Tortilla Soup Dinner

I have a meal plan that gets you tortilla soup dinner enough for a big hungry family. It’s great, won’t break the bank, and can be done reasonably quick with minimal dishes.
You just simmer 2 chickens in chicken stock with a couple bay leafs, whole head of garlic and some thyme.
Once you get the chicken cooked through (about an hour) you saute some stuff until soft, season, deglaze and you’re basically done.
I like to garnish with some fresh avocado, pico de gallo, queso quesadilla, chips, and fresh cilantro.
Make up some guacamole and warm some beans and you got a satisfying meal.
2 large onions give you enough for the soup, guacamole and pico de gallo. Plus the tostada shells come in a 30 pack so there should be enough for your crunched up chips to garnish the soup, and the tostadas.
I’m not big on recipes but here goes:

Tortilla Soup

2        whole chickens
3q      chic broth
2        sprigs thyme
1         whole head garlic
2         bay leaf

4T      canola (or more as needed)
6         corn tortillas, chopped
2.5c    onion, diced
4         clove garlic
2c       tomato puree
1T       cumin powder
2T       chili powder
1/2c    chopped cilantro
salt
pepper

Clean the chickens, put them in a deep pot, and cover with the stock. Slice the the head of garlic by cutting the whole head just enough to take the tops off most of the cloves.  Add it, the fresh thyme and the bay leaves.

Simmer about an hour, turning the chicken once until cooked though and tender.  Remove to cool in a bowl.

Heat another deep pot and add the oil. Saute the onions until soft and starting to get golden. Add the chopped tortillas and cook until they’re softening. Add the garlic and cook until everything starts to brown.

Add the tomato and cook, stirring, to get all bits off the bottom of the pan. Add the cumin, chili powder, and salt & pepper to taste.

Add enough of the broth to get the mixture loose a little bit. Puree the mixture in batches in a blander.

Whisk in the broth and keep adding salt until it tastes all right. I used a bunch of my hatch chili salt last time and it was great.

To serve, put some fresh avocado in a big bowl, with some pico de gallo and the queso quesadilla. Ladle in the soup, crush on some chips and sprinkle with fresh cilantro.

Guacamole

Fresh ripe avocado

Onion, chopped

Jalapeno, minced

Cilantro, chopped

Salt & Pepper

Lime Juice, fresh

Smash the avocado and stir in the onion, jalapeno (with some seeds), cilantro, s&p, and then finish with some fresh lime juice.

Pico De Gallo

Tomatoes, de-seeded and diced

Onions, chopped

Cilantro, chopped

Garlic, minced

Jalapeno, minced

Salt & Pepper

Stir everything together and serve

To round out the meal, shred some iceberg lettuce, warm some refried beans, and grate some cheddar.

A big bowl of soup, a guacamole, lettuce and cheese tostada, and a bean, lettuce and cheese tostada; you got yourself a homemade meal you can be proud of.

Hand Squeezed Mojito

I’m a huge fan of hand squeezed margaritas. In fact, look for that recipe in the future. But there doesn’t seem to be too many Mojito recipes online. Everybody makes a margarita in Texas, but you don’t often see mojitos, and you barely ever see good mojitos. I fell in love with these margarita alternatives when I lived in Florida and traveled the Caribbean.
Well, after a bunch of drinks in my belly, I think I have dialed in a really good recipe.

Cuban Mojito

Makes 1 good drink
*You will need a muddle to do the job right here, you could use a spoon if you had to, but it is pretty tough.
1 Tablespoon Superfine Sugar
8 Leaves of Mint, torn
1 1/2 Limes (up to 2 depending on how juicy or small they are)
1/4 Cup White Rum
1/4 Cup Club Soda

1) Place the mint and the sugar in a glass and work it over with the muddle until the mint is thoroughly bruised. This will bring out the mint flavor. Some places don’t do it too much and leave big leaves in the mix but I like to muddle it to a paste.
2) Squeeze both limes into the paste, and leave a couple lime wedges in the glass.
Stir the lime mix until the sugar is dissolved.
3) Add enough ice to fill the glass.
4) Add the rum, add the soda, stir, and serve.

Beef Stroganoff

Beef Stroganoff is chunks or strips of floured beef, sour cream, and egg noodles; but after that, the technique and ingredients range far and wide. This is often the case for recipes that are so old and ingrained with tradition. The first known Stroganoff recipe was printed in 1861. The original featured no onions and no mushrooms. It started in Russia, and it’s popularity spread through the middle-east and into Asia. Since the ’50′s, it has been a very popular dish for homemakers. These days, beef stroganoff most commonly has strips of beef tenderloin, onions, and sliced mushrooms. I have tried many versions over the years and currently have a recipe that combines several variations.

Beef tenderloin is the most common candidate for this special dish, but tenderloin can overcook extremely fast and frankly, it doesn’t have much flavor, even when it’s cooked right.  I use beef sirloin flap meat for my stroganoff. It seems to have a much more beefy flavor. I also opt for chunks instead of strips to keep the meat as moist as possible. I like to quarter the mushrooms, because like the meat, I think a chunk retains more natural moisture. Bigger chunks will make it easier to segregate the mushrooms from the picky eaters in your house. I finely chop the onions, so they melt into the sauce once they’re cooked.
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Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs sirloin flap beef
2 tsp soy sauce
1lb white mushrooms, rinsed and quartered
2 tsp hot water
1 tbl dry mustard
1 tsp sugar
1 tbl canola oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 tsp tomato paste
4 tsp a.p. flour
1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon cognac, sherry, or at least white wine
1 1/2 cup beef broth
1/2 cup sour cream
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 tbl fresh parsley, chopped
1 tbl fresh dill, chopped
1/2lb egg noodles

Trim excess fat from the meat and slice it with the grain into roughly 6oz steaks. It is not important to exact here. With a fork, pierce each steak a few times. Place the steaks into a dish or ziplock and add the soy sauce, let stand for an hour.

Microwave the mushrooms in a safe container for 6 minutes to par-cook. Drain.

Combine the hot water, dry mustard, and sugar and let stand for about 15 minutes.

Remove the meat from the marinade and pat it dry with a towel (or paper towel).

In a rondeau, fry the beef until it is good and brown on all sides. Remove the meat from the pan to rest and saute the onions and mushrooms, until the onions are soft and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes.

Get the water going for your pasta.

Add the tomato paste and stir continuously for about 1 minute. Mix in the flour to form a roux. Add the cognac, being careful not to set a fire. Cook to reduce the alcohol some, but do not burn the pan for it. Add beef broth and simmer until the sauce starts to thicken.

Slice the rested meat into 1 inch squares and add to the simmering sauce. Once the sauce comes back to a simmer, remove from heat.

Cook egg noodles in salted water, and then add enough noodles to the meat sauce to make it look right. Do not rinse the pasta first.

Just before serving, stir in the sour cream and some of the fresh herbs and the remaining cognac. All done!

Asia World Market Plano,TX

I have been craving Roast Duck Curry since I thought I was going to be eating it Friday night. That was when I found out that our local Thai place had pared down and streamlined their menu.
So last night I decided to make it this week for my family out in Plano, TX.
I decided to try and cook for a client for the whole week, entirely from an Asian Food Market.
ASIA WORLD MARKET happens to be about 2 miles from my clients home. It is located in Plano, TX near US75 & LEGACY DRIVE.
Normally I would not try something like this. Usually I stick to my comfort zone when shopping for a whole weeks worth of meals. On Mondays, I am always looking for the quickest way to get going since I usually leave late.
I had been through the store on two other occasions, but only to look around and get my bearings.
If you have never been, an Asian Market can be a completely extraordinary experience.
As soon as you walk through the up until this point, normal looking grocery store, you know you are in a different kind of place.
You notice the smell as soon as the door slides open. It’s just undeniably different that what you are used to, unless maybe if you were Asian.
There are some Asian Markets that are known to be stinky due to the large amount of fresh seafood and often live. But ASIA WORLD MARKET does a great job of keeping that out of mind.

All the signs are now in an Asian language. Don’t ask me which one, luckily for me English goes right below that new language.

The shelves are now stacked with ingredients organized in a different way. Almost everything is wrapped in plastic with big bright labeling slapped all over the item to be sold. That item is not always easily identifiable in this grocery store.

You can find your way through easy enough though. If you are adventurous and open-minded culinarily, you can have a great time here.
You would most certainly find those missing ingredients from an authentic Chinese recipe you been thinking about.
Kaffir lime leaves, whole duck, and rambutans were three items I knew I could get there, sight-unseens that I knew I could NOT get anywhere else I usually shop.

You will see a lot of stuff you can be cofortable with. But you will almost certainly see hundreds of items you never seen before, never thought about before, and never wanted to see before.
But all of my pictures are safe for work.

I missed the duck heads and frog legs.

I was impressed with the cleanliness of the tanks, and water in the live seafood bins. There was also plenty of room for the Lobsters and Crabs to live out their final days.



This little piggy had already met his fate.

ASIA WORLD MARKET IN PLANO ON LEGACY
I would recommend this place to anyone in the area. The store was well-lit, well organized, and tidy. It was very clean and just a lot nicer than some other Asian Markets in the area.
I just with the aisles had more labels so I could find stuff easier. It is easy to get hypnotized by all those bright wrappers.
Even if you don’t live in the area. Check out the Asian markets near you if you have never been. It can be pretty cool.

Shepherd’s Pie

I think most people appreciate a good Shepherd’s Pie.
I started with a recipe from the cookbook

Eating Royally

by Princess Diana’s former royal chef.
I have made a few changes to make for a more creamy-saucy sauce and more diversity of flavor.
Goat Herder’s Pie
Serves 4-6
3T Canola or peanut oil
2lb Ground Chuck or 90% Lean Ground Beef
1 Medium Onion, small dice
2T Garlic, chopped
1/2c Flour, Unbleached AP
1cn Diced Tomatoes, 14oz
2c Beef Broth
1T Worcestershire Sauce
1T Soy Sauce
2T Thyme, fresh, picked
TT Salt & Pepper

2lb Russet Potatoes
2T Butter
1ea Egg, large
4oz Cream Cheese
4oz Heavy Cream
Saute ground beef and onions in a large rondeau or straight sided saute pan.
Once ground beef is cooked, add garlic and begin seasoning with salt & pepper.
Sprinkle flour around mixture and stir to combine.
Add tomatoes, Worcestershire, soy sauce, and thyme. Once mix starts to thicken, slowly add beef broth.

Adjust seasoning and simmer for about 10 minutes to cook-off flour taste.
Pour mix into 9X9″ baking dish or 10″ round.


Wash, peel, and large dice potatoes.

Add to medium saucepan, cover with cold water and add a handful of kosher salt. Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are ready to smash.
Pour off water, and let steam for a minute until no longer wet. Using hand mixer, smash potatoes, add butter and mix. Add egg, cream cheese, and heavy cream. Mix until smooth.

Spoon potatoes over meat mixture and spread entirely. Use your spoon, a fork or whatever you like to create some texture on potatoes to encourage browning.

Bake dish uncovered in a very hot oven until you get a nice browned crust. Enjoy.

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