Tasty Tuesday: Hearty Chicken Quesadilla Soup

Thank you Patti Watson of Pampered Chef for today’s tasty recipe…. this is a delicious soup for chilly evenings….

INGREDIENTS

• 5 (6-in./15 cm) corn tortillas
• 1   jalapeño pepper
• 2 cans (14.5 oz each)or 796 mL) fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
• 3 cups (750 mL) unsalted chicken stock
• 3 cups (750 mL) diced cooked chicken
• 1 bag (12 oz or 340 g) frozen Southwestern corn blend, thawed (see Cook’s Tips)
• 2 tbsp (30 mL) ground cumin
• 4   garlic cloves
• 1 tsp (5 mL) black pepper
• 1 cup (250 mL) fresh cilantro leaves
• 3 oz (90g) Monterey Jack cheese (3/4 cup/175 mL grated)

DIRECTIONS

1. Stack tortillas and cut into quarters with Santoku Knife; set 12 quarters aside. Tear remaining 8 quarters into pieces. Remove stem from jalapeño and cut in half lengthwise. Using Core & More, carefully remove seeds and veins. Cut into chunks. Finely chop jalapeño and torn tortillas with Food Chopper.
2. Place chopped tortillas and jalapeño, tomatoes, chicken stock, chicken, corn blend, cumin, garlic pressed with Garlic Press and black pepper in Rockcrok® (4-qt./3.8-L) Dutch Oven. Stir with Small Mix ‘N Scraper®. Cover; bring to a boil over HIGH heat. Reduce heat and simmer 15-17 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, preheat broiler. In (2-cup/500-mL) Prep Bowl, snip cilantro with Professional Shears. Using Microplane® Adjustable Coarse Grater, grate cheese.
4. Using Silicone Oven Mitts, remove soup from heat. Stir in cilantro. Carefully arrange remaining tortilla quarters in a circular pattern over hot soup, slightly overlapping, with points toward the center. (You may see some small gaps.) Sprinkle evenly with cheese.
5. Place Dutch Oven 2-4 in. (5-10 cm) from heating element. Broil 2-3 minutes or until cheese is light golden brown.

Makes: 8  servings of 1 1/4 cups/300 mL 

Nutrients per serving:   (1¼ cups/300 mL): Calories 220, Total Fat 6 g, Saturated Fat 2.5g, Cholesterol 40 mg, Sodium 500 mg, Carbohydrate 21 g, Fiber 3 g, Protein 19 gm

Cook’s Tips:

1. To quickly thaw frozen corn blend, place bag under warm running water for about 1 minute or until thawed, shaking occasionally.
2. The chopped tortillas help thicken the soup, making it a hearty meal.

Want more recipes to help you change up boring dinners?  Check out Patti’s website where there is over250 recipes to spice up your dinner menu.  If your wish list is bigger than your wallet, host a party to earn freeand discounted products.  Just like to shop, check out the monthly customer specials. 

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

Tasty Tuesday: Golden Autumn Beef Pot

   

Today’s recipe is direct from my Weight Watcher’s Facebook group.  It sounded yummy so I wanted to share….

Prep: 45 minutes     Cook: 1:30 minutes     Serves: 8

6 Smartpoints per serving ( 1 serving = 1 1/2 cups)

Ingredients

• 1 ¹⁄₂  pound(s) uncooked trimmed top round steak, Cut into 1 inch cubes
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 medium uncooked onions , chopped
• 3 medium uncooked potatoes, cubed
• 2 cups uncooked rutabaga, cubed
• 1 ¹⁄₂ cups uncooked carrots, chopped
• 2 ¹⁄₂ cups uncooked cabbage, coarsely chopped
• 2 Tbsp fresh parsley – chopped or 2 tsp dried
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 beef bouillon cubes
• 6 cups water
• 1 Tbsp vinegar
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 ¹⁄₂ tsp salt

 Instructions

1. In a Dutch oven or heavy pot, brown meat in oil in 2 batches. Set aside.
2. Saute onions in same pan until soft.
3. Return meat to pan along with remaining ingredients.
4. Simmer, covered, 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until meat is tender.

This is a great tailgating meal…Okay so it may not be in a crock pot BUT it doesn’t mean you can’t put it in one.  The best way to transport your crock pot or food to a tailgating party is in a Thirty One Market Thermal!  The Fresh Market Thermal is a stylish, portable thermal large enough to hold two 9″x13″ casserole dishes (and a crock pot). A must-have for family picnics, tailgating, trips to the beach, days on the boat, potlucks, grocery shopping or weekend camping. Its water-resistant Leak Lock thermal lining means you can add ice to this cooler bag to keep food and drinks cold. Need more room? The sides unsnap and expand to give you more space inside. Long handles allow you to carry it over your shoulder when you need to be hands-free. The Fresh Market Thermal also features a zipper closure for securing contents and an exterior front pocket to hold other important items.

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

Tasty Tuesday – Hearty Italian Soup

Makes 12 cups

Time: Prep: 40 Minutes  Cooking: 2 Hours

Ingredients

1 (16-oz.) package mild Italian sausage
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (48-oz.) container chicken broth
2 (15-oz.) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 (14.5-oz.) cans diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1 (5-oz.) package baby spinach
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
Freshly shaved Parmesan cheese

Preparation

1. Cook sausage in hot oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat 7 to 8 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove sausage from Dutch oven, reserving drippings in Dutch oven. Sauté onion in hot drippings 3 minutes or until tender. Add garlic, and sauté 1 minute. Cut sausage into 1/4-inch-thick slices, and return to Dutch oven.

2. Stir chicken broth and next 3 ingredients into sausage mixture; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 25 minutes.

3. Stir in spinach and next 2 ingredients; cook, stirring occasionally, 5 to 6 minutes or until spinach is wilted. Top each serving with Parmesan cheese.

Serve with Cornbread and a salad for a yummy dinner on a cold winter night.  I am going to throw all the ingredients in the crock pot and let it cook while I am out and about.  Let me know if you try this and what you think….

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!