Taco Soup

Taco Soup is the perfect end to a nice cold, rainy day.  But it is not necessary to wait for the opportunity for it to be cold and raining.  Any day is perfect, especailly after a long days work and being pressed for time.  One can't believe how quick it is to prepare this meal.  The best part of this colorful, and tasty soup is that everyone at the table can customize their serving with add-ins of their choice. And it's simple to pull together, especially if you use precooked chicken.

Much like a taco you will need many ingredients with the exception of having to fry taco shells.  This is a great meal to prepare with left over taco meat, or leftover rotisserie chicken. In our case, it is always that we just want to have taco soup.  You can start with home made chicken or vegetable broth, or in a pinch use your favorite gluten-free store bought broth.  I like to use ground chicken or leftover rotisserie chicken, chopped tomatoes, grated cheese, sliced avocadoes, chopped onions, cilantro, sour cream, salsa and gluten-free tortilla chips.  I will often add in a can of organic corn kernels, and a can of softened organic whole pinto beans.  If used in combination corn and bean carbohydrates can be considered a protein.  This adds texture and protein if you decide to make it meatless.

Taco Soup  For the soup:

4 skinless chicken thighs or breast
(about 1 1/2 pounds) or equal amount
of ground meat
1 can (14.5 ounces) reduced-sodium
chicken broth
1onion, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 can organic corn kernels, drained
1 can organic pinto beans, drained
coarse sea salt to taste


For garnish:
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese or ceddar cheese (5 ounces)
4 large scallions, thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup)
1 jalapeño chile, diced (with seeds for more heat)
1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and sliced
1/4 cup cilantro sprigs
1 tomato, chopped
1 Lime, cut in wedges sour cream
salsa
 
In a large soup pot, combine the broth, corn, tomatoes, and salsa. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce the heat, and simmer for approximately 10 to 15 minutes.



Just before you are ready to eat, slice the avocado and sprinkle it with lime juice. Place the add-ins in bowls on the table. Diners can fill a bowl with the ingredients of their choice, then ladle on the hot soup.
Makes 6 to 8 servings.

 

 

Arroz Con Pollo ~ Rice with Chicken ~ Estilo Puertoriqueno ~ Puerto Rican Style

This was my first attempt at making arroz con pollo.  As it was one of my mother's signature dishes and no matter where she would go people would request that she make this dish for them, I was a bit intimidated.  This is what lead to my fear of making this dish.  I think that since my mother's rendition of this dish was so phenominal, that the dish would prove to be too difficult, and that I would some how let her down because mine would not live up to her high standards.  Plus, would it taste as good as my mother's?  When I thought about my mother though, I remembered that she had to begin somewhere, and that by the time I came around she had had the benefit of cooking for over 20 years.  Therefore, when I finally cut myself some slack the dish began to flow for me.  Some of the techniques that I had watched my mother do quickly came back to me and that made it so much easier to create this dish.  I actually felt like her hands were guiding me through the dish and in the end the finished product while not 100% my mom's version, it was very delicious!  My husband, Michael and my daughter, Autumn absolutely loved it.  While there is room for improvement I am quite pleased with the fact that I finally attempted this family heirloom recipe.  We were blessed with some avocadoes that came straight from from my aunt's (Titi Fifa) farm
in Puerto Rico.  She had sent my father a care package of avocadoes and he shared two of them with us.  it was the perfect addition to our meal.  The avocadoes were creamy just like eating butter, yet they were quite sweet.  And they had that tropical island scent to them.  As I made the arroz con pollo I felt like I needed something to go over the rice adn so I whipped up a small pot of gandules guizado (stewed pigeon peas).  For the recipe see my post from Christmas 2008. 

Arroz Con Pollo
Sofrieto Ingredients:

1 tbsp achiote
1 head of garlic, minced
1 cup oil
1 onion, chopped
½ can tomato sauce
1 tsp. dried oregano
½ cup stew tomatoes
3 agiesas dulces (leave out if you can't find these)
3 cups long grain rice
cilantro
1 lb. chicken parts
green bell pepper, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
olives, 15 to 20
capers, 1 tablespoon

Directions:
Heat oil on medium heat. Cook the Sofrieto for 3 minutes. Add tomato sauce and stew tomatoes. Put in washed pieces of chicken. Add cilantro. Add olives and capers a little tomato sauce on top. Put on low heat and cover. Cook for 15 min. Uncover, turn meat, stir and cover. Cook for another 10 min.
Wash rice, add rice. Stir up with other ingredients. Put on achiote for colo. Stir fry rice on med heat. Add hot water to an inch above rice. Salt to taste. Cover and cook high heat to boil. In 5 min when the water disappears, turn rice and turn heat to low. Cook on low for another 15 min. Clean off top of pot.