It’s a little chilly today in San Diego, so I decided to make a soup that would warm up our belly’s and heart.  Tortilla Soup is very quick to make, inexpensive, and sooo tasty.   not to mention, easy on the waist line!

Ingredients:

5 Roma Tomatoes

Half a onion

1 garlic clove

1 chipotle pepper

Corn bought Tortillas

Pasilla Pepper

Cotija Cheese or Queso fresco

Olive oil

2 liters of chicken stock 0r 2 liters of water with chicken base

Sour Cream (optional)

Avocado (optional)

Place the tomatoes in boiling water for about 5 minutes.  When you see the skin is ready to be pulled off, they are ready.  Set aside to cool.

Slice up half of a onion and place in pan with a little bit of olive oil and the garlic clove.  As soon as the onion is translucent, it is ready.

Cut about 6 corn tortillas into strips and fry in oil, until crispy.  Set aside on a paper towel to dry.

Devein a pasilla pepper and remove the seeds.  Place into the left over oil for about 5 seconds on each side.  Remove and cut up into pieces for garnish and a touch of smokey flavor.

With the chicken stock simmering, place “pealed” tomatoes, translucent onions, 1 chipotle pepper, and garlic into a blender.  Pour blended contents into the chicken stock and let simmer for another 5 minutes.

In a soup bowl serve the tortilla soup, adding the crispy tortillas, 1 scoop of sour cream, sliced up avocado, and a few pieces of the toasted and sliced pasilla peppers on top.

Mmm there is nothing like great Mexican soup to warm you up.

Empanadas are great for a party as appetizers or as a meal served with warm refried beans on the side.  There are a variety of empanadas out there, but the real fun is making them yourself.  You get to play with your fillings.  From a sweet empanada with apples and cinnamon to a savory empanada as I am going to share below.

Ingredients for 15 medium size empanadas:

3 cups all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon salt

6 oz unsalted butter (1 ½ sticks or ¾ cup) divided

1 egg

4-5 tbsp water

For the filling:

Mozzarella

Canned jalapenos in escabeche

Turkey (can be packaged)

Preparation:

1. Mix the flour and salt in a food processor.
2. Then add butter, egg and water until a clumpy dough forms.
3. Form a ball and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
4. Roll out the dough into a thin sheet and cut out round disc shapes (I used a cup top as mold).
5. Use immediately or store in the refrigerator.

You then de-vein and seed some jalapenos, cut them up and added them to some shredded turkey.

Then you start to fill your little dough discs.  Make sure to add some shredded mozzarella or do what I did, I added some string cheese.

Brush the edges of the empanada discs with the egg whites,  the egg white acts as a natural “glue” that helps seal the empanada. Fold the empanada disc and seal the edges  with your fingers, twist and fold the edges of the empanadas.

Lightly brush the top of the empanadas with the egg yolk; this will give them a nice golden glow when they bake.
Pre-heat the oven to 400 F and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden.
The melted cheese will probably ooze out as soon as you bite. Yum.

Bonus – Alternative filling as shown below:

Mix canned tuna, corn, jalapenos & mayo. Remember play with your fillings, you can use leftovers. Don’t be scared to be creative.

I would have made some chorizo and cheese one’s if I had not given up red meat for lent!

This has become one of my favorite pasta dishes ever.  My cousin passed the recipe down to me not to long ago. She made sure to tell me I was going to love it, and boy was she right.  I know you will too!

Ingredients:

• Jalapenos about 6
• 1 pt. Heavy cream or heavy whipping cream.
• Parsley
• 3 garlics
• 6 sun dried tomatoes
• Parmesan cheese
• butter
• breaded chicken
• spaghetti

For the Chicken

• 2 chicken breasts
• 2 egg whites
• italian breading

Preparation:
Devein jalapenos and remove seeds using a spoon. Cut into strips and set aside.

Place pasta in boiling water and cook al dente.

While pasta is cooking we are going to make some breaded chicken.

I use 2 egg whites and italian breading.  First I place the chicken in the egg white and then in the breading, followed by frying them in corn oil.

In a shallow pan add garlic and about 1/3 cups of butter.  Bring up to a simmer.

Once simmered for about 3 minutes, add 3/4 of heavy cream.

*Don’t blend

Chop up some fresh parsley.

*Tip:

Store parsley, asparagus, cilantro and other herbs in a glass container with purified water and place a bag over for storage in the fridge.  It will keep them fresh for a longer period of time.

Add breaded chicken, parsley, and sun dried tomatoes.

Top off with some parmesan cheese.

Finito.

Buon appetito.

Te va gustar!

You can serve with a side of my delicious asparagus.  I will post the recipe here soon!

I love Salsa. I especially love salsa that I can pour on almost everything.  Just the right amount of heat with a great tangy taste.

Green salsa is my kryptonite.

Ingredients:

• Tomatillos
• chilies serranos (more heat) or jalapeno’s (usually less heat)
• 1/3 onion (optional)
• garlic clove
• salt and pepper to taste

I buy enough tomatillos to fill up my pan.  Here I used about 20.  Peal, wash and place in pan with chilies.

Charr on medium heat.

Place in blender with onion and clove. No water is necessary.

Use in chilaquiles, quesadillas, enchiladas, tacos, doritos with cotija cheese…

Possibilites are endless.

Cause you don’t always want to eat healthy…

Cause sometimes you wanna be bad…

I buy Chorizo at Costco in bulk.

Cook the desired amount of chorizo on your stove top until most of the oil the is excreted is gone. You can brown it slightly. Set aside.

Cook a store bought flour tortilla for a couple seconds on both sides (until it’s soft).

Add cheese of your choice.  I usually go with pepper jack, mozzarella, or Cotija.

Add cooked chorizo inside once cheese begins to melt.

If you have ever had queso fundido- this is what it tastes like.

Delicioso!

Yesterday I posted this delicious picture of my dinner, and everyone asked me for the mango salsa recipe.  It is very tasty, healthy, and can be used on tacos, fish, chicken and even with some tortilla chips.  So here it is…

Ingredients:

• 1 ripe mango
• 1 cucumber
• 2 jalapenos in escabeche
• 1 tspn crushed red peppers
• 1 lemon
• salt & pepper to taste

As easy as that.  Cut the mango and cucumber into little squares.  Remove seeds and stem of jalapeno and cut it up into pieces as well.  Mix all the rest of the ingredients in and enjoy.