Pioneer Woman's Tortilla Soup

On the encouragement of my good friend Joanne Helouvry I would like to share a very solid recipe for tortilla soup. I love this soup and always look for an easy tasty recipe that the whole family will like. This fits the bill. It has a small kick that can be increased for Robby with a little hot sauce but the regular soup is mild enough that both girls will eat a ton. The only change I made was to add blue corn chips right before serving to have a little crunch, think of it as an homage to Baltimore.

Recipe: Chicken Tortilla Soup

Posted by Ree in All PW Recipes

Prep Time: 10 Minutes | Cook Time: 1 Hour30 Minutes | Difficulty: Easy | Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 2 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1-1/2 teaspoon Cumin
• 1 teaspoon Chili Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1 cup Diced Onion
• 1/4 cup Diced Green Bell Pepper
• 1/4 cup Red Bell Pepper
• 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1 can (10 Oz. Can) Rotel Tomatoes And Green Chilies
• 32 ounces, fluid Low Sodium Chicken Stock
• 3 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
• 4 cups Hot Water
• 2 cans (15 Oz. Can) Black Beans, Drained
• 3 Tablespoons Cornmeal Or Masa
• 5 whole Corn Tortillas, Cut Into Uniform Strips Around 2 To 3 Inches
• _____
• FOR THE GARNISHES:
• Sour Cream
• Diced Avocado
• Diced Red Onion
• Salsa Or Pico De Gallo
• Grated Monterey Jack Cheese
• Cilantro

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix cumin, chili pepper, garlic powder, and salt. Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil on chicken breasts, then sprinkle a small amount of spice mix on both sides. Set aside the rest of the spice mix.

Place chicken breasts on a baking sheet. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until chicken is done. Use two forks to shred chicken. Set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a pot over medium high heat. Add onions, red pepper, green pepper, and minced garlic. Stir and begin cooking, then add the rest of the spice mix. Stir to combine, then add shredded chicken and stir.

Pour in Rotel, chicken stock, tomato paste, water, and black beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 45 minutes, uncovered.

Mix cornmeal with a small amount of water. Pour into the soup, then simmer for an additional 30 minutes. Check seasonings, adding more if needed---add more chili powder if it needs more spice, and be sure not to undersalt. Turn off heat and allow to sit for 15 to 20 minutes before serving. Five minutes before serving, gently stir in tortilla strips.

Ladle into bowls, then top with sour cream, diced red onion, diced avocado, pico de gallo, and grated cheese, if you have it! (The garnishes really make the soup delicious.)

Sometimes it's just nature....

Grilled Pork Burgers From Sunday Suppers at Lucques, one of the all time favorite CBC books.

It is still summer here in Houston and I love the Sunday Suppers at Lucques by Suzanne Goin cook book. What do those things have in common? Last night's dinner of course. I flipped to the summer section of this Charm City Cook Book Club book and made most of this recipe. I didn't notice the Romesco until I had already made the burgers, but they were memorable and tasty even without it. The recipe is extensive if you do the whole thing but the burgers are amazing and can be mixed in advance. The coleslaw recipe that comes after it is easy and a great complement. First you make a shallot, garlic, thyme, cumin, and dried chili mixture. Then you have to stave off the young ones who don't understand that cooking takes more than the 30 seconds since they decided they were hungry to make.
Next mix together the pork, bacon, chorizo (I had turkey not pork), parsley, shallot mixture, and salt & pepper.
Let the mixture "meld" overnight.
Then grill the burgers, I made slider size, top with Manchego cheese, a buttered grilled then mayo'd bun, and a few pieces of arugula.
They taste amazing eaten properly or torn apart and stuffed in your mouth. Enjoy!

And go buy the book...I am not giving you this recipe. Everything I have made out of this book has been wonderful.

Please tell me what these are?

At almost $30 a pound they better be good. Similar to spot prawns they are huge and look tasty.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Potato and watercress soup, in preparation for fall that might never come to Houston

After all the cold weather talk I have heard from my friends back North I decided I needed soup. It can be cheap and healthy and I would like make soup more often as a way to stretch our grocery dollar. So I pulled out my New England Soup Factory cook book, a book I got at Costco last year and pursued the pages. Potato-Watercress soup seemed like a good option that would be inexpensive but not too heavy. It is still 90 degrees here in Houston.

I thought I might have a hard time finding watercress but I am very lucky to drive by a Super HMart on my way to and from Aveline's school. It is an amazing store. Cheap produce and an amazing seafood section.
It's a simple soup really cook the onions, celery, and garlic in butter. Then add the potatoes, and enough chicken stock to cover the potatoes. Simmer until the potatoes are tender.
Add the watercress and stir until wilted. Mix in the cream Worcestershire sauce Tabasco and season with salt and pepper.

Blend until smooth. And warm through. I served it with a big piece of whole wheat country bread. Aveline and Colette both loved it and Aveline even dipped her bread in the soup.
Potato-Watercress Soup

New England Soup Factory by Marjorie Druker & Clara Silverstein

Makes 8 to 10 servings

2 tbls butter

1 large Spanish onion peeled and diced

3 ribs celery, diced

3 whole cloves garlic, peeled

5 large Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch chunks

1-2 quarts chicken stock

2 bunches watercress

2 cups light cream

4 dashes Worcestershire sauce

3 dashes Tabasco sauce

kosher salt and black pepper, to taste

In a stockpot melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery, and garlic. Saute for 5 to 7 minutes. Add the potatoes and pour in the chicken stock until the potatoes are submerged. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium high and simmer until potatoes are tender, 30 to 35 minutes.

Remove from the heat and add the watercress. Stir until wilted. Add the cream, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, salt, and pepper. Puree the soup in the pot using a hand blender or working in batches with a regular blender until smooth. Return the pot to medium-high heat and simmer for an additional 3 minutes to warm through.