Mexican Chicken Soup

I name this dish Mexican soup although it is actually Mexican chicken tortilla soup. This different version of western chicken soup contains chipotle chili sauce, the tortilla and some of the ingredients in Mexican soup are roasted. I want a healthier version of tortilla soup so I come up with my own Mexican chicken soup. The flavor still is fantastic and, rest assured, it has fewer calories.
Ingredients:
6 cups homemade chicken stock
3 cups roasted chicken, shredded*
1 red pepper, roasted
1 yellow pepper, roasted
1 red onion, roasted
1/2 cup cooked yellow corn
1/2 cup carrots, cut up
1 jalapeno, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp cumin
2 tbs chipotle chili sauce
1 tbs fresh chopped oregano
1 ripe tomato cut up
2 tbs lemon juice
1 cup Mexican cheese blend (optional)
Garnish: cilantro and green onions

Directions:
Cut the roasted pepper, red onions into matchsticks and prepare the rest of the ingredients . Set aside.

In a medium pot, sauté' garlic, jalapeno and chipotle sauce until fragrant (about 5 minutes). Stir in tomato.

Add chicken stock. Bring to a boil. Add the rest of the ingredients, except the cheese if using. Bring it back to a boil.

Turn the heat to simmer and cook partially covered for 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with chopped cilantro and green onions.

*Store-bought roasted chicken will be perfect for this recipe.

Greek Salad Dressing

Basic Greek dressing
Ingredients
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp onion powder
Directions:

Place all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Whisk vigorously until all the ingredients combine. Adjust the seasoning and store in a jar.

Chicken Goulash

Chicken goulash is a famous Hungarian dish. Sweet Hungarian paprika is often used for this recipe. In addition, dumplings are a part of this dish when served. Traditional goulash is made with beef, pork, or veal because tough meat always provides the collagen necessary to make this dish thicken while cooking .I come up with a simple version of goulash made with chicken for a lighter taste, which will not loose any flavor of the original. Certainly, it will continue to please.
Ingredients:
2 lbs chicken parts (breasts and thighs with skin on)
1/4 cup flour
2 carrots, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 celery, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 cup white onions, chopped
2 cups button mushrooms, sliced (optimal)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tsp salt
2 tsp pepper
2 tbs sweet paprika
2 tsp cayenne
1 can 14 oz. tomato purée
2 cups chicken broth
1 tbs parsley, chopped
1 bay leaf
1 tbs fresh thyme or 1 tsp dry thyme
2 tbs vinegar

Directions:
Season flour with salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken pieces through the seasoned flour.

 In a cast iron pan with hot oil, brown the chicken. Remove.

In the same pan, pour off all but 2 tbs of oil. Sauté' onions, garlic, sweet paprika, and cayenne until fragrant. Add carrots, celery, thyme and bay leaf. Continue to cook further for 10 minutes.

Bring the chicken back to the pan. Add tomato purée, chicken broth and mushrooms.

Lower the heat to a simmer. Partially cover the pan and cook for 30 minutes or until chicken cooks through.

 Remove the bay leaf. Season again with salt and pepper. Add vinegar. Sprinkle with chopped parsley. Serve with mashed potatoes or buttered pasta noodles

Apple Cobbler

Apple cobbler is apple pie without the crust. The fall season is a good time for making apple cobbler because apples are abundant and is much easier to make than a pie. Filling this cobbler only takes minutes, and the sweet-warm cinnamon smell perfumes the kitchen while baking. Nothing is better than a piece of apple cobber on a chilly fall evening.
Ingredients:
6 small of tart baking apples, peeled, cored, and sliced into 1/4 inch thick pieces
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbs cornstarch
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp nutmeg
A pinch of salt
2 tbsp butter
1 cup baking mix*
1/4 cup oats (optional)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup cold butter cut in cubes
Directions:
In a cast iron pan or casserole pan, mix apples, lemon juice, cornstarch, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla until combined.

Partialy cook for a few minutes. Dot with butter.

In a mixing bowl, place baking mix, oats, brown sugar. Using pastry cutter to cut in cold butter until the mixture becomes a course meal or a size of  a pea. Pour on top of apples.

Bake in preheated oven set to 350° for 40 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

*Any store bought baking mix is fine or add 1 tsp baking powder and 1/4 tsp baking soda to 1 cup of flour. I make this recipe for a basic filling for apple pie, tart tartan.  the topping can be changed to suit your mood either you like the crumble topping or more like cake topping.
Cake topping:
1 cup cake mix
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup milk
1/4 cup butter
1egg, beaten
Mix eggs, sugar, milk until combine. whisk in flour . Pour on top of apple and dot with butter.

Pumpkin Dried Shimp Soup

For the first time, I planted a variety of pumpkin seeds in late summer for fall pumpkin harvesting. I forgot to write down the names of each variety that I planted. I didn't know if it was time to harvest the pumpkins or not. However, I took a chance and harvested one pumpkin that looked like a gourd or butter squash. I discovered it turned into a really good soup, just like the one my mother used to make for us. Cooking should always be fun and easy.
Ingredients:
3 cups of pumpkin cut up (winter melon or Japanese butter squash)
1/3 cup dried shrimp, soaked in hot water
4 cup vegetable or chicken stock
Salt and pepper to taste

Garnish:
Green onions and cilantro

Directions:

Bring the stock with the soaked dried shrimp to a boil. Let the stock and shrimp simmer for 10 minutes. Add pumpkin. Bring back to a boil. Season with salt and pepper. Continue simmering until the pumpkin becomes soft (about 10 minutes). Sprinkle with green onions and cilantro. Serve hot.

Spicy Fish Filet

This is one of many Chinese recipes that I have collected for years, and I made a few changes to suit my family taste and budgets. Learning Chinese cooking is surely enjoyable and will impress guests when you have to host a party. When preparing Chinese food, the ingredients must be ready and lined up next to the stove so that each step of the recipe will be performed very quickly. Practicing the preparation steps of each recipe will help to make Chinese food at home more fun.
Ingredients:
Marinate:
2 fish fillets about 1/2 lb each
1 tsp cooking wine (dry Sherry or Shaoxing wine)
1 tsp salt
 Egg mixture:
1 egg
2 tsp water
1 tsp flour
1 tsp cornstarch
Sauce:
1 tsp cooking wine
1/2 tsp salt or light soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
1 tbs ketchup
1/2 tsp hot chili paste (Korean or Vietnamese chili paste)
Garnish:
1 tsp each ginger, garlic, minced
2 green onions, sliced
Thickening solution:
1/4 cup water
1 tsp cornstarch
Directions:
Cut fish into 1 inch cubes and marinate with wine and salt.
Mix the egg mixture together and set aside.
Mix the sauce together and set aside.
Gather the chopped green onions, mince ginger and garlic. Set aside
Mix the thickening solution in a small bowl.
Line up all the ready ingredients next to the stove to start cooking.

 Heat oil for deep-frying. Dredge fish in egg mixture coating. Add fish into hot oil and fry until golden brown or crispy.

Remove to serving plate. Drain oil from wok and clean wok with paper towel.
Add 1 tbs oil to hot wok. Sauté ginger, garlic and green onions. Add sauce to the wok and the thickening solution. Bring to a boil and then pour over the fish. Serve

Blueberry Coffee Cake

This web-site has many wonderful and easy recipes for blueberries. http://www.blueberry-recipe.com/best-blueberry-coffee-cake-recipe.html

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup soft butter or margarine
1 cup milk
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups fresh blueberries
1 tsp vanilla

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°.
Grease the 10" x 10" cake pan. Set aside.
Combine flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, vanilla and butter. Whisk in milk and eggs. Pour half of the batter into the baking pan.

 Layer 1 cup of fresh blueberries. Pour the rest of the batter to cover the blueberries and top with another cup of blueberries. Bake in oven for 45 minutes. Remove the cake and let it cool.