The Family Table: Winter’s not done with us yet
The groundhog may have predicted an early spring, but I don鈥檛 think Old Man Winter is done with us quite yet.
While it feels like May outside this week, my trusty cellphone weather tracker says colder temperatures (and likely some snow) are on the horizon.
Don鈥檛 hate me too much for saying this, but I鈥檓 glad.
Yes, the snow is a pain to drive in, but I love it.
There蘑菇视频 something tranquil and calming about watching the flakes fall outside my window.
I鈥檝e always preferred the cold weather to heat 鈥� my mom loves to tell stories about how cranky the heat made me growing up. Apparently, I was never the most patient spectator at my brother蘑菇视频 basketball games, red-cheeked and complaining loudly and often in the gym that it was hot, and I wanted to leave.
The cold brings with it a desire to warm up (and easier feat than cooling down, for me at least), be it in a comfy sweatshirt, or by way of a hot cup of tea. It also represents the time for some of my favorite foods.
There蘑菇视频 something about snowy, cold days that makes me crave hearty stews and steaming soups. They just feel right.
One of my favorites has always been tortilla soup. I love spicy foods, and this one packs a punch. If spicy isn鈥檛 your thing, omit the fresh jalapeno. The canned, diced ones don鈥檛 add a lot of heat, but if you鈥檙e really sensitive to spice, feel free to omit those, too.
In the meantime, I鈥檓 going to continue rooting for more cold and snow.
SPICY TORTILLA SOUP
1 medium onion, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
2 quarts chicken stock
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1 small yellow squash or zucchini, diced
1 small can diced green chilies
1 fresh jalapeno, seeds removed, finely diced
2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, oiled and rubbed with mix of 1 teaspoon each chili powder, salt and pepper and 录 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1 small, ripe avocado, pitted and finely chopped
3-4 garden onions, chopped, including some of the green
fresh cilantro or parsley
shredded Monterey Jack cheese
4-6 flour or corn tortillas
Oil for frying
Salt and pepper
Sprinkle chili powder, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper on the chicken breasts and cook them in a skillet until done.
Shred with a fork or cut into very small pieces. Next, heat oil in a soup pot and cook onion and garlic over medium heat until softened. Add in tomatoes and a pinch of salt and cook about 5 minutes more. Add in stock.
Let it come to a boil, then reduce, and simmer covered for about 15 minutes.
While the soup simmers, cut the tortillas into strips and fry them in batches in oil. (For a less fat-laden option, brush the strips with oil and broil them in the oven.)
Add the carrots and squash to the soup, cover and cook another 10 minutes. Add in chicken, chilies and jalapenos and continue to cook another 5 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
Once the soup is done, ladle it into bowls and add in some chopped avocado, tortilla strips, parsley and onion as topping.