Tex Mex Chicken Soup

Another delicious soup for you to enjoy.  This one combines my love of soup and avocado.  Yum!  It also uses the slow cooker, so toss the ingredients in and it is ready when you get home from work.  This was one that had lots leftover for lunches throughout the week.

Tex Mex Chicken Soup

Ingredients:

2 15-ounce cans of diced tomatoes, including juice
1 can black beans, drained
10 sweet yellow peppers cut into strips
1 small yellow onion, chopped into small pieces
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 -1 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon cumin salt and pepper
4 corn tortillas, sliced into 1/4 inch strips
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1/2 cup shredded Monterrey jack cheese
1 avocado diced and tossed with lime juice to prevent browning
1 lime, cut into wedges

Directions:
1.)  Place chicken in slow cooker.

2.)  In a separate bowl, combine chilies, garlic, onion, black beans, yellow peppers, tomatoes, 1/2 cup chicken broth and cumin. Blend and pour over chicken.

3.)  Cook on high for 3 hours. When chicken is tender, use 2 forks to shred. Adjust seasoning and add additional chicken broth if necessary.

4.)  Just before serving, add tortillas and cilantro to slow cooker. Stir and adjust seasoning to taste. Serve in soup bowls, topping each with shredded cheese, diced avocado and a squeeze of lime.

Double Layer Southwestern Pizza

This recipe is a cross between pizza and tostadas and is kid friendly.  I used Mission Carb Balance Tortillas to cut unnecessary carbs and it turned out great. 

Double Layer Southwestern Pizza

Ingredients:
1/2 pound Ground Beef or Ground Turkey
1 medium onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 15-oz can black beans
4 9-inch flour tortillas (I used Mission Carb Balance)
1/2 cup of your favorite salsa
2 cups 3 Cheese Blend, shredded
2 green onions, chopped
2 roma tomatoes, diced

Directions:
1.)  Preheat oven to 350°F. Place meat, onion and garlic in a skillet over medium heat. Cook until beef or turkey is evenly browned. Drain off grease. Season the meat with chili powder, paprika, salt, and pepper.

2.)  Coat 2 pie plates with non-stick cooking spray. Place one tortilla in each pie plate and cover with a layer of refried beans. Spread half of the seasoned meat over each tortilla and then cover with a second tortilla.

3.)  Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove from the oven
and allow to cool slightly.

4.)  Spread half of the salsa over the top tortillas. Top each pizza with half
of the cheese, tomatoes, green onions, and olives.

5.)  Return the pizzas to the oven, bake until the cheese is melted, about 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Slice each pizza into 4 pieces and serve.

Southwestern Vegetarian Chayote Bake

Before tonight, I had never cooked with Chayote squash before.  However, you will always find me trying to cook with new ingredients, so after getting a great deal on several chayote squash and learning how easy it is to cook them, I know that I will be using them more frequently in the future.  Chayote squash are green and look very similar to pears.  I can't believe that I had been overlooking them in the store for years.  This recipe contains no meat, but is still the perfect all-in-one meal for a chilly night.

You will need:
3 chayote squash
1 onion, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
1 red bell pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon paprika
3 teaspoons cajun seasoning (I used Slap Ya Mama)
1 can diced tomatoes and chiles
1 can pinto beans
1 box of Jiffy corn bread mix
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (if desired)

Start by putting the chayotes in a pot of water and bringing them to a boil.  You'll know they are done when they are tender enough for a knife to go through them.

While the chayotes boil, saute the onions, garlic, and jalapeno in a pan over medium high heat.  Turn the heat down and add the bell pepper, tomatoes and chiles, and pinto beans, along with the chili powder, paprika, and cajun seasoning.

Cut the chayotes in half lengthwise and remove the small seed from the enter.  They will be very easy to cut into small pieces.  Add the pieces of chayote to the pan.

Colorful vegetables ready to put into the baking dish.

In a separate bowl, mix the cornbread mix with the ingredients requested on the box.  You can also add a 1/2 cup of shredded cheese to the corn bread mixture if desired.

Pour the vegetables into a large casserole dish and spread the corn bread mixture over the top.

Vegetables topped with corn bread mixture and baked until golden brown.

Bake in a 375 degree oven for about 30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.

Finished product.  Spicy, yet sweet.