Pozole Style - Mexican Chicken Soup

For years, I'd heard lots of people talk of "pozole" but had no idea what it even was, except for that people loved it. I imagined something like mole (¡nada que ver! - not even close!) Then I started teaching amongst a high Mexican population and anytime traditions or favorite food came up in our discussions, pozole, always came up with lots of enthusiasm. Finally, at a Christmas Dinner with friends, I was introduced to it and learned that it's soup with very few cooked ingredients (meat - generally pork and hominy corn) and lots of broth and then topped with fresh ingredients and a spicy kick. I'm a huge fan contrasting textures and tempuratures with food so this has been on my favorite's list since. A lot of the time this soup is prepared with pork, which is very tasty, but I try to make a healthier and simpler version. I don't have a specific recipe to follow, but it's practically impossible to mess this stuff up. If you go authentic, you make your own broth, but my version can be whipped up in no time.

First prepare 2 chicken breasts (I like the crock pot for simplicity) and shred. Then saute diced onion and celery in a stock pot with a little oil until onions are clear. Add chicken, broth, hominy, chick peas, and oregano and let simmer. Remember I don't have a recipe so just use the rule of thumb that you toss quite a bit of salad on top and you'll want plenty of broth so add more broth or less cans of hominy and chick peas if necessary.

Soup Ingredients
2 chicken breasts
1/2 diced onion
2 stalks sliced celery
2-3 quarts chicken broth
2-3 15 oz cans hominy
1-2 15 oz. can chick peas (sometimes I add these...you don't usually find these in traditional pozole)
1-2 Tbsp oregano

While the soup simmers for a bit, prepare the following with which to top the soup.

Toppings
Finely sliced cabbage
Diced onion
Diced avocado
Diced or sliced radishes (not pictured)
Chopped cilantro
Jalapeño chiles in adobo sauce
Tostadas/chips
Lime wedges (not pictured)

Serve with plenty of broth in a deep bowl. Add toppings generously with a dalop (or more) of jalapeños in adobo on top and a squeeze of fresh lime juice. Break tostadas on top for an extra crunch. Repeat and enjoy until satisfied!

Vegetable Wheat Soup

We had this soup at a church activity a few weeks ago and my girls devoured it. I loved that it was packed with vegetables and was healthy and have made variations of it a couple times since then. Here's some general instructions to the best of my memory:

Cook 1-2 cups of wheat grains in a crockpot with plenty of water overnight.

In a large soup pot saute:

1/2 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 roma tomatoes, diced

Add:
3 stalks celery, chopped
4 carrots, chopped

Turn up heat and add:
Chicken Broth. Bring to a boil.
Add cooked wheat.

Just before all other vegetables are finished, add veggies that cook quickly and that you don't want to turn soggy:

I added 1-2 small zucchini, chopped.
a handful of chopped cilantro

On the second go-around, I didn't have zucchini, so I added broccoli instead. And it was delicious. I was also hesitant to add cilantro as I was taking some to a friend who I wasn't sure liked cilantro, so I substituted with parsley.

This soup can be so versatile. Add any veggie you prefer and it's delicious. And hearty. And healthy. And it's so light, I wouldn't even mind having it in the summer with a salad.

One last suggestion. The first time I made the wheat, I had plenty, so I put half in the soup and froze half of it. The next time I wanted to make it, I just threw in the frozen wheat and it thawed very quickly in the boiling water. It took a whole long step right out of the process.

Taco Soup

Apologies up front for no specific measurements. It's a recipe that's changed over the years from Mom's chili to Daisy's version of Taco Soup.

Brown a pound of hamburger with diced onion, garlic, plenty of cumin, salt, pepper, and chili powder.

Add beef broth (enough to make it like a soup, beans (I use black-canned or homemade are great), a can of diced or stewed tomatoes, corn (I like to use frozen), sliced olives, green chiles and let it simmer to blend flavors. Taste to see if it has enough seasoning.

Oh, if you have a ranch dressing packet on hand, its delish in this dish. Shhhh. That's supposed to be the "secret." (wink. wink.)

Garnish with any combination of shredded cheese, sour cream, avocado, fresh cilantro, and lots of corn chips. It tastes even better when you share it with friends.

Moroccan Chicken Stew

Several months after I asked for crockpot recipes from friends, I'm finally following up and posting some I received. Here's one from my dear friend, Emily, who is an excellent cook. I have yet to try it, but maybe if I post it here, I will make it some day soon!

Emily's notes:

I got this recipe out of the December 07 issue of "Better Homes and Gardens" and I made it for Lukas for Valentine's Day. It was delicious! A very good blend of spices....made the house smell wonderful.

Ingredients:

4 carrots, peeled and sliced

2 large onions, halved and thinly sliced

3 lb. meaty chicken pieces (breast halves, thighs, and drumsticks), skinned

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup dried apricots, coarsely chopped

14-oz. can chicken broth

1/4 cup tomato paste

2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1 1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

Hot cooked couscous

Pine nuts, toasted

Fresh cilantro (optional)

Preparation:

In a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker place carrots and onions. Sprinkle chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add to cooker; top chicken with raisins and apricots. In bowl whisk broth, tomato paste, flour, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, ginger, cinnamon, and 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper. Add to cooker. Cover; cook on low-heat setting for 6 1/2 to 7 hours or on high-heat setting for 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Serve in bowls with couscous. Sprinkle with nuts. Garnish with cilantro.

The only variation I would make to this recipe is to add the raisins and apricots halfway or later in the cooking process as opposed to the beginning with the chicken. They were somewhat leeched of color and flavor and I would have preferred them to be more chewy. Also, I used chopped macadamian nuts instead of pinenuts because pinenuts were $6.99 for a small bag at my local grocery store. However, I did see pinenuts later at Wal-mart for a lot cheaper (still expensive though). Don't forget the cilantro...the cilantro adds a nice fresh flavor to this dish!

Crock Pot Black Beans

So here's my first tried & true Crock Pot recipe! (I know it's against my personal ethics to post a recipe without a picture so I'll add one, next time I make this recipe.)

Since I'm married to a Honduran and my daughter has gone to a Guatemalan babysitter since she was practically born, I live in a house where beans and rice to my husband and daughter are like creamy garlic mashed potatoes for me. They love them. They could eat them daily. They don't, but sometimes it's close. So here's what I have come up with for black beans. It's so easy. And they love it. And it makes me feel like I'm providing something healthy for my family.

Ingredients:
2 c dry black beans
water
a clove or three of garlic
1 Tbsp salt
1 tsp cumin

Sort and rinse 2 cups (1 small bag) of black beans. Fill crock pot about half full (or a little more) with water. Add black beans, salt and cumin. Peel garlic and smash with hand. Add garlic to water. Stir. Cover. Cook for about 8 hours on high (Crock post temperatures vary).

*Note: When I'm in a big hurry, I don't even add any garlic or cumin - the water and salt are sufficient. These are delicious served with warm rice, vegetables and a meat dish. Armando likes them for breakfast with eggs. He'd eat them every meal if he could.