MOTHER’S DAY BRUNCH

One of my dear friends usually hosts a Women’s Tea for our group of girlfriends every May, in honor of Mother’s Day. Many of our Mom’s are no longer with us, or are geographically distant and so we do not have the opportunity to be with them on their Special Day. Since she lives in a large flat in San Francisco, the weather in May is typically misty and/or foggy, so a large roaring fire is always ablaze in their living room. Furniture has been rearranged for several cozy sitting and dining areas, with small tables dressed in beautiful vintage tablecloths and napkins, china tea cups (of course), luncheon plates, and family heirloom silverware. Upon arriving, guests are greeted with a chilled glass of champagne punch, lightly flavored with fresh verbena leaves. It’s always a surprise to discover what new and delicious tea sandwiches she has made, or what fruits and pastries will be served for dessert.

Several of us were just down in Palm Springs for our annual trek to the desert for sunshine and relaxation, and we decided to make a dessert that we had wanted to try for several years. I remember seeing the special little coeur a la crème white porcelain molds at Williams Sonoma and Sur La Table many times, but never took the time to purchase them. Well, we didn’t have the proper molds, but that did not stop us from whipping up one of the loveliest desserts of all time. It would be perfect for a spectacular finish to a Mother’s Day Brunch! It’s very easy to make – just needs to sit overnight – and is luscious served with this Red Raspberry & Grand Marnier Sauce! Try it – you will not be disappointed!

Coeur a la Crème with Raspberry & Grand Marnier Sauce

• 12 ounces Cream Cheese, at room temperature
• 1 ¼ Cups Confectioners’ Sugar
• 2 ½ Cups Cold Heavy Cream
• 2 Teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract
• ¼ teaspoon Grated Lemon Zest
• Seeds scraped from 1 Vanilla Bean
• Raspberry and Grand Marnier Sauce (recipe follows)
• 2 Half Pints Red Raspberries

Place the cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on high speed for 2 minutes. Scrape down the beater and bowl with a rubber spatula and change the beater for the whisk attachment. With the mixer on low speed, add the heavy cream, vanilla, lemon zest, and vanilla bean seeds and beat on high speed until the mixture is very thick, like whipped cream.

Line a 7 inch sieve with cheesecloth so the ends drape over the sides and suspend it over a bowl, making certain that there is space between the bottom of the sieve and bottom of the bowl so that the liquid can drain from the cheese/cream mixture. Pour the cream mixture into the cheesecloth, fold the ends over the top, and refrigerate overnight.

Raspberry and Grand Marnier Sauce

• 1 Half-Pint Fresh Red Raspberries
• ½ Cup Sugar
• ¼ Cup Cold Water
• 1 Cup Seedless Red Raspberry Jam
• 2 Tablespoons Orange-Flavored Liqueur (Grand Marnier is recommended although we used Cointreau in Palm Springs)

Place raspberries, sugar, and ¼ Cup Water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 5 minutes. Pour the cooked raspberries, the jam and orange liqueur into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blades and process until smooth. Chill. (You can make this the evening before serving.)

To serve, discard any liquid that has collected in the bowl with the sieve on top. Unmold the cream onto a decorative plate, and drizzle Raspberry and Grand Marnier Sauce around the base. Serve with fresh red raspberries and extra sauce. Enjoy!

— Lynn Kathleen Adams
— RSCA Board Member since 1994

KISS ME, I’M IRISH – PART II

Who doesn’t love St. Patrick’s Day? Great parades, Irish wolfhounds, step dancing Irish lasses and laddies, a pint of Guinness and of course, the traditional corned beef and cabbage (although corned beef is an American, not Irish, tradition)! It always seemed as though the Chicago and New York City St. Patrick’s Day Parades were the most intriguing and colorful. I couldn’t wait to see those elegant and shaggy Irish wolfhounds – it was one of the highlights of watching the parades.

We always celebrated St. Patrick’s Day with the traditional boiled New England dinner of corned beef, cabbage, potatoes and carrots, yet even as a youngster, it seemed to me that everything tasted the same, i.e. of boiled corned beef. I longed for more distinctive flavors. It wasn’t until I moved to Mill Valley, CA that I started my quest to discover more flavorful presentations. I longed for succulent corned beef, but finished off with a little more pizzazz and distinction. Hence discovery of a few ingredients to make a tasty glaze to cover the cooked corned beef for a few minutes in a hot oven to set the meat and give it a little more sophisticated taste. Boiled cabbage bored me to tears, but sautéed red and green cabbage with red onions, olive oil, butter, salt & pepper, a few caraway seeds, fresh egg noodles (precooked), a splash of vinegar and a teaspoon of sugar livened up the taste and presentation. I adore fresh baby carrots, and whole carrots with their trimmed green stem, sautéed with a little butter, brown sugar, as splash of Guinness and freshly chopped dill enhance their delicious sweet flavor. Ho-hum on the mashed potatoes, or even Colcannon – I opted instead for a potato casserole that could be prepared ahead, with grated russets, butter, sour cream or crème fraiche, Dubliner cheddar cheese, sprinkled throughout with freshly chopped chives and green onions for that touch of green. And Maureen’s Irish Soda Bread, of course. All of these ideas finally came together beautifully with the start of the traditional Adams Annual Irish Dinner.

ADAMS’ FAMOUS CORNED BEEF WITH SPECIAL GLAZE

• 2 3-Pound Corned Beef Briskets
• 1 Tablespoon Pickling Spice
• 2 12 Oz. Bottles Guinness Stout

Rinse corned beefs under cold running water. Place them into large stockpot and cover with cold water; bring to a boil and continue rolling boil under medium high heat for 5 – 7 minutes. You’ll see a cream colored “scum” forming on the top of the water. Remove corned beefs and set aside. Dump out the boiling water, and wash and rinse pot. Place hot briskets into pot, add cold water to cover, 1 Tablespoon of pickling spices, and put back onto burner. Again, bring to boil, being careful not to let pot boil over. Reduce heat to low and add two (2) bottles of Guinness Stout (and yes, it is OK to taste the stout!), bring heat up to medium for a slow rolling boil, then cover pot and reduce heat to simmer. You will need to simmer approximately 1 hour per pound, so two briskets should be fork tender after 3 – 3 1/2 hours. Turn the briskets over a few times during their simmer, and make certain they remain covered with the cooking liquid. When done, remove briskets and place into large roasting pan. Preheat Oven to 375 degrees, and make glaze (recipe below).

ADAMS SPECIAL CORNED BEEF GLAZE

• 1/2 Cup Dijon Mustard
• 1/2Cup Honey
• 1/3 Cup Sherry Wine Vinegar
• 1/3 Cup Brown Sugar
• 1 Tablespoon Sesame Oil

Combine all ingredients into small saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium high heat, then reduce heat to simmer while whisking glaze, and continue simmering for approximately 8 minutes. Pour glaze over briskets, cover with foil, and pop into preheated oven for approximately 15 – 20 minutes until glaze has caramelized. Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes, then carve against the grain and drizzle a little of the glaze over the corned beef. Serve with your favorite St. Patrick’s Day side dishes or try the suggestions above for a yummy and satisfying dinner.

And now those Irish eyes are smiling!

— Lynn Kathleen Adams
 — RSCA Board Member since 1994

AUTUMN FOOTBALL FARE

October brings our best weather to the SF Bay Area, as any good Californian knows. The days are usually bright and sunny, and then our wonderful fog creeps under the Golden Gate Bridge and brings cooling relief to the many microclimates adjacent to the Bay. It’s great hiking or cycling weather, or for visiting with friends and watching Saturday college football and Sunday NFL games.

This is a great chili recipe that is easy to make, fragrant while simmering away, and yummy as a good mid afternoon or early evening lunch or dinner.

Beef Chili with Sour Cream and Cheddar Biscuits

(Serves 6)

• 2 large onions, chopped (about 3 cups)
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 carrots, small dice
• 3 pounds boneless beef chuck, ground coarse or 3 pounds ground beef
• 1/4 cup chili powder
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons paprika
• 1 tablespoon crumbled dry oregano
• Dried red pepper flakes, to taste
• 2 8-ounce cans tomato sauce or 2 cups fresh tomato sauce or tomato puree
• 1 1/4 cups beef broth
• 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 1 3/4 cups or 1 19-ounce can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 green bell peppers, chopped

In a large pot (I used a 5-quart, and just fit it all), heat the oil over moderately low heat and cook the onions in it for 5 to 10 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic and carrots and cook for one minute more. Raise the heat to medium and add the beef, stirring and breaking up any lumps until it is no longer pink, about 10 minutes. Add the chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano and pepper flakes and cook for another minute. Add the tomato sauce, broth and vinegar and simmer the chili, covered, for 35 to 40 minutes (if you used ground beef) or 50 to 60 minutes (if you used coarse chuck). Add the kidney beans, bell peppers, salt (I used 2 teaspoons to get the seasoning right for my tastes) and pepper to taste and simmer for an additional 15 minutes, until the bell peppers are tender.

Sour Cream and Cheddar Biscuits

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into bits
• 1/4 pound sharp Cheddar cheese, coarsely grated (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 425°F. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Either cut the butter pieces into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or rub them in with your fingertips until well-combined. Stir in the cheddar and sour cream until the mixture forms a sticky dough. Pat it out to a 1/2-inch thickness on a very well-floured counter and use a 3 1/2-inch biscuit cutter to cut six rounds. Bake on an ungreased (or parchment-lined, if your baking sheets are as “weathered” as mine are) for 15 to 17 minutes, until golden on top.

— Lynn Kathleen Adams
— RSCA Board Member since 1994

HOT AUGUST NIGHTS

When our summer weather turns hot and the evenings are still warm, it seems our appetites languish. This is a wonderful time for a light salad with fresh grilled vegetables, stone fruit or a small piece of grilled salmon or grilled chicken breast. By eating lightly, there is room for a scrumptious, soothing dessert. There is nothing better than a cool panna cotta to finish off a summer meal. I fell in love with panna cotta the very first time I tried it, and always look for it on the menu when we are dining out. Panna cotta means “cooked cream” and was originally from the Northern Italian region of Piemonte. The desserts are softly set and creamy, and are perfect for a dinner party or special dessert because they can be made ahead of time and kept refrigerated until ready to serve.

There are so many creative variations to flavor the dessert – this recipe uses balsamic flavored strawberries as an accompaniment, but you can use fresh raspberries, blueberries, blackberries and even other ripe stone fruits, such as cherries, peaches or apricots – just remove the pits and peels if necessary and slice them into bite-sizes pieces.

PANNA COTTA WITH BALSAMIC STRAWBERRIES

(Makes 4 Servings)

Ingredients

• ½ Packet (1 teaspoon) unflavored Gelatin Powder
• 1 ½ Tablespoons Cold Water
• 1 ½ Cups Heavy Cream
• 1 Cup Plain Whole Milk Yogurt
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• ½ Vanilla Bean, split and seeds scraped
• 1/3 Cup Sugar, plus 1 Tablespoon
• 2 Pints (4 Cups) Sliced Fresh Strawberries
• 2 ½ Tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon Sugar
• ¼ Teaspoon Freshly Grated Black Pepper
• Freshly Grated Lemon Zest, for serving

Directions

In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin on 1 ½ Tablespoons of cold water. Stir, and set aside for 10 minute to allow gelatin to dissolve.

In a medium bowl, whisk together ¾ of the Heavy Cream, the yogurt, vanilla extract, and vanilla bean seeds. Heat the remaining ¾ Cup of Heavy Cream and the 1/3 Cup of Sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from heat, and add the softened gelatin to the hot cream mixture, and stir to combine. Pour into 4 (6 0 8 ounce) ramekins or custard cups and refrigerate uncovered until cold. When the panna cottas are thoroughly chilled, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Combine the sliced strawberries, balsamic vinegar, 1 Tablespoon Sugar, and ground pepper 30 -45 minutes before serving. Set aside a room temperature.

To serve, run a small knife around each dessert in the ramekin, and dip the ramekin QUICKLY into a bowl of hot tap water. Invert each ramekin onto a pretty dessert plate, and surround the panna cotta with the strawberries. Dust tops of panna cotta lightly with freshly grated lemon zest, and serve.

— Lynn Kathleen Adams
— RSCA Board Member since 1994

BLUEBERRY HILL

Yes, there really is a Blueberry Hill, tucked into the rolling hillsides of New Hampshire, east of Concord, close to Bow Lake, in the small town of Northwood. Our aunt and uncle had a large colonial farmhouse, known simply as “The House on Blueberry Hill”, with a huge barn complete with hay loft, several horses and more tractors that we could ever figure out what Uncle Robert did with each of them. The grounds included a well found by a local resident with a divining rod, a peach orchard, small frog pond which was perfect for a cool dip in the summer, and acres and acres of blueberry bushes. It was one of our most favorite places to visit. My Mom and her younger sister transformed into silly schoolgirls when they got together, and my brother, sisters and I all had free rein of the house and barn. The meadows in the back of the house sloped down to a fence, and then back up a steeper hill which was covered with blueberry bushes. We’d take our pails and fill them with plump sweet blueberries, and return to the house covered with blueberry splotches all over our clothing, hands and mouths. Those blueberries found their way into blueberry pancakes, blueberry muffins and of course, blueberry pie.

I’m not certain just how many acres were devoted to the peach trees, but it seemed as though the trees, laden with huge peaches, went on forever. Once the peaches were harvested, they were stored for a short time in a huge refrigerated room on the side of the barn. We’d always try to sneak in there to cool off on a hot summer day. Uncle Robert would take out his pocket knife and slice into the juicy peaches left on several trees closest to the house, and we would gather around like little birds as he fed us those delicious slices. Fresh peach pie was always on the menu for dessert, too.

Fresh summer peaches, blueberries and raspberries always remind me of our childhood summers in New Hampshire. Here’s a very simple Crostata that you can tailor to incorporate your favorite summer fruits and berries. The Crostata is merely a free form pastry tart – you don’t have to fuss with a pie plate! You can use blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries with the peaches, or a combination of different berries.

FRESH PEACH &BLUEBERRY CROSTADA

* Preheat Oven to 450 degrees

Pastry

(Makes enough for two crostatas)

• 2 Cups All Purpose Unbleached Flour
• ¼ Cup Baker’s Sugar (Superfine)
• ½ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
• 8 Ounces Cold Unsalted Butter, cut into small pieces

Put flour, sugar and salt into bowl of Cuisinart (use steel blade) and pulse to mix ingredients. Add chilled butter and pulse quickly until butter is pea-sized. With motor running, add ¼ Cup Ice Water through feed tube, then pulse until dough clumps together. Empty dough onto marble pastry board or pastry cloth. Form into two balls, flatten and wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate one and freeze the other for another day (or don’t freeze the second ball – make two and double the Filling Recipe below.)

Filling

(Makes one Crostada)

• 1 ½ Pounds Fresh Sliced Peaches
• 1 Teaspoon Grated Lemon Zest
• 1 Cup Fresh Blueberries, Raspberries or Blackberries
• 1 Tablespoon Fresh Lemon Juice
• ¼ Cup Baker’s Sugar (Superfine)
• 1 Egg for Egg Wash
• ¼ Cup All Purpose Unbleached Flour

Roll pastry into a dinner plate sized circle on floured surface, and transfer onto baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Combine all filling ingredients in bowl, and cover the tart dough with the peaches and berries, leaving 2 inch border all around. Fold the border up onto the peaches and berries, making rough pleats as you go around the circle. Beat one egg with a teaspoon of cold water in a small bowl and brush around the side of the tart. Sprinkle edges with sparkling sugar (available in specialty food stores), and bake crostata for 20 – 25 minutes or until peaches are tender and crust is golden brown.

Let rest for ten minutes on baking sheet, then transfer to wire cooling rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. Enjoy!

— Lynn Kathleen Adams
— RSCA Board Member since 1994

KISS ME, I’M IRISH!

Who doesn’t love St. Patrick’s Day? Great parades, Irish wolfhounds, step dancing Irish lasses and laddies, a pint of Guinness and of course, the traditional corned beef and cabbage. It always seemed as though the Chicago and New York City St. Patrick’s Day Parades were the most intriguing and colorful. I couldn’t wait to see those elegant yet craggy Irish wolfhounds – it was the highlight of watching the parades.

We always celebrated St. Patrick’s Day with the traditional boiled New England dinner of corned beef, cabbage, potatoes and carrots, yet even as a youngster, it seemed to me that everything tasted the same, i.e. of boiled corned beef. I longed for more distinctive flavors. It wasn’t until I moved to California, particularly Mill Valley, that I started my quest to discover more flavorful presentations. I longed for succulent corned beef, but finished with a little more pizzazz and distinction. Hence discovery of a few ingredients to make a tasty glaze to cover the cooked corned beef for a few minutes in a hot oven to set the meat and give it a little more sophisticated taste. Boiled cabbage bored me to death, but sautéed red and green cabbage with red onions, olive oil, butter, a few caraway seeds, egg noodles and a splash of vinegar livened up the taste and presentation. I adore fresh baby carrots, and whole carrots with their trimmed green stem, sautéed with a little butter, brown sugar, as splash of Guinness and freshly chopped dill enhance their delicious flavor. Ho-hum on the mashed potatoes, or even Colcannon – I opted instead for a potato casserole that could be prepared ahead, with butter, sour cream or crème fraiche, sprinkled throughout with freshly chopped chives for that touch of green. All of these ideas finally came together beautifully with the start of the traditional Adams Annual Irish Dinner. Standing invitation, bring wine or whiskey for Irish coffee, enjoy traditional Irish Music, friends and a new interpretation on the traditional corned beef and cabbage – PARTY! If you would like the recipes, please visit our daughter’s recipe blog and search under March, 2009 – you’ll see photos of the dishes and all of the recipes – go to http://haverecipes-willcook.blogspot.com or e-mail me at and I will happily share.

One tradition that has not changed over all these years however, is the Irish Soda Bread that accompanies our Irish St. Patrick’s Day Dinner. We use a recipe that had been in our family for years. It’s really easy and quick to make – enlist the children in the family and let their hands get into the flour for a few quick kneads on the bread board – they’ll love it! (And no, I don’t know who Maureen was!)

Maureen’s Irish Soda Bread

(Oven Temperature 375 Degrees)

• 2 Cups Unsifted White All Purpose Flour
• 2 Tablespoons Bakers Sugar or regular white sugar
• 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
• 3 Tablespoons softened Unsalted Butter
• 1 Cup Buttermilk
• ¼ Cup Currants
• 2 Teaspoons Caraway Seeds

Cut softened butter into all dry ingredients (use a pastry blender or two knives). Add buttermilk, currants and caraway seeds. Turn out onto floured bread board or marble/granite countertop and knead gently until smooth. You will have to add more flour, but careful ! not too much ! Shape into a ball and flatten slightly. Slash an “ X “ with a sharp knife into the top, and brush with a little melted butter. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 30 to 40 minutes. I always use a pie plate but you can use a cookie sheet covered with a piece of parchment paper. Insert a cake tester or bamboo skewer into the soda bread – when it comes out clean the bread is done. Wrap in a clean tea towel and serve with butter. And now those Irish eyes are smiling!

— Lynn Kathleen Adams
— RSCA Board Member since 1994

LOVE AT FIRST BITE!

February is such a funny little month. What other month can you celebrate such an eclectic range of holidays – from the pomp and circumstance of unceremoniously dragging Punxutawney Phil from his makeshift burrow, to the frivolity of red roses, candies and special dinners to celebrate love on Valentine’s Day, to honoring two of our most famous Presidents on President’s Day, now memorialized on the third Monday in February, to the mysterious Leap Year which appears only every four years?

Growing up in Wethersfield, we had our own version of Pennsylvania’s Punxutawney Phil – we just called him Mr. Woodchuck – but it seemed as though he created his own shorter winter hibernation schedule. He lived in the woodpile in the shed adjacent to our garage, where Dad kept stacks of wood for our two fireplaces, some miscellaneous gardening equipment, and our trash cans. There was no light in the shed – just cobwebs, spiders and other assorted inhabitants who co-existed with Mr. Woodchuck. Despite the fact that my brother’s seemingly solitary chore was taking the trash out, invariably it was one of the sisters who would grab the trash after dinner, fling open the back door, race off the porch, run around the garage to the shed, give the trash cans a good swift kick to “scare” any critters in residence, rip the lid off the trash can, dump the trash, reposition the lid, and run back into the house, all in a matter of seconds. Brrr – it was cold in late winter. I’m not sure Dad ever figured out why those trash cans were so dented! Sometimes we’d see Mr. Woodchuck waddle off through the backyards – we thought he was rather cute – when he should have been happily snoozing in February. And any self-respecting New Englander knows that of course the groundhog will see his shadow – it’s only February 2nd for heaven’s sake, with plenty of time for more winter snow and ice.

Now for something sweet and chocolaty for Valentine’s Day dessert. This recipe is adapted from Ye Olde Sturbridge Village in Massachusetts. Special thanks to my sister, Lori, for finding the recipe that we all used to enjoy. These cookies are cake-like, yet moist and delicious – I hadn’t made them in years, but they taste just as I remembered. They make a nice treat for Valentine’s Day, accompanied with some French vanilla ice cream and sliced strawberries.

WALNUT FUDGE DROP COOKIES

(Oven Temperature 350 Degrees)

• 1 Cup Bakers Superfine Sugar
• ¼ Cup Unsalted Butter
• 2 Oz. Unsweetened Chocolate (I used Scharffen Berger Unsweetened Dark Chocolate – 99% Cacao)
• 2 Large Eggs
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla
• ½ Teaspoon Salt
• 1 ¾ Cups Sifted White All Purpose Flour
• ¾ Teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 Cup Walnuts, chopped

Melt butter and chocolate over double boiler (water should be at a low simmer) whisk until smooth, and remove from heat. Set aside to cool to room temperature. (You can speed up this process by putting bowl in refrigerator for several minutes)

Beat eggs, salt, add sugar and vanilla and beat until fluffy. Add cooled butter and chocolate mixture to egg mixture. Sift flour and baking soda and add to wet ingredients. Do NOT overbeat! Add chopped walnuts, stir to incorporate evenly.

Drop cookie dough in small one tablespoon mounds (I use a small melon baller, which works nicely) onto parchment paper covered cookie sheet, about 3 inches apart. Bake at 350 degrees in regular oven for ten (10) minutes. Remove from oven and let sit on cookie sheet for a few minutes before moving them with a spatula to cookie rack to finish cooling. Enjoy!

These cookies will keep for several days in an airtight container. You can also refrigerate the dough and bake up a few fresh cookies at any time.

— Lynn Kathleen Adams
— RSCA Board Member since 1994

HAPPY NEW YEAR !

Wow! Can you believe that it is 2011 already? It seems as though the Christmas Holiday Season came galloping along at a fast pace right after Thanksgiving this year, with all of the frenzied activities – shopping, parties, decorating, more shopping and more parties. We hope that you all enjoyed the festivities, and got to spend time with your families and friends.

I welcome January as a month of reflection and planning for the year ahead. Some much needed rest and recuperation from those nasty December colds and sniffles means you can be a little lazy – settle back and read that novel you had been trying to finish, or catch one of the many movie releases now vying for an Oscar or other awards. If you are working on your New Year’s Resolutions, keep them to only three major items and you’ll have more success in attaining those goals.

Connecticut is in the midst of a small blizzard as I write this, and we Californians are all trying to dry out from the recent rains. What better day than to make Chicken Tortilla Soup, especially since we just roasted a Mary’s Organic chicken and have left-over chicken just waiting for a chance to reinvent itself!

I made fresh chicken stock, but if you want a quicker and easier approach, just use canned low sodium / low fat Chicken Broth for this recipe.

CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP

(Makes Six Servings)

• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 Large Sweet Yellow Onion – rough chopped into small pieces
• 3 Cloves Garlic, chopped finely
• 3 Jalapeno Peppers, seeded and deveined, chopped finely
• 2 Cups Tomatoes, peeled, seeded and rough chopped (about 4 medium fresh tomatoes)
• 6 Cups Chicken Stock
• 2 Cups Shredded Chicken (thighs and breasts are best)
• ½ Teaspoon Ground Cumin
• Salt &Freshly Group Pepper to taste
• 1 15 oz. can Black Beans, drained and rinsed well
• 1 Cup Yellow Corn (fresh is best, cut from the cob, but good frozen corn works well instead)
• ¼ Cup Chopped Fresh Cilantro

Pour olive oil into large stock pot or Dutch oven. Add chopped onions, garlic and jalapeno peppers. Heat over medium heat, stirring until lightly browned and the onions become translucent. Add the tomatoes, and continue to cook over medium heat for about 15 minute, until the tomatoes are cooked through. Add chicken stock, shredded chicken, cumin, salt and pepper and continue to cook over medium low heat for another 15 minutes. Add black beans and corn, stir, and continue to cook for another 10 minutes. Add the chopped cilantro, stir and remove from heat.

GARNISH

• Fresh Cilantro, chopped
• Limes – sliced into wedges
• Avocado – sliced
• Grated Monterey Jack Cheese
• Corn Tortillas – sliced into strips and fried in canola oil until lightly browned and crispy. Drain on paper towels, sprinkle with a little salt and set aside.

Serve soup in a large bowl, and garnish with avocado slices, a little grated Monterey Jack cheese, tortilla strips, and a sprig of cilantro. Squeeze lime wedge over soup, and enjoy!

— Lynn Kathleen Adams
— RSCA Board Member since 1994