Chicken Tortilla Soup

 

I never used to like soups, especially as a kid.  They never felt filling enough and the flavors and textures weren’t pleasing to my kiddo palette. As I’ve gotten older though, I’ve realized I do like soup, its just how their made and what flavors that have in them.

 

 

As I’ve explored and discovered different soups that I like, and opened up my possibilities wider and wider. Most recently, I decided I wanted to try making tortilla soup.

 

 

I don’t want to make it in the traditional way. I want to make it so that matches the textures and flavors that make me happy. It’s mostly the same ingredients, but presented differently.

 

 

I got the idea when I made my version of pasta fagioli. I decided I didn’t need to have all the chunks of veggies in the soup with a thin broth. Instead I can make a thicker, richer saucy broth and then only add a few other ingredients like meats and pastas or beans. It minimizes the number of different textures while still having a great flavor and a rich broth!

 

 

I applied all that to this recipe and fell in love! It has a nice spice level that’s not over the top, but definitely reminiscent of Mexican flavors. It is perfect on a chilly night with some corn bread. Mmm…

 

 

Chicken Tortilla Soup

 

 

1 Tbs EVOO

½ of one onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 jalapeño, seeded and diced

1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced

4 c chicken broth

1 c water, if needed

1 8-oz can tomato sauce

1 15-oz can diced tomatoes with juice

2 tsp New Mexico chili powder

1 Tsp Mexican oregano, salt

½ tsp ground cumin, black pepper

1 ½-2 lbs shredded chicken (cooked in broth or pre-cooked, even rotisserie chicken)

1 15-oz can black

1 15-oz can pinto beans, rinsed well and drained

3-4 corn tortillas, chopped

 

Heat the oil in a large pot (I use my enameled cast iron pot) at med-hi heat. Add the onion, jalapeño, and bell pepper and allow them to cook for a few minutes, allowing the onion to soften and become translucent without it browning. Add the garlic and give it a minute to soften. Then add the broth, tomato sauce and diced tomatoes with juice. As it comes to a boil, add the seasonings.

 

If you’re using whole chicken pieces (including frozen chicken pieces) add them once it has reached a boil. Put the lid on the pot and turn it down to a simmer. Allow the chicken to cook for about 20-25 minutes depending on whether it’s frozen pieces or fresh. Once the chicken is cooked through, pull it out and let it cool. Meanwhile, use an immersion blender to blend the veggie ingredients together for a thicker, smoother broth.

 

Shred the chicken and return it to the pot. Add the black beans and pinto beans and bring the soup back to a simmer. Let them simmer for about 10 minutes. Finally, add the tortilla pieces and allow them to soften in the soup for a few minutes. *

 

Serve with a dollop of sour cream, some radish slices, some avocado slices, and a little chopped cilantro. Whatever toppings you’d like.

 

 

*You can make this ahead and finish it before serving. Just stop after you add the shredded chicken and set it aside on the stovetop or in the refrigerator, if you’ll be serving longer than an hour away. When you’re ready to serve, simply warm it back to a simmer and add the tortilla pieces in. Allow them to soften for a few minutes and dinner is ready.

 

Beef Enchiladas in Rojo Sauce

 

Yes, I already have an enchilada recipe on my blog. But I’ve upped my game with this one. Although it’s nice to have a quick recipe for those busy nights, it’s also nice to have a fresh, from scratch recipe that will blow your mind.

 

 

I had to pull this from a couple different recipes. I wanted to have meat that cooked in the pressure cooker while I did other things on the stove. 

 

 

It’s also easy to make the meat and broth ahead of time and then put it all together a couple days later. 

 

 

It’s also really flexible. The recipe calls for beef, but you can make it with pork or chicken just as easily, you’ll just need to adjust your cooking time for the meat preparation.

 

 

You can make them ahead of time and freeze them, or eat them right away. I love flexible recipes that allow me to prep meals and be ready for anything.

 

 

Beef Enchiladas in Rojo Sauce

 

Beef:

2-3 lbs Country Style Ribs (or other shreddable meat like chuck, etc)

2 Tbs salt

½ onion

5 garlic cloves

3 bay leaves

Water up to the max line of the Instant Pot

1 7oz can green chilis

1 c enchilada sauce

3 c Mexican blend cheese, divided

30 corn tortillas

½ c canola oil

 

 

Enchilada Sauce:

20 dried chili peppers (I like a mix of California and guajillo peppers)

2 dried pasilla peppers

2 chile de arbole

½ onion

2 garlic cloves

3 ½ c broth from meat, divided

¼ tsp cumin

½ tsp Mexican oregano

Salt and pepper to taste

 

In your instant pot, pour about 1 cup of water in. Then add the meat, the onion, the garlic cloves, and the bay leaves. Finally add the salt and add enough water to bring it up to the max line. Put the lid on and seal the pressure seal. Set your cooker to “meat” and set the time for 1 hour 10 minutes. After the time is done, allow natural pressure to drop for at least 10 minutes or up to 30 minutes. Release the last of the pressure and pull the meat out and place in a bowl. It should fall apart when you shred it. Once it’s all shredded, set it aside.

 

Meanwhile, you can use the broth made by cooking the meat to create the enchilada sauce.

 

Rinse the peppers and remove the stems and seeds. Place them into a saucepan and add enough water to cover the peppers and bring them to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, turn it off and allow it to cool for just a minute.

 

Add the peppers to the blender and discard the water. Add the onion and garlic and 2 ½ cups of reserved cooking broth. Blend until smooth and then put the sauce through a sieve and back into the saucepan to make it smoother. Use the last 1 cup of broth to clean the blender and get the last of the sauce through the sieve. Once all the sauce is in the pan, add the cumin, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste.

 

In a large saute pan, add the canola oil and allow to warm to about 325-350 degrees. Dip each tortilla in the oil and allow it to cook just until it starts to blister. Remove it from the oil, let it drip a minute and then set aside and continue with the rest. Once those are complete, turn back to the meat. Add the chilis and enchilada sauce and mix everything together.

 

Begin assembly of the enchiladas. Place ½ cup of sauce on the bottom of each of two 9x13 baking dishes. Make sure it covers the bottom of the dishes. Take a tortilla and add about ¼ c of filling along with 1Tbs cheese and roll the tortilla like a cigar. Place it in the dish and continue through your tortillas in the same manner. Once all of them are finished, pour the remaining sauce over the enchiladas evenly between the two dishes. Finally add cheese about 1 cup of cheese to the top of each dish.

 

Cook in a preheated oven at 350 for 20-25 minutes, or until it begins to bubble. Turn the oven to broil on high if you like to crisp your cheese on top a bit. Remove and let it cool a minute before serving. Enjoy!

Beefy Stew Cups

 

Sometimes there are days that you crave a classic. But with a twist.

 

We grew up with canned biscuits, brown gravy powder mix, and frozen veggies added to just about everything! Sometimes your parents were just out of time and needed a meal on the table. Sometimes your parents wanted the comforting flavors, and even as an adult I still find myself craving those flavors.

 

 

When my husband and I were first experimenting with meals for the 2 of us, I was looking everywhere for inspiration. I found some neat old cookbooks in my grandmother’s kitchen that were put out in the 60s and 70s by Pillsbury, Campbells, and other classic companies like them. They had lots of great ideas for quick meals and I knew I could find some gems in there.

 

 

The original recipe had a lot less veggie in it. I felt like it called for more complex flavors. It also needed the addition of onions and garlic to help pull out more of the “stew” feels. Also, it used the smaller muffin pan and the cups felt so small. The jumbo muffin pan is perfect for a stuffed muffin. It provides so much room for the filling and creates a better ratio of bread to filling.

 

 

While I realize I could make a lot of this from scratch, sometimes you really just need childhood flavors. And sometimes you really just need a quick meal that the whole family will love. These stew cups hit the mark for sure.

 

 

Beefy Stew Cups

 

 

1lb ground beef

½ yellow onion, diced,

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbs EVOO

12oz bag of frozen peas and carrots

¼ tsp thyme

1 c milk

1 packet Brown Gravy Mix

1 can (12oz) of 8 biscuits

 

 

 

 

Preheat the oven to 375. Using a rolling pin or your fingers, flatten and widen each biscuit so they will fit into the muffin pan. I use the jumbo muffin size pan for this recipe, but it works in a medium sized muffin pan as well. Line each of the muffin cavities with the flattened biscuit. Once done, set aside to work on the filling.

 

In a large saucepan, heat the oil to med-hi heat. Once it’s warm but not smoking, add the onions. Allow them to sauté for a few minutes, until they start to become translucent. Add the garlic and let it cook for a minute before moving the onions to one side of the pan.

 

Add a bit more oil to the other side of the pan for the beef. Brown the beef on all sides, making sure to stir it so it will crumble as you cook it. Once the meat is browned, add the thyme and the bag of peas and carrots and let them warm up, about 2-3 minutes. Lastly, add the gravy mix to the milk and blend with a whisk before adding it to the sauté pan. It should heat up and thicken as it coats the filling.

 

 

Allow the filling to cool for a few minutes and then spoon it evenly into the 8 biscuit lined muffins. Into the oven for about 15-18 minutes, making sure the biscuit is baked and a nice golden color.

 

 

Remove from the oven and leave them to cool for a few minutes before serving. Goes great with a yummy garden salad. 

 

 

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Almond Blondies

 

My son asked me the other day why I never experiment with desserts. I used to do a lot of baking, but once I started making a point to create wholesome meals for the family nightly, baking kind of got pushed aside. It can be time-consuming and ingredient-consuming.

 

 

But he’s right! I need to experiment with baking as much as I do with cooking. It’s fun and challenging, and frankly it all makes me better at the craft in the kitchen. 

 

 

I have been wanting to have a good blondie recipe in my box. I have seen them but only tried a couple over the years. This one though, it hits so many delicious marks! It’s nutty, which I love, and it’s a subtle peanut buttery, which the others in the house like.

 

 

These are great for pot lucks meal drop-offs because they keep well too. I can make them ahead of time and freeze, or serve with 1-3 days. The crowds will love ‘em!

 

 

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Almond Blondies

 

 

½ c butter, melted

¾ c brown sugar

½ c white sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

½ tsp salt

1 ¾ c almond flour

1 c chocolate chips

1 c peanut butter chips

 

 

 

 

 

 

Warm your oven to 350. Line a 9x13 pan with parchment so it comes up the sides a bit.

 

Melt the butter and allow it to cool a bit while you gather the other ingredients. Add the brown sugar and sugar to the mixing bowl with the butter and begin mixing. Add the eggs one at a time while the mixer is on to keep the butter from cooking any of the egg. Add the vanilla and salt. Next add the almond flour as well as the chocolate chips and the peanut butter chips. Turn the mixer off and pour the batter into the prepared pan.

 

Place the pan into the oven for 30-35 minutes. Once done, pull it out of the oven and allow it to cool on a rack for at least 5 minutes. Once cooled a bit, use the parchment paper to lift it out of the pan and set it back on the rack to cool a bit more. Cut into bars and enjoy!

 

*Instead of peanut butter chips, you can use white chocolate chips

 

Avocado Corn Salad

 

I have really been trying to make a push for healthier meals. I am always good about proteins each night because my family likes having the protein. The veggies though are a harder sell. So, I try to find things that I think are so tasty that I could eat them all by myself.

 

 

Now, that doesn’t mean I don’t try to get them to eat their veggies, I just keep it simple with things like steamed veggies. I also take stuff over to dinner with my parents; they are also interested in upping their veggies and are happy to test recipes out for me.

 

 

That said, this recipe is actually one my mom introduced me to. It was made for her by my sister-in-law and we all agree it’s delicious! It goes with so many different proteins. It adds color to your plate, flavor to your dish, and enjoyment to your meal.

 

 

Now, I’ve been referring to this as a side, but I will say, it is not hard to turn this into a meal. You can add shredded chicken to it, fresh sliced ham or shredded pork, or even rinsed chickpeas to keep it vegetarian while adding your protein.

 

 

This is definitely a salad worth trying. You will not want to stop eating, and you will feel so good the next day after eat this.

 

 

Avocado Corn Salad

 

2 c frozen sweet corn, thawed

2 15oz cans black beans, rinsed

1 large or 2 medium roma tomatoes chopped (or 1 c sliced cherub tomatoes)

1 avocado chopped

¼ of a large red onion, diced

1/3 c cilantro, chopped

1-2 limes, juiced

1 tsp salt

 

 

 

 

 

Simply mix everything together and serve, This can be made ahead of time, and is still good the next day. The lime juice helps prevent the avocado from browning, but only for a day or so. 

Sweet Corn Tamales (Pastel de Elote)

 

Tamales have always been such a staple in our annual meals. We especially enjoy them around the holidays for Christmas Eve. For some reason though, I never thought of trying to learn how to make them myself.

 

 

My mom and I had a tradition for years that we’d go to the local quilt show downtown and have lunch at an amazing local Mexican restaurant. As with many amazing places, they closed during the covid pandemic and decided to retire and not re-open afterwards. It was such a bummer!

 

 

There was a particular dish they called Pastel de Elote. It consisted of a delicious corn tamale with an amazing sauce over it. Whether it was a pineapple sauce, a bean sauce, or a cheese sauce, it was always a perfect part of a meal.

 

 

I needed to figure out how to re-create it. I began experimenting with tamale pie and sweet tamalitos but none of them were quite there. Meanwhile I started practicing making my own tamales, and I figured it was worth trying a sweet corn filling. Oh man!! That hit the mark! I had  finally found it! It was just a matter of practicing and perfecting my technique.

 

 

One of the nice things about this recipe is that you can use canned corn, frozen corn thawed, or fresh corn. It all works, and it all tastes good! It will come down to personal preferences and what you can available to you at the time.

 

 

I don’t fill mine. I like to cover them in sauce instead. You could add a filling though (think sautéed veggie mix, mmm…), and then use a sauce you’d like to use to finish it. It’s totally up to you. It shouldn’t impact your cook time.

 

 

Sweet Corn Tamales

 

 

24 corn husks, soaked and patted dry

5 (15 oz) can sweet kernel corn, drained and rinsed (about 6 1/3 cups)

2 c masa harina (I use Maseca and Maseca Tamal)

¾ c plus 2 Tbs granulated sugar

1 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

2/3 c canola oil

 

 

 

 

 

Make sure to soak your corn husks beforehand. Place them in a large bowl and cover them completely with boiling water. Let them soak for about an hour. Right before you’re ready to use them, pull them out and pat them dry with towels.

In a blender, add the corn and blend until it’s a medium to finely ground. It doesn’t need to be completely smooth, but there shouldn’t be any whole kernels visible. Meanwhile, in a mixer bowl combine the masa harina, sugar, baking powder, and salt and blend together. Add the oil and mix together. The dough should feel a bit crumbly, almost like wet sand. If you press it into a ball, it should hold its shape. Finally. Add the corn from the blender and mix just until incorporated.

Grab a corn husk and identify which is the smooth side and which is the rough side. Place the smooth side up and add about ¼ - ½ cup of filling to the husk so that it’s smoothed out from about half way up the husk.

Fold the husk in on the sides, and then fold the top down to create a pocket. Place in a bowl with the open edge facing up and continue with the rest of the husks in the same manner.

Once all the tamales are ready, heat a steaming pot and line the bottom with corn husks. Place the tamales into the steamer. Make sure the open ends are all facing up when arranging them and cover them with more corn husks. Place the lid snuggly on top and allow them to steam for about an hour to an hour and fifteen minutes.

Once they’re soft and baked through, place them on a platter to cool for about 10 minutes.  Serve with your fave sauce. I love covering these in my black bean puree or my baja sauce. AMAZING!

 

*You can freeze these. I like to make packs of 6-8 for future meals. I’ll freeze them and then when we’re ready to have them, I thaw them for a couple hours and then steam to warm them the same way they’re cooked initially, except a much shorter time. Maybe only 15 minutes or so, just until they’re warmed through. 

Spanish Rice in the Instant Pot

I’m not going to lie, I am not good at making rice. I burn it all the time, and it’s become comical over the years. I’m not a huge fan of rice so it’s not really been a big deal, but my husband likes rice a lot and my daughter does too. I decided it was time to up my game.

 

 

I got my instant pot a few years ago and some of the first things I did with it was rice. It helped me build my confidence branch out and try some more complex stuff. After a few stove top fails (again), I decided to try some different things in the instant pot.

 

 

Success! I could add some flavors to the instant pot and get some great results. After playing with that a bit, my sister introduced me to a stove top Spanish rice that was awesome. My family loved it, but it was stove top and I wasn’t sure. So I decided to adapt it to the instant pot.

 

 

Works amazing! The rice is nice and fluffy and flavorful. I can set it up and let it go and not worry about it. Yummy Spanish rice ready for our Mexican meal. The leftovers are dreamy too. They heat up well and stay fluffy and flavorful.

 

Spanish Rice in the Instant Pot

 

 

2 Tbs EVOO

2 c long-grain rice (I use a mix of jasmine and long grain white rice)

2 large garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 tsp chicken bouillon

¼ tsp cumin and cayenne pepper

1 - 8 oz can tomato sauce (my fave is la Mexicana)

2 1/2 c water

1 tsp salt

 

 

 

 

In the instant pot, turn on the sauté function. Once it’s warmed, add the oil and once heated add the rice. Allow the rice to cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally so none of it burns. Once it is a nice light brown, add the garlic and give it one more minute. Then add the spices and the tomato sauce. Mix that together and add the water and the salt. Turn off the sauté function and put the lid on the pot. Make sure the steam valve is closed and turn on the pressure cook, setting it to 4 minutes. When the cook is complete, let the instant pot natural release for at least 15 minutes, after that you can quick release the steam that’s left, being careful not to burn yourself. Remove the lid when it’s done and give the rice a fluffing with a fork, and it’s ready to serve.

 

*You can make this on the stove top as well. Prepare the rice the same way with oil in a sauté pan. Add the garlic, and then add the spices and the tomato sauce. Finally add 4 cups water, 2 tsp bouillon, and salt and give it all one more stir. Place a lid on your sauté pan and allow the rice to simmer for about 20-30 minutes, until the liquid has been absorbed. Use a fork to fluff the rice and you’re ready to serve.

 

A New Quilt for my Son

 

While I was in the deep lockdown of covid, I was able to complete a ton of projects! It was an amazing feeling to be able to get so much done, and a little shocking how many projects I had backed up. One of the projects I had was a sailors quilt kit. I decided to use the fabric from the quilt to create a completely different project and my son loved it! He immediately claimed it as his own and it disappeared to his room.

 

 

Fast forward a few years and several inches of growth and that quilt is no longer long enough. He asked for a new one and had no special requests. I was stumped on what to make.

 

 

And then, I got a package from a dear quilter friend that included a set of fabric with cactus on it. It has tones of greens and browns; perfect for my son. It’s like she knew just what to send. I found a perfect pattern that is reminiscent of a Navajo blanket pattern, and got to work. 

 

 

 The only thing I needed to add was a background fabric. I found a nice mossy green that matched most of the fabrics and added enough contrast to see the blocks without being to light or dark.

 

 

After completing the blocks, I decided to add sashing with rust-colored cornerstones that add a nice pop of color and continue to pull the different colors together. My sons fave green in this quilt is the dark teal so I used that in the borders along with a striped fabric that was in the collection. I wanted to make sure the quilt was big enough so I added more in the length than the width.

 

 

For the backing, I decided to use up the rest of the fabrics I had in the set and did a patchwork. It’s kind of a nice, random backing that complements the front well.

 

 

I was a little stumped on the quilting. I decided to do a long, stretched out meander in the block patterns, and then a regular meander everywhere else except the rust-colored cornerstones. Those I left without any quilting, adding to the texture of the quilt.

 

 

Finally, the binding was the last of the pebble fabric, and of course my tag reminding me what year I made this. 

 

 

Hopefully this one will last a little longer. He was so happy to have a new quilt, he immediately snagged it out of the dryer before I could take pictures of it. I had to go back to get it to be able to post about. Being the first official finish of 2025, I didn’t want to miss out on sharing this one. 

 

Civil War Stars Quilt

 

After finishing my flags quilt, I had some scraps left and I really wanted to use them in one more lap quilt. I wasn’t sure what to do though, and decided to just sew the pieces together so that I wouldn’t have anymore leftover scraps. Mission accomplished.

 

 

I really only had blue and red left, which worked perfect for compiling a patriotic look. Once all the stars blocks were ready, I had to think about layout. I still had a little fabric left and decided they’d make great accents in the sashing. I was all out of print whites so I kept it simple with regular white. I kind of like how it makes the stars pop even a little bit better.

 

 

Layout for the quilt wasn’t too challenging when there’s only two colors to work with. Fortunately, I had enough of each to make it work. I was able to trim the blocks along the side and in the corners to make it work. 

 

 

I added a white border to isolate the stars and then added a red border to really frame the whole thing. 

 

 

The backing was a collection of civil war reproduction fabrics that I wanted to use up.

 

 

For the quilting, I decided to practice some of my pattern quilting. I was able to practice making my feathers free-hand, which was a lot of fun and I really felt came out well. I finished the quilting with a nice meander in the sashing and borders.

 

 

The binding was the last of the civil war fabrics I had and it worked perfect. I added the label and hand stitched my binding.

 

 

 

 

 

This was a fun finish that allowed me to finish up some fabrics I’ve had kicking around and practice some techniques that I want to improve. This was my last finish for 2024 too. Now it’s time to move on to 2025!