Chicken Taco Soup

I first tried Chicken Taco Soup at a luncheon I attended a couple of years ago. I loved it! The lady who had made the food for the luncheon happened to be sitting right next to me and she shared the recipe with me. The recipe below recommends that you make it in a slow cooker. I think you can also cook it on the stove for 1-2 hours and still get a tasty soup!

I made this soup for a winter birthday party and the guests loved it! It's a great one to make when serving a large group of people! Make it in an electric roasting pan.

I follow the Chicken Taco Soup Recipe from All Recipes.com but I don't use taco seasoning. I use a combination of spices recommended in one of the comments for the recipe. I also buy a roasted chicken and shred it. I add the shredded chicken the last hour of cooking.

Here is the recipe I use:

Chicken Taco Soup
Ingredients
1 onion, chopped
1 can of chili beans
1 can of black beans
1 can of whole kernnel corn, drained (or 1 to 2 cups of frozen corn)
1 8 oz can of tomato sauce
1 12 oz can of beer
1 can of Ro-Tel diced tomatoes with green chiles, mild
1 can of diced tomatoes
1 packages of taco seasoning* (SEE BELOW for a make-your-own recipe)
3 whole skinless, boneless chicken breasts (or about 4 cups of meat from a roasted chicken, shredded)

*Spices to replace using taco seasoning as recommended in a comment:
1 Tablespoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

Toppings (optional):

-green onions, chopped

-Cheddar cheese, shredded

-corn tortilla chips

-sour cream

Directions
1. Place the onion, chili beans, black beans, corn, tomato sauce, beer, and diced tomatoes in a slow cooker. Add taco seasoning, and stir to blend. Lay chicken breasts on top of the mixture, pressing down slightly until covered by the other ingredients. Set slow cooker on low and cook for 5 hours.

2. Remove chicken breasts from the soup, cool, and shred. Add to soup an cook for 2 more hours. If you don't use uncooked chicken breasts, add the cooked roasted chicken an hour before you serve the soup.

3. Serve with the optional toppings and enjoy!

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Beef Stew

We purchased grass fed beef again this year from Dan of Prairie Lane Ranch. Except this year we bought beef by the cut rather than sharing a 1/4 beef. We bough lots of ground beef, cubed steaks, beef for stew, a few roasts, some steaks, and oxtails. 

This week a I used the beef for stew to make, well, beef stew and it was delicious. The meat was so tender and tasty and this was a simple recipe with basic ingredients. The recipe is from Paula Deen on the Food Network.

Old-Time Beef Stew

INGREDIENTS

• 2 pounds stew beef
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 cups water
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 clove garlic, peeled
• 1 or 2 bay leaves
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• Dash ground allspice or ground cloves
• 3 large carrots, sliced
• 3 ribs celery, chopped
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch

DIRECTIONS

Brown meat in hot oil. Add water, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, bay leaves, onion, salt, sugar, pepper, paprika, and allspice. Cover and simmer 1 1/2 hours. Remove bay leaves and garlic clove. Add carrots and celery. Cover and cook 30 to 40 minutes longer. To thicken gravy, remove 2 cups hot liquid. Using a separate bowl, combine 1/4 cup water and cornstarch until smooth. Mix with a little hot liquid and return mixture to pot. Stir and cook until bubbly.

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Pumpkin Bread

This bread is great! I found the recipe on Epicurious and have made it twice in 3 days! I made a minor change and that was to add 2 1/2 cups of sugar instead of 3. I might even just make it with 2 cups next time. Also, I made one loaf and regular-sized muffins and mini-muffins. The regular muffins cooked in about 30 minutes and the mini-muffins in about 20 minutes.


Spiced Pumpkin Bread
INSTRUCTIONS

• 3 cups sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 3 large eggs
• 1 16-ounce can solid pack pumpkin
• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts (optional)

PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour two 9x5x3-inch loaf pans. Beat sugar and oil in large bowl to blend. Mix in eggs and pumpkin. Sift flour, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, salt and baking powder into another large bowl. Stir into pumpkin mixture in 2 additions. Mix in walnuts, if desired.

Divide batter equally between prepared pans. Bake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Transfer to racks and cool 10 minutes. Using sharp knife, cut around edge of loaves. Turn loaves out onto racks and cool completely.

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Sweet Dumpling Squash

I had two dumpling squash sitting around begging to be cooked so I made this recipe I found on the blog Dreamy Dish (found the blog on the Googles). It's easy and basic and yummy!

Sweet Dumpling Squash

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Cut the squash in half, and remove the seeds and extra bits with a spoon.  Turn upside down, and poke some holes in the skin with a fork.  Turn it back over, and place each half into a baking dish filled with an inch or so of water.

In each squash half, put the following ingredients, sprinkling spices on the top edge, too:

1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon brown sugar

Bake uncovered on the middle oven rack for 40-45 minutes, or until tender.  Each half enthusiastically serves 1!

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Zucchini Bread(s)

Tonight I made two different zucchini bread recipes because I still had some zucchini that was given to us by our neighbor a few weeks back. I shredded it, froze some, and used some for bread. I didn't intend to make two different recipes but decided it was the perfect time to compare two recipes from Paula Deen. I also didn't intend for this to become a competition (and it really isn't) but I know have a clear favorite!

The first recipe I made was this one by Paula Deen and comes from the Food Network. I made it a year ago and it was great! I made it a few months ago and it wasn't so great. I don't know why it was so different but it seemed too moist and looked so sad. The center sank and the flavor was okay but the bread was just too heavy. I thought I'd give it another chance tonight and it looks pretty sad again. I haven't had a chance to taste it but I think it is going to be too heavy/moist.

The second recipe is another recipe by Paula Deen and is very similar the the first one but calls for a little bit less of each ingredient. You use the same amount of oil, though. Hmm??? Another difference is that you add baking powder. Oh, and this one also has chocolate chips AND orange rind! This recipe is baking right now but it already looks 100% better than the first recipe! (Looks like it's Paula Deen's recipe from 2008 on the Food Network.)

Recipe #2: (the winner)
Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3 eggs
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups grated zucchini
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 tablespoon orange zest
• Whipped cream, for serving
• Zucchini ribbons, for serving

Directions

Preheat oven at 350 degrees F. Grease (2) 9 by 5-inch loaf pans.

Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, spices and baking soda.

In a large bowl, beat eggs until light and fluffy. Add sugar, and continue beating until well blended. Stir in oil, vanilla, zucchini, pecans, chocolate chips, and orange zest. Stir in sifted ingredients. Pour into prepared loaf pans.

Bake for 50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove loaves from pans and cool. Chill before slicing. Serve with whipped cream and ribbons of zucchini.

Recipe #1:

Zucchini Bread

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3 eggs
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups grated zucchini
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 tablespoon orange zest
• Whipped cream, for serving
• Zucchini ribbons, for serving

Directions

Preheat oven at 350 degrees F. Grease (2) 9 by 5-inch loaf pans.

Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, spices and baking soda.

In a large bowl, beat eggs until light and fluffy. Add sugar, and continue beating until well blended. Stir in oil, vanilla, zucchini, pecans, chocolate chips, and orange zest. Stir in sifted ingredients. Pour into prepared loaf pans.

Bake for 50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove loaves from pans and cool. Chill before slicing. Serve with whipped cream and ribbons of zucchini.

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Potato Salad Recipe from Everyday Food

This is a potato salad recipe I've been making for over 6 years and have never posted here. Even though it is tabbed in my magazine, I'm kind of getting tired of looking through the first few years of magazines to figure out which one it's in.

Potato Salad with Sour Cream and Scallions
Everyday Food July/August 2005
Ingredients

• 2 pounds white new potatoes, quartered and cut into 3/4-inch chunks
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 3/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 1/4 cup light mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions, plus more for garnish (optional)
• 4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled, for garnish (optional)

Directions

1. In a large pot, cover potatoes with salted water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer until potatoes are tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp paring knife, 12 to 15 minutes. Drain well.
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together sour cream and mayonnaise; add warm potatoes, and gently fold to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Cover; refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.
3. To serve, season salad again with salt and pepper, if needed; fold in scallions. Garnish with bacon and more scallions, if desired.

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Green Chile w/Pork

I've been craving green chile lately which is strange because it's not a dish I typically eat or like much. I had some homemade green chile recently that was made by my brother-in-law's neighbor and it was very good! The chile was more about the chile and less about the pork or the roux. I was so intrigued by it and maybe that's why I'm craving green chile?

I looked for a recipe online and found too many that had strange and non-authentic ingredients. I found the recipe below and liked the simplicity of the ingredients. I made a few changes, mainly because of the ingredients I had on hand, and it turned out well. My first try at green chile was about 15 years ago and it wasn't very good so I never made it again, until now.

My changes to the recipe were:

-fresh garden-grown tomatoes, not canned

-pre-cooked pork called "carnitas"--purchased at Costco

-canned Hatch green chiles--four 4 oz cans (this makes me cringe a little but it worked! Fresh roasted or frozen roasted green chile would probably be best!)
-water, not chicken broth

-I used the smallest amount of cumin, not 2 tablespoons

-I did not use chili powder at all

I found this recipe at Food.com.

GREEN CHILE W/PORK

• -2 -3 lbs pork roast (pre-diced pork works well for a faster preparation. Just brown with onions)
• -2 tablespoons cooking oil or 2 tablespoons lard or 2 tablespoons bacon grease
• -1 large chopped onion (not traditional) (optional)
• -1 head minced garlic (taste great, but also helps prevent heart burn)
• -6 tablespoons flour
• -1 (15 ounce) can tomatoes, drained
• -2 cups diced green chilies (I use Big Jims, roasted, peeled and frozen by the bushel every fall)
• -3 large tomatillos, husks removed and coarsely chopped (optional)
• -2 -4 teaspoons jalapenos (optional)
• -5 cups water (broth is not traditional, but I like the flavor better) or 5cups chicken broth (broth is not traditional, but I like the flavor better)
• -2 tablespoons ground cumin (or to taste)
• -2 tablespoons ground chili powder (or to taste) (optional)
• -1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. 1
   Simmer roast in a large pan until meat is tender and removes from the bone easily. (You can also use diced pork, or pork cube steaks (cut to bite size pieces), browned in the pot with the onion and garlic before adding the rest of the ingredients).
2. 2
   Cool meat enough to handle.
3. 3
   Cube cooked pork into bite size pieces.
4. 4
   Process 1/2 of the green chilies until smooth.
5. 5
   In the same large pan, melt the lard or bacon grease (or heat oil).
6. 6
   Add onions and garlic; sauté until tender but not brown.
7. 7
   Stir flour into the onion, garlic and fat until flour absorbs the oil or fat.
8. 8
   Add broth or water.
9. 9
   Cook and stir until mixture comes to boil and is slightly thickened.
10. 10
    Add cubed meat, drained tomatoes, chopped tomatillos, all of the green chilies and jalapeños if desired (taste first).
11. 11
    Add the spices a little at a time until you get the taste you like, bringing to a simmer before each addition.
12. 12
    Simmer for at least 1 hour (longer if you can afford the time), stirring occasionally to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
13. 13
    If you want more of a stew type chili, add cubed potatoes 20 minutes before serving; serve with warm tortillas.
14. 14
    Serve over burritos and garnish with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and sour cream.
15. 15
    Leave pork out for a vegetarian green chili sauce.

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