Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients
6 cups chicken broth 
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon dry cilantro
1 cup shredded chicken
2 (15-ounce) can chopped tomatoes
large yellow onion, cut into large wedges
1 lime, quartered
Kosher salt
fresh ground black pepper
1 cup canola oil
2 flour tortillas

Directions
In a large pot over medium-high heat, combine the broth with the chicken, onion, tomatoes, red pepper flakes, chili powder, cilantro, lime, pepper, and salt to taste. Bring to a simmer.

While soup is heating, heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat.

Cut the tortillas into thin strips and fry them in batches until they are golden brown. Drain on paper towels or a paper bag and season with salt. When the soup is hot, taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve it in bowls topped with the tortilla strips.

Serving Yield: 8

Chicken Burritos with Pineapple Salsa

From Sandra Lee

Ingredients
2 rotisserie chicken
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
1 (8-ounce) can pineapple chunks, drained and chopped
1 small red onion, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 tablespoons lime juice
3 scallions, chopped
10 flour tortillas 
1 can red or black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup shredded jack cheese

Directions
Make the salsa by mixing together the diced red onion, pineapple chunks, jalapeno, cilantro, chili powder, lime juice, and season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Remove the chicken from the bone, discarding the bones and skin. 
Wrap the tortilla in a damp towel and microwave for 45 second or until warm and pliable. Heat the beans in a small pot over low heat.
Lay out one tortilla onto a flat surface. Place 1/4 of the chicken, into the middle of the burrito. Top with 1/4 cup of cheese, 1/4 of the beans and 2 tablespoons of the salsa. Fold the bottom of the tortilla up over the filling then fold the sides in and roll up from the bottom. Repeat with remaining ingredients and garnish with remaining salsa.


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Chicken Tortilla Soup

Serves 4

6 corn tortillas
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 jar mild raspberry salsa
1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies
1 can pinto beans
1 3/4 cup chicken broth
1 3/4 cup water
1 lb chicken tenderloin, cut up into bite sized pieces
1/4 cup sour cream
1 avocado, chopped

1.  In a crockpot add salsa, tomatoes, beans, broth, water, & chicken.  Cook over high heat for 4 hours.

2.  Just before serving:  Cut tortilla's into strips.  In a skillet over medium high heat add oil and tortilla strips.  Fry until golden brown.  With a slotted spoon remove strips to a plate lined with paper towels.  Salt and pepper.

3.  To serve: Ladle soup from crock pot into bowl, top with tortilla strips, a dollop of sour cream and avocado.

350 Calories

Beef & Avocado Salad with Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette

Serves 4

12 oz beef flank steak or london broil

1/2 cup light Italian salad dressing

1/2 tsp lime zest

1/4 cup lime juice

4 tbsp fresh cilantro, diced

1 small red onion, sliced

6 cups salad greens

2 small plum tomatoes, cut into wedges

1 small avocado, halves, seeded, peeled, & sliced

1. Score both side of steak in a diamond pattern.

2.  In a small mason jar, combine dressing, zest, juice, and cilantro. stir to combine.

3.  Using half of the dressing mixture, marinate the steak for 24 hours in your refrigerator.

4.  Drain beef, discarding marinade.  Season both sides with salt and pepper.

5.  Cook steak on grill over medium heat for 20 minutes OR broil 3 inches from heat for 18 minutes OR fry in frying pan for 5 minutes on each side.

6.  Grill, broil, or sauté onions.

7.  To serve, thinly slice steak across grain.  On four plates, arrange greens, tomatoes, steak, onions, and avocado. Add reserve dressing.

199 Calories

From Better Holmes and Gardens Low Calorie Magazine 2012

Mexican Couscous Salad Over Baby Spinach

From Blog Is The New Black

Original Taco (left) & Gourmet Black Eyed Pea Taco (right)

Black Eyes Pea Taco From Martha Stewart

Chorizo & Cheddar Quesadilla

8 flour tortillas (10-inch)
1 chorizo sausage (about 2 1/2 ounces), coarsely chopped
3 scallions, thinly sliced
2 cups shredded (8 ounces) Cheddar cheese
Prepared green or red salsa, for serving (optional)

Place 4 tortillas on a work surface. Dividing evenly, scatter chorizo and scallions over each, leaving a 1/2-inch border all around. Sprinkle 1/2 cup cheese over each, and top with remaining tortillas. Press lightly to seal.

Heat Skillet over medium heat. Spray pan with Pam. Place 1 quesadilla on skillet. Cook till golden brown. Flip quesadilla. Cook till this side is also golden brown. Repeat with remaining quesadillas spraying the pan with each new quesadilla.

Cut each quesadilla into 4 wedges and serve with salsa, if desired.

Nana's Taco Salad

Serves 8

Ingredients:

1 pound Lean Ground Beef, browned & cooled

1 package Taco Seasoning (added to beef when cooking)

1 medium Yellow Onion, diced

1 large Green Pepper, diced

1 large Orange Pepper, diced

2 tomatoes, diced

1 small can Black Olives, sliced

1 cup Monterey Jack Cheese, shredded

1 cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded

1 head Iceberg Lettuce, torn into bite sized pieces

1 bottle Catalina Dressing

1 bag Nacho Cheese Doritos, broken into pieces

Method:

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and serve!

Mexican Lasagna

INGREDIENTS:
1 pound lean ground beef
1 (16 ounce) can refried beans
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
12 uncooked lasagna noodles
1 small jar salsa, with black beans and corn
2 cups sour cream
2 scallions
1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack
cheese
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, combine beef, beans, oregano, cumin and garlic powder.
3. Place 4 uncooked noodles in bottom of a 9x13 inch pan. Spread half of beef mixure over noodles. Top with 4 noodles. Spread with remaining mixure, and top with remaining noodles.
4. In a medium bowl, mix salsa and 1 jar of water. Pour evenly over layers. Cover tightly with foil.
5. Bake 1 1/2 hours in the preheated oven, or until noodles are tender.
6. Blend sour cream and scallions in a medium bowl. Spoon over lasagna, and top with Jack and Cheddar cheese. Bake uncovered until cheese melts, about 5 to 10 minutes.

Latin Chicken and Rice Pot

Latin Chicken and Rice Pot

Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray

Prep Time:

15 min

Inactive Prep Time:

--

Cook Time:

25 min

Level:

Easy

Serves:

4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken tenders, breasts or thighs, cut into bite size pieces
• Salt and pepper
• 2 cups white rice
• 3 cups chicken stock, available in paper boxes on the soup aisle of market
• 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• 1 tablespoon (3 teaspoons) Sazon seasoning blend (recommended: Goya) with Mexican and Spanish foods in market
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1 (2-ounce) box golden raisins, 1/4 cup

Olive and Pepper Salsa:

• 1 cup Spanish olives with pimentos, drained and chopped
• 2 vine ripe tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 1 small green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 small white skinned onion, chopped
• Several drops hot sauce
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, a handful
• 1/2 lemon or lime, juiced
• Salt

Avocado and Garlic Sour Cream:

• 2 ripe avocados, pitted and spoon flesh from skins
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1 clove garlic
• Salt
• 1 cup sour cream

Directions

Preheat a medium pot over medium heat, add extra-virgin olive oil and butter. When butter melts into oil, add cut up chicken. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Stir and lightly brown the chicken, then add the rice and cook another 1 to 2 minutes. Add chicken stock, poultry seasoning, Sazon seasoning, tomato sauce and raisins. Bring the stock to a quick boil, 2 or 3 minutes. When the liquid boils, reduce heat to low and cook 13 to 15 minutes, until rice is tender but still a little chewy in the center.

While the rice and chicken are working, prepare the salsa. Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and adjust the salt and hot sauce, to taste. Next prepare the Avocado and Garlic Sour Cream by adding all ingredients to a food processor and processing until smooth. Adjust seasoning, then transfer to a small bowl.

Stir 1/2 cup of prepared Olive and Pepper Salsa to the chicken and rice mixture. Turn off heat and let stand 5 minutes.

Serve the prepared Latin rice and chicken in shallow bowls with spoonfuls of salsa and avocado cream to garnish. Serve any remaining salsa and sour cream with plantains and corn chips for dipping and scooping.

Copyright 2012 Television Food Network G.P.
All Rights Reserved

Southwestern Pasta Salad

1 (16 ounce) package dried bow tie pasta
1 1/2 cups medium chunky salsa
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 (16 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes wuth green chilis
1 (11 ounce) can corn, drained
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
2 green onions, sliced thin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon taco seasoning, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon dried cilantro, or to taste
1 teaspoon salt
ground black pepper to taste

Tex Mex Burritos

Phil's Tex-Mex Burritos

Recipe courtesy Cathy Lowe

Prep Time:

10 min

Inactive Prep Time:

--

Cook Time:

30 min

Level:

--

Serves:

4 servings

Ingredients

• 2 pounds lean ground beef
• 2 large onions, finely chopped
• 1 (12-ounce) can chopped green chiles
• Katie's Note: Add 1 can diced potatoes
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 (15-ounce) can stewed tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 10 flour tortillas
• 8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, grated
• Salsa, sour cream, chopped cilantro as garnishes, optional

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 9 by 13-inch baking pan.

In a large skillet, cook the beef until mostly browned. Stir in onions, chiles and garlic and cook until onions have softened. Add the tomatoes, oregano and cumin and cook until the tomatoes have thickened to form a sauce about 10 minutes.

Heat the tortillas so that they are pliable--either over a gas flame or in a microwave oven.

Divide meat among the tortillas, about 1/4 cup per tortilla, and sprinkle each with cheese. Roll up tortillas and place in baking dish and top with more grated cheese. Bake for 10 minutes. Garnish with a thick salsa, sour cream and chopped cilantro if desired

 Copyright 2011 Television Food Network G.P.
All Rights Reserved

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