Easy Taco Soup

Hi! I'm a friend of Maria's and Kerry's! Here is a recipe for Taco Soup. I found it from Spark People Recipes and it's been modified a little bit. It's really good and if you buy lean meat, it's pretty healthy.

Taco Soup

1 lb of lean ground beef

1 small onion*

1 can pinto beans, drained

1 can black bean beans, drained

1 can corn, undrained

2 cups of chicken broth or water-you can add more if you need to

1 packet of taco seasoning

Cilantro, chopped

Sour Cream

Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Tortilla chips

Salsa

1) Ground beef and onion together. Drain excess grease.

2) In a large pot, add beef mixture, beans, corn, broth and taco seasoning. Simmer for 30 minutes.

3) Top with cilantro, sour cream, cheese and serve with chips and salsa. Enjoy!

*We sometimes omit the onion and instead use chopped red onion to top the soup.

Looking forward to making some of these always delicious Gautraud recipes!

Andrea Domec

White Chicken Chili -from Kerry

White Chicken Chili

Makes about 6 servings

2 tbl. Olive oil
1 large onion, chopped (1 cup)
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
4 cups chicken (I just do 3 or 4 breast cut in cubes and I put in pot raw, but you can also put in cooked chicken)
3 cups chicken broth
2 tbl. chopped fresh cilantro
1 tsp. chopped fresh basil or 1 tbl. dried
1 tbl. ground Ancho chili seasoning (if you don't have this, I will just bring mine)
1 tsp. chili powder (more or less depending on how hot you like it)
1 tbl. ground cumin (more or less depeding on how you like it)
3 15oz cans white Nothern bean (undrained 2 and then I drain 1 to make soup more hearty)
1 can of corn (if you like)

Directions:
In a large pot over medium heat, add olive oil. Add onion and garlic and saute 5 min. or until onion is tender. Stir in broth, chicken, cilantro, basil, ancho chile, chili powder, cumin, and bean. Heat to boil, reduce heat & simmer for 15 min., stirring occasionally.
Serve in bowls and top with goodies you prefer (cheese, sour cream, jalapenos, tomatoes, tortilla chips, more cilantro, etc.).

EAT! ENJOY AND THEN ENJOY AGAIN, CAUSE THIS MAKES AWESOME LEFTOVERS!

Black bean and corn quesadillas

This recipe is adapted from Cooks magazine

Fills 8 small tortillas, plus some extra to dip tortilla chips in.

8 small flour tortillas
1 bag or Cheddar cheese or a Colby jack
3/4 cup frozen (defrosted) or fresh corn
1 can of black beans* rinsed
2 tsp. canola or vegetable oil, plus some for outside of tortillas
1 small onion
3 gloves of garlic pressed or minced
2 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1 lime wedge
salt

In a medium skillet cook corn over medium heat, until it pops and browns. Remove corn, put in a medium bowl. Add the oil to the skillet let warm for a minute over medium heat, add onion and garlic cloves cook until soft. Add the chili powder, garlic powder and black beans to skillet until warmed, then add the corn and salt to taste. When heated through, remove and put back in the medium bowl, squeeze a lime wedge over and stir.

Use a large skillet or griddle heat over medium heat. Warm the tortillas on the skillet, just until soft, remove and stack. Take a tortilla, spread cheese on half of one then a couple of spoonfuls of the bean and corn mixture and a little more cheese on top, fold flap over. Repeat with all 8 tortillas. When assembled brush one side with oil, sprinkle with salt, lay oil side down in hot skillet, brush the other side with oil, sprinkle with salt. Brown on both sides then cut into wedges on cutting board.

We like to dip ours in sour cream, gauc, queso or salsa. These can stand alone as a meal or compliment a tortilla soup. We like to use the extra mixture with tortilla chips.

*Pinto beans can be used also.

Submitted by Maria

Baked potato soup

(all recipes.com)
Serves 4 , after potatoes are baked 30 minute meal

3 strips of bacon, diced
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 cups chicken broth
2 large baked potatoes, peeled and diced
1 cup half-and-half
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
shredded cheddar cheese
minced parsley or consider chives
extra bacon crumbles

Directions
1. In a large saucepan, cook bacon until crisp. Drain, reserving 1 tablespoon drippings. Set bacon aside. Saute onion and garlic in the drippings until tender. Stir in flour, salt, basil and pepper; mix well. Gradually add broth. Bring to boil; boil and stir for 2 minutes. Add the potatoes, cream and hot pepper sauce; heat through but do not boil. Garnish with bacon, cheese, parsley or chives.

Simple frozen Yogurt

Use your food processor for this.

Put 1 handful of frozen strawberries and a handful of frozen blueberries in a food processor. Then add a few spoonfuls of yogurt of choice, not to much. You want more fruit than yogurt, blend until smooth. You may need to add a little more yogurt as needed to make it run smoothly. Fun snack alternative to ice cream!