Super Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup

3 frozen chicken breasts

2 cans of black beans UNDRAINED

2 cans diced tometoes ( I like mexican style or RoTel)

2 cans tomatoe sauce

1 can diced green chillis

1 can corn DRAINED

Mix in crockpot, low 8 hours, high 5 hours

Shred chicken and serve garnish with - tortilla chips, cheese, avocado, and sour cream

tamales recipes

HOMEMADE TAMALES

Yield: approx. 32

About 2 hours prior to making tamales, fully submerse the
32 LG CORN HUSKS (2 PKGS DRIED HUSKS) Husks in a large pan. Place another heavy pan on top to
1 LARGE STOCK POT (20 QT.) W/ STEAMING Keep the husks submerged (one filled with water and
RACK/BUCKET Placed on top can be used). Right before you are ready
BLENDER OR FOOD PROCESSOR To spread the masa (see recipe below) in the husks, allow
Them to stand upright and drain for about 20 min. They need
To be damp/soft but not wet.
MEAT FILLING


2 lbs. Of pork, chicken, or beef Slow cook or boil meat in enough water to fully cover meat with
1 small onion, chopped the above ingredients until done and tender. Remove from pot and
2 garlic cloves, crushed save broth. Cool and shred/chop meat. Set aside.
1 TBS. Salt (optional)

RED CHILI SAUCE FOR MEAT

½ c. broth from meat Cut/pull tops off peppers. Remove seeds. If you like more spicy,
4-5 dried Calif. Peppers then use seeds. The more seeds you use, the spicier the sauce. (Wash
1—8 oz. Can tomato sauce hands thoroughly before touching face/eyes after handling peppers—
1 Roma tomato cut in ½ it WILL burn.) Using 2 cups of the broth, boil peppers until tender.
1 onion (chop ¼ to ½ of onion, depending on your taste) Place Peppers, tomato sauce, tomato, onion, and garlic in blender or
2 cloves garlic, crushed food Processor. Pureé. Place oil in large skillet. Add meat and fry on
2 TBS. Canola oil med. low for about 15 min. Add sauce and continue to cook on med.
low heat until most of the liquid is absorbed/evaporated. Remove
from heat.
MASA

You can purchase pre-made masa from any Latin market. It is called Masa Preparada (prepared masa for Tamales).
It is ready to use and needs no further preparation. It is best to use it purchased fresh, same day or if purchased prior, bring to room temp. for easy of spreading onto corn husks. TIP: To easily remove prepared masa from plastic bag, contact the bag lengthwise from top to bottom and roll the masa out into large bowl.

To make your own basic masa mix:

4 c masa for tamales (it’s dry and comes in a bag, like flour) 4 c strained broth from meat (or water or canned broth)
2 tsp baking powder 1 ½ c vegetable shortening or lard
1 tsp salt

In med. bowl, combine masa, baking powder, and salt. Slowly add broth, blending with large spoon or fingers to create a moist dough.
Beat shortening in a large bowl until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add masa mixture to shortening and blend until it reaches thick, creamy
texture.

Now you are ready to spread a semi-thin layer of the masa onto the smooth side of the corn husk going only about ½ way down (leave the narrower end of the husk empty). Place a spoonful of meat (or more if you desire) on top of the masa. Fold filled husk in half lengthwise, and then, while holding those two sides, carefully fold in half again and around the tamale. Slightly pinch the end where there is very little or no masa and fold it up towards the top of the tamale like a tail. Lay flat on shallow pan until you have made all the tamales. Then put the tamales in the steamer part of the pot standing upright (masa at the top). If you do not have enough tamales to fill the pot, place a heat proof glass bowl in the middle of the steamer part of the pot and place tamales around it in a circular fashion. Fill other part of pot with just enough water to leave about 1 inch between the steamer and the bottom of the pot. Water should not be allowed to touch the bottom of the tamales. Cover with leftover corn husks for faster cooking. Cook time varies depending on your stove and thickness of the masa. Anywhere from 1-3 hours on low heat will be needed. They seem to cook much faster when a layer of husks are placed on top of the tamales after placing them in the pot. You can tell when they are done because the masa is soft and fluffy, not sticky, to the touch. Also, if you gently unwrap one, the masa will easily fall/pull away from the husk as you open it and there will not be any shiny, doughy-looking parts of the tamale inside the husk. Once done, remove from pot and eat. Tamales can be frozen and then reheated if placed in a wet paper towel and then cooked in the microwave. Cooking time will vary depending on your microwave, but should always be started off for about 30 minutes at half power. Remember it’s better to cook a second time than risk overcooking.

VARIATIONS: Try using chili relleno chilis and jack cheese (fresh chilis need to roasted over stove burner or on a pancake skillet to remove the outer skin or thy will be tough. Also try mixing some sugar and drained, canned pineapple into the masa to spread onto the husk for a sweet treat. Apples can also be used. Season them with cinnamon and sugar and place onto of the masa after you spread it on the husk. You can still add some sugar to the masa for the apple tamales if you have a really sweet tooth.


ENJOY!!! Linda Hooper, Christine Fouts, and Sonia Gee

Grilled Pizza with Hot Sausage

Grilled Pizza with Hot Sausage
From Bobby Flay
Ingredients

1/2 pound Italian hot sausage
1 large red onion, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
2 large yellow pepper, cored, seeded and quartered
2 large red pepper, cored, seeded and quartered
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 recipe favorite pizza dough, rolled into 4 (6-inch) rounds
1/2 pound grated fontina cheese
1 cup sheep's milk ricotta
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
Basil Vinaigrette, recipe follows

Directions

Preheat a grill.
Grill the sausage on both sides until golden brown and cooked through, about 10 minutes per side.
Brush onions and peppers with the oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the onions and peppers until soft, about 3 to 4 minutes per side.
Remove the sausage from the grill and slice into 1/4-inch thick slices. Remove the onions, separate into rings, and roughly chop.
Remove the peppers and slice into 1/8-inch thick slices.
Heat grill to high. Brush dough with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and grill for 2 to 3 minutes or until golden brown. Turn over and grill for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the grill and place on a flat surface.
Divide the fontina cheese among the 4 pizza rounds. Divide the sausage, onions and peppers over the cheese.
Place the pizza on the grill, close the cover and grill until the cheese has melted, about 3 to 4 minutes.
To finish in the oven, preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Place the pizza on sheet pans and bake until the cheese has melted, about 5 to 10 minutes.
Mix together the ricotta, extra-virgin olive oil, and oregano in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Remove the pizzas from the oven and drizzle with Basil Vinaigrette. Top with dollops of the ricotta cheese mixture and let rest for 5 minutes. Slice and serve.
Serves 4.

Basil Vinaigrette:

1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup olive oil

Combine all ingredients and blend until smooth. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, to taste.

7 Up Chicken

I found this delicious recipe for 7-up Chicken at http://frostedbakeshop.blogspot.com sch an adorable blog with great looking recipes!

1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup soy sauce
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. horseradish sauce
2 cups 7-up
Chicken breasts or tenders - enough to fit comfortably in a gallon zip-lock bag


Mix all the ingredients together and marinade the chicken overnight ( 12- 24 hoursin a pinch 8 hrs will work). The longer the better! I usually put my zip-lock bag on a cookie sheet in the fridge. Amy ( the blogger at frostedbakeshop)says she turns the bag over multple times during the process.

Baked Potatoes

Wash potato, rub with olive oil and then sprinkle with seasonings ( DeeAnn likes to use Lawry's seasoning salt) then wrap in foil. Cook on low for 4 hours , or on high for 2 hours).


This is a great way to set up a potato bar for a party or open house. It keeps the potatoes nice and warm , then you can setup the toppings around the crock pot. Yum yum :-)

Salsa Chicken

4 boneless chicken breast
1 package taco seasoning
1 jar salsa
tortilla shells
cheese
sour cream

Sprinkle each chicken breast with taco seasoning; covering all sides of the chicken. Place chicken breast in crock pot and cover with salsa. Cook on high for 5 hours.

Take chicken from crock pot and shred with a fork, fill soft tortilla with the chicken adding more salsa from the crock pot . Top with cheese, and sour cream.

Cream of Corn Crab Soup

(Favorite Recipes from Quilters cookbook)
8-oz pkg cream cheese, softened
3 cups sour cream
2 7-oz cans crab meat
Juice of ½ lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
¼ tsp garlic powder
4 TBS butter
4 TBS flour
2-3 cups milk
1 ½ - 2 cups corn
1-2 cups croutons

1. Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add sour cream, crab, lemon juice and seasonings and mix well.
2. In a large saucepan melt butter. Add flour and cook until bubbly. Turn to low heat and slowly add milk, stirring continuously to make a smooth white sauce. Add corn and cream cheese mixture and heat through, stirring until smooth.
3. Serve with croutons.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

In a crockpot combine:

1 32-oz carton organic chicken broth
1 can black beans (do not rinse or drain)
1 can tomato sauce
1 can diced tomatoes with jalapenos
2 cups fresh salsa
3 frozen, boneless/skinless chicken breasts

Cook all day. Remove the chicken breasts and shred into bite size pieces. Return to crockpot. Add 1 can of corn, undrained.

To serve:
Place crumbled tortilla chips in bottom of bowls, ladle soup on top of chips. Serve with the following toppings:
Grated cheese, sour cream, sliced black olives, avocado chunks.

Creamy Artichoke Soup

Creamy Artichoke Soup (Giada De Laurentiis)
2 TBS extra-virgin olive oil
2 leeks, white part only, washed well and chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small potato, peeled and chopped
1 (8 oz) pkg frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
2 cups chicken stock
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 TBS plus 1/3 cup mascarpone cheese
2 TBS chopped chives, for garnish

Heat olive oil in heavy, large pot over medium heat. Add the leeks and the garlic and stir. Add the potatoes and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the artichokes, stock, salt, and pepper and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.

Using a handheld immersion blender, or in a blender in batches*, puree the soup. Add the 2 tablespoons mascarpone cheese and blend again to combine. In a small bowl, stir the remaining 1/3 cup mascarpone to soften.

Ladle the soup into serving bowls. Dollop the top of each of the soups with a spoonful of the softened mascarpone cheese and top the cheese with chives.

*When blending hot liquids: remove liquid from the heat and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes. Transfer liquid to a blender or food processor and fill it no more than halfway. If using a blender, release one corner of the lid. This prevents the vacuum effect that creates heat explosions. Place a towel over the top of the machine, pulse a few times then process on high speed until smooth.

Cafe Rio Shredded Pork

Cafe Rio Shredded Pork
3-4 pounds pork
1 small bottle taco sauce
1 Tablespoon cumin
1 cup brown sugar
1 can coke

Cover pork half way with water and cook in crock pot on high for 2 hours.
Shred the pork, removing all but ½ inch of water in the crock pot.
Return the port to the crock pot with the remaining ingredients.
Cook an additional 3 to 4 hours on low.
Serve as par of Café Rio salad or in tacos or burritos.