Tortilla Soup

Okay, another quick one. This is a soup recipe that our friend and co-worker Debbie put into a recipe we were giving to another of our co-workers. It's quick, easy, and very tasty!

Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:
1 can (16 oz) refried beans
1 can (14 oz) chicken broth
1 can (10 oz) chicken OR 3 chicken breasts, boiled and chopped
1 can (15 1/4 oz) whole kernel corn with liquid
1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup salsa, chunky style
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
1. Combine first 6 ingredients in a pot.
2. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring until refried beans are completely mixed with other ingredients.
3. Turn down heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Stir in cheese.

To serve, put some tortilla chips (I prefer Frito's) in the bottom of your bowl and add soup over it. Toss some more cheese on top if you'd like. I used a Mexican blend of cheese instead of plain cheddar.

Notes: This recipe is easily scaled up for larger crowds.

Apple Slaw

This little item is something I threw together for our Christmas potluck this year. I originally found the recipe in a book "Semi-Homemade Cooking" by Sandra Lee. It turned our pretty well...

Apple Slaw

Ingredients:
3/4 cup sour cream (I occasionally use unflavored yogurt instead of sour cream)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp ranch seasoning and salad dressing mix
1 package (8 oz) shredded cabbage and carrots
3 green apples, cored and diced
4 green onions, thinly sliced
salt and pepper

Directions:
1. Whisk sour cream, sugar, vinegar, and ranch seasoning in a large bowl to blend.
2. Add cabbage mixture, apples, and green onions.
3. Toss to coat.
4. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (I didn't use much at all)
5. Cover tightly and chill 20 minutes or up to 4 hours.
6. Serve cold.

Makes about 4 servings.

First Post

Inspired by a similar blog that my sister maintains, I decided I'd create a separate blog for one of my growing hobbies: cooking. Here I'll post some of my favorite recipes for readers to enjoy. Not all of them are original, though many of them are "tweaked" in some way. When I can, I'll be sure to give credit where it's due.

More to come...