Chicken Tortilla Soup

Here is a delicious recipe for Chicken Tortilla soup from one of my very favorite people.  My Aunt Cyndee is a great cook.  She is especially adept at Mexican cooking, so when she gave me this recipe in a cookbook filled with some of her favorites, I knew I had to try it.  I already have this recipe for Chicken Tortilla Soup on this blog (eerily posted almost one year ago to the day), but they are really so different that they can hardly be called the same soup.  This one is a little bit more work, but still easy enough for a weeknight meal.  Plus it was DELICIOUS!  I was going to skip on frying my own corn tortilla strips and I am SO glad I didn't.  The freshly-fried tortilla strips and the avocado really make this soup something special.  My middle son even had 3rds, so it is relatively kid-friendly!!!  I also doubled the tortilla strips and they ALL got eaten.

Oh, please excuse my blog.  I am in the process of changing it up a bit.  Please give me your opinion on the current background.  Is it too depressing?  I thought it was cool (but it does border on depressing I think- especially for those of us in bleak, cold ND right now).  Give me your thoughts!

Here is what you will need to get started.  Except for the crushed red peppers...pretend they are peppercorns in a pepper grinder, K?

Chicken Tortilla Soup

1/2 c. onion, chopped

1 tsp. minced garlic (I LOVE garlic, so I added about 1/2 Tbsp)

2 Tbsp. butter

32 oz. low-sodium chicken broth

16 oz. Salsa (I use my own homemade)

2 c. cooked, shredded chicken breasts (I like to boil mine while I am chopping and sauteing vegetables)

1/2 c. chopped red bell pepper (I used 1 whole)

1/4 tsp. coarsely ground pepper

2 bay leaves

1/2 c. Canola oil

6 (6-inch) corn tortillas, cut into 1/2" pieces

Kosher Salt (to lightly sprinkle on hot, cooked tortillas, optional)

1 c. shredded Cheddar cheese

Sour Cream

In Dutch oven, cook onion and garlic in butter over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until onion is tender.  Add chicken broth, salsa, shredded chicken, bell pepper, pepper, and bay leaves.  Bring to a boil.  Cover; reduce heat to low.  Simmer, stirring occasionally, 20 minutes.  Remove bay leaves.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat until hot.  Fry tortilla strips in oil until light golden brown.  Remove with a slotted spoon and place on paper-towel lined plate to soak up excess oil.  Sprinkle a bit of kosher salt on, if desired.  

Ladle soup into bowls and top with avocado, shredded cheese, sour cream, and tortilla strips.  

Enjoy!

Source: Aunt Cyndee

Menu Plan Monday

Oh, my it is going to be a crazy week.  I have just consented to letting my just-turned-eight-year-old have his first ever big sleepover birthday party.  I said he could have 4 friends come and spend the night.  Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers.  


Monday:  Chicken Tortilla Soup


Tuesday: Slow Cooker Beef Stew


Wednesday: Northwoods Wild Rice Soup & Butter Dips


Thursday: Balsamic Glazed Salmon Fillets


Friday:  Pan Seared Chicken with Artichokes and Pasta


Saturday:  Homemade Pizza with my Homemade Crust, Breadsticks with Parmesan Butter & Chocolate Cake with Ice Cream (Quinn's Birthday Party!!!!)


Sunday: Best Beef Dip Ever 


Superbowl Appetizers: 
*Chili Con Queso Dip
*Broccoli Cheese Dip
*Little Smokies
*Veggie Tray
*Lofthouse Cookies

The Best Taco Meat

Taco's are a staple around our house.  For the past few years, I have been buying Tones Taco Seasoning in the big container from Sam's Club.  It was our favorite packaged taco seasoning.  In the past 1 1/2 years or so, I have been making an increased effort to do more things from scratch.  I just really like knowing exactly what is in our food (hello taco bell meat scandal).  I didn't mess with our taco seasoning, I just didn't think I could find anything with as good of flavor and tacos were one of our treat meals, something we usually have on Friday nights (alternating with pizza night).  

At the gym a couple of days ago, I was discussing how I needed to get home to make taco meat for our teacher conference meal.  I fellow foodie/gym rat (who once gave me a cookie while I was running on the treadmill) told me about her favorite taco meat recipe.  I know she is a great cook, so I just had to give it a try last night!  It is just fabulous and really very easy!  I know I won't be buying taco seasoning anymore!  Even my kids thought this was way better!!  The original recipe came from America's Test Kitchen, I just doubled it because 1 lb. of taco meat just doesn't cut it around here.  Enjoy!  

The Best Taco Meat

Ingredients:

1 1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 large onion, minced

6 garlic cloves, minced 

4 tablespoons chili powder 

2 teaspoon cumin
2 tsp. coriander

1 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 tsp. salt

2 lbs. lean ground beef

8 oz. tomato sauce

1 cup low sodium chicken broth

4 teaspoons cider vinegar

2 teaspoon light brown sugar

Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, spices, and 2 teaspoon salt and cook until fragrant about thirty seconds. Stir in the ground beef and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon until no longer pink, about five minutes. Stir in the tomato sauce, broth, vinegar, and sugar until thickened, about 10 minutes. Season with salt to taste. 

Make-Ahead Version: The filling can be fully prepared, cooled, covered tightly, and refrigerated for up to three days. Reheat over medium-low heat, adding additional water to adjust the consistency.

Source: America's Test Kitchen

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cookies are TO DIE FOR.  No matter how many basic cookie recipes I try, this is the one I keep coming back to.  It is just downright perfect.  The original recipe came from my husband's family cookbook (that I keep talking about...it is a goldmine folks) and was shared by his mothers twin sister, Brenda.  I did change the recipe from shortening to butter.  I try to keep things more natural and I much prefer my family to be eating butter over shortening.  Shortening does make the cookies more fluffy, while using butter causes you to have a flatter cookie.  I have heard that it helps to refrigerate the cookie dough until it is nice and cold, but I haven't tried it because when I make cookies I want 'em NOW!    

This time, I used 1 c. chocolate chips and 1 c. m&m's for no other reason than I didn't have enough chocolate chips.  Use a combo of any chips you like, you can't go wrong!  

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 c. butter, softened

3/4 c. brown sugar

3/4 c. white sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 c. flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

2 c. chocolate chips

2 c. quick oats

Cream butter and sugars.  Add eggs and vanilla and mix well.  Add flour, soda, and salt and mix well.  Stir in chips and oatmeal.  Drop by spoonfuls on cookie sheet.  Bake at 350* until they are just barely turning brown on the edges, 6-7 minutes.

Menu Plan Monday

Monday:  Chili & Cornbread

Tuesday:  Busy night, LEFTOVER night!

Wednesday:  Balsamic Glazed Salmon Fillets

Thursday:  BBQ Beef Bites

Friday: Homemade Pizza with my Homemade Crust

Saturday:  Slow Cooker Beef Stew

Sunday:  Chicken Tortilla Soup

Beef with Snow Peas

A Chinese recipe on Diary of a Recipe Addict?!?  Shocking, I know.  I can't help it, my whole family loves Chinese food.  Back in the day (before I was a SAHM) we got Chinese take-out frequently.  When we moved to Bismarck, ND we could never find a Chinese place in town that we thought quite measured up to the ones we loved in Fargo.  For a long time, we ate little to no Chinese food.  Within the past few years I have discovered some Chinese recipes that are nothing short of fabulous.  As a matter of fact, last week I went to a sit down Chinese restaurant with a good friend (it is hailed as the best place in town).  While the food was good, I really think I can do better these days.  Not to mention I can feed my whole family (plus leftovers for my husband for lunch) for less than the $16+tip that it cost for my daughter and I to eat there for lunch portions!  

In the interests of full-disclosure, this isn't technically Beef with Snow Peas.  It is really Beef with Sugar Snap Peas, because that is all they had for fresh peas in my grocery store.  It is ND, and it is January.  I am just thankful that there were ANY fresh peas that looked half decent.  

Beef with Snow Peas

1-½ pound Flank Steak, Trimmed Of Fat And Sliced Very Thin Against The Grain

½ cups Soy Sauce

3 Tablespoons Sherry Or Cooking Sherry

2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar

2 Tablespoons Cornstarch

1 Tablespoon Minced Fresh Ginger

8 ounces, weight Fresh Snow Peas, Ends Trimmed

5 whole Scallions, Cut Into Half-inch Pieces On The Diagonal

3 Tablespoons Peanut Or Olive Oil

Crushed Red Pepper, For Sprinkling

Jasmine Or Long Grain Rice, Cooked According To Package

In a bowl, mix together soy sauce, sherry, brown sugar, cornstarch, and ginger. Add sliced meat to bowl and toss with hands. Set aside.

Heat oil in a heavy skillet (iron is best) or wok over high heat. Add snow peas and stir for 45 seconds. Remove to a separate plate. Set aside.

Allow pan to get very hot again. With tongs, add half the meat mixture, leaving most of the marinade still in the bowl. Add half the scallions. Spread out meat as you add it to pan, but do not stir for a good minute. (You want the meat to get as brown as possible in as short amount a time as possible.) Turn meat to the other side and cook for another 30 seconds. Remove to a clean plate.

Repeat with other half of meat, allowing pan to get very hot again first. After turning it, add the first plateful of meat, the rest of the marinade, and the snow peas. Stir over high heat for 30 seconds, then turn off heat. Mixture will thicken as it sits.

Serve immediately over rice. Sprinkle crushed red pepper over the top to give it some spice.

Source: Pioneer Woman

Gracie's Chocolate Muffins

A couple of weeks ago, my daughter wanted to play Nick Jr.  She hadn't played in quite some time, so I set her up with her very favorite Holly Hobby Dress-up game, then I went about my business.  Shortly after, she came up to me with a print out.  I began to scold her, because my kids have been known to have an little problem regarding printing stuff.  As in, they would use my entire ink cartridge in one day and send me out for another if I didn't put my foot down.  Before I was able to really get on her, she said, "But MOM!  It is a recipe!  I HAD to print it so that I could make it!"  Now, how can I be mad at that?  A girl after my own heart, printing out recipes when she could be playing computer games.

We made the muffins, and I must say they were DELICIOUS!  Nice choice Grace!  Her brothers appreciated her effort very much!  She was very excited for me to blog her recipe too, so here it is!

Gracie's Chocolate Muffins

1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour

1 c. sugar

1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 c. milk

1/2 c. (1 stick) butter, melted

1/2 c. chocolate chips

Additional Chocolate chips for sprinkling on top

Preheat oven to 375*.  Grease or line with paper cupcake liners a 12 muffin pan.

Combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, soda, and salt in a medium bowl.  Whisk to blend.

Add the eggs, milk, and melted butter.  Stir until just blended.  Stir in the chocolate chips.  Spoon into the prepared pan.  Sprinkle a few additional chocolate chips on top of each muffin.   Bake until puffed and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean; 18-20 minutes.  Transfer to a wire rack and cool 5 minutes.  Invert and cool completely.  

Makes 12 muffins

Source: Slightly adapted from a recipe Grace found on Nick Jr.