Tortilla Meatball Soup

Ingredients



2 jalapeño peppers
1 red bell pepper
2 ears corn on the cob
4 (6-inch) corn tortillas, cut into 1/2-inch-thick strips
Cooking spray
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
6 garlic cloves, minced and divided
1/3 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1 pound ground sirloin
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 chipotle chile, canned in adobo sauce, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups chopped onion
2 cups (3/4-inch) cubed red potatoes
1 cup (1/2-inch-thick) slices carrot
3 cups fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
2 cups water
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 cup (1 ounce) shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation

1. Preheat broiler.


2. Cut jalapeños and bell pepper in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes. Place pepper halves, skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet. Arrange corn on baking sheet with peppers. Broil 4 to 6 minutes or until blackened, turning corn once. Place peppers in a paper bag; fold to seal. Let stand 15 minutes; peel. Mince jalapeños, and coarsely chop bell pepper. Cut corn kernels from cobs. Set aside.


3. Place tortilla strips in a single layer on a baking sheet; lightly coat with cooking spray. Broil for 3 minutes or until golden brown, turning after 2 minutes. Set aside. *Watch these! I burned 300 of  them*


4. Combine 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 garlic clove, panko, and the next 3 ingredients (through chipotle chile) in a large bowl, and gently mix until just combined. With moist hands, shape the meat mixture into 24 meatballs (about 2 tablespoons each).


5. Place a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add meatballs to pan; sauté for 8 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove from pan. Add onion, potatoes, and carrot to pan; sauté 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add remaining 5 garlic cloves; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add peppers, broth, and 2 cups water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 20 minutes or until vegetables are almost tender, stirring occasionally. Return meatballs to pan. Add remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and corn; return to a simmer. Cook 10 minutes or until meatballs are done. Ladle 1 1/2 cups soup into each of 6 bowls; top each serving with 4 teaspoons Monterey Jack cheese, 2 teaspoons cheddar cheese, and 4 teaspoons cilantro. Top evenly with tortilla strips.

*I added an additional chipotle pepper, chopped, in the soup as well as the meatballs*


Julianna Grimes, Cooking Light


OCTOBER 2011

Crockpot Carnitas

Okay folks, this is my first post and I gotta tell ya, I'm a bit nervous...

What to do when you're nervous about posting food for the entire world to read/see...?

Hide.

Or...

Post killer food.

Hence, this recipe for Carnitas.

It's "off the hook" yummy.

No, I don't normally talk like that.

Please stay...

I promise it'll be worth it.

So first thing you do is get either a pork shoulder roast or some boneless pork country style ribs. I think the ribs are easiest, cuz if you get the roast you have to take the time to cut it into chunks. I have four kids. I do not have time to cut meat both before I cook it and before it goes into their mouths. So I get the ribs.

Rub it all over with salt and let it sit in the fridge overnight. If you accidentally skip this step (eg. fall asleep on the couch with your mouth open at 9pm like I do) just salt the pork before you stick it in the crockpot.

Next, brown it in a big heavy pot. Put some oil in the bottom of the pot and sear the meat. If you are too lazy (or running late), never fear, cuz you can just throw it in the crockpot as is.

Salted, that is.

Above is the meat simmering away while I fold laundry.

Don't you love a crockpot meal?

And yes, that is a recipe for The Barefoot Contessa's Outrageous Brownies in the background, complete with chocolate smear.

Mix together in a small saucepan:

Some water,

1 Tbsp chile powder

1 Tbsp ancho chile powder

1 cinnamon stick

garlic (as much as you like)

2 tsp cumin

Warm the water and whisk the seasonings in. Pour it over the meat in the crockpot. If you decide you have the time to sear the meat first, you can do this in the pot you seared it in so as to deglaze the pot. This is not rocket science. You don't have to boil the water or even heat it up very hot.

Add 2 bay leaves to the crockpot, along with more water until the meat is 3/4 covered, and close the lid.

Cook on high for about 5 hours. My crockpot is veeeeeeeeeery old, however (as is my microwave, which takes about 5 min to pop a small bag of popcorn) so you may want to turn yours down to low. Just get the meat cooked until it's falling apart.

Next, shred the meat.

Spread it on a cookie sheet or jelly roll pan and heat your oven to 400.

Take the juice from the crockpot and put it in your gravy fat separator (aren't you glad you have one and are using it more than one time a year at Thanksgiving...? You're welcome).

After about 15 minutes of roasting the meat, I pour a little of the juice over the meat, stir it up with tongs, then stick it back in the oven. I repeat this 2-3 times. This is the crucial step. You don't want dry Carnitas. But you do want them CRISPY. So set your timer and make sure you don't forget about them while you're eating your BonBon's, reading your novel, taking your bubble bath....ahhhhh....

It should look like this (ignore the double jointed thumb and fingernail I chopped off with my BIG knife while slicing tomatoes, please):
We love this meal.

It doesn't even matter if it's on paper plates.

Top with coleslaw (mix up some mayo, lime juice, cilantro, and apple cider vinegar for a quick dressing), avocado, Cotija cheese, sour cream, spread refried black beans on the tortilla, whatev's...

Toast your corn tortillas and you'll be in heaven.

And make the Barefoot Contessa's Brownies for dessert.

(Courtesy to David Lebovitz, adapted from his Carnitas recipe)

Tilapia Tostada's with Black Beans

I saw this recipe while watching Melissa d'Arabian's show on Food Network. I thought it looked lovely... and while i didn't have all of the correct ingredients on hand, i had the most important ones... Tilapia and Avocado!
Melissa's is here if you want to check it out.

This is mine:
1 lime, zested and juiced. The limes were so hard at the grocery store today. I had to pop one in the microwave for 15 seconds just to get it going...
2-3 garlic cloves, pressed
a couple of tablespoons of EVOO
1 pound Tilapia, cut in 2 inch pieces.

I sauteed my black beans in evoo, some chopped white onion, ground cumin, salt and pepper, and about 1/2 a cup of chicken stock. I started these first, so i could let them soak in all the flavor.

Then I marinated the fish for 15 minutes. and stuck it in the broiler for 7-10 minutes, depending on how big your chunks are.

Fry up some corn tortilla's for your tostada shells, spoon on some of the beans and then the fish pieces and top with your favorite toppings. I put avocado and cilantro, tomato and red onion on mine.

**to those of my friends who DON'T like fish - try the tostada's with just the beans. My kids ate theirs this way (cause they ate the fish before i could put their tostada's together!) and it makes a pretty good meatless dish!

Chopped Salsa

Some friends of ours make this 'salsa' at most of their BBQ's. I stole it and made it my own!
I believe they said they got it from Sunset Magazine -- and I searched for it, but couldn't find the official name for it. I try to give credit where credit is due, in this case, I just can't!

So here's what you need:
1 can black beans (drained & rinsed)
1 avocado, diced (but since avocado's turn brown, try not to cut yours up until you are ready to serve!)
1/2 red onion, diced
2 tomatoes, diced
1 jicama ( i love jicama!! if you don't know what it is, click here)
2 ears of corn, shaved -or- 1/2 bag frozen corn, thawed

Dressing Ingredients:
a handful of cilantro, chopped
juice of 1 large lime or 2 small limes
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup evoo
cumin, toasted (heat a small skillet, pour a couple of teaspoonfuls of cumin and let it heat up... getting it nice and fragrant)
1 T honey
1 tsp garlic salt
-and if you like it to have a little kick, add a couple of drops of cayenne sauce)

Place all veggies on a platter, separated. Then, with a spoon, pour dressing over the top... use as little or as much as you want! (we also use the dressing for a marinade - it is especially good with chicken and shrimp.)

You can pretty much used any 'salsa' ingredient. If you like cotija cheese, I imagine it sprinkled on top is pretty good!

Serve with tortilla chips, in a salad, over steaks, chicken, etc... It's a really easy recipe and looks amazing all laid out of the platter.

Chicken, Potato, Greens, & Goat Cheese Quesadilla

I am revisiting this post from an earlier post... i feel like it needed a pretty picture.
also, it is a delicious recipe and so easy -- and different!!
try it and let me know what you think!

1 cup shredded rotisserie chicken
1 1/3 cups 1/2-inch cubes peeled Yukon Gold potatoes (about 2 medium)
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 1/3 cups (packed) coarsely grated hot pepper Monterey Jack cheese (5 to 6 ounces)
1 1/3 cups jarred salsa verde (tomatillo salsa)
a handful of coarsely chopped stemmed spinach/arugula (from 1 bunch), divided
4 8-inch-diameter flour tortillas
3 ounces chilled fresh goat cheese (i have used feta before) coarsely crumbled
Olive oil

Steam/boil potatoes until tender, about 8 minutes. Place in large bowl; sprinkle with salt, pepper, and chili powder. Toss to coat.

Arrange tortillas on work surface. Divide greens between bottom half of each. Top greens with sliced, chicken, potato mixture, jack cheese, then goat cheese and 2 tablespoons salsa mixture for each. Fold plain tortilla halves over filling, pressing to compact. Brush with oil.

Heat large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Place 2 quesadillas, oiled side down, in skillet. Brush tops with oil. Cook until quesadillas are brown, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to sheet in oven to keep warm. Repeat with remaining 2 quesadillas.

Cut each quesadilla into 3 or 4 wedges. Serve with remaining salsa.

the idea came from a bon appetit march 2007 issue - i've revised it, added chicken and instead of mustard greens, i chose spinach or arugula.

White Bean Chicken Chili

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups diced, cooked chicken meat
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 1/2 cups good chicken stock
1 (18.75 ounce) can tomatillos, drained and chopped
1 (16 ounce) can diced tomatoes- I use roasted, diced tomatoes
1 (7 ounce) can diced green chiles
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seed- I use fresh cilantro instead
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 (15 ounce) can white beans- I use white kidney beans
2 ears fresh corn, husked and cut from cob- I use 1 cup of frozen corn when I cant get fresh
salt and ground black pepper to taste
1-2 whole jalapeno's, sliced
1 small red or green bell pepper, chopped, optional

Ideas For Garnish:
sliced limes
sour cream
shredded cheese, my favorite is Jack
thin baked corn tortilla strips
avacado slices
thin sliced green onions

Heat oil, and cook onion, bell pepper (if using) and garlic until soft.
Stir in broth, tomatillos, tomatoes, chilies, jalapeno slices and all spices, (except fresh cilantro, add this at the very end).
Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes.
Add corn, chicken, and beans; simmer 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve with garnish choices

Red Beans & Rice

Living in Texas adds so many different flavors to my cooking. We have southern food (I tried, for the first time, black-eyed peas and collared greens on New Years Day). We have Tex-Mex, and being from California originally, it has been pretty hard to get used to.
I often find myself looking at the menu I had planned and just don't feel like making it. When I came up with this recipe, I was looking for something to make with a new Wild Rice blend I had found at the grocery store. I really loved the flavors of it all - and thought I would share with you!

Red Beans & Rice
1 cup Wild Rice (I used a white, brown, red, & wild rice blend)
1.5 cups Chicken Stock
1/2 tsp Salt
2 Garlic Cloves, minced (or more if you like!)
1/2 of an Onion, diced (any kind you prefer, I used red in this)
1 Rotisserie Chicken
1 can Kidney Beans, drained & rinsed
-- Combine first 5 ingredients in a medium saute pan and bring to a boil. Then cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
--While the rice is working, cut up the rotisserie chicken into bite size pieces.
-- Once rice is done, add the chicken and beans, stir to combine. Then cover over a small flame for another 5-10 minutes.
--I served this with tortilla's, chopped cilantro & diced tomatoes. I think a grated pepper jack would be delicious, even some sliced olives.
Or go a different way and drizzle with some BBQ sauce and grated cheddar cheese.

Shredded pork taco's (in the crockpot) with southwestern slaw

I'm going to write the recipe as I have it, and put in (what I actually did).. because I tweaked it a bit, and thought it was delicious... only cuz I was too lazy to make a grocery run.

The recipe starts with:


Dee's Roasted Pork for Taco's- dont know who Dee is, but it sure is a fine recipe, thanks Dee.

4 pounds pork shoulder roast (I used a pork tenderloin, o.. about a foot long or so..)
2 (4 ounce) cans diced green chilies, drained
1/4 cup chili powder (omit- didnt have)
1 teaspoon dried oregano (omit- didnt have)
1 teaspoon taco seasoning (used a whole envelope, Old El Paso dry taco seasoning)
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, or to taste (omit, due to the taco seasoning)
* I was cooking this in a crock pot, so I added 1 can of chicken stock, to keep it moist*
Get out yur crock pot. Plug it in. Put the roast in the crock pot. Dump in all other ingredients. Cook on low (I even turned mine from low to warm, cuz mine cooks really hot!).. Cook for as long as you want to... but at least 6 hours. I cooked mine overnight and it literally fell apart when I stuck a fork in to make sure she was done. Delicious!



Now make some slaw.. I made mine the same night I put the roast on to sit over night and it was so good.

3 cups shredded cabbage - or just get the bag, like I did
1 carrot, shredded (omit if the bag has it in it)
1 onion, diced (I used 1/2, mine was the size of a basketball)
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced (I used about 8 slices of pickled jalapeno from the jar)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup canola oil
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (I omitted in hopes my daughter might actually eat it)
salt and pepper to taste
In a bowl, mix the oil, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper. Add the cabbage, onions and peppers and mix it up. Put in the fridge for at least an hour if you have it, if not... its still good.
Warm up some flour tortilla's using either a dry skillet, or you can put right over the flame if you have gas and are feeling frisky. Create the taco using the meat, and slaw, add pico if ya want to and maybe some sour cream if you dare. enjoy!
adapted from recipe's I found on http://www.allrecipes.com/

Chicken Tostadas with Salsa Verde

flour tortillas
3/4 cup shredded pepper jack or monterey jack cheese
2 cooked and shredded chicken breasts
1 cup jarred green salsa, plus more for serving
1/4 cup chopped plus 2 tablespoons cilantro
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
shredded iceberg lettuce
diced tomatoes


Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange tortillas on a rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle cheese evenly over tortillas; bake until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, toss together chicken, salsa, 1/4 cup cilantro, and cumin. Spoon mixture evenly over tortillas; bake until heated through, about 8 minutes.
Top with lettuce, tomato, and extra salsa. Sprinkle with remaining cilantro.

serve with spanish rice and black beans

(adapted from an everyday food magazine recipe)

EASY CRESCENT TACO BAKE

I had a tube of crescent rolls in the fridge I was trying to figure out what to do with. So I logged on to http://www.pillsbury.com/ and I found this recipe, tried it and thought it was very good. It only took me 20 minutes to cook dinner! Awesome!
1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
1 lb lean ground beef
3/4 cup salsa
2 tablespoons taco seasoning mix
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (4 oz)
Shredded lettuce, as desired
Diced tomato, as desired

Sour cream, as desired
Heat oven to 375°F. Unroll dough; separate into 8 triangles. Place in ungreased 9-inch square pan or 10-inch pie plate (I would grease the edges because mine stuck) press over bottom and up sides to form crust. (Bake crust for 10 minutes)
In 10-inch skillet, cook beef over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thoroughly cooked; drain. Stir in salsa and taco seasoning mix; simmer 5 minutes. Spoon meat mixture in crust-lined pan; sprinkle with cheese.
Bake 10-15 minutes or until crust is deep golden brown and cheese is melted. Served topped with lettuce and tomato.

I would also add black beans, olives, green chili's..or jalapeno's. The original recipe said to fill the crust unbaked and bake for a total of 20-25 minutes. Mine came out brown at crust, but uncooked at bottom. So next time I will bake it for 10 minutes or so before I fill it.

CHICKEN, POTATO, GREENS, AND GOAT CHEESE QUESADILLA

1 cup sliced, COOKED, and seasoned chicken
1 1/3 cups 1/2-inch cubes peeled Yukon Gold potatoes (about 2 medium)
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 1/3 cups (packed) coarsely grated hot pepper Monterey Jack cheese (5 to 6 ounces)
1 1/3 cups jarred salsa verde (tomatillo salsa)
4 2/3 cups coarsely chopped stemmed spinach/arugula (from 1 bunch), divided
4 8-inch-diameter flour tortillas
3 ounces chilled fresh goat cheese, coarsely crumbled
Olive oil

Steam/boil potatoes until tender, about 8 minutes. Place in large bowl; sprinkle with salt, pepper, and chili powder. Toss to coat. Cool potatoes 15 minutes. Mix in Jack cheese. Meanwhile, blend salsa and 2/3 cup (packed) greens in mini processor until greens are finely chopped.

Arrange tortillas on work surface. Divide remaining greens between bottom half of each. Top greens with sliced, chicken, potato mixture, then goat cheese and 2 tablespoons salsa mixture for each. Fold plain tortilla halves over filling, pressing to compact. Brush with oil.

Heat large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Place 2 quesadillas, oiled side down, in skillet. Brush tops with oil. Cook until quesadillas are brown, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to sheet in oven to keep warm. Repeat with remaining 2 quesadillas.

Cut each quesadilla into 3 or 4 wedges. Serve with remaining salsa.

the idea came from a bon appetit march 2007 issue - i've revised it, added chicken and instead of mustard greens, i chose spinach or arugula.

SPICED TURKEY EMPANADA

my 7 year old love helping me make this one!

1/2 pound white-meat ground turkey
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon sweet chili powder
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 can (15 ounce) diced tomatoes, drained
1 cup green or black olives, chopped
2 tablespoon chopped pickled jalapeños (optional)
Vegetable oil cooking spray
1 pound raw frozen pizza dough, defrosted in the microwave or overnight in the fridge.

Heat oven to 400°F. Sprinkle turkey with salt, pepper, cumin and chili powder. Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Cook turkey, breaking up with a spoon, until brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, olives and jalapeños. Cover; reduce heat to low. Simmer until turkey is cooked through and tomatoes are soft, 3 to 4 minutes.

Coat a large cookie sheet with cooking spray. Cut dough into 4 equal portions. Pull dough into 4 flat disks, each 8 inches in diameter. Top each round with 1/2 cup turkey filling. Fold dough in half and fold bottom edge over top. Press closed. Transfer to cookie sheet and coat empanadas with cooking spray. Bake until dough is firm and golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Store empanadas in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

kid friendly: leave jalapeno's out

budget friendly: use ground turkey with both dark and light meat

self magazine march 2008 Jennifer Iserloh

CHICKEN CHILAQUILES

my kids love this version of chicken enchilada's with green sauce... a great stand-by in our house!

2 cups chopped, cooked chicken breast
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
2 T grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp chili pepper
salt & pepper to taste
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro
1 (11 oz) can tomatillos, drained
1 (4.5 oz) can chopped green chiles, drained
12 (6 inch) corn tortillas

1. preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. combine chicken, green onions, 1/4 cup monterey jack cheese, parmesan, chili powder, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. place milk and next 3 ingredients (through chiles) in a food processor or blender; process until smooth.
3. pour 1/3 cup tomatillo mixture into bottom of an 11x7 inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. arrange 4 corn tortillas in dish, and top with half of chicken mixture. repeat layer with remaining tortillas and chicken mixture, ending with tortillas.
4. pour remaining 1-1/2 cups tomatillo mixture over tortillas; sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup monterey jack cheese. bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes or until bubbly.

serve with black beans and spanish rice for a complete meal!

budget friendly: use chicken thighs instead of breasts.
make ahead: you can even double this, freeze it and serve it another night down the road...

cooking light july 2007