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Last week we had several main dish salads. This week we're doing soup. I find salads or soups as a main course are wonderful for weight control. We always have a salad with the soup and soups can be both nourishing and filling. I've noticed that soups that call for 4- 5 cups of chicken broth can be less than frugal if you have to buy the expensive broth. Make your own from scraps if you really want to save.
Here are two yummy recipes for Mexican soups. We enjoyed them both. Yucatan Style Chicken, Lime and Orzo Soup
This soup is not sour in spite of the lime juice. Leave in pith and seeds of the pepper according to how hot you like it. We garnished with sour cream and used tortilla chips instead of bread. It's very colorful with the tomato, cilantro and pappers.
Here's another: Black Bean Soup with Chorizo and Chicken The chorizo flavors the whole soup, with mild hints of thyme and bay leaf. We used our neighbor's thyme ("Pick some any time!" ) I garnished this soup with cilantro, too, for color and flavor. No use having a whole bunch go to waste. We put avocado in the salad. It wasn't quite ripe when we brought it home, but a short stint in a plastic bag with an apple was all it took. You do know this trick, don't you. Apples emit a ripening agent that will help other fruits to ripen.
Work in the garden and a walk in the coolish June day. Rewarded myself with watching soccer, golf and baseball. And the soup!
Yours in frugality,
The Cheeseparer
Chop up half an onion, a little less if huge. Cook it over med. heat in a big cast iron skillet. When the onion begins to soften, add a pound of good quality 85% lean ground beef. I always buy mine at the butcher counter. When the meat is almost cooked, add a chopped (seeded if you don't want it too hot) jalapeno pepper. Continue to cook and stir. Add a sprinkling of hot pepper flakes, some chili powder. I also add another sprinkle of Penzey's Southwest Seasoning. Oh, an don't forget a teaspoon or so of cumin. Very important. Salt and pepper well, and continue to simmer to blend the flavors. Add a can of rinsed and drained black beans or your favorite kind of beans. Pinto. Kidney. Whatever.
Chop up the following and put in small bowls: scallion, tomatoes, lettuce, cilantro and avocado. Into other bowls put grated cheddar or Mexican cheese (a mixture), sour cream, wedges of lime. Nine "condiments" in all.
For each person, cook a couple or more corn tortillas in a vegetable oil until slightly browned but still pliable. Keep warm in oven while cooking the rest.
Put the condiments on the table along with the fried tortillas in a basket. You may also put hot sauce on the table or salsa. Bring the hot skillet to the table and serve. Everyone creates his/her own tacos. They are utterly delicious. I fold mine in half and eat it messily. My significant other dumps everything onto his plate and has at it. This is good stuff.
I also serve orange wedges with the meal. Refreshing.
I usually keep corn tortillas and all the spices around, along with scallions, lettuce, tomato, cheese and sour cream, so we just have to buy the meat, the cilantro and the avocado. Serves 4, and doesn't break the bank. Dieters can go easy on the cheese and sour cream. Corn tortillas are low in carbs and high in fiber. Of course, grilled steak added instead of ground beef will also be tasty, as would chicken or a grilled pork chop or two. Taste for seasoning as you go along. A couple of these babies and you won't be hungry for hours.
I have never tasted any tacos this good at a Mexican restaurant, although the fish tacos at the Border Cafe in Cambridge, MA are close. Ole!
This is bound to be better than going out for Mexican tomorrow, when the so-so Mexican restaurants in the Boston area will be SRO. My philosophy is make your own.
The recipe I'm using is from Gourmet a few years back. Don't panic! It's Gourmets "Gourmet Every Day" which is never too complicated. We're going to have some margaritas and a nice salad that echos ingredients from the main course.
Enjoy! You can feed the whole family.
Gourmet's chicken tostadas
The cheese to be pared here in ricotta salata.
