Enchilada Soup

I love enchiladas.  I think they are one of the most perfect foods in the world.  Sadly, enchiladas are time consuming to make...  I decided to try and come up with the taste of enchiladas in a quick and easy soup.  So here is my version of enchilada soup.

Jenn's Easy Enchilada Soup                                                           

*1/4 cup diced bell peppers
*1/4 cup minced onion
*1/8 cup minced garlic

*1/8 cup minced hot/mild peppers (I used Pasilla and Jalapeno)

1 29 oz. can of Enchilada sauce
4 cups of chicken broth
2 cups of shredded chicken
1 1/2 cups of rice
1/4 cup of cornmeal stirred into about 1/4 cup of water
2-4 cups of water

Combine the sauce and the broth and bring to a simmer.  Add in the rice and simmer 20-30 minutes.  Once the rice is done add in the chicken, peppers, onions and garlic.  Return soup to a simmer and slowly stir in the cornmeal.  The soup was a bit too thick for me so I added about 3 cups of water and returned to a simmer. 

Top with sour cream, shredded cheese, tortilla chips or tortillas.         Serves 6-8

*I used dried peppers, onions and garlic.  About an hour before you start the soup put your dried ingredients into a bowl and covering with boiling water.  Cover with plastic wrap and let sit until softened.

Isn't this pretty?  I love all the colors.  The amazing magic that happens when you add water fascinates me.  I love how the veggies all plump up and taste just like fresh.  My favorite part of using dried ingredients is that I know I always have them on hand and I can make a fresh tasting meal. 

Look how the water makes the colors pop! 

Chicken and Rice Casserole

This is a super quick and easy recipe using leftovers...  shh don't tell my kids.  On Monday we had chicken tacos with rice and beans.  I doubled the rice recipe and saved 1/2 of it for tonight.  The chicken is my leftover chicken chorizo from the other day.  Tonight all I had to do was rehydrate some veggies and combine everything.  Having such a simple dinner planned allowed me time to do what I wanted including setting up a facebook page for my blog.  :-)

Here is the recipe... 

3 cups of Spanish rice (cooked)
1 1/2 cups cooked chicken
1/2 cup bell peppers
1 chili pepper
2 diced tomatoes
1/2 cup diced onions
2 minced garlic cloves

Combine everything in a skillet or casserole dish and cook until heated through.  You can top this with sour cream, salsa, cheese, guacamole or whatever you like.  You can easily change the heat in the recipe by adding more or less peppers.  Enjoy!

Chicken chorizo

I have only had chicken chorizo once and it was in an omelet on one of my very worst days but somehow I remembered that chicken chorizo.  It was a food that just stuck out in my mind in a good way and I wanted to recreate it.  Yesterday we spent most of the day down the hill.  Our cat Shadow was broken and we got her fixed but that is a different story.  ;)  While we were waiting on Shadow we went to Bass Pro Shops and hung out and drooled.  We ended up looking at sausage making equipment, books, spices and kits.  Since I was spending money getting Shadow fixed I wasn't spending money there but took full of advantage of everything we could read. 

We found out that alot of chicken sausages are made from fully cooked sausage and it oddly we had fully cooked and shredded chicken legs at home so today I got the grinder out and started grinding the chicken.  I will tell you it looks kinda funny when it comes out.  It reminded me of baby food but it tastes just like deviled chicken which I love.  So without any further rambling here is the recipe.

Chicken Chorizo ~ Jenn's way

9+ lbs. shredded dark meat chicken
heavy 1/4 cup chili powder
1/4 cup minced dried onions
1/8 cup minced dried garlic
1/8 cup cumin
1/8 cup paprika
1/8 cup dried cilantro
2 Tbsp kosher salt
16-20 grinds of pepper
1 heaping Tbsp tomato powder
1 cup chicken stock
3 eggs

Start by grinding your cooked chicken.  If you want you could even use a food processor for this step.  Just make sure it is all evenly ground or processed.  Then the fun starts...  throw everything in a large bowl and start combining.  This can take some time.  I mixed most of it in by hand but finished with the Kitchen Aid and the paddle attachment.   Take a small ball and flatten and cook on griddle or non stick skillet and taste.  Adjust seasoning and then shape by hand or  put into sausage casings.  We did it both ways. 

One thing to note is that there is very little fat so you are going to want to use some non stick spray to cook it.  I have two large sausages in casings that I froze but I also used it tonight on our Indian fry bread.  The chicken is very light but really does hold it's own.   Give it a try and let me know what you think.

BTW ~ I am pretty sure I saw an electric grinder that does everything except tell the meat to jump into it.  Hmmm... how to bribe Santa...  I think Jenn might just need that...