19 posts tagged “mexican”
Burgers are one of those things I really love, but rarely make. I guess I just never think of them as an option when I'm making a list of dinners for the week. But the other day, I was wandering aimlessly around Whole Foods when I saw Ezekiel buns in the freezer. Now, I have loved Ezekiel bread for the longest time. Recently, I came across Ezekiel wraps, and have been hooked on those for lunches. And now I have found Ezekiel buns. Oh, Food for Life, I will have to put you right up there with Kashi on my list of irrestistible product manufacturers.
It's no secret that I love Mexican and Tex-Mex flavors, so I went that route with these burgers. I spiced the burgers pretty simply and subtly, stuffed them with cheese, and made a chipotle ketchup of sorts. Here's a suggestion - cut your cheese into smaller chunks so it actually melts while the burger cooks. Not that I am complaining about running into a big chunk of cheese mid-dinner, but a little melty goodness would be better.
I confess I was a little lazy with the chipotle ketchup. Normally I would start any stovetop condiment/sauce/etc. with onions and or garlic but I really didn't feel like doing much chopping. I mean, I was already trying to make something relatively easy by throwing ingredients into one bowl. But, it still tasted great. So by all means if you are more motivated than me, add the onions and garlic. But I don't think they're necessary.
Tex-Mex Burgers with Chipotle Ketchup
Makes 4 burgers
1 lb. ground beef or sirloin
1/2 cup sliced scallions
2 cloves garlic, pressed or finely minced
2 tsp. worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. oregano
3/4 tsp. aleppo (or other) chili powder
2 Tbsp. fresh chopped parsley
a few dashes of cayenne pepper
1 tsp. salt
ground pepper to taste
2 oz. monterey jack or cheddar or whatever kind of cheese you want
Chipotle Ketchup
1-2 chipotles in adobo (depending how spicy you want it)
1 Tbsp. cider vinegar
1/2 cup crushed tomatoes
1 tsp. brown sugar
salt and pepper
Make the ketchup, by combining all the ingredients into a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for a few minutes to marry the flavors, and taste for seasoning. Set aside to cool slightly as you make the burgers.
Mix all the ingredients for the burger (except the cheese) into a bowl. Divide the mixture into 4 parts and stick a piece of cheese in the center of each part, pressing around it to seal it in.
Grill or broil the burgers until done. Garnish with anything you'd like.
Honestly, why is it that I am always compelled to make things for blog events that look like ass? I feel like I am always sticking a disclaimer on my entries that says, "Sorry this doesn't photograph well, but I promise it tastes good!"
OK, so, to be a broken record, this is precisely the case with this recipe. There are so many food blogging events that I've been wanting to participate in lately but have been so busy I haven't had the chance. I made it a point, though, to participate in Savory Pies, an event hosted by my friend Ivy at Kopiaste.
Now, you know me. You know I eat pretty healthfully most of the time. Pies are not so healthy. I mean you could make them with phyllo, which is much better than typical crust, but then you have to use all that butter between the layers. And for whatever reason, I can't justify the cooking oil spraying between each layer instead of the butter or oil. I mean, I am healthy but first and foremost I am Greek! That's borderline blasphemous. :)
That said, the only thing I might change in this is to add a little more fat to the crust. I was trying to keep this relatively low-cal which is why there is only 2T of fat in it, but let's be honest, more fat = tastes better. Otherwise, this is a nice dinner version of everyone's favorite dip--the 7 layer one! I decided to make the crust with cornmeal - something I love in my plasto - because corn just goes so well with Mexican/Tex-Mex dishes. This looks like a long process but it's really not bad. You can make the beans while your crust bakes and your ground beef mixture right after. And, since everything is already cooked, the final baking of the pie is really only to melt the cheese. I went ahead and used the same pan for the beans and the meat and I already had the food processor out for the pie crust, so why not use it for the bean layer, too? This made for some easy cleanup on my part.
7-Layer Pie
Crust - Layer 1
3/4 cup corn meal
1/4 cup masa harina or regular flour
1 T cold butter
1 T canola oil
pinch of salt and a little ground pepper
cold water or milk
Preheat the oven to 375.
Combine the corn meal, flour, butter, oil, salt & pepper in a food processor and pulse to combine. Slowly add a little cold water or milk until the consistency is such that you can pinch some of the mixture with your fingers and it sticks together a bit.
Spray a deep dish pie pan with a little cooking oil and then press the mixture into the dish to form a crust. Prebake for about 12 minutes and then set aside.
Black Beans - Layer 2 (<--- Mmm, isn't that a pretty picture? LOL)
This is the same way I make beans as a side, but this time I pureed them for more of a refried bean-like consistency.
1-2 tsp. canola oil
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 tbsp. tomato paste
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. chili powder
1/2 cup chicken broth
squeeze of fresh lime juice (optional)
Heat a skillet over medium heat and add the oil to a shimmer. Stir in the onions and cook until tender. Add garlic and tomato paste and saute an additional minute. Add the beans, chicken broth, bay leaf, cumin, chili powder and oregano. Simmer to combine flavors. Squeeze fresh lime juice in mixture if desired. Pulse the mixture in your food processor until it is a spreadable consistency. Of course you don't HAVE to do this, but I just felt this was more dip-like.
Ground Beef - Layer 3
1 lb. ground beef or sirloin
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1.5 tsp. cumin
1.5 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. oregano
1/3 cup beef broth
salt and pepper
Brown the beef and the onion together until the beef is cooked and the onion is translucent. Drain the fat. To the pan add the garlic, sauteing until fragrant. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer over low until thickened. Season to taste if necessary.
Cheese - Layer 4
1 cup shredded cheese
After you have layered the crust, beans, ground beef & cheese, bake the pie in the oven for about 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and everything is warmed through. Top with the remaining layers:
Sour cream - Layer 5
1/3 cup sour cream
Tomato - Layer 6
1 large tomato, seeded and diced
Olives - Layer 7
1/3 cup sliced olives
Okay, you got me. This piece doesn't have sour cream on it (yet) because it was a leftover piece. Nor is it reheated. Congealed cheese, anyone? And the pic above? The reason it's so close up is because I didn't want to store the remaining pie with the sour cream on top. Who wants to eat hot sour cream when reheated? Not me.
It's actually pretty rare for my grocery store to have tomatillos, which is why I appreciate the canned version I have been able to find at Whole Foods. Last time I went to WF, even they didn't have fresh tomatillos. I don't get it.
Last week, I was grocery shopping when I not only saw tomatillos, but saw them on sale. Now, I am a bit of a planner. I plan our meals out for the week--maybe not by the day, but I make a list of meals and ingredients and shop from that. I *try* not to stray from the list because I want to save money and not waste food. Clearly, though, these sale priced tomatillos were a sign from the food gods--who, incidentally, have NOT been giving me any clear signs as to how to use this southwestern pasta blend that has been sitting in my cupboard forever. So, I threw them in my cart, had Tom grab a poblano pepper for...something, and thought about what to do with them later.
Which, as you have probably guessed, is where the southwestern pasta came in. I never knew how to use this pasta because I was always afraid the sauce would overpower the noodles. I decided to make a relatively mild sauce that is similar to a salsa verde to complement the flavors in the pasta. I threw in some tequila-lime flank steak for protein and there you have it. This was pretty damn delicious and of course it would be great on regular ol' pasta. I am going to submit this over to the lovely Ruth who runs Presto Pasta Night.
On a semi-related note, what do you, dear reader, consider "light?" You see, I tag healthy things in this blog as "light" but I have a really hard time making a judgment call on some things. Like this dish for example. To me, it's pretty low cal for a meal that just needs a salad as a complement. But do you think 14g of fat is too much? Does the carb-o-rificness of this dish negate its healthfulness? I am torn. Please weigh in (no pun intended). But not just on this dish, in general. For now, I am leaving the light tag off this one.
Southwestern Pasta with Flank Steak and Tomatillo-Poblano Sauce
Serves 4
1 poblano pepper
1 Tbsp. canola oil
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. tomatillos, cored and quartered
1/4 cup chicken broth
3/4 tsp. cumin
juice of 1/2 a lime
1/3 cup light sour cream
1/2 cup black beans
4 cups cooked southwestern blend or other pasta
Tequila-lime flank steak (recipe follows)
Cilantro (optional)
Shredded cheese (optional)
Directly over a gas burner or in the broiler, char the poblano on all sides until it blisters. Put it in a bowl and cover it with plastic wrap until it is cool enough to handle. Peel it and dice it.
In a large sauce pan, heat the oil. Add the onions and cook until translucent, then add the garlic, poblano, tomatillos, cumin, salt and pepper. Saute for a minute and then stir in the chicken broth. Cover, turn the heat to low or medium-low and let simmer while your steak marinates (about 20 minutes). Take the pan off the heat and add the lime juice. Season to taste if necessary. Then, put the mixture into a food processor, along with the sour cream and pulse process until well combined. Put the sauce back in the pan and add the black beans, stirring to warm them through.
Toss the sauce with the pasta and the flank steak. And that evil cilantro, if you want ;)
Tequila-Lime Flank Steak
1/2 flank steak (about 10 oz.)
2 Tbsp. tequila
1/2 Tbsp. canola oil
juice of 1/2 a lime
cumin, oregano, salt and pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients and let marinate at room temperature for 20 minutes. Grill or broil the steak to your desired doneness. Let rest under a foil tent for a few minutes before slicing.
Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 453 / Fat: 14g / Saturated Fat: 4g / Carbs: 51g / Fiber: 5.6 / Protein: 24.5g
If you use whole wheat pasta (always encouraged!) you will up your fiber and protein.
Enchiladas, much like lasagna, do not photograph well. Or at least they sure don't for me.
But enchiladas (much like lasagna) taste much better than they look, so that's okay.
I admit I don't make enchiladas very often at all, even though I love them (I am usually an enchiladas suizas or enchiladas con poblano mole kinda gal at a Mexican restaurant). I'm too lazy to make separate components and then fill/roll them, so I usually end up doing a layered casserole/Mexican lasagna of sorts instead (or our staple tamale pie with chicken instead of beef). But, I had a few chipotles in adobo sitting in my fridge, and I was thinking they would make a nice smoky-spicy enchilada sauce, so I decided to go about this the old fashioned way.
The chipotles in adobo were a great touch to the sauce, giving it a little more kick and depth than your usual enchilada sauce. I did a really basic filling, and of course you could modify that to your liking.
Chicken Enchiladas with Chipotle Sauce
1 Tbsp. canola oil
1 lb. chicken, cooked and shredded
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. cumin
salt and pepper
12-14 corn tortillas
canola oil or cooking spray
2 cups Mexican blend or cheese of your choice, shredded
1 batch enchilada sauce (recipe follows)
Preheat the oven to 350. Spray a large baking/casserol dish with cooking oil and then pour about 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce into the baking dish, barely covering the bottom.
In a large pan, heat the oil. Then add the onion and cook until translucent. Add the garlic, chicken, oregano, cumin and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for a little while over low to combine the flavors.
Heat another pan over mediym heat and either spray with cooking spray, or add canola oil to the pan. Add the corn tortillas one at a time, leaving in the pan for about 2 or 3 seconds per side - enough to make them pliable and have a little taste of oil.
Add half the cheese to the chicken filling, or just put about 1 Tbsp of cheese in each tortilla. Fill each tortilla, roll, and place seam side down in the prepared dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the rolled tortillas, making an even layer and coating all enchiladas. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup of cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 5.
Chipotle Enchilada Sauce
1 Tbsp. canola oil
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 chipotles in adobo (depending on how hot you want it), minced, plus 2 tsp. adobo sauce
1 Tbsp. flour
1 cup chicken broth
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
2 tsp. chili powder
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. cumin
salt and pepper
In a medium sauce pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent. Stir in the garlic and chipotle and after about 30 seconds, add the flour. Cook off the raw flour and then add the broth, tomato sauce, chili powder, bay leaf, oregano, cumin and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer to combine the flavors as your prepare the rest of the meal. Season to taste if necessary. Puree if you want - I went ahead and pulse processed this to make it nice and smooth.
Susan the FoodBlogga has one of my favorite blogs. Everything is always so fresh, simple, and beautiful. When I saw she was hosting a blog event, Beautiful Bones, I knew I wanted to participate. The event asks bloggers to make a calcium-rich dish to bring awareness to osteoporosis.
I was actually planning on thinking something up and making it next week for the event, since I already had my dinners planned out for the week. But, as I was reviewing the event on Susan's blog (and also inputting my meal into SparkPeople), I realized the chicken salad I was making was mighty high in calcium. Cheese? Check. Sour cream? Check. Avocado? Check. Black beans? Check. Lime? Check. Corn tortillas? Check. Tomatoes? Check. Oregano? Check. Tequila? Okay, that's not high in calcium but it's good to have.
When all is said, calculated, eaten and done for, this salad provides you with a shade under 40% of the recommended calcium intake for the day. w00t! It's good to know I am naturally planning calcium rich foods without really thinking about it.
I suppose this is what is called a "Santa Fe Chicken Salad." Honestly, I have never had one of these concoctions before in a restaurant, but that goes without reason. I love all the components in this salad and it's a nice twist on a boring ol' grilled chicken salad. I haven't calculated the nutritional value for this (other than the chicken itself) because it will really vary based on whether you use full fat cheese, sour cream, ranch, etc. If you don't, this is definitely a light, healthy and filling salad. Take that, osteoporosis!
Santa Fe Chicken Salad
Serves 2
Tequila Lime Chicken
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 4.5 oz. each)
1 lime, zested and juiced
2 Tbsp. Tequila
2 Tbsp. orange juice
2 tsp. canola oil
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. chili powder
2 cloves garlic, smashed
salt and pepper
Combine the lime juice and zest, tequila, orange juice, canola oil, spices and garlic and whisk together. Pour into a dish or resealable bag along with the chicken and refrigerate for 30 minutes - 2 hours (any longer and the acid in the citrus could start to "cook" the chicken).
Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper and then grill or saute the chicken, basting with the marinade, until cooked through (about 4-5 minutes per side).
Nutritional information per piece, if consuming all marinade (which, you probably won't): Calories: 225 / Fat: 7g / Carbs: 4g / Protein: 29g
Dressing
1/4 cup salsa
2 heaping Tbsp. sour cream
2 Tbsp. ranch dressing
hot sauce (optional)
Combine all ingredients (and a few dashes of hot sauce, if you'd like) and refrigerate as you make the rest of the salad.
Salad
3-4 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
1 large tomato, diced
1/2 avocado, diced
1/3 cup black beans, drained/rinsed
1/3 cup corn
1/3 cup cheddar jack cheese
2 corn tortillas
cooking spray
Cut the corn tortillas into squares and spray with oil. Bake at 350 in your oven (or toaster oven, as I like to use for these small jobs) until crispy.
Combine the remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Toss with the dressing and then stir in the crispy corn tortillas. Top with chicken.
Tom and I love flank steak but it's been ages since we've had it. What used to be a very inexpensive (but still tasty) red meat has shot up in price lately, I guess due to its popularity. But, I found flank steak quite cheaply last week, so I decided to buy a few pounds.
Last night, I made a really simple (but really good) rub for the flank steak and broiled it. This keeps the calories really low (no oil for pan frying or marinating) without sacrificing taste.
Since I used some Mexican flavors in the steak, I wanted to complement it with some Tex-Mex-y sides. I decided to make some corn cakes, layer those with a black bean saute (probably my favorite way to make black beans), the flank steak and finally some salsa.
This doesn't LOOK all that appetizing, but I promise you it's good stuff.
Sugar and Spice Rubbed Flank Steak
1 (1.5 lb.) flank steak
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. cumin
2 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground pepper
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
Preheat your broiler and spray the broiler pan lightly with cooking spray.
Combine the brown sugar, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper and cayenne. Rub the mixture onto the flank steak, coating it completely and pressing firmly to make sure it adheres. Let the meat rest with the spices (at room temperature) for about 15-20 minutes. Broil for about 4-5 minutes per side, for medium rare. Allow to rest under an aluminum foil tent for 5 minutes or so before slicing against the grain.
Nutritional Information for just the flank steak (per 4 oz. serving): Calories: 206 / Fat: 9.2 / Carbs: 6.7g / Fiber: 1.2g / Protein: 23.6g
I was going to make homemade tortillas to serve with our spice-rubbed flank steak, but I wanted something with a little more bulk. I decided to make some corn cakes instead and they were great!
I made two large cakes out of this mixture, so that we could layer the cake with some black beans and the steak, but you could definitely make several smaller cakes with this mixture, to be used as appetizers or snacking or what have you.
Corn Cakes
1/2 cup corn
1/4 cup masa harina (you could also just use AP flour)
1/4 cup cornmeal
good pinch of salt
cayenne and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 tsp. baking powder
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup milk (or buttermilk)
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
canola oil, for pan frying.
Combine the masa, cornmeal, salt, peppers and baking powder in a bowl. Add the milk and the beaten egg. Depending on the texture you want (I wanted something a little firmer), you could always add some more milk to resemble something more pancake-like. Stir in the corn and cheese.
Heat canola oil in a skillet (I use a nonstick skillet to minimize the amount of oil). Add spoonfuls of the mixture to the skillet (depending how big you want the cakes) and press down lightly with a spatula. Cook until one side has set and is golden brown. Flip and cook the other side until golden.
During the holidays, I read Ruth Reichl's Tender at the Bone: Growing Up at the Table. Reichl, now the editor of Gourmet magazine, used to be the food critic for the New York Times. This book is about some of her earlier adventures in life, food and otherwise. I really enjoyed the book, though I think I prefered Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise, which focused on her time as the NYT critic. At any rate, one of the great things about Reichl's books is that they are sprinkled with recipes throughout. When I saw the recipe for a pork and tomatillo stew based on the version at a restaurant where Reichl used to waitress (The Swallow), I bookmarked it to try soon.
I made the stew tonight, with a few changes since I can never follow a recipe, and it turned out well. It was a little too liquidy for my tastes and the orange flavor just a tad too strong. I would probably reduce the OJ by a couple ounces next time around. It wasn't overly orange-y, I would have just prefered it to be slightly less sweet. I did think it might be too much at the beginning but I figured the beer and tomatillos would mellow it out--and it did quite a bit. Don't get me wrong...it doesn't taste like it has 12 oz of orange juice in it :)
Unfortunately, I don't like cilantro. I have tried and tried and tried but it just tastes like potpourri to me. It's one of those things I really wish I loved. In my experience, you either love cilantro or you loathe it. If necessary, I can tolerate it in small amounts, but I'd rather not So, although they don't really have similar flavors, I used parsley in this recipe instead because it's more palatable for me.
The Swallow's Pork and Tomatillo Stew
adapted from Ruth Reichl
1/4 cup vegetable oil (I used 2 Tbsp. canola oil)
8 large garlic cloves, peeled
2 lbs. lean pork, cut into cubes
1 bottle dark beer (I used a Goose Island ale)
12 oz. orange juice (would use 1 cup next time)
1 lb. tomatillos, halved
1 lb. Roma tomatoes, peeled and cut in half
2 large onions, chopped
2 jalapenos, diced
1 bunch cilantro or parsley, chopped
1 Tbsp. ground cumin (not in original recipe)
1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
salt and pepper
Topping
1 cup sour cream
juice of one lime
In a saucepan, add the beer, orange juice, tomatoes and tomatillos. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat, simmering until the tomatoes are soft. Set aside.
Meanwhile, heat the canola oil in a dutch oven or stockpot. Add the garlic cloves and stir to coat with the oil. Sprinkle the pork with salt and pepper and then add it to the oil, in batches, to brown on all sides. Remove from the dutch oven. Add the onion and jalapeno and saute until tender, 5 or 6 minutes.
Add the tomatillo mixture to the dutch oven, scraping the bottom of the pot to be sure you are getting all the browned bits. Add the pork, cilantro, cumin, salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat to low. Cook, partially covered, for about 2 hours.
Taste for seasoning. Add the black beans and cook an additional ten minutes, uncovered.
For the topping, stir the lime juice into the sour cream.
Serve the stew over rice, and top it with the sour cream.
I was trying to think of something different than the usual pasta/pizza/wraps to make with leftover chicken from the bird I roasted yesterday and came up with croquettes. I didn't really feel like serving them with veloute or gravy, and was rummaging around in my fridge when I came across some sour cream that needed to be used up. That inspired me to make the croquettes a little tex-mexy in nature.
These were really good. I just took the basic idea of the croquette and added a roasted poblano and some chili powder/cumin. I've had a recipe for chipotle chicken taco salad from Cooking Light saved to try for a while now, so I stole their idea for the dressing and used that to top my croquettes, which I decided to serve over a black bean/corn saute.
Chicken Croquettes
Makes about 6 croquettes
1 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. flour
1/4 cup chicken stock
1 heaping Tbsp. sour cream
1/2 small onion, finely diced
1 clove garlic, pressed
1 poblano pepper, roasted, peeled and diced
1 cup cooked chicken, finely chopped/shredded
cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper to taste
flour, for dredging
1 egg, beaten
breadcrumbs or panko, for dredging
canola oil
sour cream-chipotle dressing for topping
In a small saucepan, melt the butter. Add the flour and make a roux. Slowly add the chicken stock and whisk until thickened. Off the heat, stir in the sour cream. Set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, cook the onion and garlic in a little canola oil or some cooking spray until tender. Add the chicken, poblano and the seasonings, Stir for a couple minutes so the flavors can mingle. Season to taste. Combine the stock sauce with the chicken mixture. Refrigerate for an hour or longer.
Form the mixture into patties. Dredge the patties first in flour, then in the beaten egg, and finally in the panko or breadcrumbs. Heat canola oil in a skillet (I use nonstick so I can use less oil) and pan fry the croquettes a couple minutes per side, or until nicely browned and crisp.
As for the bed of black beans/corn/pepper stuff (and yes, that is the technical, culinary term), I just sauted a diced onion, a cup of pepper strips and 2 cloves of garlic in a little canola oil. To that, I added a can of drained/rinsed black beans, about 1/2 cup of salsa and another 1/2 cup of corn. Seasoned it to taste with some cumin, chili powder, oregano, salt and pepper.
(And not my mama's, either.)
I don't like tomato soup. To me, it's just so boring and so bland. I need something in my soup, whether it's meat or a starch or...something. And in general I am not crazy about tomato based soups. I much prefer stock and cream based. Of course, most people would disagree with me and think I'm crazy for not loving America's favorite soup. Not to mention, there are so many people that absolutely love the combination of grilled cheese and tomato soup. Unfortunately, I was never one of them. Not that I don't love grilled cheese...but I'll take mine with fries, thankyouverymuch.
That aside, I do love tortilla soup, which obviously has tomato base to it. Tortilla soup is one of my favorites. I tried making it last year with mediocre results, so I thought I'd give it a whirl again. I saw this recipe on Delish a couple weeks ago, and I also had this recipe from Wolfgang Puck/Food Network saved in my online recipe folder. I liked the recipe at Delish because of the abundant use of peppers and the bay leaf. I liked Puck's because of the corn tortillas and the tomato paste (I tend to prefer paste in soups over juice/crushed/diced tomatoes). So, I basically combined the two recipes and it turned out great!
I started to think of what I could make to accompany tortilla soup that was sort of grilled cheese like, and came across pupusas--stuffed El Salvadoran thick tortillas. I have plenty of masa to use and love homemade tortillas, so I decided to go with them.
For today, I just filled the pupusas with chihuahua cheese. I used this method, although I definitely used more water than a 1:2 ratio to the masa. And, I added a pinch of salt. Next time I'll experiment a little more with the filling, but overall we really enjoyed them. Homemade corn tortillas are so much softer/puffier/more delicious than the store bought kind.
Chicken Tortilla Soup
2 Tbsp. vegetable, canola or corn oil
1 large chicken breast
2 corn tortillas, cut into 1" squares
2 large anaheim chili peppers, diced
1 large poblano pepper, diced
1 jalepeno, minced
1 cup corn (cut from the cob or frozen/thawed)
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tomatoes, cored, seeded and chopped
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
1/2 Tbsp. ground cumin
1 bay leaf
2 qts. chicken stock or broth
salt and pepper
In a stockpot, heat the oil. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper and then cook it in the oil, just to brown on both sides. Add the tortilla squares and cook over low heat until they are slightly crisp. Add the peppers, onions and corn and stir until they are coated by the oil. Add the tomatoes, cumin, bay leaf and tomato paste and simmer for 10 minutes to combine the flavors and cook the vegetables.
Add the chicken broth and salt and pepper to taste. Bring the soup to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Simmer over low heat for about 20-25 minutes, until the flavors have developed and the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken from the soup and slice or chop.
Season the soup to taste, if necessary. Remove the bay leaf and pulse process the soup in your food processor (in batches, if necessary). Add the chopped chicken back into the soup, and garnish with your favorite toppings.
Nutritional Info Per Serving for the Tortilla Soup (based on 5 servings): Calories: 191 / Fat: 7.5g / Carbs: 18.4g / Fiber: 3.1g / Protein: 15g
