Swedish Taco Night Friday: Hearty Mexican Chipotle Chicken Soup Recipe

I don't know what it is about the Chipotle Chile flavour. Maybe it's the darkness of the colours it creates in your various dish recipes or the smokiness of the taste. This time of year we eat a lot of soups and make enough to be left over and eaten over the next day or so. One of my flavourites is Chicken soup with lots of vegetables. Then yesterday Discovery Foods (Santa Maria) posted a Mexican Chicken Stew recipe from the January issue of Good Housekeeping magazine. It called for using Chipotle in the recipe, but most of the text was too small and I couldn't find the recipe anywhere else online anywhere. The problem was solved by using my same recipe I use for regular Chicken Soup and adding some other very important ingredients. 

Basically I start with three lean white chicken breasts. I finely slice lengthwise and mince up finer for smaller bite sized chunks. Marinated in red balsamic vinegar and Santa Maria's Taco Spice for some foundation seasoning and put into large cast iron port for cooking slowly in Olive oil. Added to that are four crushed garlic cloves, two fine chopped medium onions, and generous additions of dried Pizza Herb spice mix which has most of the Mediterranean herb blends, three finely chopped Jalapeno Peppers and four large Chile Ancho Chipotle peppers which I steam first, split open and place in the pot and covered the lid to simmer for a time. I get my Chile Ancho Chipotle peppers from the ICA Store. They have already been smoked or roasted and are usually two to a pack. The Chipotle definitely gives it a darker richer colour from basic chicken soup or stew.

The Discovery Foods page was pushing their Chipotle paste as a substitute (and I also do understand that, it's has good flavour), but I have always done this from scratch, even when making my chocolate mole sauces for chicken dish recipes. After say 30 minutes of cooking at low heat and when the chicken for the most part is cooked through, I added one cup of Chicken stock and one cup vegetable stock. Two bouillon cubes (chicken & Vegetable) in each cup of hot water and add to the blend. Next are the vegetables and I can't tell you exactly how many of what, as you will have to add these as much or less as you prefer. Carrots, Potatoes, Green Beans, added one can of sweet corn and several fresh mushrooms sliced. As far as crushed corn chips for added flavour and texture, I add those last and individually in the bowl of soup. I don't necessarily want to make this a tortilla soup. Basically here I think it easy for anyone to go ahead and make their basic Chicken soup recipe and add these extra simple ingredients and spices to make it Mexican. This is not a real complicated dish at all. Add more water as you need it for more broth liquid also.

Be considerate of others - *smile*

When it comes to heat, mine is ever so slightly warm spice-wise for flavour, but I don't Nuke it for my taste at the sacrifice of everyone else who may not appreciate the Heat scale. Make it as neutral as possible, but not sacrificing flavour. Want it hotter ? That's what Hot Sauces are for. You can add as much heat as your heart desires, but just think about your guests when it comes to main courses. Nuke your own bowl of soup, stew or chili all you want, but be kind to others.

As always - Enjoy!

Swedish Taco Night Friday: The Incredibly Easy to make Taco Salad

Credit: 1550's Pub Style Restaurant

Typical large Taco Salad one sees at most restaurants across the states. This will be unfamiliar to most Europeans, especially in the north. When I lived in England in the late 1970s, the word/term 'Salad' period was almost a taboo word.

The above picture is of a Taco Salad found at most Mexican restaurants in the states. A giant flower tortilla deep fried in oil to form a bowl for which to insert all manner of Mexican goodies within. The ingredients of course consist of almost everything else that goes into a normal salad with the addition however of some extra ingredients to make it more Mexican. Starting off forst of all with that Flour Tortillas bowl. Most restaurants purchase them already made. But I actually found a video which has no audio, but the visual speaks volumes for itself. It very easily shows how to make the flour tortilla bowl with ruffled edges all from scratch. For Swedes here reading, the first thing you do is purchase the largest flour tortillas you can purchase at your local ICA Store. Then follow the video. It's that easy!

Restaurant Style Mexican Crispy Taco Salad Bowl  - (fried) How to Video

The Actual 'Salad' Ingredients!

1. Lettuce (Iceberg or Romaine)

2. Tomatoes (Kvist Vine Tomatos or Roma (Plommor)

3. Sour Cream (Creme Fraisch)

4. Your favourite brand of Corn Tortilla Chips

5. Cucumbers (Swedes like them - whatever)

6. large Red Onion chopped into fine bits

7. Cheese (preferable cheddar or pizza cheese)

8. Sweet Red Dressing (French) or whatever your flavourite is

9. Salsa (whatever your heart desires.

10. Ground or Shredded Beef or Chicken

11. Some Pinto Beans , Kidney Beans or your favourite

12. Guacamole

13. 1 can Sweet Corn

14. black olives

15. slices of different coloured Bell Peppers

As you can see, the ingredients are so simple that even a child could do this and what's kool is, it is really fast and uncomplicated. Lettuce , Tomatoes , Red Onion, of course are the main ingredient. The lettuce obviously gives it it's crispy texture. So you start with basic salad ingredients and go from there. Corn chips crumbled into the mix not only give more crunchy texture, but also that corn taco taste. Your choice of meat is obvious as well. Whatever you prefer and how your want to prepare and season it. Choose either Pinto or Kidney Beans or both, it's up to you. The Cucumber is a Swedish add on. All other things add as you want them. The Bell Peppers Sweet Red French Dressing, Salsa, Guacamole and Sour Cream are last option toppings as you wish. Same with Sweet Corn and black olives, add as wanted or needed.

Ultimately I think anyone can do this. It did cross my mind however than Swedes can purchase those Santa Maria Mini-Tub Taco Shells. Then you can have bite size salads or mini versions of the Mexican Tostada or Tostado which ever term you wish. This is not a tough recipe to follow and you can change it any way to suit your own personal needs. Now if you are having family and friends over for a meal, by all means make the spice heat scale as neutral as possible. For all you people who want that nuclear fire experience ? That's what the hot sauces are for. Putting these choices on the table in front of your guests allows them to choose and therefore any bad burning sensation is on them, not you !

Tostado or Tostada - You Choose

Bite Size Taco Salads