Mexican Tortilla Soup

This is the second time I've made tortilla soup on this blog.  My previous recipe uses tomatoes, but this one has a clear broth flavoured with chipotle peppers in adobo and cilantro.

It starts with a broth made from whole chicken legs, onions and garlic and adds a few beef bones for extra meaty flavour.

While the broth is simmering, fry two whole tortillas and 4 tortillas cut into strips. 

After simmering for an hour, the chicken is shredded.  Chipotles, cilantro, onion and crumbled fried tortillas are pureed and added to the broth.

The broth takes on a greenish colour with the puree added in.  The shredded chicken goes back into the soup and I added some corn as well. 

Once the soup is warmed through, place the garnishes in the bowl - avocado, chopped cilantro and shredded cheese.

Ladle the hot soup over the garnishes and top with fried tortilla strips. 

This soup is slightly spicy, hearty and warming. It makes a fantastic winter dinner. 

Here's the recipe, adapted slightly from Mark Bittman's Tortilla Soup recipe in the New York Times. 

Ingredients:
4 large chicken legs
2 meaty beef bones (optional)
1 medium onion, skin on, quartered
1 whole head garlic, halved, skin on
1/4 cup vegetable oil
6 corn tortillas
2 chipotles in adobo
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
salt
1 cup frozen corn (optional)
shredded cheese
diced avocado

Directions:

Place chicken legs, beef bones, garlic and 3/4 of onion in a large pot. Cover with water, about 10 cups. 

Bring to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer.  Cook for about an hour. 

Strain the broth through a fine sieve lined with cheesecloth or a coffee filter.  Set chicken aside to cool.  At this point you can also chill the broth to let the fat rise to the surface. 

Meanwhile, slice 4 tortillas into strips. Heat oil in a pan and cook 2 whole tortillas until light brown and crisp, about 1 minute per side. Remove tortillas and drain on paper towels.  Add tortilla strips to oil in pan and toss until brown and crisp, about 2-3 minutes. Drain strips on paper towels. 

Add the chipotles, 1/4 cup cilantro, the remaining 1/4 onion and a teaspoon of salt to a blender.  Crumble in the two whole, fried tortillas and add 2 cups of the broth.  Puree until smooth.

Remove the chicken from the bones and shred the meat. 

When ready to serve, skim the fat from the chicken broth and pour into a pot to reheat.  Add the chipotle mixture and bring to a boil.  Simmer for 10 minutes. 

Add the corn and chicken and bring back to a simmer to warm through.  Season with salt to taste. 

Add avocado, cheese and cilantro to serving bowls and pour soup over top.  Sprinkle fried tortilla strips over the top and add more cheese if desired.  

Enjoy! 

Fish Tacos

We have sought out fish tacos wherever we can get them on our travels.  They're a favourite of ours, so we decided to try them at home.  These are so easy and versatile,  You can use any kind of fish and an assortment of toppings.  

For our first try, we used tilapia.  It's a very mild fish that works well on the grill.  We sprinkled the fish with taco seasoning (cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, cayenne and salt), and grilled it for about 3-4 minutes per side until firm and opaque.

Tostadas

These tostadas are wonderful!  Matt went bananas for them.  Tostadas are fried, flat corn tortillas topped with beans, meat and vegetables.  You can be very creative in your toppings and make things from scratch or use shortcuts.  These have refried beans, shredded chicken in a smoky sauce, avocado, sour cream, lettuce, onions and radish, topped with Mexican queso.  

The tostadas themselves can be made or bought.  I found these at our local Asian grocery store that also has a great Latin food section.  I found four kinds of queso and real Mexican crema as well!  Instead of these you can buy corn tortillas and fry them in oil until crispy.  Or you can make your own corn tortillas and fry them.  The point is a crispy, flat shell to hold the toppings.  This dish was created to use up stale, leftover tortillas.  

Seared Tuna with Avocado, Soy, Ginger and Lime

Matt has been on a seared tuna kick recently and he orders it whenever we see it on a menu.  I happened to see some nice tuna at the seafood counter this week so I picked some up for him.  It is unbelievably expensive, but I got a small, 1/4 pound piece which made a nice appetizer for us.  Matt found the recipe and cooked the dish.  Great work!  It was delicious!

Here's what you need:

Chef's Salad with Home Made Ranch Dressing

Having a salad for dinner is in no way deprivation with this meaty, hearty chef's salad.   

I've long known that making your own salad dressing is best.  A vinaigrette made at home from oil, vinegar or citrus juice and fresh herbs beats bottled dressings with their sweeteners  binders and preservatives hands down.  Little did I know how easy it is to make a creamy ranch dressing with buttermilk, sour cream and fresh herbs.  

Souperday - Stoplight Pepper Chicken Fajita Soup with Avocado Relish

This is a really great soup. It's a full meal in a bowl and you can add or change the ingredients to suit your taste.  Make it spicy or mild. The avocado relish adds a delicious creaminess and will cool it down if you spice it up too much.  

For the soup you need:

• Red, green and yellow bell peppers (stoplight peppers)
• Jalapeno or other hot peppers
• 2 onions
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 carton chicken broth
• 2 cans fire roasted tomatoes (or one large can regular diced tomatoes)
• 2 cups frozen corn
• Juice of one lime

Plus two boneless chicken breasts and some spices:

For the spice mixture:

• 2 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

And finally for the avocado relish:

• 1 avocado
• 100g (3oz) queso fresco or soft goat's cheese or feta (I can't find queso fresco unfortunately) 
• Zest of 1 lime
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro or parsley
• 1/3 cup green onions

Mix your spices together.

Slice the chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces.

And sprinkle the chicken with 1.5 tablespoons of the spice mixture.

Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large soup pot.

Add the spiced chicken and sear both sides.

Take your colourful peppers.

Chop them up.

And add them to the pot along with the onions, garlic and hot peppers. Toss them together and sauté for a few minutes until slightly softened.

Then sprinkle with the remaining spice mix, stir and cook for a few more minutes.

Pour in the carton of chicken stock.

These tomatoes have a bit of smoky flavour. If you can't find them you could use a little chipotle or smoked paprika with regular tomatoes to get a similar flavour.

Add the tomatoes to the pot.

And the corn kernels.  Bring to a boil and simmer for about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile make your avocado relish.

Zest the lime.  Dice the avocado, chop the green onions and crumble the goat's cheese.

And mix it all together. My avocado was a little riper than is ideal so it's a bit messy but it still tastes great.

Serve up the soup in a big bowl.

And top with the avocado relish.

This is a nice, hearty soup that makes a great meal. I even added beans and rice to the leftovers for a different taste.  Yum!

Home Made Guacamole

So easy and delicious. This simple dish has gotten me more amazed compliments than anything else I've ever made. I shouldn't even share how simple it is, but everyone deserves to reap the accolades of home made guacamole!

My recipe varies based on what peppers and ingredients I have on hand, but here's the basics:

Ripe avocado, red onion, garlic, jalapeno and/or chili peppers, lime - and tomatoes if you like.

Chop the garlic, onions and chilis in a small food processor until very finely chopped.

Open the avocado and remove the pit.

Scrape the avocado flesh into a bowl with a spoon and then mash it with a fork.

Add the juice of one whole lime and plenty of salt.

Add the minced onion, garlic and chilis and mix.

Serve immediately if possible or cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate. The lime should keep it from browning for a few hours.


Serve with tortilla chips, chicken fajitas, fish tacos, taco salad, or anything you like. Double or triple the recipe with several avocados and more chili and lime and watch your friends go bananas for it!

Steak Salad with Mango, Avocado and Jalapeno Vinaigrette

I love summer salads. Grilled meat over fresh greens is such a nice, light treat on a summer evening. 

This salad is probably my favourite.  Tender strips of steak mix with the creamy avocado and tart mango in a spicy jalapeno dressing.  It makes a delicious, filling summer meal.

Here we have steak, mango, avocados, jalapenos, shallots, a lemon (lime if you have it), and a cucumber, radish and greens for the salad.  You'll also need black pepper, salt, olive oil, parsley or cilantro and queso blanco or chevre, which is optional but delicious.

First, season your steaks generously with cracked black pepper and salt.  I also added a little cumin.  Let them sit at room temperature while you prepare the salad and dressing.  I used New York Strip steaks for this, which are delicious. Tenderloin, sirloin or even flank steak are great as well.

Heat the grill to prepare the jalapenos.  Grill the peppers over very high heat until the skin is black and blistered.  You can also do this over a gas stove or under the broiler.

Once blackened, quickly throw the peppers into a plastic freezer bag and seal, or put them in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap.  The steam will loosen the skin from the peppers for the next step.

I vary the number of jalapenos I use, based on their hotness.  It isn't easy to judge but if they are super hot sometimes you only need one.  If they're milder, use two or three.  More than once I've made the dressing too hot to handle so I always add one pepper and taste before adding more.  

Let the peppers steam in their bag for about 10 minutes while you prepare the salad. Once they're cool enough to handle, peel the blackened skin from the peppers. I use gloves for this.

Then open the grilled peppers and remove the stem and seeds.  

Add parsley (or cilantro) to a small food processor or blender along with salt and lime juice.

Toss in the seeded, skinned jalapenos. Remember to start with one and add more if you can stand the heat.

Add about a tablespoon of water and about 3 tablespoons of olive oil and blend until smooth.

Now you can grill your steaks.

Grill about 5 minutes per side, depending on thickness until they're medium rare or however you like your steak done.  Let them rest while you assemble the salad.

I assemble the whole salad in advance except the avocado, which I chop at the last minute to avoid browning.  In a bowl toss lots of mixed lettuce with cucumbers, radishes, shallots, and mango.  Just before serving, slice the avocado.

Slice the steak.

Lay the avocado and steak over the salad and drizzle with the jalapeno dressing.

Then sprinkle with crumbled chevre, feta or queso blanco if you can find it.

This salad is so delicious.  I love the spicy dressing and the way the avocado, mango and cheese complement the crisp greens and tender steak.  This is a real winner!

Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:

2 8 oz steaks such as strip loin, sirloin or ribeye
salt and pepper

2 jalapeno peppers
juice of one lime
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1 tablespoon water
salt
3 tablespoons olive oil

8 cups salad greens
1 mango, peeled and sliced
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1/2 cucumber, sliced
4 radishes, sliced
1 avocado, peeled and sliced
Chevre, feta or queso fresco cheese, crumbled

Directions:

Grill jalapeno peppers over medium heat or use a gas burner on your stove to char the peppers all over. Once blackened, place in a plastic bag and seal. Let stand 10 to 15 minutes until skins are loosened.

Season steaks with salt and pepper. Grill, uncovered, 10 to 12 minutes for medium rare, turning occasionally. Remove from grill and let stand while preparing salad.

For dressing, remove and discard skins, seeds and membranes from jalapeno peppers (use gloves). Place peppers, lime juice, cilantro, water and salt in food processor. Cover and pulse on and off until combined. With motor running, slowly add oil until well blended.

Arrange salad greens on plates. Top with radishes, cucumber, mango and avocado slices.  Top with shallots and drizzle dressing over salads.  Slice steak and fan slices over each salad.  Sprinkle with cheese and serve.