Tag: spicy

Southwestern Roast Beef Soup

© Can Stock Photo/
roxanabalint

Once upon a time, in a galaxy far, far away, I rented a booth in an antique mall in Tucson, Arizona.

The mall included a small soup and sandwich shop. Nothing big and fancy, but it was a cozy, quiet place to grab a quick lunch whenever I was there. The food was always top notch.

One day they were serving a southwestern roast beef soup. It tasted like a cross between a beef stew and chili con carne. I wanted to ask for the recipe. However, their soups were usually made from the prior day’s leftovers, so I doubt there was a recipe. So, I did the next best thing. I let my palate decide, and then I came up with my own recipe. It’s a close match, and since it uses leftover roast beef, I’m sure Rosie would have approved.

Sadly, the antique mall is no more. While I made a profit each year, it wasn’t much, and maintaining my booth  was a costly undertaking. I eventually closed it out. The mall itself went out of business a few years later, which I was sorry to see. That said, I have no regrets. I met a lot of interesting people while I was there, and I learned a lot about how the retail business works.

Gayle Martin

Southwestern Roast Beef Soup

½ to 1 pound leftover roast beef (such as round roast), including the pan drippings

  • 1 cup beef stock
  • 1 can diced tomatoes (14.5 ounce)
  • 1 can tomato sauce (14.5 ounce)
  • 1 small can diced green chilis (optional)
  • 1 cup corn or mixed vegetables
  • 3/4 cup small, uncooked pasta, such as a shell pasta
  • 2 teaspoons cumin
  • ½ teaspoon lemon pepper
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon salt, if desired

Chop roast beef into small, bite-sized cubes. Blend all the ingredients into a 4 quart stockpot and bring to a boil. If soup is too thick, add more stock until desired consistency. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 30to 45 minutes or until meat is tender.

***

Book Cover for Rosies Riveting Recipes
Cover photo by Rob Resetar

Imagine the government telling you how much meat or chicken you could buy, or how much sugar or flour you could have. Strange as it may seem, at one time it actually happened. During WWII, the United States government devised a food rationing program to help insure that every family would have enough to eat. Rosie’s Riveting Recipes gives readers a glimpse into life on the WWII home front. A cookbook and a history lesson in one Rosies’s Riveting Recipes includes more than 180 economical, back-to-basics World War II ration recipes and short tales of life on the American home front interspersed throughout.

Rosie’s Riveting Recipes is available on Amazon and Barnesandnoble.com.

White Chicken Chili

© Can Stock Photo/
roxanabalint

I love making chili con carne. It’s one of my all time favorite comfort foods. It’s spicy, it’s tasty, and simple to make. Best of all, many of the ingredients are already in our pantries and it freezes well.

However, it’s also nice to take a break and try a different variation, such as chicken chili.

Chicken chili is a delicious alternative for those who don’t eat red meat. It has its own unique flavor, and, like chili con carne, chicken chili also freezes well. Turkey can also be substituted for chicken, making it a nice recipe for delicious holiday leftovers.

White Chicken Chili

  • 1 to 1 1/2 lbs boneless chicken breasts or chicken tenders, cubed
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1 small can chopped green chilies (4 oz)
  • 2 tbsp ground cumin
  • 1 tbsp chili powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 2 cans cannellini beans
  • 2 tbsp corn starch
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 cup Monterey jack cheese
  • 1 chopped jalapeno (optional)

Place olive oil in a 4-quart stockpot and cook the chicken, onions, and garlic. Once chicken is cooked all the way through add chicken broth, green chilies, beans and seasonings. Place cornstarch in a small bowl, mix thoroughly with water. Pour into the chili and bring it to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Top each serving with cheese and add chopped jalapeno, if desired. Goes nicely with cornbread on the side.

Variations: For a hotter chili, add the cayenne pepper. For a sweeter chili, substitute 1 can of corn for 1 can of cannellini beans.

***

Book Cover for Rosies Riveting Recipes
Cover photo by Rob Resetar

Imagine the government telling you how much meat or chicken you could buy, or how much sugar or flour you could have. Strange as it may seem, at one time it actually happened. During WWII, the United States government devised a food rationing program to help insure that every family would have enough to eat. Rosie’s Riveting Recipes gives readers a glimpse into life on the WWII home front. A cookbook and a history lesson in one Rosies’s Riveting Recipes includes more than 180 economical, back-to-basics World War II ration recipes and short tales of life on the American home front interspersed throughout.

Rosie’s Riveting Recipes is available on Amazon, Barnes&Noble.com and other online booksellers.

 

 

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

© Can Stock Photo / roxanabalint

My parents bought an Airstream trailer shortly after my dad retired and they joined an Airstream club. They spent many years going on caravans and attending Airstream rallies where potlucks were the order of the day. It was a wonderful time in their lives. My mother brought this recipe home from one of their Airstream rallies and served it at a family get-together. We all loved it.

Fortunately, she shared the recipe with me. Generally speaking, I’m not a big casserole fan. This recipe, however, is an exception. It’s very tasty and super easy to prepare. You simply add the layers, bake, and go. I’ve taken it to many a potluck dinner, and it’s always been a big hit.

CHICKEN ENCHILADA CASSEROLE

  • 4 to 6 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped*
  • 1 large bag of restaurant style tortilla chips
  • Diced green chilies (8 ounce can)
  • 1  cup corn
  • 1 15 oz. can of black beans
  • 2 cans cream of chicken soup
  • 1 can cream of mushroom soup
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth or water
  • 2 cups cheddar or Mexican blend cheese
  • breadcrumbs (optional)

Coat a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Break the tortilla chips and cover the bottom of the pan, about 1/4 inch thick. Add chopped chicken breasts, green chilies, corn and black beans. Blend the soups and chicken broth together in a medium sized mixing bowl and pour over top. (Add more liquid if thinner sauce is desired.) Cover the top layer with cheese and add the breadcrumbs, if desired. Bake at 350F for 35 to 45 minutes or until sauce is bubbling and the cheese is melted and slightly browned.

Variations: Use jalapeno or chipotle peppers instead of green chili peppers for a spicier casserole. Turkey can be used instead of chicken.

*Two 9.75 ounce cans of chicken may be used instead of fresh chicken.

***

Book Cover for Rosies Riveting Recipes
Cover photo by Rob Resetar

Imagine the government telling you how much meat or chicken you could buy, or how much sugar or flour you could have. Strange as it may seem, at one time it actually happened. During WWII, the United States government devised a food rationing program to help insure that every family would have enough to eat. Rosie’s Riveting Recipes gives readers a glimpse into life on the WWII home front. A cookbook and a history lesson in one Rosies’s Riveting Recipes includes more than 180 economical, back-to-basics World War II ration recipes and short tales of life on the American home front interspersed throughout.

Rosie’s Riveting Recipes is available on Amazon and Barnesandnoble.com.

 

Chili con Carne

 
© Can Stock Photo/ dbvirago

Who doesn’t love chili con carne? I grew up on canned chili, but trust me, once you get used to eating chili made from scratch, you’ll never want to go back to canned.

Chili con carne is an amazingly simple dish to prepare. It’s also an easy way to use up leftover veggies, so Rosie would have approved. Chili tastes great on its own, or on top of a hot dog. The following recipe is one I put together through trial error and tweaking other recipes. One nice thing about chili con carne is that there really is no way to make it wrong.

Gayle Martin

CHili con carne

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced *
  • an 8 ounce can tomato sauce
  • a 4 ounce can diced green chilis
  • a 16 oz can red kidney beans
  • a 16 oz can pinto beans
  • 1 cup water or broth
  • 2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 2 tablespoons cumin
  • 2 tablespoons hot wings or Tabasco sauce
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch.
  • 1/4 cup water or broth
  • salt and pepper to taste

Brown the ground beef, onion and garlic in a small stock pot or kettle until the meat is cooked all the way through. Stir in canned green chilis. Add tomato sauce and 1 cup of water or broth. Stir in the canned beans and add seasonings. Stir cornstarch and water in a small bowl and pour into the chili mixture. Mix well. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for approximately 20 minutes. If desired, top with cheese, sour cream or chives. Serve.

For those who prefer, ground chicken or turkey may be used instead of ground beef. If using ground chicken or turkey, add a tablespoon of cooking oil.

* A tablespoon of garlic powder can be substituted for the minced garlic.

Cover photo by Robert Resetar.

Imagine the government telling you how much meat or chicken you could buy, or how much sugar or flour you could have. Strange as it may seem, at one time it actually happened. During WWII, the United States government devised a food rationing program to help insure that every family would have enough to eat. Rosie’s Riveting Recipes gives readers a glimpse into life on the WWII home front. A cookbook and a history lesson in one Rosies’s Riveting Recipes includes more than 180 economical, back-to-basics World War II ration recipes and short tales of life on the American home front interspersed throughout. 

Rosie’s Riveting Recipes is available on Amazon and Barnesandnoble.com.