Saturday, January 29, 2011

Tortilla Soup

4 T corn oil
4 corn tortillas, torn in large pieces
2 cloves elephant garlic, minced
1 1/2 T epazote (this is a fresh herb found in Mexican markets) omit if you can't find
1 cup onion puree
2 cups tomato puree (I did 6 oz tomato paste and 8 oz tomato sauce)
1 T cumin
2 t chili powder
3 bay leaves
8 cups chicken stock
dash cayenne pepper
4 chicken breasts cooked and chopped
1 avocado, diced
1 C. cheddar cheese, shredded
1 C. Monterrey jack cheese
6 corn tortillas cut in strips and fried (I used tortilla chips)

*In a large stock pot, heat corn oil. Saute epazote, garlic, and tortillas briskly until soft. Add onion and tomato purees.
*Bring to a light boil. Add cumin, chili powder, bay leaves, and chicken stock. Simmer and add salt and cayenne. Continue to cook for 45 min
*Remove bay leaves. Puree mixture and return to heat for 20 min.
*Place chicken avocado, fried tortillas and cheese in a bowl pour soup mixture over and serve immediately.


***I added corn and black beans to the soup, good flavor but made it much thicker.

Onion Puree

Ok I made this up the other day because I needed onion puree for another recipe so here is what I came up with.

2 T butter
1 small white onion chopped
1 sprig Thyme
1 bay leaf
2 cloves of garlic chopped
1 clove of black garlic (this it totally optional it is not easy to find)
1T dry white wine
1t Sherry vinegar

I sauteed everything together until onions were clear then I removed the thyme sprig and bay leaf, then I poured the mixture into a blender and added a little chicken broth and pureed it until smooth,

Monday, January 17, 2011

Southwestern Egg Rolls

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 skinless, boneless chicken breast half
2 tablespoons minced green onion
2 tablespoons minced red bell pepper
1/3 cup frozen corn kernels
1/4 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
2 tablespoons diced jalapeno peppers
1/2 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/3 teaspoon salt
1 pinch ground cayenne pepper
3/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
5 (6 inch) flour tortillas
1 quart oil for deep frying

DIRECTIONS
Rub 1 tablespoon vegetable oil over chicken breast.
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, cook chicken approximately 5 minutes per side, until meat is no longer pink and juices run clear. Remove from heat and set aside.
Heat remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
Stir in green onion and red pepper. Cook and stir 5 minutes, until tender.
Dice chicken and mix into the pan with onion and red pepper. Mix in corn, black beans, spinach, jalapeno peppers, parsley, cumin, chili powder, salt and cayenne pepper.
Cook and stir 5 minutes, until well blended and tender.
Remove from heat and stir in Monterey Jack cheese so that it melts.
Wrap tortillas with a clean, lightly moist cloth. Microwave on high approximately 1 minute, or until hot and pliable.
Spoon even amounts of the mixture into each tortilla. Fold ends of tortillas, then roll tightly around mixture. Secure with toothpicks.
Arrange in a medium dish, cover with plastic, and place in the freezer.
Freeze at least 4 hours.
In a large, deep skillet, heat oil for deep frying to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Deep fry frozen, stuffed tortillas 10 minutes each, or until dark golden brown. Drain on paper towels before serving.