Soup Time! Instant Pot* Chicken Tortilla Soup

September 11, 2022 / TaMara

This soup is one of my favorites. Quick, easy and full of goodness. And using the electric pressure cooker makes an easy recipe even easier.

I was being overrun with tomatoes, and then our heatwave broke with a nice cold, rainy weekend. Perfect time to start some soup.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

4 boneless chicken breasts, cubed**
8 cups of water
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp orange juice
1 tbsp limejuice
½ tsp ea. – Mexican oregano, basil, rosemary
1 tsp crushed garlic
1 large chopped green, yellow, or red pepper
1 to 4 jalapenos chopped (depending on the heat you like)
1/4 tsp red chili pepper flakes
12 oz frozen sliced carrots
8 oz frozen green beans
2 celery stalks, chopped
1/2 small onion
16 oz frozen sweet corn
14 oz canned or fresh tomatoes
1 cup fresh cilantro, washed and chopped
½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
4 flour small flour tortillas
salt and pepper to taste

Instant pot, Multi-Pot or *any electric pressure cooker

Continue reading →

Instant Pot: Turkey Noodle Soup

February 25, 2020February 25, 2020 / TaMara

I found a really good deal on lean ground turkey and packaged most of it up to store in the freezer. While I was there, I decided it was time to make some space, so I pulled out the turkey broth I made from Thanksgiving leftovers.

Ground turkey ✔
Turkey Broth ✔

Time for some turkey noodle soup! And it was mmmm, mmmm, good.

Turkey Noodle Soup

1 lb ground turkey
8 cups of liquid – a combination of turkey or chicken broth and water
16 oz frozen vegetables – you can add a bag of mixed veggies. I used carrots and green beans
2 stalks of celery, chopped
1/4 cup celery leaves, chopped (opt)
1/2 small onion, chopped
10 oz egg noodles
2 tsp crushed garlic
2 tsp sage
3 tsp poultry seasoning
salt and pepper to taste (you’ll probably need 1/2 tsp of each for the ground meat and more for the soup itself)

Add salt, pepper and 1 tsp poultry seasoning to turkey and mix well. Continue reading →

Friday Recipe Exchange: March Roundup

March 11, 2016 / TaMara

I’m going to be gone the rest of the month, so I thought I’d put together recipes for the major events in March. Specifically St. Patrick’s day, Easter, and Spring.

JeffreyW plates up a nice Corned Beef and Cabbage Dinner above and I have two recipes for it here.

This pretty Coconut Lemon Cake is a showy dessert I like to make for Easter Dinner, click here for the recipe.

What’s going on in your kitchen this weekend? Anyone broken out the grill yet? What recipe makes you feel like spring has finally arrived?

Pictured at the top of the post and above are JeffreyW’s Seafood Primavera, more photos and instructions are here.

Tonight’s featured recipe takes advantage of what you can find fresh in the produce section and makes you long for gardening season. It’s quick and easy. You can change up the vegetables at will and omit the chicken if desired (I’d substitute some nice mushrooms then.)

Chicken Primavera

3 boneless chicken breasts, cubed in large pieces
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
1 to 2 tbsp olive oil
8 oz sliced carrots
8 oz broccoli crowns
1 small yellow summer squash, sliced
2 tsp basil, crushed or ¼ cup fresh basil leaves
1 tsp crushed garlic
2 Roma tomatoes, quartered
¾ cup chicken broth or equivalent
¼ cup white wine
2 oz grated parmesan
9 oz fresh linguine

skillet, large saucepan

Sprinkle salt & pepper over chicken pieces. Heat oil in skillet, add chicken and saute for 5 minutes over medium-high heat, until golden on all sides. Add carrots, broccoli and squash, and stir for 2 minutes. Add basil, garlic, tomatoes. Stir additional 2 minutes. Remove mixture to bowl. Add chicken broth and wine to skillet, deglaze drippings, bring to a boil, reduce heat, add chicken mixture, toss and cover. Reduce heat to low and let simmer while pasta cooks. Bring water to boil in saucepan and cook pasta according to package directions. Drain very well and toss with chicken mixture. Sprinkle with parmesan and serve.

That’s it for now. Have a great weekend! – TaMara

Friday Recipe Exchange: What’s in the Pantry?

October 23, 2015October 23, 2015 / TaMara / 1 Comment

The sun is peaking through the clouds after two days of excellent rain. A little thunder, a steady drizzle and snow in the mountains, perfect Colorado fall.

Tonight’s recipe exchange was prompted by a friend of mine who recently lost her husband. I was working at her house and she asked me to come into the kitchen and began going through her pantry, freezer and refrigerator and filling a bag for me with things she didn’t think she’d be able to use. She doesn’t really like to cook much and cooking for one can be a challenge. That’s when I had an idea. I asked her if I could come over every once in a while and cook for her and use up a lot of these amazing ingredients. Her husband was a bit of gourmet, so the whole kitchen is filled with mouth-watering things.

What sold her on the idea was my desire to just pop in, look around the kitchen and come up with something on the spot based on what ingredients sparked my imagination. She thought that sounded like fun and I agree. One of the things I’m really looking forward to is using the black rice. I’ve never cooked with it before.

So for tonight, I went looking through my recipe files to find the ones that started out as a “whatever is in the pantry” meals. They are rarely the same thing twice, but I put the basics in a recipe.

Here are a few:

Pineapple and Bacon Fried Rice is one of the reasons I keep Ponzu Sauce on hand. Click here for that recipe and click here to see all of JeffreyW’s photos and recipes for a variety of fried rice dishes (including the one pictured above).

Pasta is always a great base for a quick dinner. Here is my Pasta Rustica, (basic recipe here), that can include any number of items from your vegetable drawer or freezer.

Of course JeffreyW has a great photo of Beef and Broccoli. Yum.

Spicy Beef and Broccoli (click here) is one of my favorite dinners to make with sirloin. And it’s great if you forgot to take the meat out to thaw until late. There is also a full menu, recipes and shopping list at that link.

I thought I hated vegetables, until I had Stir Fried Vegetables in a Bread Bowl, (recipe here) at a local restaurant. Quick and easy, serve over rice or noodles if your basket weaving skills are minimal (that would be me).

Finally, the weekly dinner menu starts with a basic recipe that you can jazz up with whatever you have on hand, Beef Vegetable Soup and Apple Pumpkin Butter. Menu, recipes and shopping list are here.

What are your go-to “raid the pantry” meals? Are there ingredients you always keep on hand for quick dinners? What’s on the menu for the weekend? I’m not sure there will be a recipe exchange next week, I’m hosting a dinner. Stay tuned…

For tonight’s featured recipe, I kept it as simple as it gets. If you can’t find pineapple salsa, JeffreyW has a recipe for it.

Frijoles Ananás

2-15 oz cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
16 oz pineapple salsa
1 tsp to 1 tbsp chili powder (start with 1 tsp and add more to taste)
1/4 tsp to 1 tsp cayenne pepper (start with 1/4 tsp and add more to taste)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

To serve:

8 oz shredded cheddar
6 to 8 taco size tortillas, warmed

saucepan

Add beans, salsa and spices to a saucepan, bring to a low boil for 1 minute, reduce heat and let simmer 10 minutes, add cilantro and simmer for 5 additional minutes. Serve with cheese and tortillas.

If you want to make it a one-pot meal, add corn or cubed zucchini to the mix for a complete dinner. Serves 4 generously.

That’s it for this week. Have a great weekend – TaMara

Vegetable Beef and Barley Soup

October 10, 2015 / jeffreyw

The local market ran a big sale on beef roasts, we bought a few to vacuum seal and freeze but be saved one out for use. The croutons are from the loaf of beer bread we made a few days ago and they worked fine. I had a bottle of Marsala out and, on a whim, deglazed the pot with it after browning the meat. It added an interesting note to the finished soup.

Friday Recipe Exchange: Feed a Cold

January 23, 2015 / TaMara / 3 Comments

I have been fighting a cold this week and all I want is orange juice and homemade soup. So, of course, that’s the theme for tonight’s recipe exchange. Soups. And there are plenty on the blog, because both JeffreyW and I love soup. Just search on soups and you’ll come up with almost 300 entries.

Here are few selections:

Cream of Chicken Soup, click here.

From Joshua D (Yutsano), Cauliflower Beer Cheese Soup, click here.

From JeffreyW, three soups:

Vegetable Beef Soup, picture above and recipe here

Moroccan Spicy Lamb Soup, recipe here

Parmesan Potato Soup, with Bacon, click here

What’s cookin’ in your kitchen this weekend? What must have recipe gets you through cold season?

Tonight’s featured recipe takes very little effort, so you can have quick and easy homemade soup for a weeknight dinner or when feeling under the weather.

Tortellini Soup

2 cups water
3 cups chicken broth
8 oz sliced carrots
14 oz can diced tomatoes (or equivalent fresh)
2 stalks celery, chopped
½ onion, chopped
1 tsp oregano, crushed
1 tsp basil, crushed
1 tsp crushed garlic
salt & pepper to taste
1 cup fresh baby spinach, rough chopped
20 oz pkg frozen tortellini
4 oz grated Parmesan

large saucepan

Add all ingredients to saucepan, except spinach, tortellini & Parmesan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat & let simmer for 15 minutes. Add tortellini and bring to boil again, reduce heat, let simmer 10 minutes, add spinach and let simmer additional 5 minutes, until tortellini is tender. Serve with Parmesan garnish.

That’s it for this week. I’ll try and have a Bixby update later…he’s been sleeping a lot the last two days, so I’m thinking, growth spurt. – TaMara

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Cheesy-Lemon Cauliflower

January 2, 2013July 7, 2013 / TaMara / 1 Comment

I’m focusing on vegetables for Thursday’s recipe exchange. The lemon juice really brings out the flavors in this one.

Cheesy-Lemon Cauliflower

16 oz cauliflower crowns
¼ cup lemon juice
2 tbsp butter
½ onion, chopped
3 tbsp flour
½ cup milk
¼ tsp curry
1 tsp salt
4 oz shredded cheddar
1 lemon, quartered

saucepan

Add cauliflower, 1 inch of water and ¼ cup lemon juice in saucepan, bring to a boil and cook until cauliflower is just tender. Drain. In saucepan, melt 1 tbsp butter, sauté onion until golden, then add flour, stirring until smooth. Add milk, seasonings and cheese, stir until well mixed and smooth. Add cauliflower, stir well. Reduce heat and let simmer on low, stirring occasionally for 20 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges.

Thursday Recipe Exchange: Garden Vegetables

August 16, 2012 / TaMara

This photo by JeffreyW was one of my favorites this week.
A hummingbird and a hummingbird moth eye-to-eye.

I seem to have gotten into a routine with the new clients and my old job that’s working. It is feeling less like I’m going down the rapids and more like a fast running stream. I hope soon it will be a bit less hectic and I can get back to actual cooking. Luckily for me it’s summer and fresh food is easy to come by and little cooking is necessary. I’ve been enjoying fresh tomatoes, cucumber, onions, watermelon, peaches, squashes and more.

I prefer them with very little prep, only occasionally cooking them. Squash Confetti is one recipe I like because it’s quick and easy (recipe here) and doesn’t heat up the kitchen. But, I understand that when you’re staring down your second bushel of zucchini and overrunning tomato plants, you start to look for something different to do to make things interesting. I was lucky to have a nice recipe drop in my lap this week that will serve as the featured recipe tonight.

Being so busy, I was happy to see a great recipe in my email from American’s Test Kitchen. I thought it sounded like something you all would appreciate.

Summer Vegetable Gratin

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound zucchini , ends trimmed and sliced crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices (see note)
1 pound summer squash (yellow), ends trimmed and sliced crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices (see note)
2 teaspoons table salt
1 1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes (3 to 4 large), sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 medium onions , halved lengthwise and sliced thin pole to pole (about 3 cups)
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 medium garlic cloves , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves
1 large slice white sandwich bread , torn into quarters
2 ounces Parmesan cheese , grated (about 1 cup)
2 medium shallots , minced (about 1/4 cup)
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

1. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Brush 13- by 9-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon oil; set aside.

2. Toss zucchini and summer squash slices with 1 teaspoon salt in large bowl; transfer to colander set over bowl. Let stand until zucchini and squash release at least 3 tablespoons of liquid, about 45 minutes. Arrange slices on triple layer paper towels; cover with another triple layer paper towels. Firmly press each slice to remove as much liquid as possible.

3. Place tomato slices in single layer on double layer paper towels and sprinkle evenly with 1/2 teaspoon salt; let stand 30 minutes. Place second double layer paper towels on top of tomatoes and press firmly to dry tomatoes.

4. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add onions, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened and dark golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Set onions aside.

5. Combine garlic, 3 tablespoons oil, remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and thyme in small bowl. In large bowl, toss zucchini and summer squash in half of oil mixture, then arrange in greased baking dish. Arrange caramelized onions in even layer over squash. Slightly overlap tomato slices in single layer on top of onions. Spoon remaining garlic-oil mixture evenly over tomatoes. Bake until vegetables are tender and tomatoes are starting to brown on edges, 40 to 45 minutes.

6. Meanwhile, process bread in food processor until finely ground, about 10 seconds. (You should have about 1 cup crumbs.) Combine bread crumbs, remaining tablespoon oil, Parmesan, and shallots in medium bowl. Remove baking dish from oven and increase heat to 450 degrees. Sprinkle bread-crumb mixture evenly on top of tomatoes. Bake gratin until bubbling and cheese is lightly browned, 5 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle with basil and let sit at room temperature 10 minutes before serving.

JeffreyW has been doing some fun things with the bounty from his garden: Grape Jelly and Ripe Jalapenos. What have you been doing with your fresh vegetables? How is the fall harvest looking? Anything you’ve just had enough of yet?

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