Chicken Enchilada Soup

If you've looked at this blog before, you know about 98% of the recipes on here are desserts. Why? Because I really like rules and in baking you have to follow the rules for something to turn out correctly. Cooking is..... too subjective. You can add things, leave them out, whatever tickles your fancy.  All that is really to say: cooking savory food is not my favorite thing to do. HOWEVER, if I find a recipe that I like, I will make it over and over and over. This is one of those recipes. It really is up for interpretation, but I think my recipe as listed below is the best ;)

This makes a large pot of soup, so it's perfect for me to take to work for lunch for at least a week!

Chicken Enchilada Soup
Adapted from: Six Sister's Stuff

Ingredients:
5 cups chicken stock
3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cayenne powder (add more if you like it hotter)
2 (14.5 oz) cans of diced tomatoes
1-2 jalapeno peppers, minced (I only used about 3/4 of a large pepper)
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
3 cups frozen corn
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
8 oz. block pepperjack cheese, shredded
Cilantro, optional (I do not like cilantro so I didn't use any, but if you like it... toss some in!)
Tortilla chips

Directions:

In a large stockpot, add chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Add chicken breasts, cumin, chili powder, and cayenne pepper. Simmer about 20-25 minutes until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken and set aside to cool.

Add tomatoes, jalapenos, bell pepper, onion, and garlic to the pot. Simmer about 30 minutes, covered until tomatoes have begun to break down.

While the tomatoes are simmering, shred the cooked chicken into bite-sized pieces.

Add black beans, corn, and tomato paste and stir to incorporate. Add cheese and stir to melt. Return chicken to soup and cook for a couple more minutes until desired you reach your desired consistency.
If you want thicker soup, add strips of flour tortilla. They will dissolve into the soup to thicken the broth. Add cilantro (if using), reserving some to top individual bowls if desired.

Ladle into serving bowls and top with crushed tortilla chips, leftover pepperjack cheese and more cilantro if desired.


Notes:

I like spice, however I don't want to sweat when I'm eating (unless we're talking Hot Tamales candy, then I'll sweat like a _____ in church with no complaints). So, I only used a portion of a jalapeno and I scraped out all the seeds and membranes (white line thingys) before I added the pepper to the soup. If you want to sweat, add more. Or less.

Simple French Bread

Who isn't addicted to Pinterest these days? I definitely am and I am not ashamed! You should follow me on Pinterest (hint hint). I was scrolling through my favorite boards and I saw this recipe and knew I had to try it. Summer diet starts tomorrow, so why not make a loaf of delicious bread? Thank god I have tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese in my fridge :) This was so, so easy. I swear (or will try really hard) I will never buy a loaf of French bread at the grocery store again!!

This recipe is very simple/basic. I considered adding herbs to the dough but wanted to see how the test batch came out first. It is, um, awesome! Next time I will add some dried rosemary and serve with spaghetti!!!

Simple French Bread
(this amount makes 3 small loaves or 2 large):

2 1/2 c. warm water
2 T. yeast
3 T. sugar
2 T. white vinegar
1 T. salt
1/3 c. canola oil
6-7 c. bread flour (or a little more if it's too soft)

 Combine the warm water, yeast, sugar and vinegar in a mixing bowl and whisk to combing. Let sit until proofed (aka bubbly) (about 5-10 minutes).  In another bowl combine salt and flour. (Tip: I put 6 c. of flour in the bowl and added the last cup or so of flour to the dough after it had come together and I could tell how much more it required.) Measure out the oil.

Once the yeast mixture has proofed pour the oil and the flour mixture into the mixing bowl. Using a mixer fitted with a dough hook, slowly combine the ingredients until a soft dough forms and begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl.  Knead (I use "4" on my Kitchen Aid) for 2-5 minutes.  If the dough is still sticky add more flour, a few tablespoons at a time until it no longer sticks to your fingers.

Put the mixing bowl in the oven with a small pot of boiling water. The water will keep the dough moist. Watch the dough and punch it down twice when it gets to the top of the mixing bowl (about every 30-40 minutes).

Put the dough on a greased countertop and divide into 2-3 sections. Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray. Shape the dough balls into rectangle/long French bread shapes. Slash tops of bread diagonally 3-5 times and cover with a beaten egg. Let rise 30 minutes (or until doubled in size) on the counter, or you can put them in your oven at 170 and wait until they are the size you want to be once baked.

Once they have risen to the right size, turn your stove to 375 (without opening the door!) and let them bake until done (about 20-30 minutes, depending on your oven). Or, just raise on the counter and bake at 375 for 30 minutes. Enjoy!

Bake and serve warm out of the oven!

Lemon Blueberry Bundt Cake

Holy Moses. This is amazing. Bright and lemon-y with juicy bursts of blueberries! I'm sort of on a lemon kick lately, but I saw a picture of a blueberry bundt cake and I've been obsessing ever since. So.... TA-DA! This is the ultimate summer time cake. Perfect for a picnic or even breakfast :)

Lemon Blueberry Bundt Cake

Ingredients

• 2 3/4 c. flour
• 1 1/2 t. baking powder
• 1/4 t. baking soda
• 1/4 t. salt
• 1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 3/4 c. sugar
• 4 eggs
• Juice of 1 large lemon, or 2 small lemons 
• Zest of 1 large lemon, or 2 small lemons
• 1 t. vanilla extract
• 1 c. buttermilk
• 2 c. blueberries, fresh or frozen, do not thaw
• 1/4 c. flour

Glaze

• 1 c. confectioners' sugar, sifted
• Juice of 2 large lemons 
• 1 tablespoon corn syrup
• Zest of 2 lemons

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350°F Butter a 12-cup bundt pan.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
3. In another large bowl, beat butter until smooth. Add sugar and beat for 2 to 3 minutes until fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla and beat until combined. Beat in flour in three additions, alternating with buttermilk. Beat for 2 minutes. Fold in blueberries. Spoon into prepared pan.
4. Bake at 350F for 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Run a sharp knife around edges of the pan. Turn out and cool completely.
5. Glaze: in a small bowl, mix together confectioners' sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest and corn syrup until smooth. Drizzle over top of cake and let it roll down the sides.

 

Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies

I am in love with chocolate chip cookies. They are perfect in every way. Can you imagine having the most amazing chocolate chip cookie of your life (pats self on back) and then making it even better?!?! Well that is what I did tonight. Seriously. I don't like attention and I do not brag (often), but these cookies are so good. They are in serious competition for my favorite chocolate chip cookie.

My original and most request chocolate chip cookie is this one. And this recipe is the exact same with 3 little changes: I used dark brown sugar instead of light which made the cookie base richer; dark chocolate chips instead of semisweet to balance the molasses in the dark brown sugar and Mexican vanilla... just because my step-mom brought me a quart of it from her trip to Mexico. I'm 99% sure this would be fantastic with regular vanilla extract, but I haven't tired it yet. Enjoy.....  (just make sure not to take the dog out for a potty break while you have cookies in the oven *see below*)

My dog just HAD to go outside while the batch on the right was in the oven. Then he took his sweet time :-/

Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies

yields approximately 24 cookies

Ingredients

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons (10 5/8 ounces) bread flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 T. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 cup packed (7 ounces) darkbrown sugar
1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) granulated sugar
1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
12 oz dark chocolate chips

 

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. You want to bake these on the middle rack position in your oven, so arrange the racks accoringly. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or use a nonstick pan. Do no spray them with nonstick cooking spray bc it will turn brown in the oven and cause the bottoms of the cookies to burn a bit.

2. Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl; set aside.

3. Mix the butter and sugars until thoroughly blended and the sugar is disolved (appx 5 minutes in the mixer). Beat in the egg, yolk, and vanilla until combined. Add the dry ingredients and beat at low speed just until combined. Stir in the chips. Chill the dough for 1 hour.

4. Roll 2 ounces (2 heaping tablespoons) of dough into a ball. Use the technique from Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies to for the dough. Place the formed dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, jagged surface up, spacing them 2 1/2 inches apart. I put 6 on a large cookie sheet.

5. Bake until the cookies are light golden grown and the outer edges just start to harden yet the centers are still slightly underdone, 8-10 minutes. DO NOT overbake. Start checking hte cookies at 8 minutes and then recheck in 1 minute intervals until the edges have just started to brown. Cool the cookies on the sheets for 10 minues then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

OOTW Italian Cream Cake

A lady at work asked me to make an Italian Cream Cake for her 50th birthday. Her only request was "lots of coconut and lots of nuts". I had never made an Italian Cream Cake and I'm still a little hesitant about coconut so I wasn't sure if I would appreciate if I actually made a good Italian Cream Cake. Well hold the phone, this was AWESOME.

I went through a lot of recipes and they were either based on oil or shortening/butter. I made the oil version first but it completely fell apart when I tried to take it out of the pan. This could've been baker error, but I never make mistakes so.... ;) So I started with a shortening/butter base and it turned out beautifully. This cake is moist and dense and complimented so well with the tangy cream cheese frosting.

To make sure my "customer" got her birthday wish, I pressed toasted coconut and pecans into the frosted cake. I ate more than one bite of my friend's piece of cake. This was a HUGE hit at the birthday party. So much so that someone requested the recipe as cupcakes so that they could serve it at a luncheon.

People have been raving about this cake every day since I made it... just saying: it's good!

OOTW ("Out Of This World") Italian Cream Cake adapted from Aunt Tom's Italian Cream Cake recipe yields - 3 layer cake or 34 cupcakes For cake layers 2 cups granulated sugar 1 1/2 cups vegetable shortening, softened 1 stick (1/2 cup) margarine, softened 5 large eggs, separated 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 tsp cream of tartar 1 cup well-shaken buttermilk 1 ½  teaspoon vanilla 1 teaspoon coconut extract 2 cups sweetened flaked coconut 1 cup chopped pecans For frosting an 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened 1 stick (1/2 cup) margarine, softened 1 teaspoon vanilla ¼ teaspoon coconut extract a 1-pound box confectioners' sugar 1 c. chopped pecans For decoration (optional) Toasted coconut Chopped pecans Make cake layers: Preheat oven to 375°F. and lightly butter and flour three 9- by 2-inch round cake pans, knocking out any excess flour. In a bowl with an electric mixer beat together sugar, shortening, and margarine until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Into another bowl sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. Beat flour mixture into egg mixture in 2 batches alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture, until combined. Beat in vanilla, coconut, and chopped pecans. Beat egg whites in another bowl until frothy.  Add cream of tartar and beat until they just hold stiff peaks and fold into batter gently but thoroughly. Divide batter among pans, smoothing tops, and bake in upper two thirds of oven, switching position of pans in oven halfway through baking, until a tester comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool cake layers in pans on racks 10 minutes and invert onto racks to cool completely. Make frosting: In a bowl with an electric mixer beat together cream cheese, margarine, and vanilla until smooth. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar, beating until creamy. Stack cake layers on a cake plate, spreading about 1/2 cup frosting between each layer. Spread remaining frosting on top and side of cake.