Last week I didn't do much blogging due to the fact that I was one: busy, and two: trying out new things. I will first list the original recipe and then my adaptation. They were all good.
Mexican Chicken SoupBarefoot Contessa's recipe from the Food Network (see below). It looked super good when I saw her make it, I however did not load mine with cheese and sour cream like she did. It was still delicious and I love how you use the corn tortillas to thicken the soup. I served mine with chips, avocado and lime.
Ingredients (MEAT VERSION)
nocoupons- 4 split (2 whole) chicken breasts, bone in, skin on
- Good olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups chopped onions (2 onions)
- 1 cup chopped celery (2 stalks)
- 2 cups chopped carrots (4 carrots)
- 4 large cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 1/2 quarts chicken stock, preferably homemade
- 1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes in puree, crushed
- 2 to 4 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander seed
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves, optional
- 6 (6-inch) fresh white corn tortillas
Directions
For serving: sliced avocado, sour cream, grated Cheddar cheese, and tortilla chips
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
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 shred the meat. Cover and set aside.
Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the onions, celery, and carrots and cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, or until the onions start to brown. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the chicken stock, tomatoes with their puree, jalapenos, cumin, coriander, 1 tablespoon salt (depending on the saltiness of the chicken stock), 1 teaspoon pepper, and the cilantro, if using. 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 shredded chicken and season to taste. Serve the soup hot topped with sliced avocado, a dollop of sour cream, grated Cheddar cheese, and broken tortilla chips.
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Using this recipe as an inspiration to make my
Spicy Tortilla Soup Ingredients (VEGGIE VERSION)
- Good olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups chopped onions (2 onions)
- 1 cup chopped celery (2 stalks)
- 2 cups chopped carrots (4 carrots)
- 2 ears corn chopped off the cob
- 4 large cloves garlic, chopped
- 1-2 quarts vegetable stock (I used one and made a thicker soup)
- 1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes in puree, crushed
- 2 to 4 serrano peppers, seeded and minced
- 1 can dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon whole coriander seed
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves, optional
- 4 (6-inch) fresh corn tortillas cut into strips
heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the onions, celery, and carrots and cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, or until the onions start to brown. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the chicken stock, tomatoes with their puree, serranos, cumin, coriander, 1 tablespoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, and the cilantro, if using. 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. Serve the soup hot topped with sliced avocado, and broken tortilla chips.
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Shephard's Pie VEGGIE VERSION(for the original Meat recipe check out the archives from May)In the original version this is a rather heavy meal with the cheesy mashed potatoes and red meat. This is a lighter version with no cheese and added protein and fiber with the added vegetables and beans. It was SO good and still had the same benefits of being able to be made ahead of time and popped in the oven.
Ingredients: Mashed Potatoes - 2 large baking potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 1/2 Onion, diced
- 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2/3 can White Beans, drained but not rinsed (reserve the rest)
- 1 Tbs. Olive Oil
- Thyme (dried is ok)
- 1-2 Splashes of Whole Milk
- 1-2 Tbs. Butter
Veggie Filling- Olive Oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 sweet onion, diced
- 4 stalks celery, sliced
- 3 carrots, peeled and sliced
- 2 stalks broccoli, peeled and sliced
- 2 ears corn, cut off cob
- 1/2 c. frozen lima beans
- 1/2 c. frozen peas
- 1/3 can white beans, drained but not rinsed
- 1/2 c. Crushed Tomatoes
- 1-2 tsp. flour
- 1/4 c. dark beer, yengling
- 1/4 c. broth ( I used beef broth, but a true vegetarian would use vegetable)
- Crystal Hot Sauce 3-4 pours (to taste)
- Salt & Pepper (to taste)
- Thyme (to taste)
- Red Pepper Flake, a couple shakes (to taste)
Mashed Potatoes: (Make mashed potatoes first, and then set aside. Just don't eat them all!)Boil peeled and cubed potatoes in a large pot of salted boiling water until potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat up 1 Tbs. Olive Oil. Saute onion until caramelized then add drained cooked potatoes. Salt and pepper and thyme to taste. Cook until potatoes start to brown. Then add minced garlic. Saute 1 minute until fragrant. Pour white beans in and cook until they are heated up. Then pour the mixture back into the empty potato pot. Add butter and a splash or so of milk and smash potato mixture. Season with salt, pepper and thyme to taste. Set aside.
Veggie Filling: Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Heat up olive oil in large skillet. Then saute onion, carrot, celery, and broccoli stalks. Once veggies begin to get browned add garlic and corn, saute for 1-2 more minutes. Season with salt, pepper and thyme to taste. Add lima beans, peas and beans. Mix well and heat up. Then mix in the crushed tomatos, these will begin to lose a little moisture as they heat up. Sprinkle the flour over all the veggies and saute 1-2 minutes until the flour taste has been cooked out. Then add the beer and veggie (or beef) stock. Stir through the veggies incorporating all flour, this should make a thicker sauce. Taste and season again with salt, pepper, red pepper flake, crystal hot sauce and thyme.
Once veggie filling tastes savory and ready pour entire mixture into a medium oven safe casserole dish. Top with mashed potatoes making sure entire mixture is covered to all edges of the casserole. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until potatoes are golden brown and the veggie mixture is beginning to bubble up around the edges.
Serve.
:)
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