ooops ...

Last Wednesday was not the last in Lent - Holy Week is still Lent.  Hey, cut me some slack, Im a Druid/Jewish/Zoroastrian who lately has been doing a lot of reading about Sikhism (  it only takes one really cute guy ) this stuff is still fairly new to me.

But I made soup!

( and took really crappy pictures ) 

I needed to make something pretty basic, never knowing who is going to show up and my last one , which was very good to me, may not have been to the masses - and we did have some town folk show up that night. So, basic and also pretty fast : CHICKEN TORTILLA !  

I went with THE PIONEER WOMAN'S recipe and it turned out really well.

Ingredients

• 2 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1-1/2 teaspoon Cumin
• 1 teaspoon Chili Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1 cup Diced Onion
• 1/4 cup Diced Green Bell Pepper
• 1/4 cup Red Bell Pepper
• 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1 can (10 Oz. Can) Rotel Tomatoes And Green Chilies
• 32 ounces, fluid Low Sodium Chicken Stock
• 3 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
• 4 cups Hot Water
• 2 cans (15 Oz. Can) Black Beans, Drained
• 3 Tablespoons Cornmeal Or Masa
• 5 whole Corn Tortillas, Cut Into Uniform Strips Around 2 To 3 Inches
•  _____
•  FOR THE GARNISHES:
•  Sour Cream
•  Diced Avocado
•  Diced Red Onion
•  Salsa Or Pico De Gallo
•  Grated Monterey Jack Cheese
•  Cilantro

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix cumin, chili pepper, garlic powder, and salt. Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil on chicken breasts, then sprinkle a small amount of spice mix on both sides. Set aside the rest of the spice mix.

Place chicken breasts on a baking sheet. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until chicken is done. Use two forks to shred chicken. Set aside. 

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a pot over medium high heat. Add onions, red pepper, green pepper, and minced garlic. Stir and begin cooking, then add the rest of the spice mix. Stir to combine, then add shredded chicken and stir.

Pour in Rotel, chicken stock, tomato paste, water, and black beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 45 minutes, uncovered. 

Mix cornmeal with a small amount of water. Pour into the soup, then simmer for an additional 30 minutes. Check seasonings, adding more if needed---add more chili powder if it needs more spice, and be sure not to undersalt. Turn off heat and allow to sit for 15 to 20 minutes before serving. Five minutes before serving, gently stir in tortilla strips. 

Ladle into bowls, then top with sour cream, diced red onion, diced avocado, pico de gallo, and grated cheese, if you have it! (The garnishes really make the soup delicious.)

This is a most tasty soup! I did not season the chicken - because I did not read ahead on the recipe, so I just added all the spice with the garlic but did everything else pretty much as she told me - I did use three really large chicken breasts - you can use only two , like she says and it will be fine.

KODA AND GIANT BABY

Moonrise over Honeoye Falls