Mexican Chicken Tortilla Soup

This recipe was sent to me via one of my Facebook friends. She found the recipe in the Reverse Diabetes magazine. Thanks Amber for reading and submitting!

Mexican Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:

6 Corn tortillas- cut into 2 inch strips

1/2 tsp of chili powder

2 tbsp of olive oil

1 sm green bell pepper- chopped

1 jalapeno- chopped

3 scallions (green and white parts) chopped

3 cloves of garlic

2 large tomatoes-seeded and chopped

1 can (14 oz) of low sodium chicken broth

1/4 c of water

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

1/4 tsp salt

6 OZ of chicken breasts (ounces not 6 chicken breasts!) cut into strips

1/4 shredded monterey jack cheese

2 tbsp chopped cilantro

4 lime wedges

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400

2. Place tortillas on baking sheet, coat with cooking spray and sprinkle with chili powder, bake until desired crispness (ours was about 10 mins)

3. Meanwhile, use the cooking oil to saute bell peppers, scallions, garlic until the scallions get tender (2-3 mins)
4. Add broth, water, cumin, coriander, and salt. Bring to a boil.

5. Add chicken, cover and simmer until the chicken is cooked

6. Serve. Divide the soup into bowls, top with strips, cheese, cilantro and squeeze with lime.

Review: In school, we teach kids how important it is to read all the directions before you begin. I should've taken my own teaching advice. As the meal was cooking, we began wondering if we were doing it right because things just didn't look "normal". We didn't know what it was, but we knew something was wrong. I kept re-reading the directions and I couldn't figure it out. Dusty then read them and realized that I had misread the recipe. It called for 6 oz of chicken and I was cooking 6 chicken breasts!!!! So, we removed some of the chicken and did the best we could with what we had left. The fresh ingredients are such a key to this recipe, that removing the chicken (or starting with WAY TOO much chicken) did not hinder the taste at all. This soup is so packed full of flavor. It was very refreshing! It's definitely one to try.

Lemon Cream Chicken

Lemon Cream Chicken

Recipe:

Chicken breasts (2)

chopped onion (1 cup)

chopped carrot (1 cup)

chopped celery (1 cup)

sliced fresh mushrooms (2 cups)

chicken stock (1 cup)

Italian seasoning (1 tsp)

salt (1/4 tsp)

pepper (1/4 tsp)

water (1 tbsp)

cornstarch (1 tbsp)

sour cream (1/4 cup)

lemon juice (1 tbsp)

Directions:

1. Cook your chicken breast on medium heat for 5-10 mins, until brown

2. Layer the next four ingredients in order given, in a slow cooker. Arrange chicken over vegetables. Combine next 4 ingredients in a small bowl and pour over the chicken. DO NOT stir. Cover, cook on low 8-10 hours or on high 4-5 hours.

3. Stir water into cornstarch in small bowl until smooth. Add sour cream and lemon juice. Stir. Add to chicken mixture. Stir. Cover. Cook on high for about 5 mins until sauce is thickened.

From: Everyday Slow Cooking

Review: This was one of our first times to cook in a crock pot during the week. It was so nice to come home and not have to worry about dinner or cooking.

Since it was in the middle of the week, I prepared all the vegetables and chicken the night before. This allowed me to wake up the next morning, throw it all together and then be done until I came home from work. Because we were unsure about the chicken not being cooked all the way and sitting in the refrigerator over night, I chose to cook it until done. (I think this might have added to the chicken being a little dry.) Now if I was doing this again on the weekend, I would follow the directions as is.

This was one of the more flavorful meals that I have prepared. This is not necessarily and eye pleasing dish, but it tastes really good. We served it over steamed white rice.
My husband is not a fan of the vegetables but he did enjoy the chicken. I loved it all! The aroma fills the house and makes this a good recipe to put into the "comfort food" category.

Stir Fry Chicken with Green Peppers

Stir Fry Chicken with Green Peppers

Prep Time: 20 mins (5 to prepare and 15 to cook)
Recipe:
2 chicken breasts- dice into 3/4" cubes
4 TBS Szechuan Stir Fry Sauce (any brand)
1 TBS corn starch
4 TBS of vegetable oil (original recipe calls for Garlic and Ginger Stir Fry Oil, but I couldn't find it at the grocery store)
1 small can of water chestnuts-drained
2 medium green peppers-remove seeds and dice ( I slice mine, but wish I would've diced)

2 cups white rice (cook according to package)
Directions: Coat chicken with stir fry sauce and corn starch.
Heat oil in wok until hot, then add the chicken mixture and stir constantly until almost done. Next, add water chestnuts and green peppers. Stir another minute and serve hot over rice.
We served the dish with edamame. This added an extra crispy flair and color.

Review: This has to be one of our favorites that we have tried. As I was making it, things didn't appear to be going the way that I had envisioned them being. The sauce just didn't look quite right, but the longer I let it cook, the better it turned out. Both my 4 and 2 year olds loved the crunch of the water chestnuts and the bell peppers. The sauce was tangy and not too spicy the way chinese food tends to be. The rice gave the meal a little more substance. This is a must try and there will be no left overs!

Ramen Chicken Noodle Soup

This week's recipe is Ramen Chicken Noodle Soup.
Prep time:20 mins from beginning to end
Recipe:
1 chicken breast
3 cloves of garlic
2 tbsp of olive oil (enough to coat a frying pan)
2 slices of Kraft American cheese
2 packages of chicken Ramen noodles
(Serves two)

Directions:
Slice your chicken breast and saute in crushed garlic and oil until cooked, set aside to rest. Cook the Ramen noodles according to directions on the package, drain off some of the water. Return to low heat and add a slice of American cheese to each bowl. Divide into the bowls. Stir until cheese is completely melted. Add chicken.

Review: I am a fan of Ramen noodles even without the chicken so adding the chicken gave it a new texture. The more water you choose to leave in the noodles, the soupier it will be. The less water you have, the creamier it will be. It was a hit with the youngest in our family and the adults thought it was okay. I would not recommend this meal if you are extremely hungry. It's a lighter meal, good for lunch. (An alternative to the sauteed chicken, try adding bacon bits to give it a crunch.)