Mmm!!! Mmm!!! Good!!!!

If you know us, you know we are a difficult bunch to feed. You may not want to go to a restaurant with us or invite us over for dinner. It's ok, we understand. Because we pity the server that hears, "Do you know if this has wheat? Oh, and can I get that without the meat? Did we mention he can't have dairy?", going out, or dinner on the fly, isn't much of an option these days. So, I am always in mad pursuit of recipes that will fit.

When cooking, I am looking for recipes that are gluten-free(gf), dairy-free(df), including and excluding meat, preferably something low maintenance, that can be done while supervising the likes of Thing One and Thing Two. (Disclaimer: the aforementioned Dr. Seuss reference is made with lots of love, of course.) When people hear about our culinary situation, they usually say, "What do you even eat?"

Well, today, I feel like we hit the jack pot. And, it made me want to write it down. Or better yet, catalogue these moments/recipes on this blog in some kind of organized fashion. I am picturing some type of recipe gadget that can file them by dish or ingredient. I have no idea how to do this, so in case you are reading and you do, you should share and I will be eternally grateful.

Ok, on to our example. I ran across this picture and recipe at http://gimmesomeoven.com/slow-cooker-chicken-tortilla-soup/. I couldn't stop thinking about it. And even if it is freakishly warm for the middle of November, this was my pick. I'm also excited to try it when it isn't 80 degrees, and real fall weather calls for a cozy meal.

Anyway, the original ingredients listed in the recipe are as follows:

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or tenderloins (frozen or refrigerated)
• 1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes (Hunt's brand are gf)
• 1 (10 ounce) can good-quality mild enchilada sauce (Old ElPaso is gf)
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers (Old ElPaso is gf)
• 1 (10 oz.) package frozen corn (or 1 can of whole-kernel corn, drained)
• 1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained (reserved for veggie soup, my love, the meat-eater, is not a fan)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 cups chicken broth (substitute veggie broth)
• 1 cup water
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1/2 tsp. chili powder
• 1/2 tsp. chipotle powder (optional) (omitted b/c of toddlers)
• 1 Tbsp. lime juice (optional)
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped (my favorite ingredient, so I doubled that; Also, checked to make sure it wasn't parsley ;p )

Homemade Tortilla Crisps Ingredients

• 3 corn tortillas (Mission is gf; Also, probably used 10, couldn't stop eating the finished product)
• 2-3 Tbsp. olive oil
• (added the lime juice left over from soup)
• Kosher salt

Method:

Place all soup ingredients (everything but chicken) in a large crock pot and stir briefly to combine. (Cover. Cook for approx. 30-60 min. Separate some soup mixture into a separate pot on stove veggie soup version. Simmer. Add chicken breasts to crock pot). Cover, and cook on “low” setting for 6 to 8 hours or on “high” setting for 3 to 4 hours. Anywhere from 15-60 minutes beforehand, remove the chicken breasts. Let cool briefly, then shred and return to soup. (Added black beans to veggie pot)

To serve, ladel soup into individual bowls, and add desired garnishes.

(Must Have!!!) Homemade Tortilla Strips “How-To”:

Emma painted Mission corn tortillas with evoo mixed with lime juice and cilantro. We cut them with a pizza cutter into little strips and chose the oven method. We had to make a second batch because we ate the majority of the first. Yuummmy!!

Skillet Method: Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Test to see if the oil is ready by dripping a drop or two of water in the skillet. (No sound – too cool. Splatter – too hot. Sizzle – perfect!) Once it’s ready, add in the tortilla strips. Give them a stir or a flip every 20-30 seconds, until they have begun to turn slightly golden. Remove and place on paper towels to drain and dry. Season with salt or other seasonings.

Oven Method: Preheat oven to 400F degrees. Lay out tortilla strips on a greased cookie sheet, and brush with olive oil. (Optional: season with salt or other seasonings.) Bake the tortilla strips for 5 minutes, then give them a quick stir and/or flip. Bake for 5 minutes more, or until they are crispy and golden.

We also added GF, DF cornbread. We bought Red Mills Cornbread mix at Schnucks and followed the recipe. We substituted soy milk for real milk. We chose the very, very vanilla flavor. They actually sell vanilla and very vanilla. The very vanilla worked well for baking.

Presto, change-o!