Most of us are not big fans when the weather strikes and hits us with freezing tempatures and blankets of snow. If I never had to leave my house I would be loving every minute of the beautiful snow falling while bundled up next to my fireplace. However .... I have this little thing called work in my life and so I am forced to get up each morning at 430am and find a way to treck through the snow, slush and cold. The best part though is when I pull in the garage at the end of the day and get to walk into my home.
Because my days are filled with work duties, meetings and projects I usually use my drive home to think about and plan what it is I'm going to cook for dinner that night. I have found that on the weekends it works out best if I try to plan a good 6 - 7 meals and do all my grocery shopping on Saturday - this way I hopefully shouldn't have to bother with going out to the store each night just to fix dinner. Of course I always keep staples on hand, (hamburger, oven pizzas, macaroni and cheese, etc.) because there are always those off-days where you simply want to come home, throw something in the oven and be done with the day!
I keep a personal cookbook that I add to every so often - it includes all my favorite recipes and meals that my family loves. I reference my cookbook in two different ways. 1. Meal type - appetizer, main dish, dessert. 2. Seasonal. The seasonal organization of my cookbook can get tricky but for the most part - when I am looking to decide on a meal this section comes in very handy. For instance - I can reference my winter recipies. This section includes my holiday baking, soups, homemade breads and chili's. So when I'm in the mood for a nice, warm meal - out pops my winter section.
Today's choice - my infamous Chicken Enchilada Soup. This was the first recipe I honestly 'worked' for. I had gone to Chili's restaraunt to eat and tried their Chicken Enchilada Soup -- I fell in love. I went home and proceeded to try and make it on my own. No matter how long I searched I couldn't find a single recipe for it. One day I finally stumbled across a recipe that someone had tried to duplicate. This was my starting point. From there it was merely trial and error until voila! I perfected my version of my beloved soup. I instantly began making it for friends, family and even work. I would have co-workers tell me they would pay me for quarts of this recipe. From there - it instantly became a classic for me and it instantly became my signature dish. Since perfecting my version I had re-visited Chili's Restaraunt. Honestly - I like my version better. :)
Take a whole chicken and place it in a large pot and fill it with water until it reaches the top of the bird. Allow this to cook thouroughly on med-high heat - you will know when it is done when you can take a fork and the meat starts to shred and fall off the bone. Remove the bird and save your homemade stock in a bowl - you will need this. Allow the chicken to cool enough so that it can be handled. Remove the skin and fat and shred the meat; set aside. Start to saute minced garlic and one white onion finely chopped. Once this is opaque add your reserved chicken stock, shredded chicken, one block of velvetta cubed and 2 large cans of enchilada sauce. Stir.
Turn your heat to med-low and then it's time to add your dry spices. Add about 2 tablespoons cumin, 1 tablespoon chili powder, salt and a dash of crushed red pepper flakes. Put the lid on your pot and let this mixture simmer for about 30 minutes. In a separate bowl mix 1/2 cup Masa Harina and water until you get to a nice, creamy consistancy. Add this to your soup and stir well -- the Masa is the thickener and will give your soup a nice consistancy and a better flavor than simply flour. Let cook for another 5 - 10 minutes; serve.
I will usually offer an assortment of garnish - shredded cheese, diced cilantro, sour cream, crushed tortilla chips and/or pico de gallo. Eat as a soup or scoop with tortilla chips. This soup keeps beautifully in the fridge as well - simply throw back on the stove when you are ready to eat and heat thru. This soup is a great combination of creamy, cheesy soup with the great bite of the shredded chicken.
This Chicken Enchilada Soup is something that will warm you from the inside out -- so the next time you are looking for a warm, hearty meal for you and your family - give this a try. I promise they will love it!
Because my days are filled with work duties, meetings and projects I usually use my drive home to think about and plan what it is I'm going to cook for dinner that night. I have found that on the weekends it works out best if I try to plan a good 6 - 7 meals and do all my grocery shopping on Saturday - this way I hopefully shouldn't have to bother with going out to the store each night just to fix dinner. Of course I always keep staples on hand, (hamburger, oven pizzas, macaroni and cheese, etc.) because there are always those off-days where you simply want to come home, throw something in the oven and be done with the day!
I keep a personal cookbook that I add to every so often - it includes all my favorite recipes and meals that my family loves. I reference my cookbook in two different ways. 1. Meal type - appetizer, main dish, dessert. 2. Seasonal. The seasonal organization of my cookbook can get tricky but for the most part - when I am looking to decide on a meal this section comes in very handy. For instance - I can reference my winter recipies. This section includes my holiday baking, soups, homemade breads and chili's. So when I'm in the mood for a nice, warm meal - out pops my winter section.
Today's choice - my infamous Chicken Enchilada Soup. This was the first recipe I honestly 'worked' for. I had gone to Chili's restaraunt to eat and tried their Chicken Enchilada Soup -- I fell in love. I went home and proceeded to try and make it on my own. No matter how long I searched I couldn't find a single recipe for it. One day I finally stumbled across a recipe that someone had tried to duplicate. This was my starting point. From there it was merely trial and error until voila! I perfected my version of my beloved soup. I instantly began making it for friends, family and even work. I would have co-workers tell me they would pay me for quarts of this recipe. From there - it instantly became a classic for me and it instantly became my signature dish. Since perfecting my version I had re-visited Chili's Restaraunt. Honestly - I like my version better. :)
Take a whole chicken and place it in a large pot and fill it with water until it reaches the top of the bird. Allow this to cook thouroughly on med-high heat - you will know when it is done when you can take a fork and the meat starts to shred and fall off the bone. Remove the bird and save your homemade stock in a bowl - you will need this. Allow the chicken to cool enough so that it can be handled. Remove the skin and fat and shred the meat; set aside. Start to saute minced garlic and one white onion finely chopped. Once this is opaque add your reserved chicken stock, shredded chicken, one block of velvetta cubed and 2 large cans of enchilada sauce. Stir.
Turn your heat to med-low and then it's time to add your dry spices. Add about 2 tablespoons cumin, 1 tablespoon chili powder, salt and a dash of crushed red pepper flakes. Put the lid on your pot and let this mixture simmer for about 30 minutes. In a separate bowl mix 1/2 cup Masa Harina and water until you get to a nice, creamy consistancy. Add this to your soup and stir well -- the Masa is the thickener and will give your soup a nice consistancy and a better flavor than simply flour. Let cook for another 5 - 10 minutes; serve.
I will usually offer an assortment of garnish - shredded cheese, diced cilantro, sour cream, crushed tortilla chips and/or pico de gallo. Eat as a soup or scoop with tortilla chips. This soup keeps beautifully in the fridge as well - simply throw back on the stove when you are ready to eat and heat thru. This soup is a great combination of creamy, cheesy soup with the great bite of the shredded chicken.
This Chicken Enchilada Soup is something that will warm you from the inside out -- so the next time you are looking for a warm, hearty meal for you and your family - give this a try. I promise they will love it!
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