MEXICAN CHICKEN SOUP aka “Tortilla Soup”

Servings: 6- 8

This hearty soup recipe is adapted from  Barefoot Contessa at Home by Ina Garten.

INGREDIENTS:

2 whole chicken breasts, bone in, skin on

2 oninos

2 white squash

2 celery stalks

4 carrots

4 large garlic cloves

1 [16oz] can corn

2.5 liters chicken stock

1 [28oz.] can crushed tomatoes in puree

2 jalapeno peppers, seeded

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. ground coriander seed

1 tsp. smoked paprika

1 small cilantro bunch

6 [6in.] white corn tortillas

For serving: sliced avocado, sour cream, grated Cheddar cheese and tortilla chips*

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Prepare Chicken:

• Place the chicken breasts skin side up on a sheet pan.
• Rub with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until done.
• When the chicken is cool enough to handle, discard the skin and bones, and cut into cubes.
• Cover and set aside.

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3. Chop vegetables in large bite size pieces and drain water from corn.

4. Start Soup:

• Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven
• Add the onions, white squash, celery, and carrots and cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, or until the onions start to brown
• Add the garlic and corn: cook for 30 seconds.
• Add the chicken stock, tomatoes with their puree, jalapenos, cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, 1 tablespoon salt (depending on the saltiness of the chicken stock), 1 teaspoon pepper, and the cilantro.

5. Continue Soup:

• Cut the tortillas in 1/2, then cut them crosswise into 1/2-inch strips and add to the soup.
• Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 25 minutes.
• Add the cubed chicken and season to taste.

6.  Serve the soup hot topped with sliced avocado, a dollop of sour cream, grated Cheddar cheese, and broken tortilla chips*.

* Tired of greasy tortilla chips? Try our ez baked tortilla recipe instead!

EZ TORTILAA CHIPS

Servings: ???

Tired of spending money on greasy and expensive tortilla chips? Try this super ez tortilla chip recipe, you’ll get all the cruchiness and half the fat!

INGREDIENTS:

6 [6in.] white corn tortillas

cooking  spray

salt 

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Cut tortilla’s into strips

3.  Spray baking sheet with cooking spray, arrange in single layer.

4. Bake for about 7 minutes. Rotate the pan and bake for another 7 or until the chips are crisp, but not to brown. Serve with salsas, guacamole or our chicken tortilla soup recipe!   

Steak Sandwich and Fries

Servings: 2 

Ingredients:

2 sandwich rolls [about 8 inches or so]

2 thin rib eye steaks

2 tbsp.  A1 cracked pepper and onion marinade

1/3 onion, sliced 

4 slices of your favorite cheese [swiss & pepper jack pictured]

4 tomato slices

2 lettuce leafs

Sauce:

3 tbs. each of mayonaise, ketchup and yellow mustard

Potatoes:

2 large baking potatoes, cut into large wedges

1 tsp. each of smoked paprika, taco seasoning, salt and pepper 

2 tbs. cooking oil  

Directions: 

1.   Preheat oven to 425. 

2.  In large bowl combine paprika, taco seasoning, salt, pepper and oil.  Coat each wedge in seasoning and place in a single layer in an ungreased shallow baking pan.  

3.  Bake seasoned potatoes uncovered at 425 for 30-35 minutes or until potatoes are tender and lightly browned. 

4.  In a small bowl combine sauce ingredient; cover and refrigerate. 

5. Heat griddle.  Half the sandwich buns, lightly spray with cooking oil or butter. Toast each side on griddle for about 1-2 minutes, set aside. 

5. Brush steaks with A1 marinade, place steaks marinaded side down on hot griddle, marinade other side. Spray any corner [nearest to you] with cooking spray, add sliced onion.  Cook steaks about 3-4 minutes on each side for medium well, flipping ONLY once.

6.  Spread sauce on each side of the buns, add lettuce leaf to one side and 2 slices of chesse to the other.

7. At this time the steaks and onions should be done, place steak on cheese side top with grilled onions.

8. Plate with fries and ENJOY!! 

EZ TACO SALAD

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

1 lb. quality ground beef

1/2 white onion

3 vine ripe tomatos

2 tbsp. corn oil

2 tsp. minced garlic

salt + pepper

1 [15oz] can of beans [your favorite variety]

4 flour tortillas, burrito size

Seasoning:

2 tbsp. tomato paste

1 tbsp. worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. smoked paprika

Toppings:

1/4 lettuce

1 beef steak tomato

1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

sour cream

Directions: 

1. Prepare taco shells:

• Preheat oven to 450
• Spray each tortilla with cooking spray [both sides]
• Place tortilla over small oven proof container, as shown -OR- make a ball the size of your fist with aluminum paper and place tortilla over ball
• Cook for 8-10 minutes

2.  Prepare meat as shown  in Ground Beef Tacos recipe

3.  Rinse and drain beans, add to ground beef. Cook for about 5 minutes.  

4.  Chop tomato, slice lettuce and great cheese.

5. Load up your taco salad: place beef at bottom of bowl and  top with lettuce,  cheese, tomato and sour cream! 

LENTIL SOUP 

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

8 bacon strips 

1/2 cup lentils (any variety)

1/4 cup tomato sauce 

1/4 onion 

2 garlic cloves

1 ltr. water 

1 medium cilantro bunch 

2 tbsp. oil

1 tsp. cumin 

2 tsp .  smoked paprika

salt

1. COOK BACON:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
• Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil; arrange bacon on baking sheet in a single layer with the edges touching or slightly overlapping
• Bake in preheated oven to desired degree of doneness, 10 to 15 minutes
• Remove bacon from the baking sheet with tongs or a fork, and drain on a paper towel-lined plate
• Chop bacon intp bite size pieces

2. COOK LENTILS:

• Rinse lentils in cold water several times before adding to cooking pot. 
• In a medium-size cooking pot, add lentils, onion, garlic, oil and water; boil for about 30 minutes
• Add tomato sauce, cumin, paprika, cilantro, bacon and salt to taste; simmer on low for another 15 minutes
• Take out garlic and onions before serving

3. ENJOY! 

SOPES

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

1 1/2lb beef stew meat*

1/2 onion, minced

2 Roma tomatoes, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1 16oz can low sodium pinto beans

2 tsp. chipotle sauce

12 sopes

1 cup lettuce, chopped

Queso Fresco

1.  MEAT:

• Cook stew meat in crock pot [with 1/4 onion, 2 garlic cloves, salt, pepper and 1/3 water] on low for 3 hours
• When done take out of pot let it cool, shred and set aside.

2. BEANS:

• Coat the bottom of a skillet with vegetable oil, once its hot add 1/4 onion cook until translucent and then add 1tsp. garlic
• Add drain beans smash until zmooth, you’ll need to add water or veggetable broth while mashing to keep beans from sticking to pan
• Cook to a paste consistency
• Set aside

3. PREPARE MEAT: 

• Coat the bottom of a skillet with vegetable oil, once its hot add remaining onion cook until translucent and then add 1tsp. garlic
• Add tomato cook until tender, about 5 minutes 
• Add chipotle and shredded meat let it all simmer for 10 minutes
• Keep meat on super low or on stop of hot griddle 

4. SOPES:

• Coat a small skillet with 2 inches corn oil let it heat to 360 degrees F. 
• Place 1 sope into oil and cook each side for 1-2 minutes or until crispy
• Drain oil on paper towel

5. ASSEMBLE: 

• Place sopes on indented side up
• Spread a thin layer of refried beans on bottom
• Add about 2 tbsp. of meat 
• Top with lettuce and crumble queso fresco

6. ENJOY!!!!

* can substitute with pork or chicken

GREEN CHICKEN ENCHILADAS

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken breast

1/4 white onion

2 garlic cloves

1 lb. tomatillos

1 cillantro bunch

2 serrano chiles [for mild taste]

1 tbsp. chicken bouillion

12  corn tortillas

Vegetable oil

Queso Fresco

Sour cream

Directions: 

1. In medium stock pot add chicken, onion, garlic and salt + pepper, cover with water and boil on medium until chicken is cooked about 15-20 minutes. Remove chicken from pot, let it cool and shred.

2. In small stock pot peeled tomatillos and serrano peppers, cover with water and boil on medium until softened, about 15 minutes.

3. Blend cooked tomatillos, serrano peppers, onion and garlic [from chicken] until liquefied.

4. Add 2 tbsp. vegetable oil to small stock pot,  let oil heat through then add tomatillo sauce. Bring sauce to a boil then down to medium-low heat cover pot and let sauce simmer for 25 minutes.

5. In a small skillet, heat 1inch corn oil to 360 degrees F. fry tortillas, about 1 minute each side and drain oil.

6. Take fried tortilla and dip it in tomatillo sauce, place on plate and fill one side with chicken then fold over, repeat.

7. Top with sauce, sour cream and queso fresco. ENJOY!

EZ VEGGIE & RICE SOUP

Servings: 4

Who needs canned soup when you can prepare a perfectly healthy and delicious soup in minutes? Leave that can of Progresso in the pantry and treat your family to the real deal!!!

Ingredients:

2 L chicken stock [ I used combination of HM and store bought]

2 large carrots

2 Mexican or Italian squash

1 potato

1/4 rice

1 dried bay leaf

1 tsp. chicken bouillon

Directions:

1. Chop vegetable into bite size chunks and measure out the rice.

2.  Pour chicken stock and bay leaf into large sauce pan. Bring to boil, then lower to heat to medium low, add carrots, potatoes and rice. Cook until potatoes  have softened, about 20 minutes.

3. Add squash, bouillon, salt and pepper to tasted. Cook on low for another 15 minutes or until rice has puffed and squash is soft.

4. Serve and enjoy.

SHRIMP STUFFED PEPPERS 

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

1/2 lb.  peeled and deveined shrimp

1 small zucchini, chopped 

2 roma tomatoes, chopped 

1/3 onion, chopped  

2 garlic cloves, minced  

2 tbsp. sweet basil

2 tbsp. italian seasoning 

2 tbsp. good olive oil

1/3 cup shredded parmensan 

2 medium to large bell peppers 

-RICE-

1/2 cup arborio rice 

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup water 

Directions:

1.  Prepare Shrimp:

•  In a small bowl combine: shrimp, olive oil, half of italian seasoning, sweet basil and a pinch of salt and pepper. 
• Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator   

2.  Cook arborio rice as indicated on package, incorporate 1/2 cup of broth into water measurement for better taste. 

3. Chop zucchini, tomato and onion. 

4.  Prepare bell peppers: 

• cut bell peppers in half,  hollow out the insides
• preheat oven to 400 degrees 

5. Heat medium skillet, once hot add shrimp in single layer, cook until done about 2 minutes per side and transfer to plate, set aside.   

6. Roast Peppers in heat oven cut side down on baking sheet for 25 minutes. 

7. Using the same shrimp skillet prepare rice:  

• first add garlic, cook until fragrant about 1-2 minutes 
• add onion, cook until translucent about 2 minutes 
• add zucchini, cook until tender about 3-5 minutes
• add tomatoes and seasonings, cook until combined about 5 minutes 
• fold in cooked rice 
• add cooked shrimp
• let all ingredients simmer together on  LOW for 5 minutes 
• take skillet off heat and add parmesan  

8.  Take peppers from the oven turn cut side up and fill with rice mixture, top with parmesan. Serve two per plate and ENJOY! * 

* This can be served as a complete meal or as a side dish.

FRANK-n -SAUCE

Servings: 3

Ingredients: 

3 medium size tomatoes

1/4 onion

3 garlic cloves 

2 chiles chipotle 

6 chicken franks 

1 cup tomato sauce 

salt + pepper 

Directions: 

1. Roast tomatoes, onion and garlic on gridle covered with aluminum paper or in oven [if in over roast at 400 degress for 20-30 minutes or until tomatoe skins blacken]. 

2. Peel skin off tomatoes.

3. Blend tomatoes, onion, garlic and chipotle peppers until they make a smooth sauce.  Set aside.

4. Cut franks into bite size pieces, about 6 per frank.

4. Heat large pan with 3 tbsp of frying oil. Fry franks for about 1-2 minutes on each side.  Transfer onto a plate to drain on papers towel, set aside.

5. Add sauce to same pan, let is simmer for 5 minutes, add franks. Cover pot, let it simmer for 25 minutes on low.

6. Plate & Enjoy!