Mexican Chicken Soup

My Brother has been sending me pictures of what he has been making for dinner so I finally took the hint... he wants to be on my blog. So in honor of the 100th post I give you this delicious recipe made by Matt and Rebekah. All for you Matt, all for you! (Maybe this will make more people visit this site, now that I have a guest writer. Don't all log on at once and cause the internet to crash!)Mexican Chicken Soup

2 chicken breasts(EVOO, S&P, cook for 40min at 350)

2 C chopped yellow onion

1 C chopped celery

2 C chopped carrots

4 garlic cloves chopped

2.5 quarts of chicken stock

1 28oz can of whole tomatoes in puree, crushed

2-4 jalapeno peppers

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander seed

1/2 C chopped cilantro

6 (6inch) tortillas

garnish:

sliced avocado

sour cream

grated cheddar

tortilla chips

Cook chicken and let cool, then tear and separate meat from skin and boneHeat 3tblp's of EVOO and add carrots, celery, onions- cook until onions brown. Add garlic 30secs). Add chicken stock, tomatoes and puree, peppers, spices, and some salt and pepper, and cilantro. Cut tortillas in half and then cross wise into 1/2inch strips and add. Bring soup to boil and then simmer for 25min. Add chicken and season to taste.

...thanks Ina Garten

Chicken Enchilada

By far the best enchiladas ever. I mean it. This is the most requested meal by our friends and family! I put them on the menu this week and just realized that I have never posted the recipe. Unbelievable! If you don't make these you are truly missing out. The sauce is amazing and the warm chicken tossed with cilantro and scallions is delightful and smells amazing! We can make this with our eyes closed but I do remember the first time we made them. The kitchen walls were splattered in red and the sink was over flowing with dishes! I think it takes two people to assemble, one to roll and one to dip the tortillas in the sauce. All the labor is well worth is and I promise you will replace your other chicken enchilada recipes with this one. The original recipe was created by my good friend Nancy. She created this amazing cookbook and we love just about every dish in it! Over the years I have made a few modifications but would never take the full credit for this delicious meal! We do enjoy some other enchilada and burrito recipes. Two favorites are the black bean and sweet potato burritos and chipotle rice and black bean burritos.

Chicken Enchiladas

2 chicken breasts

2 C water
2 garlic cloves, mashed

8-10 whole peppercorns

1 bay leaf

3 scallions

1/2 C cilantro

1/2 t dried oregano

salt and fresh pepper

1 T vegetable oil

2 C tomato sauce

1 garlic clove, minced

1-2 T chili powder

1 T cumin

pinch of cinnamon

2 T flour

2 C reserved chicken cooking liquid, broth

2 C sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded

8-10 tortillas

Poach chicken in water, garlic, peppercorns and bay leaf until cooked through. Remove chicken and let cool slightly, reserve 2 cup of cooking liquid for later. Shred warm chicken and toss with chopped scallions, minced cilantro, oregano and salt and fresh cracked pepper. Set aside.

In a large skillet (big enough to place tortillas in) heat oil. Add garlic and saute 30 seconds. Add chili powder and saute 1 minute. Add flour, cumin and cinnamon and stir 1 minute (mixture will be dry). Whisk in 1 cup of chicken broth, stirring until smooth. Stir in remaining broth and tomato sauce. Cook over low heat until thickened, about 5 minutes. Cool slightly.

Working with one tortilla at a time, using tongs dip into sauce and gently coat each side. Place on a cutting board or plate and spoon 3 tablespoons of chicken filling onto tortilla. Sprinkle a little bit of cheese and roll. Place seam side down in greased baking dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas, sauce and filling. Pour remaining sauce over enchiladas and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Bake enchiladas for 15-20 minutes until hot and bubbling. Serve with guacamole and sour cream.

Taco Bake

This recipe intrigued me. As I have said before, I LOVE anything Mexican. I just can't get enough of it. So when I saw this recipe I knew we needed to make it. I pushed around the menu for the week and fit this one in even though I had to make a special trip to the store to pick up a few things! I have made a couple of changes of my own. I don't usually use packaged seasoning but we had this party at work a while ago and I bought about 10 packets too many of the fajita seasoning and have been slowly using it up. (I mix it with light sour cream and salsa to make a dip if you are looking for a quick ap.) As always, when you are baking pasta make sure you cook to al dente. In this case I boiled the pasta for 6 minutes. I did use about a 1/2 cup of the pasta water to add a little bit more sauce to the casserole. I think it was needed but you may not. We were able to divide this into two dishes and froze one for later.

Taco Bake

1 lbs. ground turkey
1/2 t evoo
1 medium onion, diced
1 package of taco seasoning (I used fajita seasoning)
2 cans of Rotel tomatoes with green chilies
1 box small shell shaped pasta
8 oz. neufchatel cream cheese, softened
1/2 C light sour cream
1 C extra sharp Cheddar cheese
salt and fresh ground pepper

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add evoo to pan. Add turkey and onion and cook until turkey begins to brown. Add taco seasoning and tomatoes and simmer for 15 minutes. Cook pasta shells in large pot of boiling salted water. (Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water.) Pasta should still be hard and not cooked through otherwise it will get really mushy when you bake. Mix softened cream cheese and sour cream in a large bowl and set aside. Spray a 9 x 13 casserole pan with oil. (We divided into two pans.) Mix warm pasta into cream cheese mixture and gently stir to combine. Pour pasta mixture into prepared pan and top with turkey and tomatoes. Add reserved pasta water if you feel that it is too dry. Sprinkle cheese over the top and bake covered for 25 minutes. Remove top and continue to bake until cheese is lightly browned.

Shrimp Quesadillas with Smokey Guac

This is a great, quick weeknight meal. Dave created this delicious version and it will definitely become part of the quesadilla rotation. This is a perfect example of throwing together a meal when nothing is planned! We always have shrimp in the freezer and they seem to come in handy when we haven't taken anything out to defrost.

Quesadillas are so versatile and easy. I guess you really don't need a recipe to follow for this kind of meal because you can throw just about anything into a tortilla! We made the original recipe only once. Now we make a different version ever since I read the ingredient list on a package of chorizo. Now I am totally turned off of it and can't even think about the combination of ingredients. Uck! We use turkey sausage in replace of the chorizo or just leave it out.

Shrimp Quesadillas with Smokey Guacamole
4 10 in. tortillas
10-15 shrimp, shell and tail removed(depending on the size)
1 slice of red onion
1/4 C goat cheese
1 t evoo
2 garlic cloves, minced
salt & pepper
1 ripe avocado
1 chipotle pepper in adobo
1/2 lime
3 T light sour cream or cottage cheese

For the guacamole: Place avocado, chipotle pepper, lime juice, cottage cheese or sour cream salt and pepper in food processor and pulse until smooth. (I swore we bought sour cream but we couldn't find it when were were making dinner so we used cottage cheese. It worked out great! Of course I open the fridge to put the cottage cheese away and see the sour cream! Oh well. I'm glad we found a successful substitute. )

Pat shrimp dry and toss with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a medium skillet. Add shrimp, red onion and garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes or until no longer pink. Transfer shrimp to cutting board and roughly chop. Heat 2 tortillas in same skillet until warmed through. Cover 1/2 tortilla with 1/4 of the goat cheese and shrimp mixture and fold over. Cook until lightly toasted and the cheese had melted. Transfer to cutting board and repeat with remaining ingredients. Cut each quesadila into five wedges and top with smokey guacamole.


adapted from this Rachel Ray recipe

Mexican Pizza Stack

Stacked Mexican "Pizza"

1 lbs ground turkey
1 T vegetable oil

1/2 C onion, diced

1 T taco seasoning
3 8-10 inch tortillas
2 green onion. chopped
medium salsa

1/2 C black beans
1 tomato diced
1/2 C Cheddar cheese, shredded
1 T jalapenos, pickled

1 avocado

Heat medium skillet add oil and onion and cook 5-8 minutes. Add turkey and cook 6 minutes. Add taco seasoning and cook 2 minutes (add water if needed). Set your oven to broil. Place one tortilla at a time in the over until warm and slightly toasted. Remove first tortillas and place on a baking sheet (place next tortillas under broiler). Top tortillas with 1/4 cup of meat, 2 tablespoons of black beans and a spoonful of salsa. Top with a small amount of cheese and toasted tortillas. Repeat step. Finish with third toasted tortilla. Spread tomato, cheese, green onion and jalapenos on top and broil for 3-4 minutes on cheese melts. Keep a close eye on oven to make sure not to burn. Top pizza with diced avocado and serve.

Spanish Chicken and Rice

Its June 1st today and I saw snow on cars as I drove home from work tonight. June 1st!!! Looking back at my second post in June of 2008 it snowed on June 7th last year! So we really aren't too far off in terms of "summer" in the Rockies. I believe we will have snow on the ground when I wake up for my early morning run before work at 7am. Oh how I love living at 9000 feet! I was imagining a warm comforting dinner tonight. Dave will need it after coming home from kayaking tonight. Yes, snow, rain and kayaking. I know, I know. No need to say anymore. On to the dish...

Spanish Chicken and Rice
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 chicken breasts, cut into pieces
salt and fresh cracked pepper
1 medium onion, sliced
1 poblano pepper, sliced
3 cloves garlic minced
3/4 cup dry white wine (we used a Sauvignon Blanc)
1/2 C chicken broth
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, including liquid
1 cup long-grain white rice
1/4 t safron
1 cup frozen peas
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
1/4 cup pimiento-stuffed Spanish olives, chopped

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper and cook until golden brown, 2 minutes per side. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the wine, and scrape up any brown bits, simmer 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and their liquid, rice, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, safron and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 25 minutes. Stir the peas into the rice and chicken and cook, covered, until heated through, about 2 minutes. Spoon the chicken and rice onto individual plates and sprinkle with the parsley and olives.

recipe adapted from Cooking Light/Real Simple (picture from CookingLight/Real Simple)

Chipotle Rice and Black Bean Enchiladas

Most people know that we already have a REALLY good Chicken Enchilada recipe. I was very intrigued by the Chili Gravy and was excited to try a different take on an old favorite. I think this is more Texan with the gravy and all. The dish has a good kick. If you are a constant tester throughout the process of making dinner (like me) you may be worried that the rice is too spicy. Its not! It really had just the right amount of spice between the rice and the gravy. Add a dollop of sour cream and a little lettuce for crunch and this dish is perfect. We had enough filling for 10 tortillas. We ended up making two separate dishes and freezing one for later. Some may consider this a time consuming weeknight meal but it is well worth the effort! I'm glad I tried it and think you will be too.

Chipotle Rice and Black Beans

1/2 T canola oil
1/2 C diced onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 chipotle in adobo, minced
1/3 C uncooked rice
1 C chicken broth
3 T tomato sauce
1 can of drained black beans
1/2 t oregano

Shredded Cheddar cheese

Tortillas
Sour cream

Chopped lettuce

Heat the oil in a shallow saucepan that has a tight-fitting lid. Add the onion and cook until tender. Stir in the garlic, chipotle, salt and oregano sauteing an additional minute. Stir in the rice, and stir to coat. Add the broth and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil, cover, and then turn the heat down to low. Simmer for about 15 minutes, then add black beans and continue cooking until rice is tender. Remove from heat (but keep the lid on) and let sit while you make the gravy.

Chili Gravy

1/4 C vegetable oil
1/4 C flour
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 t salt
1/2 t powdered garlic
2 t ground cumin
1/2 t dried oregano
1/2-1 T chili powder
2 C chicken broth

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the flour and continue stirring for 3 to 4 minutes, or until it makes a light brown roux. Add all the dry ingredients and continue to cook for 1 minute, constantly stirring and blending ingredients. Add chicken broth or water, mixing and stirring until the sauce thickens. Turn heat to low and let sauce simmer for 15 minutes. Makes 2 cups.

Adapted from Homesick Texan

Assemble the enchiladas:

Preheat oven to 400°. Cover the bottom of baking dish with 1/2 cup chili gravy. Fill each tortilla with chipotle rice and beans and cheese. Place in baking dish seam side down and cover with remaining chili gravy. Top with shredded cheese and bake for 15 minutes or until sauce is bubbling and cheese is melted. Top with sour cream and lettuce.

Soft Taco Night

Tuesday night was the only night of this week that we will be eating at home. We've been really way too busy and need to slow down but each night we had a great time where ever we are! So on Tuesday I decided that we needed to use up some ground turkey. I really wanted to make turkey burgers but wasn't in the mood to get my hands all slimy. I really needed to vacuum and start/finish my book club book which I wanted to do on my back deck while I threw the tennis ball a thousand times to George! I had a lot to accomplish that night. Needless to say, I sat outside for about 20 minutes and read with a nice glass of wine but it was buggy and my neighbor was staining his deck and Saly kept walking over it! So we moved inside. Dave was kayaking and wouldn't be home until 8:30 or so. I started making dinner and then tried to read while watching some stupid show on Tori Spelling. I got wrapped up in that and didn't end up reading too much. Productive!

Turkey Soft Tacos

1 lb. ground turkey
1 t evoo
1 small onion diced
3-4 garlic cloves minced
14 oz can tomatoes (I used sauce since this is what I had on hand)
1 t chili powder
1 1/2 t cumin
1 1/2 t coriander
1 t kosher salt
1/4 t red pepper flakes
1/4 water
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
small soft tortillas

saute onion in medium skillet over medium heat for 2 minutes then add turkey and garlic. Season meat with salt, chili powder, cumin, coriander and brown. Add tomatoes turn heat down to low. Heat mixture until thickened and add just enough water to get to a good consistency. You may not need to water but I think that I let it reduce too much. Season with pepper flakes and add cheese. Heat until melted and serve with tortillas and avocado salsa.

Avocado Salsa
1 ripe avocado
10-15 cherry tomatoes halved
1 clove minced garlic
salt/ pepper

mix and serve.

Black Bean & Sweet Potato Burritos

Sadly, Pete and Jenny had to leave us on Sunday morning to continue their road trip down to Flagstaff. We had the best time with them!! Dave was so happy to have his bro around for the week. I'm sure Jenny would agree that seeing the two Little Brothers together is quite a sight! There is never a pause in the conversation between the two of them they can talk for hours on end! Dave was so excited to climb with Pete in Rocky Mt. National Park and boulder at Swan Mountain. Jenny and I had fun just sitting and listening to the two of them talk their way through two pitches. They are a well oiled climbing duo for sure. I have to say that Jenny and I did pretty well up on the rock as well! The entire week was amazing and we fit enough activity into 8 days to last us a lifetime! I know we exhausted them (we tend to do this) and I think we fed them pretty well too! We did knocked most of the items off the weekly menu Dave and I made before they came. I have a lot of updates to work on this week! So I best get started!

Friday we made the famous Black Bean & Sweet Potato Burritos that hail from Cara but originally came from the Moosewood Restaurant Cookbook. Wow are these good. I absolutely love these. Mexican food of any sort and Hilary get along pretty well! Use her recipe if you are more of a measuring kind of cook since I tend to eye ball things!

Black Bean & Sweet Potato Burritos

2 large sweet potatoes peeled and cubed
1 large onion diced
2 T vegetable oil
salt
4 large garlic cloves minced
2 T of canned green chili or fresh if you can get it
4 t ground cumin
4 t ground coriander
2 cans of black beans
2/3 C fresh cilantro leaves
juice of one lemon
flour tortillas
fresh salsa
shredded Cheddar cheese is optional and not necessarily needed but always good!

Preheat ove to 350. Boil sweet potatoes in salted water until tender- 10 minutes. Drain and set aside. While the sweet potatoes are cooking, warm the oil in a medium skillet or saucepan and add the onions, garlic, and chile. Cover and cook on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions are tender, about 7 minutes. Add the cumin and coriander and cook for 2 to 3 minutes longer, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat and set aside.In a food processor, combine the black beans, cilantro, lemon juice, salt, and cooked sweet potatoes and puree until smooth. Transfer the sweet potato mixture to a large mixing bowl and mix in the cooked onions and spices. Lightly oil a large baking dish. Spoon about 2/3 to 3/4 cup of the filling in the center of each tortilla, roll it up, and place it, seam side down, in the baking dish. Cover tightly with foil and bake for about 30 minutes, until piping hot. Serve topped with salsa. You can sprinke cheese over burritos before cooking if you want or just serve it as a side.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

EL Part 3

Wow was this a good dinner! We love going to the restaurant outside of Vail called The Minturn Saloon. Its pretty much a cowboy bar slash hole in the wall Mexican place with wide wood planked worn floors. Its carries some history so the vibe is pretty cool. My Dad is the first person in the family to visit. He was there back in the early 80s or even the 70s when he came out to ski with some friends. So he wanted to go there the first time he came out to visit us over 7 years ago. Dave and I loved this place! When we go out for dinner we tend to hit the less fancy but always dependable places. This is one of them. We only get to visit about twice a year and come to think of it I think were due for anther visit. So our favorite entree is the Shrimp Del Mar. Its a unique but delicious dish. I finally found a recipe that comes as close to the real thing. This definitely isn't a regular meal for us since it has a cream base. But it was worth it! Dave really enjoyed this!

Shrimp Del Mar

1/2 C red pepper diced
1/2 C green pepper diced
1/2 onion diced divided
3 t butter divided
1/4 oregano
1/8 t garlic powder
1/8 t cayenne pepper (or more)
salt/ pepper
1/4 heavy cream (I used half & half and would try milk next time)
1 1/2 T flour
2 C xtra sharp chedder cheese shredded
1/4 C light sour cream
1 lbs or less peeled, deveined shrimp
1 C diced tomatoes
flour tortillas

Preheat oven 350. Melt 2 t of butter and a dash of evoo in large skillet over medium heat. Add 3/4 of the onions and saute 4 minutes. Add peppers and saute until onion are translucent. Add flour and stir to coat 1 min. Add oregano, salt, black pepper, cayenne, garlic powder saute 1 min. Lower heat and add cream. Stir until slightly thickened add half of the cheese and stir until melted. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream.

In another skillet melt butter and remaining onion until softened and add shrimp. Salt and pepper and cook until just cooked through. Remove shrimp with a slotted spoon and roughly chop. Return to cheese sauce and pour just enough of the shrimp liquid to sauce. Do not over dilute the thickness. Add tomatoes and stir to combine.

Grease baking dish. Spoon shrimp mixture onto tortilla and roll, place in backing dish. Repeat until only the sauce remains. Pour remaining sauce over tortillas and shredded cheese. Bake for 25-30 minutes.