Making Lemonade

We all know the saying, "When life hands you lemons, make lemonade." Well, it turns out that the same holds true in cooking.

Over the weekend, I had decided to try a recipe for a tomato and roasted red pepper soup. I love tomato soup, it's cold outside, and virtually nothing in a can is legal on the Beach. So I made the recipe, and Dave and I had it for lunch the same day. Not good. The texture was all off, it was a bit tart, and not at all creamy like tomato soup should be. I was sorely disappointed. I put the leftovers in the fridge, hoping beyond hope that something magical would happen and that pumpkin would turn into a carriage... or something like that. But I'm mixing my metaphors.

Fast forward to today. Caroline and I came home late from a play date and some grocery shopping, and I was in need of a really quick and easy -- and yes, healthy -- meal for dinner. I had chicken defrosted and ready in the fridge, I'd brought home some whole wheat pasta from the grocery store (legal now that I'm in Phase 2)...but what else? Open the fridge, and what is sitting right in front of me but the container of "soup" just begging for a second chance. This time, however, its role would not be soup, but... sauce. I grilled up the chicken in a pan, mixed some grated romano and parmesan cheeses into the sauce, and poured it in. Some low fat mozzerella on top, and voila: chicken parmesan with a roasted red pepper twist.

Let me tell you, that was some damn good lemonade.