Chicken Tortilla Soup

Growing up in San Antonio gave me a deep love for Mexican food. It's my go-to comfort food. I've since moved to a different state, but the cultural imprint is still running strong. You can take the girl out of the city, but you can't take the city out of the girl!

This is another low-cost, easy to make recipe that feeds 5-6 easily, and leftovers will NOT languish in your fridge until the trash run comes next Tuesday.

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken quarters (drumstick and thigh together)
• 3 qts water
• 2 chicken bouillon cubes
• 1/2 sweet yellow onion, chopped
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 tsp ancho chile powder (or just use regular chili powder)
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 Tbl paprika
• 1/4 tsp celery seed
• 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped or pressed
• 2 C frozen corn
• 2 small cans tomato sauce
• 2 roma tomatoes, chopped
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1-2 Tbl chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 C rice
• 1-3 tsp salt, to taste (at the end!)

• tortilla strips for garnish
• avocado for garnish

Directions:

1. Cover the chicken with 3 qts of water and boil for an hour and a half.
2. Remove the chicken and set aside to cool. Pour the chicken broth through a fine strainer and skim some of the grease off the top. You can use a liquid measuring cup to do this or use one of those grease cups with the spout at the bottom, OR you can refrigerate the broth overnight and skim the fat off easily when it hardens. 
3. Add all spices, all the veggies, and tomato sauce and bring to a boil. Simmer uncovered for an hour.
4. While the broth is cooking, pull the chicken off the bone, keeping large chunks of meat.
5. Add the rice and chicken and set a timer for 20 minutes. Be careful not to stir too much after adding the chicken. 
6. Salt to taste, garnish with tortilla strips and avocado, and serve!

Country Style Pinto Beans

Bacon grease. Chili powder. Onions. Salt. Really, that's it! So simple and so good. Try these on top of Ruth's Best Cornbread or even better, cornbread waffles. 

"Cornbread Waffles??! What??" Yes! It's the same cornbread recipe, except with 1.5-2 cups of milk and a waffle iron. You can even make the cornbread waffles ahead of time and freeze them. Beans and cornbread will never be the same.

Ingredients:

• 2 C dry pinto beans
• 1 Tbl ancho chile powder (or substitute regular chili powder)
• 1/2 sweet yellow onion, chopped
• 4 Tbl salt (3 Tbl to soak the beans and 1 Tbl to cook with)
• a big spoonful of bacon grease, about 1/4 cup

Instructions:

1. Soak the beans one of two ways: overnight in the fridge, or a quick soak. Quick soaking consists of bringing the pot to a boil, then turning off the heat and letting it sit for an hour and a half. Make sure you add the salt when you soak, to keep the beans from breaking apart when you cook them.
2. Drain the beans and rinse well.
3. Put them back in the pot and fill with water to 2 inches past the beans.
4. Add the onions, salt, bacon grease, and chili powder.
5. Simmer covered for an hour and a half. 

Italian Sausage, Spinach, and Pumpkin Pasta

I was skeptical at first about using pumpkin puree to make a pasta sauce. But then I tried it, and oh gosh, is it good! Whether you're wanting to sneak in more fruits and veggies or try an alternative to tomato and alfredo sauces, this recipe is a sure winner at your table.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 bunch of fresh spinach
• 1 large can of pumpkin puree (29 oz)
• 5-count package of sweet Italian sausage
• 1/2 pint heavy cream
• 1 16-oz package penne or bowtie pasta
• 2 tsp basil
• 2 tsp sage
• 2 chicken bouillon cubes (I use the Knorr caldo de pollo kind)
• 1/2 C white cooking wine
• olive oil
• Parmesan cheese

Instructions:

1. Wash the spinach and pull the stems off.  Chop roughly - you should have about 3 C chopped.
2. Saute the Italian sausage, sage, basil, and spinach together in a non-stick pan with a drizzle of olive oil. 
3. Start boiling water for the pasta.
4. When the spinach is wilted, add the pumpkin puree, cream, cooking wine, and chicken bouillon. Turn down heat, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally.
   
5. The pumpkin and sausage should simmer for at least 15 minutes to let the sausage finish cooking. When the pasta is done, drain and set aside.
6. Test the sausage by cutting one in half. Garnish with Parmesan and serve!