Chicken Tortilla Soup

The weather is starting to turn cooler, and the leaves are changing colors.  This signals the start of the soup season.  And with the cooler nights, my garden is starting to produce lots of tomatoes.  And a good way to use up these tomatoes is in a chicken tortilla soup.  My version is very quick, inexpensive, makes a large pot, and very tasty.

You will need:
4 Tabs olive oil
10 small corn tortillas
1 teas Kosher salt
1 yellow onion, (cut into small pieces)
1 jalapeno pepper, (seeded, and diced very small)
4 garlic cloves, (minced)
32 ounces of chicken broth
3 cups of tomatoes, (blended with the juice)
1 15 ounce can of black beans, (rinsed and drained)
2 cups of shredded chicken
1 cup corn
1 Tabs. lime juice
1 Tabs. chili powder
2 teas. cumin
2 teas. salt
1 teas. pepper
1 teas, paprika
1/2 teas cayenne pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Line a baking sheet with foil.

Lightly brush the corn tortillas with 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

Sprinkle with the Kosher salt

 Stack the tortillas and slice into 1/4 inch strips.

Spread onto the foil lined baking sheet.

Bake for 15 to 18 minutes until golden brown and crisp, turn once after 7 minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool.

In a large Dutch oven, over medium high heat, add 2 Tablespoons of olive oil.  Add the onion and jalapeno pepper.   Saute for 5 minutes until the onion is softened.

Add the minced garlic.  Cook for about 1 minute.

Add the chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, paprika, and cayenne pepper.  Stir in and allow to cook for another 30 seconds, (note: the heat and the oil will release the flavors into the pan).

 Add the chicken stock.

Add the tomatoes and juice.

(Note:  I just blend my tomatoes in a food processor, (skin and all).  You can also use 2 14 1/2 ounce cans of tomatoes).

Stir well, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.

 Add the corn.

Note:  I like to use fresh corn, but you can also use frozen corn that you have defrosted.

Add the black beans.

Add the chicken.

Stir well, and continue to simmer for another 15 minutes.

Add the juice of the lime, (about 1 teaspoon), this will freshen up the soup.  Stir well, and taste for seasonings.  Does it need more salt?  Do you want to add more heat, (chili powder)?

:

Spoon the soup into bowls, and top with a few tortilla strips and your favorite toppings:
sour cream
shredded cheese
cilantro
sliced avocado
more tortillas

And in just under one hour, you have a delicious bowl of chicken tortilla soup, with homemade tortilla strips.

Delicious!!

Enjoy !

Green Chili Sauce

This year has been a very good year for my peppers.  In fact everyone I've talked to has remarked about how their peppers have done well.  And the farmer's markets are selling all kinds of peppers at very low prices this years.  My Anaheim peppers are very large, and the plants are very full.  We've been enjoying them in many dishes, and my freezer is full for this winter.  One dish we like to use the Anaheim peppers in, is a green chili sauce.  It's so simple, and uses very few ingredients.  Yet, once you make it - you can use it in many dishes.

You will need:
8 - 10 good sized Anaheim peppers
3 Tabs. olive oil
1/2 onion chopped
3 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups chicken stock
3/4 teas salt

Preheat the broiler.  Wash and dry the peppers, then place them on a baking sheet.   Broil the peppers until they are nice and charred, turning them over after 5 minutes.

Note:  You can also roast the peppers on a grill outside.

 This is what your charred peppers will look like.

Next place the peppers inside a plastic bag, and close the bag.  Allow the peppers to cool, until you can handle them.  This will make peeling the peppers easier.

 Remove the outer skin, stem, seeds and membrane, (if you want your sauce to have some heat, leave a few seeds in).  Chop the peppers.

 Heat the olive oil in a small sauce pan, over medium heat.

 Add the onions and saute until softened.

Add the chopped chili peppers.

Add the minced garlic.

We love garlic, so I always add a little more.

Add the salt.

Add the chicken stock.

Note:  You can use homemade, or store bought stock.

Stir well, and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes.   Make sure to stir every so often so the sauce doesn't burn or stick to the bottom of the pan.

 You will notice the sauce is starting to thicken.

 After about 20 minutes, puree the sauce.

You can use an immersion blender, a food processor, or a blender.

Once the sauce is nice and smooth, it is ready to use.

You can use it for enchiladas, tacos, burritos, on pulled pork, fish, chicken, so many ways.

This will keep in the refrigerator easily, and you can freeze it for later use.

Tonight, I am using it over chicken.  I have one pound of chicken thighs that I seasoned and browned the outside.

I placed the chicken into a dutch over, covered the chicken with the green chili sauce, placed the lid on the pan, and baked it in the oven, (350 degrees), for 1 hour.

And I now have a delicious green chili chicken that we can eat with a couple of side dishes.  I can also shred the chicken and make tacos, enchiladas, or burritos.  And I have some sauce to spread over the top.

So, if you have a few peppers, and you're wondering what to do with them, give this green chili sauce a try.

Enjoy !

Spinach Zucchini Bread

If you're starting to grow tired of all the sweet breads that use zucchini, then this savory spinach zucchini bread is just the thing.  It's a great breakfast bread, has no sugar, and is another great way to use your garden's bounty of zucchini.  You can even make this as muffins, freeze them, grab a quick one in the morning, pop it in the microwave for a few seconds, and head out the door with a delicious healthy choice.

You will need:
1 medium zucchini
1/2 teas. kosher salt
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teas. baking powder
1/2 teas. baking soda
2 eggs
1 teas white vinegar
1 cup milk
4 Tabs olive oil
1 bunch spinach
5 ounces Cheddar cheese, (coarsely grated)
3 green onions, (finely chopped)

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Spray 2 smaller, (or 1 larger), bread loaf pans with baking spray.

Wash the spinach, remove the stems, and rough chop the leaves.

Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil.  Quickly blanch the spinach for a couple of minutes.

Drain the spinach and squeeze out all the excess moisture.

Note:  You can also substitute ONE 10-ounce package of frozen spinach leaves, (thawed, the liquid squeezed out, and rough chopped).

Combine the vinegar and milk and let sit while the milk starts to curdle, (note: you can also substitute 1 cup of buttermilk).

Grate the zucchini, sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon of the kosher salt.  Let sit for 10 minutes.  Squeeze out the excess moisture.  You will need approximately 1 1/2 to 2 cups of zucchini after the moisture has been removed.

 In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt.

In a medium bowl, combine the eggs, the curdled milk, and olive oil.  Whisk together to incorporate well.

 Add to the flour mixture.

Add the green onions to the flour mixture.

Add the zucchini to the flour mixture.

Add the spinach to the flour mixture.

 Add the shredded Cheddar cheese to the flour mixture.

Fold the ingredients together, making sure not to over mix.

 Pour the mixture into the loaf pans, (or 12 sprayed muffin tins).

Bake for 23 to 27 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes on baking racks.

Once they have cooled for 5 minutes, you can remove them from the pan, and allow to cool on baking racks, until you can handle the bread loafs.

You can serve the bread warm, or room temperature.

Notice the light fluffy layers.  The wonderful spinach, cheddar cheese, and the zucchini.  This is not a dessert, sugary bread.  It is a wonderful savory bread.  Great for breakfast, or with a meal.

A little creamery butter on a slice of warm spinach zucchini bread taste heavenly.

So, gather up one of your zucchini and give this bread a try.

Enjoy!