SOUP – Chicken Tortilla

(17 DEC 2011 - This is one of my favorite homemade soups.  It is very healthy, especially if you use olive oil and low-fat or non-fat milk.  The soup is a warm red color and looks delicious with side garnishes of cilantro, chives, green onions, diced fresh tomatoes, and some shredded low-fat cheddar cheese, sour cream, diced bell pepper, or even guacamole.  I like this soup with sour dough bread, but bread sticks or even crackers are great too.  I make it a MEAL by serving a great garden salad and chilled green tea — but that's just me!  Also, I like to add my own dash of TABASCO Green Pepper Sauce or Original Sauce to my individual serving, so I can "spice it up" – but mildly!!!  dht)

Makes about 4 quarts of soup – that's a LOT, so I freeze the soup in small portions (about 2 cups).  It freezes GREAT!

So here are the ingredients:

1 T Olive Oil

      (Olive Oil is best for taste and healthy

      too;  but you can use canola oil)

2  medium onions

      (yellow or white, cut in thin strips)

1 T chopped garlic

      (fresh or bottled; or 1 tsp dried)

2 pounds cooked boneless chicken

      (cut in thin strips; I prefer white chicken

      for this recipe that has been baked or

      broiled)

1 tsp salt (or salt substitute)

1 tsp ground black pepper

1 quart chicken stock

      (or use water; I prefer using my own

       homemade chicken stock or chicken

       stock from grocery store)

6 cups Enchilada Sauce (see below)

1 quart water

1 quart cream

      (half-and-half, low fat milk, or

       non-fat milk; you decide what you

       prefer; or you can even use

       canned milk)

10 corn tortillas

      (cut in one-inch squares; I prefer the

       tortillas that are made without LARD)

NOW the mixing and cooking steps.

Sauté the olive oil, onions, garlic, chicken, salt, and pepper on medium heat in a large saucepan, until the onions are soft and the garlic (if you used fresh) is golden.

Simmer chicken stock, Enchilada Sauce (see below), water, cream (or milk), and tortillas together until tortillas are soft.  Stir by hand or take the pan off the heat and use an electric hand mixer to blend.

Then combine ALL INGREDIENTS and simmer for 10-15 minutes.  Serve HOT or WARM – delicious!

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OKAY, so here is the homemade Enchilada Sauce for this SOUP (or you can use this sauce for homemade ENCHILADAs – YUMMY!!)

HOME MADE ENCHILADA SAUCE

2 T olive oil (or canola oil is good too)

1 T minced fresh garlic (or bottled)

1 T minced fresh yellow or white onion

1 tsp cumin dry spice

1 T chili powder

     (I prefer 2 T just because

      I like chili flavoring)

1 tsp oregano (dried is okay)

6 diced red ripe tomatoes

     (I prefer the fresh Roma tomatoes;

      but canned diced tomatoes are okay

      to use too)

1 red bell pepper

     (or you can use the orange or

      yellow bell pepper)

3 cups water

½ tsp salt

½ tsp ground black pepper

To make the Enchilada Sauce.

Sauté the Enchilada Sauce ingredients together in large sauce pan over medium heat.  Then add the 3 cups of water and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Then let cool for 5-10 minutes. And then pour into a blender to puree until smooth -- (I prefer it a little lumpy so I can see the lumps of tomatoes – but that's just me).

[Dorothy Hazel Tarr - 2011]

Whole Wheat Onion Fritters

WHOLE WHEAT ONION FRITTERS

OKAY, time to confess the 'magic' that came out of my home kitchen today, 3 Sep 2011, because it was just an unplanned, cooking surprise that turned out GREAT!!!

But, I'm getting ahead of myself! 

Last week I got some gorgeous LARGE yellow onions!  NOW, these onions always entice me to get out my recipes for ONION SOUP, VEGIE CHILI, and ONION RINGS!  Well, the ONIONS have been on the kitchen counter for a week and I have had to walk passed them several times each day! 

Finally, today I could not resist anymore!  I made homemade ONION FRITTERS!  THEY WERE DELICIOUS (and so pretty) – the BEST I have EVER MADE !!!

So, I took some PIXs and want to share one with you.  Also, I modified the BASIC PLAIN FRITTER BATTER recipe that I have been using for over 40 years – how BRAVE is that !  MOREOVER, the surprise is that the modified recipe is now my FAV!!!!!

(The modification to the recipe was my substituting whole-wheat flour and corn meal flour for the usual WHITE WHEAT FLOUR.  So, if you prefer WHITE FLOUR, just use the WHITE FLOUR in this recipe -- 1 cup plus two T white flour.  Enough said on that.)

That being said, below is my NEW MODIFIED BASIC PLAIN FRITTER BATTER recipe with a PIX. 

Recipe Ingredients: 

(Yields about a heaping plateful of ping ball sized ONION FRITTERS – see my PIX.  But actually, I ate some ONION FRITTERS, before taking the PIX, so the yield will be more than in this PIX!

SPECIAL NOTE:  This recipe is also GREAT for fritters made with: zucchini, mushroom, fish, shrimp, cauliflower, or any of your FAV fritter-able eat-ables.)

MEASURE and sift together the dry stuff:

1 C sifted WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR
2 T corn meal flour
1 / 2  tsp salt (or salt substitute)
1  tsp baking powder
1 / 4 tsp black pepper (optional)
        (I like pepper on most things)

MEASURE and beat together the wet stuff:

2 eggs
2 T canola oil
1 / 2 C milk  (I used reconstituted nonfat powdered milk—
  just cause I prefer it and it's easier on my budget)

Prepare the ONION:

Clean, pare, and cut up one medium gorgeous yellow or white ONION. 

(NOTE: If you slice the onion, you get onion rings.

If you cut or chop the onion into bits about the size of a nickel (that's right a USA coin), then you will get fritters looking something like those in my PIX!)

MORE MIXING and STIRRING:

ANYWAY, combine the WET and DRY stuff and stir to mix well (about 1 to two minutes by hand).

 Then stir in the ONION-chopped-bits, until each bit is coated — and so NOW you have the ONION-BIT-BATTER ready for the cooking.

COOKING in Canola Oil

In a deep saucepan (I use my small saucepan that hold about SIX CUPS of water—is that a QUART or PINT) anyway, add about TWO cups of oil to the saucepan and bring up to a high heat (just before it starts to make 'smoke'). (HINT:  TEST the heat of the oil by dropping into the hot oil,  one TABLESPOON of ONION-BIT-BATTER , "carefully" using long handled spoons.  If this TEST droplet does NOT brown and sizzle right away, WAIT until the oil heats up a little more; because when you add lots of droplets, the oil temperature will, of course, drop.  So, get the oil temperature up to begin with.)

NOW, I only put about EIGHT droplets (about the size of ONE TABLESPOON) of the ONION-BIT-BATTER in the saucepan at a time and turn them over ONCE. ( HINT:  Use a LONG pair of kitchen tongs, for the oil is hot and there will be some platters!!!!)

REMOVE ONION-BIT-BATTER droplets from hot oil when golden brown on all sides. (HINT: This happens FAST, so keep constant 'watch'!)  PLACE these 'beauties' in one layer (so they stay crispy) on some paper toweling.

SERVE 'EM UP HOT!  (HINT: I freeze the extras / leftovers and they are GREAT to use on another day!! IF there are any leftovers!!!!)

ONION DIPPERS

NOW, I don't use anything special for a dip.  I have been very happy using my usual dip of just PLAIN KETCHUP with a few drops of TABASCO (any flavor, color) stirred into it (about 1 / 4 tsp to each 1 cup of ketchup).
 
***************

COMMENTS and suggestions welcome!!

PLEASE leave a comment(s) with any suggestions for variations as time permits; or, just if you feel like it!!

[PHOTO SOURCE: My camera, my photo, my kitchen, my recipe--YUMMY!]

YUMMY FOR THE TUMMY

(THERE is FOOD for THOUGHT, and THEN THERE is FOOD for the TUMMY! 
This is one of my FAV recipes for a hot day. It is a cool salad that is lemony and very healthy and refreshing!!!   It has no mayonnaise!!!   I like to use this recipe and vary the kinds of pasta, vegies, and protein ingredients to take advantage of what I have currently in my frig and pantry. 

PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT if you have any suggestions for variations, OR if you just 'feel' like it !!)

My Suggestions for variety


Pasta—(I use only whole-wheat pasta NOW! ) cooked, drained, and
  cooled

Twist, spiral, spaghetti, macaroni, even brown RICE will do!


Vegies—(I use whatever is in my frig that is "fresh" and/or I use
  frozen vegies if I'm out of fresh vegies)

Onion (red, green, white)
Frozen mixed vegies
Sliced black olives
Frozen French beans
Sliced asparagus (on diagonal of course)
Bell pepper (red, green, yellow, orange) can be frozen or
 fresh sliced or diced
Mushrooms (your FAV kind sliced)
Fresh parsley (or dried)
Frozen peas


Protein—(I prefer poultry for this) Chilled and cut into small
  bite-size pieces

White Tuna (canned)
Turkey
Chicken
Shrimp
Crab
Lobster


NOW that you have your pantry 'cleared' with YOUR 'fixings',
MIX them all together with the PASTA. 
Pour on the Lemon Caper Dressing and and 'stir lightly',
  so as NOT to 'damage' the pasta!
Put in frig to chill – serve cool!


LEMONY CAPER DRESSING –
  Makes about 3/4 cup (good for salad of 3 cups of pasta)

HINT: I vary this dressing recipe to my own taste
  (I like things light and tart with lots of black pepper).

So here is the basic recipe — remember you can change the ingredients and the quantity to suite your taste and according to the quantity of pasta salad you will be making.

SALT (to your own taste but not more than 1/2 tsp
  for 3 cups pasta--I would think)

3 T red wine vinegar (or just white vinegar or rice vinegar)

1 T lemon juice (I use lemon juice from a bottle,
  but fresh is great, (I like 1/8 cup lemon juice!)

1 T liquid juice from caper bottle

2 tsp DIJON mustard (any brand)

1/2 tsp grated lemon rind
  (I never have fresh lemons, but I used frozen rind that
  I put in my freezer from lemons from my lemon tree;
  ELSE I omit this item from recipe)

1/2 tsp dried oregano (I rarely use this item, but I like parsley)

1/8 tsp black pepper (I use 1/4 to 1/2 tsp black pepper – cause
  I LIKE IT that way)

2 cloves garlic (minced or pressed), or 1/8 to 1/4 tsp garlic powder

MIX all this up with a fork or whisk and then gradually
  beat in 2/3 cup virgin olive or (or I use canola oil )

Add 1 T drained capers (I like to use 2 T capers for I LIKE capers).


[PHOTO SOURCE:   PHOTO from a recipe that I have had for years!]