Quick Tortilla Soup

  I know it has been a while since I posted.  No I have NOT run out of recipes, quite the contrary.  I have found more.  We don't have heat in the office... so cold weather sends me flying to covers and a cup of hot something (coffee, tea, cocoa...I'm an equal opportunity drinker).  The cold also gets my mind thinking about soups, stews and chilli.  So here is a quick Tortilla Soup recipe.  Grab the soup pot and whip it up tonight.

Quick Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:
4 TB oil (split in half)
1 medium onion, minced and chopped finely
1 garlic clove, minced or chopped finely
1 bell pepper, minced or chopped finely
1 jalapeno or other spicy pepper, diced (remove seeds and veins
  to make a milder soup)
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 TB tomato paste
6 cups chicken stock (low sodium)
2 1/2 -3 cups cooked chicken ( we used leftover Thanksgiving Turkey)
1 lime, juiced
8 corn tortillas, cut into 1/4 inch thin strips
Fresh Cilantro, chopped
3 tomatoes, chopped (optional)
1 avocado, chopped (optional)
Grated Monterrey Jack cheese
Sour Cream

Directions:

  In a large pot, heat 2 TB oil over medium high heat. Add tortilla strips and cook until golden and crispy about 2 minutes. Drain on paper towels and season with salt while hot. Set aside.
  In the same large pot, heat another 2 TB oil over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, peppers, salt, cumin, and coriander, and cook until vegetables are soft and translucent. About 5 minutes.
  Add tomato paste and cook one minute longer.
  Add stock and bring to boil. Once it reaches boiling, lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the chicken and juice from the lime and cook for 5 minutes longer. Remove from heat.
  Ladle soup into bowls and top with fresh tomatoes, avocado, grated cheese, tortilla strips, and sour cream and cilantro.

Chili

   Fall is just around the corner, with cooler days and even cooler nights.  I can't wait.  Friday night football games and fall festivals.  What goes really good with a little nip in the air?  Chili... Here is a quick chili you can make up in less than 30 minutes.  Serve with warm cornbread fresh from the oven.  Just the right meal for fall nights.

Chili

Ingredients:

1 lb hamburger meat
1 Tbsp shopped dry onion, or ½ fresh onion, chopped
1 can tomatoes
1 can pinto beans
2 Tbsp chili quick, rounded
dash of black pepper

Directions:


   Brown hamburger meat and onions (if using fresh onion) in skillet.  Drain excess fat from skillet.  Add remaining ingredients to skillet and simmer 15 to 20 minutes.  Keep adding enough water to keep from sticking, while cooking.

              What can I say...I'm from Texas...Part Aggie...Part Longhorn...

Franks 'n Beans Skillet Supper

   Here is a twist on Franks and Beans.  This on is made with green beans with the addition of bacon to help bring out the flavor.  This supper cooks up so easy and fast it may become your new favorite franks and beans recipe.  So bring out the skillet and lets get cooking.

Franks 'n Beans Skillet Supper

Ingredients:

2 slices bacon
6 frankfurters
½ cup onion, chopped
1 can cream of chicken soup
½ cup water
1 or 2 cans potatoes
1 can green beans


Directions:
   In skillet cook bacon.  Remove bacon and crumble.  Cut each frankfurter into thirds, brown in skillet with onions.  Stir in soup and water.  Drain beans and potatoes.  Cut potatoes into slices.  Add beans and potatoes to skillet and heat thoroughly.  Garnish with crumbled bacon.

Top Hat Supper

   This is a quick easy to prepare meal.  Made with Spam, yeah I said spam.  The most misunderstood and humble canned meat around.  To me Top Hat congers up a vision of Fred Astaire looking dashing in white tie and tails.  That would make this a humble eloquent meal.  Try saying that 3 times fast.












Top Hat Supper

Ingredients:

1 can cream of celery soup
¼ cup onion, chopped
¼ cup green pepper, chopped
2 Tbsp butter
½ cup milk
4 servings instant potatoes
1 can lunch meat (spam) cut in 6 slices

Directions:
    Preheat oven to 370 degrees.
   In sauce pan, melt butter and cook onions and green peppers until tender.  Stir in soup and milk.  Heat thoroughly.
   Prepare potatoes using ½ cup soup mixture in place of milk.  Place meat in baking dish, top with potatoes.  Bake 15 minutes in preheated oven.  Serve topped with hot soup sauce.

                       Wow...If I knew you liked Spam I would have made it sooner....

Lipton Meat Sauce And Lipton Chopped Beef Stroganoff

   I decided to do a Tuesday Two-fer.  Here are two quick recipes made with Lipton dried soup mix and hamburger.  Shh, don't tell the cows.  Bring out the skillet and get cooking.  Throw pasta or rice in a pot of boiling water.  Toss together a salad, and you got a quick meal that tastes great.












Lipton Meat Sauce

Ingredients:

1 lb Hamburger meat
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
1 can tomato sauce or puree
1 cup water

Directions:
   Brown hamburger meat in skillet. Pour off fat.  Add soup mix, water, and tomato sauce.  Simmer 15 minutes.  Serve on pasta or rice.






Lipton Chopped Beef Stroganoff

Ingredients:

1 ½ lb hamburger meat
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
3 Tbsp flour
1 small can tomato puree
2 ½ cups water
½ cup sour cream

Directions:
   Brown hamburger meat in skillet. Pour off fat.  Add soup mix, flour, puree, and water.  Simmer 10 minutes.  Stir in sour cream.  Serve over egg noodles.

Alright. How told the cows?

Frito Chili Pie

   Here is a quick throw together casserole.  It takes only 15 minutes from start to table.  No mess other than the casserole dish. What could be better.  Just keep the ingredients on hand and you have a quick go to meal in minutes.  This would also go great with the Avocado with fresh tomato and pepper dressing.  Ah, a meal fit for a king on a servants budget.












Frito Chili Pie

Ingredients:

2 ½ cups Frito Corn Chips
1 large onion, chopped
1 can chili (regular or turkey)
1 cup grated cheese

Directions:
   Preheat oven 350 degrees.
   Place 1 ½ cups Fritos in baking dish.  Arrange chopped onions and half of cheese over Fritos.  Pour hot chili over onions and cheese.  Top with remaining Fritos and cheese.  Bake for 10 minutes in preheated oven.

                        Oops, Looks like someone heard me say Turkey.