Chicken Tortilla Soup

This is Chicken Tortilla soup with no tortillas!  This soup is absolutely delicious and is definitely one of my new favorites!  This recipe is from PaleOMG.  My husband doesn't like chunky vegetables so my soup is a smooth soup whereas the original recipe is delightfully chunky.  The avocado mixed in when serving is so ridiculously creamy and amazing but then again I'm avocado obsessed these days and could just spend all day every day eating avocados.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Chicken:

3-4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2.5lbs worth)
1 tablespoon cumin
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons garlic powder
salt and pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil

Soup Base:

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 yellow onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 poblano pepper, diced
1 jalapeño, finely diced
1 (4oz) can diced green chiles
1 (14oz) can fire roasted tomatoes
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper, to taste
32 oz fluid chicken stock (I used low sodium, no sugar added)
juice of 2 limes
chopped cilantro, to garnish
crushed plantain chips, to garnish
sliced avocado, to garnish

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Place chicken on a parchment lined baking sheet. Pour on some olive oil and then sprinkle with cumin, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, and salt and pepper.  Bake for 20-30 minutes (depending on the thickness of the chicken breasts). Once your chicken is done baking, use two fork to shred the chicken. While your chicken is baking, get your soup ready. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat then add your minced garlic. Add onions, red bell pepper, jalapeño pepper, and poblano pepper. Mix around to help coat. Once your onions begin to become translucent, pour in your green chiles and diced fire roasted tomatoes, along with the rest of your spices. Mix together. Then add your shredded chicken and chicken stock to the pot. Simmer on low heat for 30 minutes. When your soup has simmered, add in your lime juice and a bit more salt and pepper.
Add your soup to a bowl along with avocado, cilantro, and plantain chips.  YUM!

Chicken Ropa Vieja

I found this recipe at Skinny Taste.  I was looking for some new Mexican recipes that were relatively low in fat.  I made this recipe the day I found the recipe and oh boy was it a good one!  The shredded chicken can be eaten by itself, in a flour tortilla or in a regular store bought taco shell.  This is another one of those dishes I know I will be making again for my family and soon.  This might have to replace the ground beef we usually have on taco night.  You can actually get all the nutrition information from the Skinny Taste site linked above as well as Weight Watchers points if you are dieting.  I really liked having that information with a recipe when I'm trying to eat better.  Both my kids loved this recipe too, so a winner anytime I can get them to eat a new recipe.  



Chicken Ropa Vieja

3 (22.5 oz) chicken breast halves
1 small onion, quartered
1 tomato, quartered
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 small green bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
1 small red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1 c. reserved broth
1 tsp cumin, or more to taste
2 garlic cloves
salt and pepper to taste

Place chicken, 1 onion, 1 tomato, 1 carrot, and 2 cloves of garlic into saucepan on stovetop.  Add water to cover, and cook on medium-low until the chicken is tender, about 45 minutes.  Place the chicken into a bowl and shred it into strips using a fork; set aside.  Make sure to reserve the liquid.

In a large deep skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add the remaining 2 garlic cloves, 1 onion, 1 red bell pepper, and 1 orange bell pepper.  Cook about 3 to 4 minutes.  Stir in chicken, tomato sauce, white wine, and about 3/4 cup of the reserved broth to create a nice sauce.  Season with cumin, salt, and pepper.  Cover and summer on low for about 10 minutes more adding more broth and seasoning if needed.  Makes about 4 cups.

Machaca Burritos

This is the first time I've made this meat and man I tell you it will definitely not be the last.  This meat was amazing!  I got this recipe from Never Enough Thyme and decided to give it a try.  We love Mexican food but since we are in Japan the choices for Mexican are severely limited.  My best option is to learn how to make some Mexican dishes myself that can hold us over until we go back to the states.  I made homemade tortillas with this and homemade salsa but you can always use store bought too.   I can't wait to make this again and was so sad there were no leftovers.     




Machaca Burritos 

2-3 pound skirt steak, trimmed and cut into 3” pieces
3 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 large white onion, roughly chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, roughly chopped
1 medium orange bell pepper, roughly chopped
2 serrano chiles, chopped, seeds and ribs removed (optional)
1 cup beef broth
1 can diced tomatoes with juice
1/2 tsp. dried Mexican oregano
1/2 tsp. cumin
Salt & Pepper

 For serving:
12 6-inch flour tortillas
Sour cream (optional)
Salsa (optional)
Cilantro (optional)
Lime wedges (optional)
Guacamole (optional)

 Marinade:

1/4 c. vegetable oil
1 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp. water
1/4 c. fresh lime juice
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 serrano chili, finely minced, seeds and ribs removed
Salt & Pepper

To start, cut the skirt steak into about 3″ pieces. Combine all the marinade ingredients in a large zip top plastic bag. Close the bag and shake well to combine. Add the skirt steak and toss to make sure each piece is well coated with the marinade. Place the plastic bag with steak and marinade in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours, preferably overnight.

Allow the meat to come to room temperature before cooking. Remove from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Discard marinade. Cut the onions and peppers into rough chunks and set aside.  In a large, heavy pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Sear the meat on all sides, a few pieces at a time. Transfer the meat to a plate or platter and set aside.  Without cleaning the pan, add the onions, peppers, garlic and chilies (if using). Saute for approximately 5 minutes. The vegetables will pick up a lot of the browned bits left from the meat, which is what you want to happen.

Add the beef broth, tomatoes, oregano, cumin, salt and pepper. Mix well. Return the meat and any collected juices to the pan. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and cover. Simmer slowly until the meat is very tender, about 2 hours.  Remove the meat to a cutting board and allow it to rest until cool enough to handle – about 15 minutes. Continue cooking the onion and pepper mixture until most of the liquid has evaporated, uncovered.  Using your fingers or two forks, shred the meat. Return the shredded meat to the pot, stir to combine and cook until the meat is very hot.  Spoon meat and onion filling onto tortilla and add your desired toppings.

Taco Pizza

The other night was pizza night.  I find it very difficult to find good quality ingredients that I apparently took for granted back in the States.  You can't find a good fresh mozzarella cheese and Parmigiana Regiano doesn't seem to exist here, so I decided we just need to expand our pizza night into new kinds of pizzas.  I've made this once before but it was quite some time ago.  Everyone in my house loves tacos and loves pizza so the two together was certainly a hit!

Pizza Dough (recipe below)

1 lb. ground beef

1 package taco seasoning

Lettuce

Tomato

2 c. Mexican cheese

1 c. salsa

First start with your pizza dough.  Of course, you can save yourself a step and do a premade pizza dough if you wanted.  

Basic Pizza Dough:

1 package active dry yeast (2 ¼ tsp.)

1 tsp. sugar

1 c. warm water

2 tsp. salt

2 tbsp. Extra-virgin olive oil

3 c. flour, plus more for dusting

Add yeast and sugar to warm water and let stand 5 minutes.  Add flour and salt to food processor. Add oil to yeast mixture, stir and then slowly pour into flour mixture in food processor.  Use plastic blade on food processor.  Once dough ball forms, knead a few times onto lightly floured surface.  Place in well oiled bowl and let rise 1 hour.   Divide in half and cover the half you aren't working with.  Place flour on your work surface and roll out the dough into a large circle.  I like to tuck my edges under to form the crust.  I then poke holes with a fork to prevent bubbles and I always bake on a preheated baking stone at 500 degrees.  (Makes 2 large pizzas) 

 

While your dough is rising go ahead and brown your ground beef just like you do for tacos.  Add in your taco seasoning and water if the seasoning packet requires it.   After your roll out your dough, prick it with a fork spread your salsa over the dough just like you would a regular tomato sauce.  Use as much or as little as you like.  Then add your meat and cheese.  Bake 500 degrees for about 10-12 minutes or until edges are nice and golden brown.  Top with lettuce, tomato and any other taco topping you like such as guacamole or sour cream.  Enjoy!

Flank Steak Tacos

Since living in Japan we are quite limited in Mexican restaurants to choose from so I wanted to start working in making my own.  I will say we do have on Mexican restaurant right off base here in Yokosuka that is really good but still, it is nice to be able to do it myself.  I went all out and marinated a flank steak and thin sliced it, made homemade tortillas, homemade salsa and guacamole.  It was a good day in our house! This marinade was incredible.  One of the best I've ever had.  My 3 year old took the spoon and drank the meat "juice" off the plate!  She isn't big on meat but she devoured this. I served our tacos with sauteed onions, refried beans and queso fresco cheese.

Flank Steak Marinade

3 lbs. flank steak
1/3 c. white vinegar
1/2 c. soy sauce
4 minced garlic cloves
2 limes, juiced
1/4 c. olive oil
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. chili powder

Take out flank steak and use a fork to pierce holes in both sides.  Add to large ziplock bag.  Combine vinegar, soy sauce, garlic cloves, lime juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, cumin, paprika and chili powder in a small bowl and whisk until combined.  Pour over flank steak.  Allow to marinate at least 8 hours or overnight.

Place flank steak on aluminum foil on a baking sheet under high broil for about 10 minutes on each side.  Allow to rest 10 minutes.  This makes a 3lb. flank steak medium with just slight pink throughout.  Slice very thinly at an angle against the grain for best results.   


Guacamole

1 large avocado
1 lime, juiced
pinch of garlic powder
pinch of salt & pepper

Mash avocado with lime juice until the consistency and texture you like, add in the garlic powder, salt & pepper.  Keep plastic wrap on until ready to use.  Guacamole doesn't keep well so use very shortly after making.  Push the plastic wrap all the way down until it actually touches the top of the guacamole so the top doesn't turn brown.  

Homemade Salsa

3 whole tomatoes
1 whole spanish onion
1 dried ancho-chili
4 garlic cloves
lime juice
salt & pepper
1 jalapeno
Olive oil

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Core your tomato, and rough chop your onion, remove the top off your jalapeno and peel your garlic cloves.  Place tomato (whole), onion, jalapeno and garlic on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper.   Roast roughly 20 minutes or until tender and very fragrant.  Meanwhile pour hot, almost boiling water in a bowl and place your dried ancho-chili pepper into the bowl to reconstitute the pepper.  Allow to sit at least 20 minutes in the water.  Once your remove your tomato and vegetables from the oven, allow to cool slightly and peel your tomato (personal preference).  Pour your tomato, jalapeno, onion, garlic into a blender.  Remove the top off your ancho pepper and add to blender as well.  Blend until desired consistency, whether smooth or chunky.  Add in lime juice and salt and pepper to taste.  If you like it really spicy add additional jalapenos.  I found one was just enough heat for me.  I didn't add cilantro to mine because I personally don't care for it, but if you like it, add it!

Homemade Flour Tortillas

Back in Washington I would always make a trip to our local Central Market store to buy fresh made flour tortillas.  I absolutely loved them and apparently got quite spoiled eating them.  Now that I'm here in Japan and have only the preservative loaded garbage ones you can buy already made at the grocery store I realized I could make my own or just never eat them again!  I was surprised at how easy this was to do and how fantastic they tasted.  I will never have to buy tortillas again!  I don't know if the "resting" periods are absolutely necessary but with 2 small children everything I make ends up with lots of "resting"!



Homemade Flour Tortillas

3 c. all purpose flour
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 c. shortening or lard
3/4 c. warm water

Combine flour, salt and baking powder in a bowl.  Add in shortening or lard and use a pastry cutter, fork or your hands to work the shortening into the flour until it turns into a course mixture almost like sand.  Then pour in the water and use your hand or wooden spoon and mix/stir until a rough dough forms.  Add flour to your work surface and knead the dough for a few minutes until a more defined dough ball forms.  Cover and allow to rest 45 minutes.  Rip the dough ball into roughly 12 pieces and roll into small balls and cover and allow to rest another 30-45 minutes.  Heat a cast iron skillet to a medium to medium high heat.  Roll each dough ball very thinly.  You can separate with plastic wrap or parchment paper if you roll them all before cooking them.  Throw one onto your cast iron skillet and allow to cook for about 30 seconds each side until slightly brown spots form.  You may have to work with the temperature settings.  Some stoves you'll need it higher where others will need it lower.  You want to cook it until barely brown and still pliable, not crisp and not burnt.  Remove and place in a tortilla warmer or hand towel and keep covered to keep it warm.  Best used the same day.  You can also freeze with parchment paper in between and pull out and cook as needed.

Chicken Verde Quesadillas

I love this really super simple dinner recipe.   My husband is now working 12 hour day shifts two days a week then 12 hour night shifts two days a week.  So with him not getting home until 9pm two nights a week I wanted to find dinners that are easy but tasty to make for me and the kids and then be able to reheat or quickly put together for him when he gets home at night.  A friend of mine told me about a verde chicken enchilada she makes and I've been hooked on verde salsa since I tried it.  You can make the chicken ahead of time or use a rotisserie chicken.  I make my own taco seasoning but packet works just as well, I just don't usually have it on hand so find it easier to just make my own when I need it. 

 Chicken Verde Quesadillas

3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 packet of Taco seasoning
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 jar of verde salsa
1/4 c. sour cream
quesco fresco cheese
1 c. mexican shredded cheese
6-8 tortillas

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Place the chicken breast on a baking sheet and liberally cover with taco seasoning and drizzle with olive oil.  Then turn the chicken over and repeat making sure to massage the taco seasoning into the chicken.  Bake the chicken for 25-30 minutes (depending on how thick your chicken is).  Then shred the chicken.  In a bowl mix the entire jar of verde salsa (minus a bit if you want to drizzle it on top or dip it) with about 1/4 c. sour cream and about 1/4 c. queso fresco cheese.  Add the chicken to the verde sour cream mixture.  Heat a large skillet on medium and spray with non-stick spray.  Place a tortilla down and then spread the chicken verde mixture onto the quesadilla (liberally) and sprinkle the shredded Mexican cheese on top and cover with another tortilla.  After 3-4 minutes flip and cook the other side until crispy.  Cut into wedges and serve.