add salt and pepper as desired. Garnish with dollop of sour cream and chips on top.

Yield: 6-8 cups.

Nutrition information per each of 6 servings, without garnishes: 265 calories, 13.5 grams fat (46 percent fat calories), 22 grams protein, 16 grams carbohydrate, 43 milligrams cholesterol, 580 milligrams sodium.

Dear Merri Lou: Do you have access to cookie recipes using boxed cake mixes? Preferably chewy cookies? I’d sure appreciate hearing from you if you could find some for me. Thanks, - Joi, Elk

Dear Joi: I have two good recipes, depending on your preference of the day. The chocolate chip cookie is sweet and perfect for kids. The second one uses a spice cake mix and is just a little chewier.

Speedy Chip Cookies

From “The Family Table,” by Jean Pare (Company’s Coming Cookbooks, 1997).

2 large eggs

1/2 cup cooking oil

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 white cake mix (2-layer size)

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Beat eggs, cooking oil and brown sugar together in bowl. Add cake mix, chocolate chips and walnuts; mix.

Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Let stand 1 minute before removing cookies from sheet to cool.

Yield: About 3 dozen cookies.

Nutrition information per serving of 1 cookie: 128 calories, 6.5 grams fat (46 percent fat calories), 1 gram protein, 17 grams carbohydrate, 10 milligrams cholesterol, 100 milligrams sodium.

Applesauce Cookies

From “Homemade Cookies Cookbook” (Better Homes and Gardens, 1975).

1 package spice cake mix (2-layer size)

1 cup raisins

1/2 cup cooking oil

1/2 cup applesauce

1 egg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large mixing bowl, combine cake mix, raisins, cooking oil, applesauce and egg; beat at medium speed of electric mixer for 1 minute. Drop from teaspoon 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes.

Yield: About 3 dozen cookies.

Nutrition information per serving of 1 cookie: 104 calories, 4.8 grams fat (42 percent fat calories), 1 gram protein, 8 grams carbohydrate, 3 milligrams cholesterol, 49 milligrams sodium.

, DataTimes MEMO: Have a food question? Looking for a recipe? Merri Lou Dobler, a registered dietitian in Spokane, would like to hear from you. Write to Cook’s Notebook, Features Department, The Spokesman-Review, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210, or e-mail to merrid@spokesman.com. As many letters as possible will be answered in this column; sorry, no individual replies.

The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Merri Lou Dobler The Spokesman-Review