Chicken Tortilla Soup

  

This recipe if for my homemade tortilla soup that can be customized to whatever your busy schedule is. For those of you that want something that takes a little love and time that just screams home-cooked deliciousness, I wrote my from-scratch versions. I also incorporated ingredient and direction short cuts to make this meal a faster and easy one to handle. When printing this, click on the parts you want to delete (they will show up yellow when you click on them) to customize it accordingly.

A re-post from 2010

I REALLY needed to re-post this tortilla soup recipe because it was such a mess. I had all these ingredients listed with no measurements, no step by step pictures and no way to customize it for people that may want to do things different depending on the time and ingredients they have. Well, now that I have made this enough times in many different ways, I finally have a written down everything and took some step by step photos. The main picture above is still my original from October of 2010.



Homemade Chicken Tortilla Soup
(different options will be included throughout recipe)

Ingredients:

• 1 whole fresh/frozen or 3-4 med fresh breasts (with/without bone) of Chicken.  
• 2 cups of dry or 1 can of Pinto and 1 1/2 cups of dry or 1can Black Beans.  
• About 8 cups of Chicken Stock or Water with 2-3 tablespoons of Chicken Base
• 4 medium Carrots (chopped)
• 4 stalks of celery (chopped)
• 1 large Onion or about 3 small green onions (chopped)
• 2 cloves of Garlic (minced) or (see seasoning mix below)
• 4 Large Tomatillos (quartered)
• 2-4 Poblano Peppers (seeded and chopped) I have also used various other peppers
• 2 cups fresh or stewed Tomatoes with their juices (diced)
• 1-2 small cans of Green Chilies 
• 1-2 cups of fresh, frozen, or 1 can of corn

• Seasoning Mix: 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder (optional), 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon of smoked or regular paprika, 1 tablespoon ground cumin. Salt and Pepper to taste.

You can also use a fajita (or taco) seasoning packet to add instead.

• Thickeners: I like to use cut up Corn tortillas (about 4-6), dried Refried Beans (about 1/2- 1 cup), or Potato flakes (about 1/2- 1 cup) to thicken soup.

• 1 handful of Cilantro (finely chopped) 
• Juice from one fresh Lime (or equivalent of bottled lime juice)

Favorite Soup Toppings:

• Corn Tortilla chips or strips* (I like "hint of lime" chips)
• Cheddar, Monterrey jack, or Mexican blend cheese, shredded
• Sour Cream
• Avocado slices
• Cilantro
• Fresh tomatoes, salsa, or Pico de Gallo
• Fresh Lime juice

*To make your own strips, cut fresh corn tortillas into strips and fry until crispy.

Directions:

#1. Chicken

 You can roast your own chicken or pick one up roasted at your supermarket.

How I roast my chicken whole (About a 3 pound chicken):

From Fresh- Remove Giblets, neck, and tail. Wash chicken inside and out, pat dry. Rub light Olive oil all over skin, season with salt, pepper, and/or some of the seasoning pack listed above.

Put in roasting pan and bake at 325 degrees for 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Allow chicken to cool while finishing soup. Then chop or shred. Keep carcass to make chicken stock for your soup or freeze for later use.

From frozen- rinse off, put in a roasting pan, add a couple of cups of water to the pan, cover and bake at 300 degrees for 3 hours or 350 degrees for 2 hours.

Allow chicken to cool and remove giblets, neck and tail. Allow chicken to cool while finishing soup. Then chop or shred. Keep carcass to make chicken stock for your soup or freeze for later use.

How I roast or broil Chicken Breasts Click Here

#2.  Vegetable and Chicken Base for Soup

How I Make the Base for My Soup:

Roasted-

Put Carrots, Celery, Onion, Garlic, Tomatillos, Peppers and lime rinds (optional) into roasting pan if using with prepared [fresh] chicken. Roast with chicken. Without chicken, broil on a cookie sheet for 10-15 minutes or until softened. If roasting with chicken, roast until chicken is done. Allow chicken to cool. Dump all vegetables, chicken drippings, and stock (or water with chicken base) and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and blend* together

or Boiled- Put Carrots, Celery, Onion, Garlic, Tomatillos, Peppers, and chicken stock (or water and chicken base) into Large pot.  Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes or until vegetables are soft. Remove from heat and Blend* together.

*Blend all together with immersion blender, blender, or food processor.

#3. Beans

How I like to Prepare my Beans:

Long prep time and long cooking time-

Wash beans and place in a pot of water filled about a fist above the beans. Cover and soak over night. Drain beans and fill pot of water again fist high and bring to boil. Reduce heat to simmer and slow cook for up to 6 hours.

( I will also place in my slow cooker instead of watching the stove).

Short prep time, longer cooking time- Place washed beans into pressure cooker (uncovered), fill with water about fist high from the top of beans. Bring to a boil. Add more water if needed and cover and bring to high heat until weight begins to dance. Reduce heat to medium high and set timer for 35-40 minutes (you will start to smell them). Remove from heat and wait until all pressure is gone and latch lock falls. If beans are still not soft enough, pressure cook another 10 minutes. Strain water and add beans to soup.   

Long prep time, shorter cooking time- Wash beans and place in a pressure cooker pot of water filled about a fist above the beans. Cover and soak over night. Drain beans and fill pressure cooker pot of water fist high again. Cover and bring to high heat until weight begins to dance. Reduce heat to medium high and set timer for 15-20 minutes (you will start to smell them). Remove from heat and wait until all pressure is gone and latch lock falls. If beans are still not soft enough, pressure cook another 10 minutes. Strain water and add beans to soup.   

No prep time and no cook time- Using canned beans will skip this whole part of the recipe. Just add in beans to your soup.

#4. Remaining Ingredients

Add Tomatoes with their juices, Green Chilies, corn, cilantro, and lime juice. Also ad thicken of your choice as needed. Add chicken chunks liberally and bring soup to a boil. Remove from heat or put in slow cooker to warm until ready. (The longer the soup sits (keeping it warm) the more flavorful it will be.

Let your guest help themselves to the toppings to add on their individual soups.

Another Tip:
With the left over chicken carcass, you can make some homemade chicken stock for this soup (while your beans are slow cooking-about 3-4 hours) or freeze carcass to make stock later.

You can also make stock with the carcass a day or two after you've made this soup and freeze the stock in cubes for later use. Keep chicken carcass in refrigerator until ready.

Austrian Sachertorte from Wolfgang Puck

 

Here is another updated post from back in 2008. I think it is the perfect time of year to share this delicious cake when chocolate season is in full bloom. It is very light yet flavorful dark chocolate cake with layers of Apricot filling and covered with a chocolate ganache. It is a little time consuming, but not a difficult process. It also requires only a small amount of flour which makes it easy to transfer to a Gluten-free version.
 

 

Story of Sachertorte Cake

This dark chocolate apricot filled cake originates in Austria and happens to be one of my favorites. The first time I tried it, was on my 20th birthday. It was made for me by an Italian woman named Sabrina, who I worked for in Austria at the time. The moment I tried it, I was hooked. I actually thought it was an Italian cake until I read about a man named Franz Sacher of Vienna who created it. In fact, only original Sachertorte can be found in Vienna or Salzburg Austria. It really is something special! I wish I had a recipe from my wonderful employer, but I do not. The next best thing would be from a well known local Austrian chef, Wolfgang Puck. I made his over and over again and it tastes almost identical to Sabrina's. I will even double the recipe to make a taller and more layered cake. It is worth it, if you like this cake. I hope you all enjoy.  

Wolfgang Puck's Sachertorte

 

Ingredients for cake:

6 ounces of bittersweet chocolate (in small pieces)

6 tablespoons of unsalted butter

4 egg yokes

4 ounces of sugar

5 egg whites

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup of all-purpose flour or Gluten free flour

Directions:

 

 

Step One:

Melt together chocolate and butter in a bowl over pre-boiled water that is now simmering. Remove from heat and let it cool down.
 

 

Step Two:

In another bowl whip egg yokes and 2 tablespoons of sugar together until you can see ribbons when you take the whisk out. (Like above)

 

Step Three:

Beat in melted chocolate mixture into the egg mixture.

 

Step Four:

In another clean bowl, whip egg whites and salt until you see soft peaks. Then gradually add remaining 6 tablespoons of sugar and whip until you see stiff peaks.

 

 

Fold in flour until you can't see any streaks.

 

 

Step Five:

Fold in 1/3 of egg white mixture into chocolate one until lightened and then slowly but, thoroughly fold in the rest of the mixture.

 

Step Six: Pour, Bake, and Separate

Pour into pre-buttered and floured 9 inch round pan or spring form pan.

 

 

 

Bake in a preheated oven until done (a toothpick should come out clean).
About 25-40 min depending on your altitude and oven. Check at 25 minutes and then every 5-10 minutes after.  

 

 

Let it cool in pan for about 10-15 minutes, place upside down on plate.

 

 

With a serrated knife, cut into 2-3 layers.

 

Step Seven: Make Apricot Filling

Ingredients for Filling:

1 cup of Apricot Preserves

1 tablespoon of Apricot Brandy. (I use juice or water)

Blend Apricot Filling in a food processor or blender until smooth.

 

 

 

Step Eight:

Spread Apricot filling on top of each layer. Put in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

 

 

Step Nine: Make Ganache

Ingredients for Ganache:

6 ounces of Bittersweet Chocolate in small pieces

2 tablespoons of unsalted butter

2 ounces of heavy cream

 

Melt chocolate and butter together in a bowl over post boiled and now simmering water in a pot.

In a separate little pot, bring cream to a boil. Mix hot cream into chocolate mixture. Let it cool enough to pour and spread easily over cake.

 

 

Step Ten:

Spread chocolate glaze all over cake. Refrigerate again for at least 30-45 minutes until ready to serve.

 

 

Serve with fresh whipped cream.

 

 

Has anyone ever tried this or other Austrian Food?

Vietnamese Pho

This dish was first introduced to me from one of my good friends Angi G. and her husband. A few years ago, we went on a double date with them to a Pho restaurant in Oregon and all I can say is what else have I been missing. I am always up to trying new things, but never came across Pho until then. However, since that time, Angi's husband has wowed me with his own creation of Pho and I wish that I could just run over there for more and more. I have to admit, his was the best I have ever had. So, this brings about my own creation of Pho inspired by Jerry and all of his Pho wisdom.

What is Pho?

Pho is basically a Vietnamese Noodle Soup. Although there are different meats involved with Pho, for the most part it is usually Beef or chicken. I personally enjoy Beef! The broth is the soul of this soup while the array of toppings amplify the flavors with in. Depending on what I have, my favorite toppings are: bean sprouts, Asian basil, Chile sauce, mint leaves, Hoisin sauce, Cilantro, green onions, and limes (a must). Oh, don't forget the meat!

Butcher Story:

So this girl walks in a butcher shop and says "Do you have any beef bones?" The butcher replies "For your dog?" and the girl says "No, for my Pho." This continues to puzzle the poor butcher until she further explains about this Vietnamese Soup that she will be making from Beef bones. The Butcher vanishes to the back of his shop for quite a while until he returns with an arms length of beef ribs. "Will these work?" he asks. "Overwhelmed by the site of this monstrous rack, she replies". Sure... but how much? (thinking they would be a fortune). "How about 6 bucks? There's not much meat on them anyway." He states. Wow, six bucks the girl thought. With that, she accepted and the butcher threw in a half pound of tender steak for a few extra bucks to  complete the meat she needed for her Pho.

Ribs are not usually the best for making a broth, but they worked for me. Normally you would use shanks, oxtail (the tail of the cow), knuckles, or anything that has a lot of cartilage to give a good beefy flavor. Some people will also use rump or chuck roast pieces to add with the bones. My rib bones just happened to be quite large and so they did the trick for me.  

Ingredients:

To accept the Bountiful Basket Challenge, this recipe I made from almost all the vegetables I got in my Asian pack. If you don't have all of these ingredients, some of them can be added optionally. I have made it with and with them. Both turned out great.

Broth ingredients-

About 6 pounds Beef Bones with or without meat.

About 6 quarts of water, more as needed

1-1/2 Tablespoons of Kosher Salt, more to taste

6 Whole Cloves

2 white or yellow Onions, halved

1/2 of a Ginger, sliced

Rock, Raw, or organic Sugar (About 2-3 Tablespoons) you can use white too.

4 Anise Stars

3 Cinnamon Sticks

1 small or half of large Daikon Radish, sliced (Optional)

2 Lemon Grass stalks (Optional)

Toppings - 

Asian Basil

Mint Leaves

Cilantro

Chile Sauce

Hoisin Sauce

Limes to squeeze

Green Onions

Bean Sprouts

Additional Ingredients-

Rice Noodles, cook as directed (you can use dry or wet)

Tender cuts of Beef, thinly sliced

Reference: Of all the videos I watched to see how they make a Pho broth, this one was my favorite because it was easy to follow with the ingredients I had. 

 Step 1: Ready your Bones

Bones with little or no meat:
I followed the way she prepared her bones. Except, in this instance, I used the meat from these bones in a previous meal in which I roasted the ribs and saved the bones for this broth. I just cleaned them really well and boiled them for about 10 minutes to get them cleaner. Then I rinsed them again to have them ready for the broth.

Bones with meat:
 If you use bones that have meat on them, seer the meat first and then put them back into the pot and follow the rest of the steps.

Step 2: Water and Aromatics

Fill pot with water. Bring water to a boil with salt. Then add the cleaned bones to water. Follow that by adding: Ginger, Anise, Onions, sugar, cinnamon, Cloves, Lemon grass, and Daikon Radish.

Bring to a boil and reduce heat to continue a low boil for up to 3 hours.

As it cooks, water will start to reduce and scum will form. Try to scrape off the scum as it cooks to have a clearer and cleaner broth. Also add more water as needed. Add more sugar as needed too.

When it is ready, strain out broth into another pot and it will be ready to use.
Step 3: Assemble Your Soup

 Lay out your cooked noodles in a bowl, layer thin slices rare or medium rare meat across, add hot broth (meat will begin to cook a little more), and add any or all toppings.

Enjoy!

Great New Year begins with Shoyu Chicken

 Welcome to another wonderful year, 2012. I am so excited to get started with all my goals and to-do's that I have planned. My first to-do, is to increase the number of new recipes I try each pay period. I have a great friend that invited us to dinner and a game a couple of weeks ago, and she made this AMAZING chicken recipe- shoyu chicken

1-2 cups Teriaki sauce (eyeball this amount depending on amt of chicken)

1-2 cups water (equal parts water to teriaki)

1 cup sugar

2-3 cloves minced garlic

onion (small, chopped up for flavor use)

thighs or breasts (for this recipe, I used 6 breasts and 2 cups water/teriaki)

Bring teriaki, water, garlic, and onion to a boil. Add sugar; stir until dissolved. Add Chicken. Return to a boil. Turn down heat and simmer for 45 minutes. Serve with a yummy side of fried rice.

Ham, Leek, Pea, and Gruyere Tart.

HAM, LEEK, PEA, AND GRUYERE TART: I am absolutely IN LOVE with spring produce! There is something so rejuvinating about the acidic, tartness of early greens with the sweet and salty flavors of ham and cheese. Several wonderful items are in season right now, asparagus, rhubarb, green onions, chives, leeks, and peas, with many more to come in the following weeks. Try this spring-flavor infused tart to wake-up your dinner routine. (Forgot to take a picture...use your imagination...;-)

Ingredients:

-Puff pastry (homemade, or store bought)

-gruyere cheese, about 2 cups, shredded

-fresh or thawed from frozen peas (if using frozen, make sure they are completely dry before using.)

-One leek, white and light green parts, only

-about 6 ounces ham off bone, or you can use sliced from the deli as well.You can shred it or leave it in slices and set on tart like a lasagna noodle. Also- prosciutto works nicely for this.

-salt, pepper

-1 tbsp olive oil

-lemon zest, 3 tsp from one lemon rind

Directions:

-Pre-heat oven to recommended temperature on package (if using store bought), or 400 degrees for homemade, Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Saute leeks and peas in olive oil. Salt and pepper and saute until until tender and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Set pastry dough on sheet. Make sure it is still cold and work quickly. Personally, I love to pre-bake the pastry dough a bit to ensure that the cheese doesn't make it soggy in the center. Pre-bake for about eight minutes, or just until set- but not quite golden. Remove and top with shredded cheese, leeks, ham, peas, and sprinkle with lemon zest. Bake until the cheese is melted and the crust is light golden brown. Serve with a dollup of creme fresh if desired.

Irish Beef Handpies

IRISH BEEF HANDPIES- These were amazing. You can make them in bulk and freeze them, too.

Ingredients:

-1 tablespoon vegetable oil

-1/4 head green cabbage

-3 carrots, sliced into rounds

-1/2 pound red pratties (potatoes), scrubbed and diced

-1 lb ground beef sirloin

-3 tbsp tomato paste

-1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

-1/2 tsp dried thyme

-coarse salt and ground pepper

-all purpose flour (for rolling)

-two 9 inch pie crusts, or pastry dough. You can use store bought or easily make your own. Store-bought saves a lot of time, though.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium; add cabbage and potatoes. Cook until beginning to brown, 7 to 9 minutes. Add beef; cook, breaking up meat with a spoon, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, Worcestershire, thyme, and 1 cup water. Cover, and cook until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Lightly mash mixture with a fork. Season with salt and pepper. Let cool completely.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll each crust into a 14-inch square; cut each into 4 equal squares. Place 1/2 cup filling on one half of each square, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the filling. Brush borders with water; fold dough over filling to enclose. Crimp edges with a fork to seal. With a paring knife or scissors, cut 3 small vents in each.Transfer pies to 2 foil-lined rimmed baking sheets; bake until golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through.

To Freeze: Prepare through step 2. Arrange unbaked pies on a baking sheet (they should not touch); freeze until firm, about 1 hour. Wrap each pie in foil. Place in a resealable plastic bag; freeze up to 2 months.

To Bake from Frozen: Proceed with step 3, increasing baking time to 28 to 30 minutes.

I adapted this recipe from: Everyday Food Magazine, Issue 60. This dish is great because you can really add any veggie that you have. We have added parsnips, peas, and green beans before, too.

The Dubliner'

THE 'DUBLINER'. Put an Irish spin on the regular old grilled cheese! I came up with this last year and now it is a frequent request at our house. Variations can be made depending on your available ingredients and what your family likes.

Ingredients:

-Virgin (white, no dried fruit, but you can use teh dried fruit type as well- I think it would taste very good) Irish soda bread, sliced into sandwich servings. If no soda bread, just use regular.

-Kerrygold Irish butter (you can substitute regular, but Kerrygold is creamier.)

-Dubliner Sharp vintage cheddar (it is available at nearly every grocery store in specialty cheeses).

-one leek, sliced.

-olive oil (if not using bacon)

-salt and pepper

-2 slabs Irish bacon (Optional. Regular bacon can also be used, but Irish bacon has a thicker cut and usually less sodium is used.)

Directions: Heat a grill. If using bacon, cook in a medium skillet until crisp (or tender depending on your taste). Take sliced leeks, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and saute them in olive oil if not using bacon, or use remaining bacon fat if you used the bacon, until tender and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Butter your bread slices on one side. Slice cheese and place on bread, then, top with leeks and bacon. Cook/Grill as any grilled cheese and serve. This dish goes well with potato and leek soup.

Wexford Cake...Irish food is AlWAYS in season!

FOOD IDEA-WEXFORD CAKE (AKA BLACKBERRY-ALMOND CRUMBLE CAKE):

Based on original recipe from Margaret M. Johnson.

INGREDIENTS:

Topping:

-2 tbsp unsalted Kerrygold butter, melted

-1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

-1/2 cup granulated sugar

-2 tsp ground cinnamon

-4 large eggs, beaten

Cake:

-1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted Kerrygold butter at room temperature

-1 cup granulated sugar

-3 large eggs, beaten

-3/4 cup self-rising flour

-pinch of salt

-1/2 cup milk

-1 cup ground almonds

-2 cups FRESH blackberries (do NOT use frozen)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 9 inch springform pan. Tap out excess flour.

-To make topping: In a small bowl, combine the butter, sugars, and cinnamon. Cool slightly, then stir in the eggs with a fork. Set aside.

-To make the cake: Cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs. Beat in the flour, salt, and milk. With a wooden spoon, stir until a soft dough forms. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle almonds on top., then sprinkle blackberries over the almonds. Spoon the topping over the blackberries.

Bake the cake cake for 70-75 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Release the sides of the pan. Slice and serve warm with whipped cream or, as I used last week, lemon frozen yogurt.

Guinness and Beef Casserole

GUINNESS AND BEEF CASSEROLE: Here is one of out families ALL time favorites (even my kids like it- and they don't eat anything). Enjoy!

Ingredients (áirítear):

-2 tbsp vegetable oil

-2 lbs rump beef, cubed

-3 large onions, slived

-1/4 cup all purpose flour

-8 carrots peeled and thickly sliced

-1 bunch celery, thickly sliced

-8 cups beef stock or canned low-salt beef broth

-1 cup Guinness stout

-1 tsp caraway seeds

1 tbsp raisins

-1 tbsp tomato puree

-Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

-2 tbsp minced fresh parsley

Directions (treoracha):

-In a large, heavy skillet over high heat, heat the oil. Add the meat and cook in batches, stirring constantly, until meat is lightly browned on all sides. about 5 minutes per batch. Using a slotted spoon, transfer meat over to a large pot or Dutch oven.

-In the same skillet, saute the onions over medium heat until soft but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add the flour and stir to coat the onions. Transfer the onions to the pot or Dutch oven, then add all the remaining ingredients except the parsley, Cover and cook over low heat until the meat is tender, 2-2 1/2 hours. Taste and correct seasoning and sprinkle with parsley. Serve with warm Irish Soda bread or scones with Kerrygold butte. Also pairs well with Dubliner Cheddar Cheese.

Recipe from: Irish Heritage Cookbook, by: Margaret M. Johnson

Dublin Coddle

DUBLIN CODDLE: This is one of the oldest Irish recipes and is traditionally served on Saturday night. This pork and potato casserole is not for the faint of heart, but indulging once in a while Irish style can warm a person right up.

Ingredients:

-1 lb large pork sausages, preferably Irish bangers (to find stores that carry Irish products visit the Irish Trade Board online or call 212.371.3600/ here in Rochester, they sell them at the Celtic and Irish Import stores located in several places- including Pittsford).

-8 oz. slab bacon, preferably Irish bacon, cut into 2 inch pieces.

-3 onions

-1 1/2 lbs boiling potatoes, peeled and sliced

-freshly ground pepper to taste

-1/4 cup minced parsley

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prick the sausages in several places with a fork. Put the sausages and bacon in saucepan and add enough cold water to cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until slightly tender, 10-15 minutes. Drain, reserving the liquid. Skim off the fat.

In a large Dutch oven, layer the sausages, bacon, onions, and potatoes, sprinkling each layer with pepper and parsley. Poor the reserved liquid over to just barely cover. Cover with a sheet of waxed paper, then the casserole lid, and bake until potatoes are tender, about 1 hour. Serves hot.

Recipe adapted from: The Irish Heritage Cookbook, by Margaret M. Johnson

Irish Soda Bread Muffins

This is much beloved recipe from my heavily Irish-laden family. My mom used to make these all the time as do I- they are not just for St. Patty's. Top them with Irish Kerrygold butter or preserves. Go mbeanni dia duit!

IRISH SODA BREAD MUFFINS:
Ingredients:
-2 c flour
-3 Tbsp. sugar
-1/2 tsp salt
-2 tsp. baking powder
-1 Tbsp caraway seeds (optional)
-1/2 tsp baking soda
-1/4 c cold butter
-3/4 cup raisins (optional)
-1 c buttermilk
-1 egg
Directions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees/ Place first six ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender (or fork, or hands) until batter resembles coarse crumbs. In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk and egg. Stir into crumb mixture. Stir in raisins. Spoon dough into greased muffin tin and bake for 20 minutes.
* If you have time to allow the ingredients to come to room temperature, you will enjoy a lighter muffin.

Tamales

I couldn't get through this Mexican challenge without sharing my favorite Mexican dish. I love tamales! Any kind really (I don't even need sauce). Well, sometimes it is hard to find a nice moist tamale that doesn't require sauce. However, last October, I befriended a wonderful lady (Isabelle) from Mexico who, each week of that month, taught me how to make everything she made (In Spanish no doubt). Even with the fair amount of Spanish I learned during college, I felt a little overwhelmed. She didn't give measurements, she just talked me though each recipe while I hesitantly wrote it all down to the best of my knowledge. You know, after a while that overwhelming feeling went away and we just had a blast that whole month. These delicious dishes are now ingrained in my head and I never did figure out where my notes went. The relevance of this story was to say that my friend made the best tamales (they never required a sauce, they were so moist). Plus they are so easy to make, that I have to refrain from making them all the time.

Masa Dough and Corn Husks

Masa Flour- about 6 rounded cups
Canola Oil- about 2-3 cups
Salt- about 3-4 Tablespoons
Warm Water- about 2-3 cups

1 package of corn husks (although you won't be needing the whole package).

In your electric mixture, combine Masa Dough ingredients until well mixed. It should be a soft as cookie dough but easy to spread. Test a little on a corn husk to make sure it spreads easily. Keep adding a little oil, warm water, and salt if it is too firm. Always taste it as you go so that you don't add too much salt or oil.

Wash your corn husks under some really warm water as you separate them.

Tamale Pot

Aluminum foil
Stock pot
Steam Tray
Lid

If you don't have a tamale pot (which is like an upside down steamer) then you can assemble one like I have done. I took a steaming tray and turned it upside down in a larger stock pot (you should have a steam tray that goes around the whole bottom of the pot, but this is all I had and it works fine). Fill with water just as high as your steam tray. (Remember this steam tray needs to be tall enough to keep the aluminum from filling up with water while it boils but not too tall that the tamales are sticking out of the stock pot). If you need to, take an old 8 inch round cake pan and poke holes in it and turn it upside down). Place a couple of sheets of tin foil inside the stock pot to place your tamales in. How it works is the steam will build up around the tin foil and then be pushed back down from the lid onto the tamales (So make sure you don't leave your tin foil wrapped around the rim of the pot when you put the lid on).

Assembling your tamales

Spread out a damp corn husk along your fingers and palm of your hand.

Spread some masa dough with a rubber spatula upwards in a fan shape from end to end.

Only spread dough on the upper half of the husk because you don't need dough in the tail end.

Spread your favorite meat concoction or cheese in the middle.

You need it in the middle so you can fold the sides over it and each other.

This picture shows my slow cooked shredded chicken marinated in a homemade enchilada sauce.

Fold sides over each other and then fold the tail end up.

Cooking Tamales

Place upwards in the foil pit until completely full. They can all fit really snug so, when you think there is no more room, there usually is.

Cook on high until you hear boiling and then control heat to maintain a low boil for 60-90 minutes. Check at 60 min by taking a whole tamale out and open it to see if it is still doughy. Do not over cook because they will dry out. If you need to, cook at a lower temp for longer time.

Just remember they will appear doughy so you need to actually break one open to test it.

You can serve them with cheese on top and a good red sauce.

For a good Mexican Sauce, click here.