Recipes: Soups, Salads & Sauces
Chicken Enchilada Soup - White Chili - 15 Bean Soup with Sausage - Tomato and Mozzarella Salad - Homemade Tomato Sauce - Bruchetta Salad
Chicken Enchilada Soup
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 lb. of chicken breast fillets (approx. 3 fillets)
1/2 cup diced onion
1 clove garlic, pressed
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup masa harina
3 cups water
1 cup enchilada sauce
16 ounces Velveeta
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
Garnish
shredded cheddar cheese
crumbled tortilla chips
1. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to a large pot over medium heat. Add chicken breasts to pot and brown for 4-5 minutes per side. Set chicken aside.
2. Add onions and garlic to pot and sauté over medium heat for about 2 minutes, or until onions begin to become translucent. Add chicken broth.
3. Combine masa harina with 2 cups of water in a medium bowl and whisk until blended. Add masa mixture to pot with onions, garlic and broth.
4. Add remaining water, enchilada sauce, cheese and spices to pot and bring mixture to a boil.
5. Shred the chicken into small, bite-size pieces and add it to the pot. Reduce heat and simmer soup for 30-40 minutes or until thick. (I made it in in my crockpot by combining everything in to crockpot after whisking the masa harina and water. I had it on low for several hours)
6. Serve soup in cups or bowls, and garnish with shredded cheddar cheese, crumbled tortilla chips.
Makes approx. 12 servings.
Tomato and Mozzarella Cheese Salad
Plum tomatoes (about 6), cut lengthwise into halves (12 pieces)
3/4 teaspoon salt
10 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2-inch slices
2 tablespoons drained and rinsed capers
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons of red wine vinegar or balsamic depending on your tastes
About 1/2 cup fresh chopped basil leaves (used dried and done less)
Preheat the oven to 250 °F. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Arrange the tomato halves cut side up on the sheet, and sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of the salt on top. Bake for 4 hours. Remove the tomatoes from the oven (they will still be soft), and put them in a serving bowl. Let them cool, then add the mozzarella, capers, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, pepper, garlic, olive oil, and vinegar, and mix to combine.
White Chili
o 1 pound Great Northern white beans
o 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast
o 1 medium onion, chopped
o 1 4oz. cans of mild chopped green chilies
o 2 garlic cloves, minced
o 2 Tbsp. olive oil
o 6 cups fat-free chicken broth
o 2 Tbsp. ground cumin
o 2 tsp. dried oregano, crushed
o 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
o 3 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
o Sour cream
o Salsa
o Fresh cilantro
- Soak beans in cold water overnight.
- In large pot, heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil over medium heat and sauté onions until translucent. Stir in garlic, chilies, cumin, oregano, cayenne pepper, and cloves and cook an additional 2-3 minutes.
- Drain beans and add to pot with chicken stock. Bring to boil and reduce heat. Simmer about 2 hours until beans are tender, stirring occasionally.
- While beans are cooking, sauté chicken breast in 1 Tbsp. olive oil. Let cool, then cube.
- After 2 hours, add chicken and 1 cup of cheese to chili and stir until cheese melts. Season with salt and pepper.
- Serve with extra Monterey Jack, sour cream, salsa, and cilantro as toppings.
15 Bean Soup with Sausage
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 medium carrots, finely chopped
1 celery rib, finely chopped
1 bag of mixed beans -- usually just says 15 beans. I have seen it with 7 beans too that would work. You just want a mixture of beans that you like.
6 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 package of smoked turkey sausage, like kielbasa
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, or to taste
Prepare beans the night before you are going to cook it by soaking the beans. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 4-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then cook onion, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 6 minutes. Add carrots and celery and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add lentils, broth, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to moderate and cook, covered, until lentils are tender, about 30 minutes.
While lentils are cooking, slice kielbasa into about 1/2-inch thick pieces. Heat remaining tablespoon oil in a 10-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown sausage on all sides, about 5 minutes. Add sausage to soup and stir in vinegar.
Crockpot: After cooking the onions, carrots, and celery and the kielbasa, add everything into a crockpot and cook 4 to 6 hours. Add vinegar 10 minutes before serving.
Homemade Tomato Sauce
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 carrot, chopped (only if on phase 2...leave out for phase 1)
1 cup of mixed peppers chopped
2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
4 to 6 basil leaves
2 dried bay leaves
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
In a large pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until soft and translucent, about 2 minutes. Add celery, peppers and carrot and season with salt and pepper. Sauté until all the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, basil, and bay leaves and reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and simmer for 1 hour or until thick. Remove bay leaves and taste for seasoning.
Pour half the tomato sauce into the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Continue with remaining tomato sauce.
If not using all the sauce, allow it to cool completely and then pour 1 to 2 cup portions into plastic freezer bags. Freeze for up to 6 months.
Bruchetta Salad
This is something I just kind of throw together so estimating on the amounts in the ingredients.
4-6 Tomatoes chopped...I usually use Roma
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1 teaspoon sea salt Several grinds black pepper 1/3 cup fresh basil, chopped
2 fresh garlic cloves
2 cups trimmed arugula
Wedge Parmesan -- for shaving
4 cups seasoned cubed bread - Italian, Tuscan, Pugliese or Ciabatta bread
For bread cubes:
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 tablespoon minced garlic
Sea salt and ground black pepper
6 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and preheat a cookie sheet in it.
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat and cook until it foams and sizzles. Add the garlic and cook about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add the bread cubes and toss to coat with the butter. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the bread to a baking sheet. Immediately sprinkle with the cheese and toss again while warm to melt the cheese.
Bake, stirring once or twice, until the cubes are crisp and lightly colored on the outside but still soft within, about 8 or 9 minutes. Let cool. Store in an airtight container.
For Salad:
In a bowl, combine the tomatoes, onion, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, basil, salt, and pepper. Add the bread cubes and toss well.
Arrange arugala on plate and top with tomato/bread mixture. With a vegetable peeler, shave the Parmesan over the salad. Serve immediately.
