chili's enchalada soup

Chili's Grill and Bar Chicken Enchilada Soup

1/2 C. vegetable oil
1/4 C. chicken base
3 C. diced yellow onions
2 t. ground cumin
2 t. chili powder
2 t. granulated garlic
1/2 t. cayenne pepper
2 C. masa harina
4 quarts water (divided)
2 C. crushed tomatoes
1/2 lb. process American cheese, cut into small cubes
3 lbs. cooked, cubed chicken

In large pot, place oil, chicken base, onion and spices. Saute until onions are soft and clear, about 5 minutes.

In another container, combine masa harina with 1 quart water. Stir until all lumps dissolve. Add to sautéed onions; bring to boil.

Once mixture starts to bubble, continue cooking 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly. This will eliminate any raw taste from masa harina.

Add remaining 3 quarts water to pot. Add tomatoes; let mixture return to boil, stirring occasionally.

Add cheese to soup. Cook, stirring occasionally, until cheese melts. Add chicken; heat through.

Makes 1 1/2 gallons or 16 to 20 main-dish servings.

chipotle pork

Chipotle Pork Tacos

from Our Best Bites by sara

8 people liked this

It’s April 1st! How the heck is it already April? Someone answer me that. It can’t be April. My life is so hectic that this month completely sneaked up on me. I actually love April though. I’m having a birthday this month (Woo hoo! You’re probably all wondering what to send me. Don’t worry, I’ll post a list.) I also have a kiddo turning the big 0-3 this month. And my 7th wedding anniversary is this month. See? Fun times. I’m predicting lots of dessert in the next 30 days.

If your life is as crazy as mine and you don’t even know what month it is- then you’ll love this quick and easy dinner. It comes from this month’s issue of Cooking Light (page 74 if you want to get particular) and although I did make some changes, the bones remain the same. I was surprised at how much flavor was packed in with very few ingredients. Try it out!

You’ll need some thinly sliced pork. The original recipes calls for pounding a pork tenderloin with a meat mallet until it’s thin. I took a much easier route and just sliced it thin :) And I didn’t even use a tenderloin- I had a pork sirloin roast in my freezer so I defrosted it it almost all the way (it’s easier to slice when it’s just barely frozen) and then sliced it up thin.

The easy marinade comes together really quick. And this is a recipe that you don’t have to marinade for hours on end. It really just sits while you’re prepping everything else, however- if you have the time, go ahead and make it early. I prepped the pork during afternoon nap time (not my nap time, oh how I wish!) so it was all ready to go at dinner time.

Here’s something I always keep in my fridge: bottled minced garlic. I usually have bottled minced ginger too. Generally speaking, in most cases fresh garlic is best- but there are exceptions, and something like this, that cooks so fast, is one of them.

Plus it’s also just a great time-saver, and also good for emergencies when you find yourself out of the fresh stuff. One of my favorite things is that garlicky juice that’s in there, it adds tons of flavor.

Also going into the mix is lime zest- again, adds tons of flavor. Use a microplane grater, or a regular fine-hole cheese grater and then dice it up with a knife so it’s nice and fine.

Also needed is a tiny bit of brown sugar (I even used brown sugar Splenda because it’s all I had) and oregano. Use fresh oregano if you have it, and dried if you don’t. I was starting to sprinkle in dry oregano when I looked out my window at my totally dead and frozen garden and noticed little green speckles. I ran out there and what do you know- my oregano is popping up again! Nice timing oregano.

Lastly- these can’t be called chipotle pork tacos without the chipotle! I started writing a bunch of info about chipotles and decided it would be much better in its very own post. So read this! You will find canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce in the Latin isle of the grocery store. There is also Chipotle powder, which we use a lot, but I do think that the actual stuff is better in this recipe. They’re smoky and spicy and wonderful. If you’re like me and can’t handle much heat, either use just a bit, or avoid the peppers all together and add the sauce, which tastes amazing. I actually used a couple tablespoons of adobo sauce (maybe 1 1/2 Tbs?) and no actual peppers. It was mild enough that my little toddlers gobbled it right up. Not much heat at all. Mix that all up and either let it sit there, or pop it in a ziplock bag in the fridge for later.

Heat up a skillet with a bit of olive oil and saute some red onions (original recipe calls for shallots and non-stick spray- onions work great!)

It only takes few minutes for them to get tender. We’re not caramelizing here.

Take those onions out and toss in the pork mixture. It should be sliced thin so it only takes a few minutes to cook.

While that’s sitting there staying warm, get your tortillas ready. I found a new tortilla that I love. Well they’re not “new,” just new to me. I spotted them at my local Albertsons. When it comes to corn tortillas I like white better than yellow. But I feel like it’s sort of hit or miss with which ones I buy. I like the flavor, but I hate how they can be tricky to work with (ie cracking) and sometimes they can be flavorless and kind of…chewy? Not sure what the word is! Anyway- I really like these ones by La Tortilla Factory. It says it’s a “unique blend of corn and wheat” and it sort of tastes like a hybrid to me. They’re soft and they bend and roll easily (I’m seeing taquitos in my future) and I really liked the flavor. Sort of like a blend between a flour and corn tortilla. Anyway, there’s my voluntary infomercial for the day. I think they should send me a pallet of tortillas or something…

Here’s a quick tip- toss your tortillas on a warm grill! You get a little bit of a smoky char, and they get nice and toasty. An indoor grill pan would work too. Whatever you do, do something. I don’t really ever eat tortillas straight out of the bag. You can heat them in a dry skillet, or my fave- a hot skillet with just a bit of non-stick spray, or at the very least warm them up in the microwave so they’re soft.

Weird, it totally looks like that one is on fire. I swear it’s not!

Toss the onions into the pork mixture and serve in tortillas. I served it with this Lime-Cilantro Rice (pretty much my most favorite rice side dish ever). It would be great with or without the pineapple in the rice. We put the rice into the tortillas with the pork mixture and thought the sweetness of the pineapple in there was perfect with the brown sugar in the pork, and also the smoky flavor of the chipotle. It all went together really well. You could serve it on the side too. And don’t forget a dallop of sour cream and a sprinkle of chopped cilantro!

Quick, easy, and delish!

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Chipotle Pork Tacos

Recipe adapted from Cooking Light, April 2011

1 pound pork tenderloin, sliced thin

1 ½ tsp grated lime zest

1 Tbs fresh lime juice

2 tsp minced fresh oregano, or a heaping ½ tsp dry

1 tsp brown sugar

2 tsp chopped chipotle chiles in adobo sauce (use the peppers for heat and the adobo sauce for a mild smoky bite. I used 1 1/2 Tbs of sauce and no peppers and it was hardly spicy at all.)

2 tsp bottled minced garlic

¼ tsp kosher salt

3 tsp olive oil, divided

1 C thinly sliced shallots, or onions

8 (6 inch) corn tortillas

Sour cream

Chopped cilantro

Recommended: Lime-Cilantro Rice

Combine thinly sliced pork, lime zest, lime juice, oregano, brown sugar, chipotles, garlic, and salt. Set aside. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 1 tsp olive oil. Add onions and sauté for 4 minutes or until tender. Remove from pan and set aside. Add 2 tsp olive oil to pan and add pork mixture. Saute for 3-4 minutes or until no longer pink. Add pork to onions. Warm tortillas on a hot grill and fill with pork mixture. Top with sour cream and cilantro. Serves 4.

Lastly- we’ll be in Salt Lake City again this weekend! You can find us at the Bountiful Deseret Book on Saturday from 12-1:30, and then we’ll be at the down town store from 6-8 for Ladies Night! Come see us, we’d love to say hello!

strawberry limeade

Fresh Strawberry Limeade

from Our Best Bites by Kate @ Our Best Bites

18 people liked this

That’s right. Your eyes are not deceiving you. The word “strawberry” is in the title. Sorry, guys. I may have some kind of sick obsession. No, really, I was planning on posting a Jamaican Jerk pork tenderloin today, but in the last few days, my children have each had sinus infections, double ear infections, and pinkeye. I’m woefully behind on laundry because I did something stupid I got a puppy. And she’s really cute even if her breath smells like she ate her own poo (because, let’s face it, she probably did). And then, on this day of days when I was going to make my Jamaican Jerk Pork Tenderloin and catch up on laundry and participate in a fun-yet-enriching activity with my children, I woke up with a burning sore throat. A throbbing head. A stupid fever. Pain in my ears. And I kid you not, the pharmacy was out of antibiotics. So instead of nipping things in the bud like I had planned, things got really bad by the time we found a pharmacy with Z Packs and by the time my husband could go get it for me. My kids screamed at each other in the tub for an hour while I lay on the floor outside the bathroom and willed my fairy godmother to come put them to bed for me (because my husband was tracking down my antibiotics before the pharmacy closed, not because he’s a big jerk). I got good and drugged up and now you get to see what I drink (besides NyQuil) when I’m sick. And hey, let’s face it, when I’m not sick, too (the limeade, not the NyQuil).

You’ll need Strawberry Sauce (make it with vanilla), fresh limes, lots of ice, and Sprite. I told you this was rocket science. But I just found a ticket stub from Tron, which I saw in January, in pants that have no pockets, in pants that I didn’t even have in January. So this is the kind of crazy we’re dealing with. I don’t think I’m capable of anything more than this tonight.

Fill the cup with ice. Squeeze the juice of one lime over the ice.

This is where it gets hard. Fill the glass halfway full with Sprite.

Then add about 3-4 tablespoons of strawberry sauce. This will largely be to taste and also how frothy your strawberry sauce is (the frothier it is, the more you’ll need).

Fill the glass to the top with Sprite. Stir it up with a straw (or don’t if you like the pretty red swirls). Add another lime slice or two and enjoy!Please don’t judge me. :)

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Fresh Strawberry Limeade
Recipe (can you even call this a recipe??) by Our Best Bites

1 tall glass
Lots of ice
Sprite (or Diet Sprite…or Ginger Ale if you’re feeling wild)
1 1/2 limes
3-4 tablespoons Strawberry Sauce

Fill a glass with ice. Squeeze the juice of one lime into the glass over the ice. Fill the glass about halfway with Sprite. Add 3-4 tablespoons of strawberry sauce. Top the glass off with Sprite and add more strawberry sauce if desired. Garnish with lime wedges (which you can also squeeze into the glass before drinking. Definitely best when served with a straw.

slow cooker tex mex chicken and beans

Ingredients

• 1 cup dried pinto beans, rinsed
• 1 jar (11 ounces) mild or medium salsa (1 1/2 cups)
• 2 tablespoons chopped canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 8)
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 medium red onion, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper (ribs and seeds removed), chopped
• 1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream, for serving
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, for serving

Directions

1. In a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker, stir together beans, salsa, chiles, flour, and 1 cup water. Season chicken with salt and pepper; arrange on top of bean mixture. Scatter onion and bell pepper on top of chicken.

2. Cover and cook on low heat for 8 hours. (Do not open lid or stir.)

3. Remove chicken from stew; shred into large pieces and return to stew. Serve topped with sour cream and cilantro.

Variations

Oven method: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Follow step 1, using a 5-quart Dutch oven or large pot, substituting 2 cans (15 ounces each) pinto beans, drained and rinsed, for dried beans, and increasing water to 2 cups. Cover pot and bring to a simmer on top of the stove. Transfer to oven, and cook until chicken is tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Proceed with step 3.

slow cooker chil chicken tacos

marthastewart.com

Ingredients

• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 6)
• 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup prepared tomato salsa, plus more for serving (optional)
• 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped canned chipotle chiles in adobo
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 8 hard corn taco shells
• Cilantro, shredded cheese, lime wedges, and sour cream, for serving (optional)

Directions

1. In slow cooker, combine chicken, garlic, salsa, chiles, chili powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and teaspoon pepper. Cover; cook on high, 4 hours (or on low, 8 hours).

2. Transfer chicken to a serving bowl, and shred, using two forks; moisten with cooking juices. Serve in taco shells, with toppings, if desired.

Cook's Note

Oven method: preheat oven to 350 degrees. In step 1, use a 5-quart Dutch oven or ovenproof pot with a tight-fitting lid; add 2 cups water. Cover; bake until chicken is fork-tender, about 2 hours. Proceed with step 2.

slow-cooker sweet and sour country ribs

marthastewart.com

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1/2 cup cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon mustard powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 4 pounds country-style pork ribs, separated into single ribs
• Barbecue sauce, for serving (optional)

Directions

1. In slow cooker, whisk together ketchup, sugar, vinegar, mustard powder, cayenne, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

2. Add ribs to slow cooker, and toss with sauce. Arrange ribs, bone side up, in a single row. Cover; cook on high, 6 hours (or on low, 10 hours).

3. Serve ribs drizzled with pan juices and, if desired, barbecue sauce.

Cook's Note

Oven method: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In step 1, use a 5-quart Dutch oven or ovenproof pot with a tight-fitting lid; add 1 cup water. Cover; bake until ribs are tender, 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Proceed with step 3.

homemade fruit rollups

These are great after school snacks that you can make a large batch to last for awhile. Since there is a technique to these, that is why the sugar has stayed in the recipe. I have yet to try them with any of the sweeteners.

1 1/4 pounds of chopped fruit ( see suggestions below)

3/4 cup sugar

2 Tabls. of Lemon juice

wax paper

foil

baking sheet with a rim

Preheat your oven to 200 degrees. Combine the fruit , lemon juice and sugar in a blender or food processor until smooth.

Transfer the pureed fruit to a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer on medium heat. Reduce to low heat and cook, occasionally stirring until most of the liquid evaporates and the mix is very thick. This may take 35-40 mins.

Line a 12 x 17 inch baking sheet with rims with nonstick foil or a silicone mat. Use a spatula to spread the mix on the foil in to a thin layer. Bake until barely sticky…. about 3 hrs.

Let baking sheet almost cool completely and peel off of the foil. The side that was down will be moist. Lay the moist side up and on baking sheet and return to oven for about 20 mins or until dry.

Lay the smoother side down on a sheet of wax paper and use kitchen scissors/shears to cut it into strips on the paper. Then roll the strips and store in a zip lock bag.

Suggestions for fruit:

Apples: 3 large Fuji, Gala or Granny Smith apples- peeled and chopped

Raspberry: 5 cups

Grapes: 3 1/2 cups of Concord grapes

Banana: 5 medium, peeled

Strawberry: 4 cups, chopped and hulled

Mango: 2 large, peeled and chopped.