Chicken Tortilla Soup

1 recipe Taco Chicken

1 large onion, chopped

6 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

4 cans chicken broth

1 15-oz. can chopped or diced tomatoes

2 jalapeno peppers

1/4 c. fresh lime juice (3-4 limes)

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

TOPPINGS:

Store-bought tortilla chips

Sliced avocado or guacamole

Grated or crumbled cotija cheese

1/4 c. cilantro

Early in the day, begin marinating the chicken. Right before you start preparing the soup, start grilling it.

In a large stockpot, heat some olive oil over medium heat. Add chopped onion and sauté 3-4 minutes.

Add garlic and minced jalapeno and cook a few minutes more until pepper is softened and garlic is fragrant.

Add chicken broth and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and allow it to simmer 20 minutes.

While soup is simmering, juice the limes and set aside.

Start preparing the toppings: grate the cheese, chop the cilantro, cut up the avocado or prepare the guacamole.

Right before serving, add lime juice and chicken to the soup. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle soup into the bowls and add desired toppings.

This recipe can be found here.

Louisiana-Style Red Beans and Rice

Ingredients:

1 lb. dry red kidney beans, rinsed and sorted

6 c. water

5 regular bouillon cubes or 1 Tbsp. + 2 tsp. chicken base

1/4 lb. Andouille sausage, quartered and cut into thin slices.

1 onion, chopped

4-5 cloves garlic, minced

3/4 tsp. cumin

3/4 tsp. coriander

3/4 tsp. oregano

1/8-1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Instructions:

Combine all ingredients in a crock pot and cook on high for 4-5 hours or on low all day. Or you can start on high until it starts to simmer and then switch it to low.

When beans are tender, mash about 85-90% of them against the side of the crock pot. Give them a taste and add any extra seasonings if you need to, particularly salt and pepper. Replace lid and set heat to “low.”

In a medium saucepan, bring 4 c. water, 1 Tbsp. white vinegar, and 2 c. of white rice to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and steam for 20 minutes.

recipe can be found here