Tired. Really. Now have some soup.

Between various kinds of family insanity ('tis the season!), last minute Christmas prep, and the Hatchling having a bad head cold and consequently being Madame Le Cranqueass, I am tired, y'all. In fact, I'm taaaaaaaahred. I'm sure I have interesting things to blog about, but I can't recall what any of them are. So instead I'm giving you yet another recipe, this one for something savory. Maybe you can have it before you eat the sugar cookies. It's quick, easy, and oh-so-yummy; just spicy enough on a cold winter day; and you can either put it together right before you eat it or let it simmer in a crock pot all day and make the house smell tantalizing.

Spicy Peanut Soup with Chicken
adapted from Bon Appetit
1 pound skinless boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 3/4- to- 1-inch cubes
1 tablespoon hot sauce
4 cups low-salt chicken broth
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 cup drained canned diced tomatoes in juice
1 cup canned carrot slices, drained
Combine chicken cubes and hot sauce in medium bowl and toss to coat well. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss again. Whisk chicken broth, peanut butter, and tomato paste in another medium bowl to blend. Melt butter in large pot over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion and sauté until tender, about 8 minutes. Add chicken and sauté until no longer pink on outside, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle with flour and cook 1 minute, stirring occasionally.

Add broth mixture, tomatoes, and carrots to pot. Simmer until chicken is cooked through and flavors blend, about 5 minutes. (Or until you're ready to eat - it can stew a good long while.) Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. Serve.