Tortilla Soup

It's another cold day here in San Antonio and we are trying to stay warm. Today seems to be another soup day for us. This Tortilla Soup is going to really hit the spot. It's so flavorful and filling. We love the tomato base with the fresh cilantro! You can never have too much cilantro in my opinion! Yummy!! What is your favorite go to soup whenever it is really cold outside?

Ingredients:
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced                                                 
1 tablespoon olive oil                                                                     

2 teaspoons chili powder                                                                     

1 teaspoon dried oregano                                                                     

1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes                                                                     

1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed chicken broth                                                                     

1 1/4 cups water                                                                     

1 cup whole corn kernels, cooked
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers                                                                     

1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained                                                                     

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro                                                                     

2 boneless chicken breast halves, cooked and cut into bite-sized pieces                                                                     

crushed tortilla chips                                                                     

sliced avocado                                                                     

shredded Monterey Jack cheese                                                                     

chopped green onions

 

Instructions:

1. In a pan, heat oil over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic in oil until soft. Stir in chili powder, oregano, tomatoes, broth, and water. Bring to a boil, and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.
2. Stir in corn, chiles, beans, cilantro, and chicken. Simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Once the soup has warmed through you can top with crushed tortilla chips, avocado slices, cheese, and chopped green onion.

Recipe adapted and modified by: All Recipes

Spanish Rice

In college my roommate was an excellent cook and I learned so much from her. She taught me how to make Spanish rice and I have never wanted instant again. It's so easy to throw together and you won't regret the little extra time it takes. This version of Spanish rice is your starter recipe. In south TX authentic Spanish rice most of the time has carrots, corn, peas, cooked onions, or cilantro. You can pretty much add any veggie that you want and it's Delish!!
Is Spanish rice a common side in your area? If so, how is it made? What all is added to the rice to make it special? I'd love to hear from you. :)

Ingredients:

1 cup rice
1 tsp minced onion
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp cumin
dash of red pepper
1 tablespoon canola oil
dash of chili powder (optional)

Directions:

In a skillet, brown rice in 1 T canola oil.  When rice is almost done, add onion, salt, pepper, cumin, red pepper and chili powder if you want. Brown rice until complete. Slowly add your tomato sauce while stirring it into your rice. Add 1 1/2 cups water. Cover until rice is done, about 20 minutes.

Pork Carnitas

Today I'm sharing with you an authentic recipe for Pork Carnitas. These carnitas are TO DIE FOR!! My husband asks me to cook these for him on a weekly basis. Cooking 4-5 pounds of pork makes a lot so I like to use the meat for other dishes as well. You can easily freeze 3-4 cups of the pork and use later for enchiladas, chalupas, pork nachos, or even put some on top of your huevos rancheros. ;)

Ingredients:

4-5 pounds boneless pork shoulder or pork butt, cut into 2-inch cubes, fat left intact

3/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup lime juice (from about 2 to 3 limes)
4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons Kosher salt, plus more to taste
For serving: corn tortillas, cheese, Southwestern Slaw or shredded lettuce, and salsa verde
Read more at http://www.bunsinmyoven.com/2013/01/10/authentic-tex-mex-carnitas/#WSKFT7w3741sS7To.99

4-5 pounds of boneless pork shoulder or pork butt cut into 2 inch cubes with fat still intact.
3/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup lime juice
4 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
For serving: corn tortillas, cheese, southwestern slaw, and salsa.


Directions:
Place pork in a heavy bottomed pot. Add the orange juice, lime juice, garlic, ground cumin, and salt. Then add just enough water to cover the top of the pork.
Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to simmer. Simmer uncovered, without stirring, for two hours.
Increase the heat to medium high and stir the meat occasionally.  The more that you stir the meat the more that the meat starts to fall apart.
Continue cooking until all the water has evaporated, about 45 minutes, leaving only the pork fat. Let it fry, turning as needed, until the meat is crispy and browned.
Add salt as needed and serve on corn tortillas. Before placing the meat in the tortillas make sure you wrap about 6 in damp paper towels and heat them up in the microwave for about a minute. If you don't do this the tortillas will crack.
I topped our carnitas with a southwestern slaw kit that I found next to the lettuce in the produce section of our grocery store. It came with a cilantro dressing that was really good.

Source: Buns In My Oven

These carnitas would be delicious along side some Seven Layer Dip or The World's Best Queso!

Deanna

4-5 pounds boneless pork shoulder or pork butt, cut into 2-inch cubes, fat left intac
Read more at http://www.bunsinmyoven.com/2013/01/10/authentic-tex-mex-carnitas/#WSKFT7w3741sS7To.99

4-5 pounds boneless pork shoulder or pork butt, cut into 2-inch cubes, fat left intact

3/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup lime juice (from about 2 to 3 limes)
4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons Kosher salt, plus more to taste
For serving: corn tortillas, cheese, Southwestern Slaw or shredded lettuce, and salsa verde
Read more at http://www.bunsinmyoven.com/2013/01/10/authentic-tex-mex-carnitas/#WSKFT7w3741sS7To.99

4-5 pounds boneless pork shoulder or pork butt, cut into 2-inch cubes, fat left intact

3/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup lime juice (from about 2 to 3 limes)
4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons Kosher salt, plus more to taste
For serving: corn tortillas, cheese, Southwestern Slaw or shredded lettuce, and salsa verde
Read more at http://www.bunsinmyoven.com/2013/01/10/authentic-tex-mex-carnitas/#WSKFT7w3741sS7To.99

Taco Soup

It is SO cold in TX right now which is not how it usually is this time of year. It's in the thirties and rainy!! We love it though because it makes it seem more like fall than if it were in the 80s. This last weekend I made us a large pot of this Taco Soup to help warm us up. It is very tasty!! We served ours with guacamole & salsa and tortilla chips. Hope everyone is staying warm this week and travels safely.

Ingredients:

Large package of hamburger 2 lbs
Large onion chopped
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cans dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 cans corn, drained
1 can tomatoes with green chili's
1 can diced tomatoes
1 15oz can tomato sauce
1 can beef broth
2 packages taco seasoning
2-3  cups of water

Directions:
Brown the meat and onion together. Add in all the other ingredients and cook until it's hot. I like to put mine in the crock pot and let it cook on low for 4 to 6 hours.
Serve with cheddar cheese and tortilla chips.

Fajitas

This is one of my all time favorite meals!! I've been eating fajitas for as long as I can remember. Here in TX at our local grocery store of HEB they sell an already marinated fajita meat that is truly the best. So if you are ever near an HEB you must pick some up and take it home with you to grill. You will never go out for fajitas again! ;)

Ingredients:
3-4 lbs marinated fajitas meat (beef and/or chicken)
1 green & red bell peppers
1 onion
1 jalepeno
shredded cheese
guacamole
sour cream
salsa
1 dozen flour tortillas

Directions:
Cut your vegetables length wise and place into a foil pocket. Drizzle with vegetable oil and close. Place the vegetables on the grill first because they will take a bit longer to cook.

Place your fajitas meat on the grill on medium heat until it is cooked through.

Once the vegetables and meat are done cut the meat into strips against the grain of the meat.

Wrap about 6 flour tortillas in a wet paper towel and microwave for one minute. This gets the tortillas soft and warm and ready to build your fajitas without cracking. 
Now you can assemble your fajita in any order you wish.  This is the order I make mine: tortilla, meat, veggies, cheese, guacamole, sour cream, & then top with a little salsa. And that in my book is the perfect Fajita!!

Pork Canitas

Happy Thursday everyone!! It's almost the weekend and I am so excited for some time to relax a bit. Today I am sharing my Pork Carnitas recipe over at Memories By The Mile and would love all of you to hop over there and see how this delicious meal is made. It is a fantastic recipe!! Hope everyone has a great weekend as well. :)

Deanna

Bean & Corn Salsa

I made this dip to go along with Pork Carnitas (that I will share with you tomorrow) and it is truly addictive!! Is so easy too. Throw everything into a bowl the night before and it's ready to serve the next day with your meal. It would be a perfect appetizer at a football party or your next bar b que.

Ingredients:

• 1 can black-eyed peas – drained & rinsed
• 1 can black beans – drained & rinsed
• 1 can yellow corn – drained
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped green pepper
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup finely chopped jalapeno peppers
• 1 can petite diced tomatoes – do not drain
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1 – 8oz. bottle Italian salad dressing

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a medium size bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Serve with tortilla chips.

Source: Celebrations at Home

Huevos Rancheros

One of our favorite breakfasts when I was young and even now is Huevos Rancheros which is Spanish for ranch style eggs. There are many different ways to make the ranchero sauce but today I went with the easy recipe and used an already made salsa.  Enjoy! 

Ingredients:

8 corn tortillas
8 eggs
oil
1 can refried beans (I used Traditional Old El Paso)
fresh salsa
Queso Fresco
cilantro
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

• Pre heat your oven to 250 F.
• Open your can of refried beans and heat on a low setting stirring often. You don't want your beans to dry out or burn.
• I like to use fresh salsa from the fridge, but don't want it cold on my eggs so I warm the salsa in a small pan.
• Pour 2-4 tablespoons of oil into a frying pan and heat to a medium heat.
• Fry each corn tortilla until it is slightly brown and a little firm. After each tortilla is done place them in the warm oven to keep warm.
• Fry your eggs to your liking. We like ours over easy.
• To assemble your Huevos Rancheros take a fried corn tortilla, spread with refried beans, place an egg on top, drizzle with salsa, sprinkle with Queso Fresco cheese, and lastly garnish with a little bit of cilantro.

Enjoy your South Texas breakfast!! Have a great day! :)

World's Best Queso

My step daughter told me about some queso that she had that was the BEST! I asked her what was different about it and she was told that there was cream of mushroom soup and that was all she could remember. Well, shortly after that I ran across a pin on Pinterest that was titled The Greatest Queso That Ever Lived and sure enough I looked at the ingredients and there was the cream of mushroom soup. I made the queso the other night and I must say it is pretty good. I don't think I will ever be able to just put Rotel and ground beef in my queso again.  ;)  The added cream cheese and ground sausage (that's what I chose instead of ground beef) made this dip delicious!

Ingredients:

• 1 block (32 Oz. Block) Velveeta Cheese
• 1 package (8 Oz. Package) Cream Cheese
• 1 can (10 Oz. Can) Rotel
• 1 can (10.75 Oz. Can) Cream Of Mushroom Soup
• 1 pound Ground Beef OR Sausage (or A Combination Of Both)

Brown ground beef or sausage (or both) in a pan over medium heat and set aside. Cut up the Velveeta and cream cheese into cubes and place into a crock pot. Pour in the Rotel and the cream of mushroom soup and stir ingredients together. Place the crock pot on low setting for an hour, letting the ingredients meld. After about 30 minutes, add the browned meat and continue to let cook, stirring as needed. 

Source: Tasty Kitchen

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Gluten Free King Ranch Chicken

This is another recipe that I made for my mother that is gluten free. She loves King Ranch Chicken and hadn't eaten it since diagnosed with Celiac disease in May. You honestly can not tell the difference between the original and the gluten free. So So Good! The only difference is the condensed soups. I bought the gluten free version. You can see the picture of what I bought below so that you can recognize it in the stores. It's a little more expensive but 100% worth it!

Ingredients:

• 1 dozen Mission corn tortillas
• 1/2 cup chicken stock (I use the broth from when I cooked my chicken to shred)
• 2-3 cups shredded chicken breast
• 1 large green pepper, chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2-4 tablespoons cooking oil
• 1 lb shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• garlic powder and salt to taste
• 1 10 3/4oz box of Pacific Organic cream of chicken soup
• 1 10 3/4oz  box of Pacific Organic cream of mushroom soup
• 1 10 oz can of Rotel

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375. Cook chicken and shred. I use the shredded chicken that I previously seasoned, cooked, and froze for later use. You'll find that recipe here, whole chicken cooked in the slow cooker or you can use one can of Rotel tomatoes with about 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts in the slow cooker until it just falls a part. Saute peppers and onions using the cooking oil. Blend all ingredients together in a greased 9x13 casserole dish. Bake for 30 minutes or until done.

Below is a picture of the gluten free condensed soups.

Huevos Rancheros

 

Happy Thursday everyone!! It's almost the weekend! :)

On the first Thursday of every month I am going to be a recipe contributor over at Memories by the Mile. I simply will post a picture of my recipe on my blog that day with a link that will take you to Memories by the Mile to get the recipe.

Hope everyone has a great weekend and have fun going to check out Memories by the Mile!

Click HERE to get the Huevos Rancheros recipe. 

Seven Layer Dip

 Do Not leave me alone with this dish!! I swear I will eat the whole thing!! I love every layer by itself so when you put it all together I go crazy. ;)

Ingredients by layer:
Layer 1: Refried beans (I use Old Elpaso)
Layer 2: Guacamole
Layer 3: Sour Cream
Layer 4: Rotel tomatoes
Layer 5: Mexican Cheese
Layer 6: Black Olives
Layer 7: Cilantro or Green Onions

Directions:
In a 8x8 or 9x13 dish spoon each layer on top of each other. We love to eat our dip with Tostitos tortilla chips.

Queso Blanco

 

I am a Velveeta cheese dip lover! I know, I know processed cheese is pretty icky but if you put some queso in front of me with Rotel, ground beef and a cold beer....  I will not turn it down. ;) YUMMY! I'm getting hungry just thinking about it. ;)
So, that being said, I was stepping out of my comfort zone making a different type of queso the other night. This one is made with an American white cheese (which I found in the deli), green chili peppers and jalapenos! You could easily add Rotel or ground beef to this recipe, but I must say it's pretty good just the way it is. My whole family devoured it that night! Hope you like it too. Have a great day.

Ingredients:

1 1/4    pounds  white American cheese ( block cheese, cut into 1-inch cubes)
1    Can (4 oz) canned green chili peppers ( diced )
2    jalapeno peppers ( chopped )
2/3    cup half and half
1/2    cup cold  water

Directions:

Toss all ingredients into a microwavable-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 5 minutes, stopping to stir after every minute. It might appear runny at first, but it will thicken up as it starts to cool down.
Serve immediately with tortilla chips.

Source: Six Sisters Stuff 
 

Crockpot Brisket Tacos

 

These tacos are so good and so easy to make. Season the meat, let the crockpot do it's magic and done! LOVE it!!! We had a lot of meat left over after our first meal so we made quesadilla's for lunch the next day and then on Sunday we made breakfast tacos with egg, brisket, & cheese. OMG so good! ;)  Enjoy!!

Ingredients:

4 pounds beef brisket
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
8 ounces of your favorite beer
4 ounces queso fresco cheese, crumbled
cilantro
8 to 10 flour tortillas

Directions:

Season the brisket with the salt, pepper, paprika, cumin, onion and chili powder. Place it in the crockpot and add the beer, then cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4-6 hours. When finished, use a fork to shred the brisket and then place it back in the crockpot for another 30 minutes. It should combine with the juices and soak them toss. You may need to toss the beef a few times in the crockpot.
Wrap 4-6 tortillas in damp paper towels and place in the microwave for one minute. They will be extremely hot when done so be careful.
Assemble the tacos with the beef, crumbled cheese, and top with cilantro.

Modified from How Sweet It Is

Chipotle Mexican Steak Burritos

 

My husband loves going to Chipotle for their steak burritos! I think that he could eat there every week and it would never get old. We also love our local grocery stores marinated steak fajita meat. It is honestly the best meat you will ever have. If you are ever in central to south TX go to HEB and buy their fajita meat. We take it on almost all of our family vacations (we have a lot of family outside of TX) and grill up some fajitas as a thank you for letting us stay with family. It's become tradition. 
So, when I told my husband that I wanted to make some steak burritos he told me that I had to do it right and go with our favorite meat. I hope that you have something similar where you live or at least have a favorite steak marinade for your steak. If not, go to Half Baked Harvest and see her recipe for her steak. She says it is also very good1 :)

Ingredients:

2 lbs marinated fajita steak
black beans
shredded cheese (I used chipotle cheddar and jalapeno jack)
sour cream
guacamole
salsa
cilantro

Cilantro Lime Rice

• 2-3 cup cooked white rice, hot
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Directions:

Cook the rice according to package directions. When the rice is done cooking, toss in the chopped cilantro and lime juice. Set aside and keep warm.

Start heating your black beans on low.

Heat grill to about 400 degrees. Grill meat to your liking.

Chop meat into 1/2 inch square pieces.

Place 5-6 tortillas at a time in the microwave for one minute wrapped in damp paper towels. In the center of your tortilla, layer the cheeses, hot rice, warm steak, and any add ins you like such as beans, guacamole, sour cream & salsa. Fold the sides of the line of ingredients and roll up the tortilla (try and roll them tight). Repeat with remaining ingredients.

Modified from Half Baked Harvest

Green Chile Enchiladas with roasted tomatillo and garlic

 

I was at the grocery store the other day buying something else on the baking isle and this Green Chile Enchilada sauce caught my eye. The recipe looked and is very easy so I thought I'd give it a try. I love Verde (Green) sauce on my enchiladas and this one is really good. Tastes very similar to authentic Verde sauce. I made this with just cheese, but think I'd enjoy them with chicken and cheese next time. Very tasty!! :)

 Ingredients:

8 corn tortillas
2 cups shredded Jalepeno  Jack & Mild Cheddar Cheese

2 Pouches Frontera Enchilada Sauce with roasted tomatillo and garlic

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wrap tortillas in a wet paper towel. Microwave on high until steamy hot, about 1 minute.

Roll 1/4 cup cheese into each warm tortilla. Place side by side in an 9 x 13 baking dish seam side down. Completely cover tortillas with sauce. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Put into oven right away. Bake until bubble hot, about 15 minutes. Serve hot.

Variations:
Substitute shredded cooked chicken or beef for the cheese in the filling.

This recipe was adapted and modified from: Frontera Green Chile Enchilada Sauce

Stuffed Chicken, Black Bean, & Corn Quesadillas

 

My husband and I LOVED this recipe and ate on it for several days!!  The stuffing made a lot and it was just the two of us eating this meal so we had left over for a couple of lunches and neither of us complained. The quesadillas are easy and very tasty! You could easily serve these as a main dish, as a side, or appetizers. It's very versatile! :)

Ingredients:
8 burrito sized tortillas
2 large chicken breasts, cooked & shredded
1 can Rotel
15 oz can black beans, drained, and rinsed
1 cup frozen corn, do not thaw
1/2 red onion
1/2 cup flat leaf parsley
1 packet taco seasoning
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
sour cream
salsa
guacamole

Directions:

I slow cook my chicken in Rotel tomatoes for 4 hours on high until I can easily shred with a fork.  This seasons your chicken perfectly for a dish like this one.

In a food processor, chop parsley and red onion.

 
Dump diced onion and parsley into a large mixing bowl. Mix in black beans, frozen corn, taco seasoning, and cheese until well blended.

Place 1/2 cup filling on half of a tortilla and fold. Cook over medium heat on a non-stick griddle. Flip when cheese has begun to melt and cook an additional 2 minutes. Repeat for remaining tortillas and filling. Allow to cool slightly, and slice each quesadilla in half with a pizza cutter. Serve with shredded lettuce, salsa, guacamole, & sour cream.

Source: Mostly Homemade Mom

9 Delicious Mexican Food Recipes

Chipolte Chicken Taco Salad

Creamy Chicken & Chile Enchiladas

King Ranch Chicken

Slow Cooker Chile Verde Pork Enchiladas

Beef Carnitas

Smothered Chile Colorado Burritos

Taquito's

Taco Salad

Cheesy Chicken & Rice Bake

King Ranch Chicken Update

 

  Oh my goodness what a weekend we have had so far. Today we celebrated my son's 4th birthday. We threw him a Mario Brother's Party. I can't wait to show pictures in a post one day this week. It was a lot of fun. It was also his first soccer game today. Poor guy could only focus on his birthday party after the game that he didn't even play his first game. :(  He was so excited!!

King Ranch Chicken is one of our favorite dishes and we like to have it often. I usually season my chicken in the slow cooker prior to making this dish so it's easy to throw together. This is the recipe I typically use whole chicken cooked in the slow cooker. Well, one of my best friends is always talking about the simple way she seasons her chicken using one can of Rotel tomatoes with about 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts in the slow cooker until it just falls a part . Oh my this was a PERFECT way of seasoning your chicken for this dish! It was flavored just right for King Ranch. This is what I used this time and I'm not sure I will ever make it another way again! YUM!! This dish is excellent served with Spanish rice, guacamole & salsa with corn tortilla chips. And if your up for it, a Margarita. :)


Ingredients:

• 1 dozen corn tortillas
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 2-3 cups shredded chicken breast
• 1 large green pepper, chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2-4 tablespoons cooking oil
• 1 lb shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• garlic powder and salt to taste
• 1 10 3/4oz can of cream of chicken soup
• 1 10 3/4oz can of cream of mushroom soup
• 1 10 oz can of Rotel

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375. Cook chicken and shred. I use the shredded chicken that I previously seasoned, cooked, and froze for later use. You'll find that recipe here, whole chicken cooked in the slow cooker or you can use one can of Rotel tomatoes with about 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts in the slow cooker until it just falls a part. Saute peppers and onions using the cooking oil. Blend all ingredients together in a greased 9x13 casserole dish. Bake for 30 minutes or until done.