Slow-Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

This also works well on the stove top-adjust cooking times.

Ingredients

• 1 pound shredded, cooked chicken
• 1 (15 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, mashed (I use diced tomatoes)
• 1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chili peppers
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups water
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth, low sodium
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen corn
• 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
• Shredded cheese
• 7 corn tortillas
• vegetable oil

Directions

1.     Place chicken (you can put in frozen chicken breast and they will cook just fine then when you are ready to eat just cut up the chicken), tomatoes, enchilada sauce, onion, green chiles, and garlic into a slow cooker. Pour in water and chicken broth, and season with cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Stir in corn and cilantro. Cover, and cook on Low setting for 6 to 8 hours or on High setting for 3 to 4 hours.

2.     In my version, I eliminate steps 3-5 and just cut the tortillas into strips and fry them, but this way is healthier, or substitute corn tortilla chips.

3.     Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

4.     Lightly brush both sides of tortillas with oil. Cut tortillas into strips, then spread on a baking sheet.

5.     Bake in preheated oven until crisp, about 10 to 15 minutes. To serve, sprinkle tortilla strips and cheese over soup.

Garnish with cilantro or avocado.

Thanks to Tabitha for this great recipe.

RATATOUILLE

1-medium onion diced                                   1-small bell pepper cut in small pieces (optional)

1/4 cup oil                                                     1 can diced tomatoes-most of juice drained (save for later)

1- zucchini, cut into 1/4 inch cubes                 1-small eggplant, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch cubes

1 clove garlic minced                                      1/2 tsp basil 

1/2 tsp oregano  

Large skillet with a lid or dutch oven.

Saute onion in oil until translucent. Add all the remaining ingredients. Cover and cook over medium heat for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, adding a little of the tomato juice if needed.

May be served hot or cold.

CHICKEN COQ au VIN-GUINE
Brian Boitano from
"What Would Brian Boitano Make?" (p.100)

Ingredients

1/2 cup olive oil, divided
1/4 pound pancetta, chopped (bacon also works)
1 pound cipollini onions, peeled and sliced in 1/2 (pearl onions also work)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour ** see note below
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
1 pound crimini mushrooms, sliced (any mushroom works)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 bottle medium-bodied Italian red wine (Beaujolais Nouveau, Chianti, Pinot Noir are my favorite)
3 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 pound linguine
Fresh parsley leaves, roughly chopped

Directions

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook until brown and crispy about 8 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a backing sheet lined with a paper towel.  By using a baking sheet all the ingredients can be placed in a row on the sheet making clean up easier!

To the same skillet add the onions and cook until they just start to caramelize, about 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside on a baking sheet. While the onions cook, add the flour to a glass baking dish and season with salt and pepper. Add the chicken and toss to coat. ** We have found the flour coated chicken tends to stick to the pan too much.  I have eliminated this step and saute the chicken without flour only seasoning  with the salt and pepper as the chicken cooks.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the pasta and cook until al dente about 8 to 10 minutes.

To the same skillet add 3 tablespoons olive oil, add the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Saute the mushrooms until browned, about 8 minutes and remove to the baking sheet with the onions.

Shake off any excess flour from the chicken and put on a plate. Add 3 tablespoons olive oil to the skillet and add the chicken. Cook the chicken until browned, about 6 minutes and transfer to the baking sheet.

Turn the heat to medium and add the garlic and tomato paste. Cook for 2 minutes and deglaze the pan with 3/4 of the bottle of wine, making sure to scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. While the wine comes to a simmer, add the thyme, chicken, mushrooms and onions and let simmer for 3 minutes. If sauce is too thick add remaining red wine. Add butter, taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary.

Drain the pasta, transfer to a large serving bowl and top with the chicken and wine sauce. Garnish with the parsley, pancetta and a drizzle of the remaining olive oil.

ROASTED RASPBERRY CHIPOTLE PORK TENDERLOIN

1/2 cup Olive Oil
2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary leaves, plus 4-5 sprigs for garnish
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon sea salt
1-1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
2-1pound pork tenderloins cut in even slices 1/2 or 1" thick
1-1/4 cup Roasted Raspberry Chipotle Sauce
1/4 cup raspberries for garnish

Preheat oven to 425
In bowl, whisk together oil, rosemary, garlic salt and pepper.
Place tenderloins in baking dish and rub generously all over with oil.
Roast uncovered until internal temp is 155 degree F.
About 20-25 minutes.
Tent with foil loosely and let stand 10 minutes
While meat is resting heat the raspberry chipotle sauce until heated through not boiling.
Place meat on serving platter, pour sauce over. Garnish with rosemary and raspberries.

Moroccan Chicken Thighs
(This is a mix of Emeril's recipe and one I found in Granny's power co-op magazine)
Ingredients:
2 teaspoons olive oil
6 medium chicken thighs (any part of the chicken can be used)
1 onion, julienned
3 cloves of garlic, slivered
1 1/2 cups chicken broth, stock, or water
3 Tablespoons sweet Marsala or Madeira wine
2 Tablespoons honey
2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 cup chopped green olives
Chopped fresh cilantro to taste
 Directions:
Heat oil in a dutch oven. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and sear until golden brown on the skin side. Turn the thighs over and add onion and garlic, cook until vegetables are wilted about 4 minutes. Add enough stock/water to come halfway up the thighs, then add the spices. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to a simmer and cook for an hour until thighs are falling off the bone. Add in the olives and cilantro, cook for 10 minutes more uncovered. Remove the bay leaf and serve over rice.
Note: we like our chicken cut into pieces than served over the rice.

White Polish Borscht (my family's recipe)

I thought I had better pass this on before it gets lost.

Enjoy!

This is the traditional soup for Easter-served with Kielbasa, Ham, Rye bread, Sourdough bread and Hard boiled eggs.  For Wigilia-a mushroom based Borscht or beet based is often used.  We like this version so much that our family uses it for both menus.

The Stock: (Start at least 2-4  days in advance of serving)

1-3 pounds pork spareribs

1-2 quarts pickle juice ( I save pickle juice all year-I have a jar in the freezer we add to whenever pickle juice is available)

2-3 Tablespoons Sour Salt (Citric Acid)-we like it very sour; first time making go with less until you know your families taste.

1-2 pounds Kielbasa-simmer in 2 quarts of water.  After the Kielbasa has simmered about 30 minutes take the meat out and cool-cut into quarters to eat in soup later-refrigerate cut meat. 

Use cooking water for stock.

salt and pepper

In a large stock pot combine

Spareribs, pickle juice, kielbasa water, sour salt and at least 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper.

Fill remainder of pot with water to completely cover spareribs and have water less than 1/4 inch from top of pot.

Bring to a boil.

Set pot on lowest burner and let barley simmer for 24 hours.

After the stock has had time to mature-remove the spareribs and strain liquid.  Set pot in refrigerator for 12 hours.

Save meat from spareribs-mix with taco type seasonings and serve burrito style!

12 hours later

Remove pot from refrigerator and skim layer of fat from the surface.

Bring pot to a rolling boil

While pot is coming to a boil mix 6 tablespoons of flour (for every 4 quarts of stock *approximately) with milk to make a gravy type paste.  

Turn off stove

Add hot liquid to paste and then stir quickly into pot of stock stirring constantly to avoid lumps.  (should lumps occur use an immersion blender to smooth)

Bring pot to boil again stirring constantly.

Turn to simmer and simmer 10 min to mellow flour flavor

Adjust salt and pepper-if you want add another teaspoon of sour salt at this point.

Turn off stove.

Mix 3 eggs with 6 Tablespoons sour cream (for every 4 quarts of stock * approximately)

Slowly add hot stock to the sour cream mixture (avoid curdling)  Add the warmed sour cream mixture to the stock pot, stirring constantly.

Bring to a simmer and simmer approximately 10 minutes. Do not boil.

At this point I usually like to have at least 6-12 hours to let the broth mellow.

I cool the pot and place in refrigerator.

On the day of serving-warm Borscht slowly-avoid boiling.

Simmer gently until serving temperature.

Adjust Salt, pepper and sour salt if needed.

I also like to add the seasoning Spike at this time.

Serving suggestions:

Serve soup over a mix of Kielbasa, ham, hard boiled eggs and bread (all cut in chunks)

Use Horseradish and Beet Horseradish as desired.

Enjoy

Remember this recipe is all about preference.  The amounts given are not exact and can be changed to meet your own palate.

You may freeze the stock before adding the flour and sour cream mixtures.

Potato cheese soup
6 Cups peeled and cubed Potatoes
1/2 cup chopped carrots
3/4 cup chopped onions (we like the sweet onions)
3 cups chicken stock (not broth)
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 Tablespoons Flour
3 Cups heavy cream
5 cups shredded cheddar cheese (we like to use 2 to 2-1/2 cups of gruyere and the remainder cheddar)
1-1/2 cups cooked chopped bacon
In a large stock pot , add potatoes, carrots, onion, chicken stock, salt and pepper . Simmer until veges become tender.
In a separate bowl mix the flour and heavy cream. Add to the soup mixture and cook until soup become thick. Stir in cheese and bacon. Simmer until cheese is well melted and soup is thick. If you feel soup needs to be thicker add more flour and cheese.