Spicy Chicken Tortilla Soup

Tortilla soup has always been a favorite to eat, but I’d never made it myself! Leading up to Cinco de Mayo, I tried out a few new Tex Mex recipes, including this one for spicy chicken tortilla soup. It was love at first bite – very easy to toss together, super colorful, somewhat healthy, and has amazing flavor with all of the peppers and spices.

I slightly adapted the original recipe, excluding hominy and adding some corn and crispy tortilla strips. Side note: to make crispy tortilla strips to top your soup, simply slice a few corn tortillas into strips, put them on a lined baking sheet, and bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, flipping once halfway through. Super simple and adds a nice texture when you dig in.

Enjoy!

Spicy Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:
2 cups chicken, shredded or chopped
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, diced (with or without seeds)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 poblano pepper, roasted and diced
1 tsp chili powder
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp salt
8 cups chicken broth (2 quarts)
1 4-oz can diced green chilies
1 15-oz cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 bag frozen corn
1 14-oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes
4 corn tortillas, cut into strips (plus more if making crispy strips)
Juice of 2 limes
Shredded monterey jack cheese, optional for serving
Chopped cilantro, optional for serving
Sour cream, optional for serving

Yield: Serves 6-8

Directions:
First, roast the poblano pepper over a burner on a gas range stove or under the broiler. You want the pepper to be very dark and charred— almost black. Set aside on a plate to cool then dice. (you can either leave or remove the seeds)

Heat the olive oil over medium high heat in a large pot. Once hot, add the diced onion and jalapeno and cook for five minutes, until soft. Add the garlic and diced poblano pepper and cook for another minute. Add the chili powder, cumin, and coriander and mix until well combined.

Pour in the chicken stock and add the tomatoes, corn, black beans, green chilies, chicken, and salt. Bring to a boil.

Finally, add the regular tortilla strips and lime juice and cook until tortillas soften. Serve with chopped cilantro and shredded cheese, plus crispy tortilla strips and sour cream if wanted.

Source: Slightly adapted from Eat Live Run

Mango Pico de Gallo

I never used to be a big lover of pico de gallo, but now I’m a huge fan. It’s such a delicious healthy addition to any meal. The traditional style is great, but this mango version is perfect for the summer with it’s fresh fruity flavor. Pile it on top of a taco or simply scoop it up with tortilla chips and you’re in for a tasty treat!

Mango Pico de Gallo

Ingredients:
2 large tomatoes, chopped
1/4 red onion, diced
1 small jalapeño, deseeded and minced
2 mangos, chopped
Juice from one lime
Cilantro
Dash of salt

Directions:
Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix until combined. Add additional salt or cilantro to your liking. Refrigerate until ready to serve and enjoy!

Source: Slightly adapted from A Zesty Bite

Fiesta Rice

This colorful and healthy side dish is perfect for any Mexican inspired meal. I made a huge batch and contently ate from it for days. You can use white or brown rice depending on your preference and could include any extra vegetables and seasonings you like. The cilantro and lime were plenty for me and mixed perfectly with the corn, tomatoes, and black beans. Totally delicious and guilt free

Fiesta Rice

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups cooked long grain rice
3/4 cup canned black beans, rinsed
3/4 cup cooked corn
1 large tomato, diced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine hot rice, heated corn, heated beans, tomato, cilantro, lime juice, and salt and pepper if needed. Toss and serve.

Source: Skinny Taste

Mango Margarita

This fruity drink would be mighty tasty for any upcoming Cinco de Mayo celebrations! The fresh mango is absolutely delicious and the drink is so refreshing. Which is nice because in our home, we try to just use our fans versus the A/C for as long as possible. This is starting to get hard, given that we live in Texas and I’ve had the oven on most of the day! I know we’ll give in soon enough, but in the meantime, we’ll keep enjoying some more cool drinks to ease the heat.

Mango Margarita

Ingredients:
3 oz tequila
1 1/2 oz triple sec
2 oz orange juice
1/2 oz simple syrup (equal parts water & sugar mixed together)
2 to 2 1/2 cups crushed ice
4 oz fresh or frozen chopped mango
Salt or sugar, for rimming (optional)

Yield: 2-3 servings

Directions:
Combine the mango, tequila, triple sec, orange juice, and simple syrup in a blender. Add in 2 cups of ice an blend until smooth. If desired, add additional ice to achieve a thicker consistency. Serve in chilled glasses rimmed with salt or sugar (optional). Sip and enjoy!

Source: Annie’s Eats

Brisket Tacos

What’s better than a crockpot meal that can be used in tons of different ways? Not much, as I see it. This meal has several components that I’ll address in following posts, such as homemade tortillas, an amazing barbeque sauce, and fiesta rice as a side dish.

Let me start by saying that this brisket is so versatile – besides these tacos, I used it for sandwiches and a mighty delicious pizza. I made the tacos smaller than normal to give them a little ‘food truck vibe’. After a long day of slow cooking, the meat was so tender and tasty. I added monterrey jack cheese, cilantro, and some homemade bourbon orange coriander BBQ sauce which made for a phenomenal pairing. I was SO glad there were lots of leftovers because I definitely wanted more of this tasty action. Like I say about lots of recipes, you can really personalize this meal with flavors you prefer. Maybe pick a different cheese, add your favorite salsa, or use corn tortillas instead. That’s another beauty of this meal – hope yall enjoy it!

Brisket Tacos

Ingredients:
3 pounds brisket, from the flat cut
Salt and black pepper to taste
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 carton beef broth
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
2 leafy stems cilantro
1 lime, cut into wedges and slightly squeezed

Flour tortillas (or corn if you prefer)
Monterrey jack cheese, shredded
Fresh cilantro
Bourbon Orange Coriander Barbeque Sauce (optional)

Directions:
Combine all of the brisket ingredients in a crockpot and cook on low for 8 hours. Remove the brisket and let it rest for 10-15 minutes. Shred the meat with two forks and remove fat. Line some tortillas with the shredded brisket and add shredded monterrey jack cheese, cilantro, and sauce. (or anything else you want to top it with) Serve while hot and enjoy!

Source: Adapted from Homesick Texan

Watermelon Tequila Mojito

I’m such a fruity drink girl. (if you haven’t noticed) We’ve been on a watermelon kick lately and it’s already getting warm here in TX – so I thought a nice refreshing watermelon infused drink would hit the spot.

I haven’t had a mojito in a long time and forgot how tasty they are. This one is no exception – the lime, mint, watermelon, and tequila are a dreamy combination. It’s not too sweet and has just enough of a kick for my liking, though you can easily make it stronger if you’re not a lightweight like me. Plus, how can a drink so bright and cheery be bad? I’m sure we’ll be having plenty of these throughout the season and I can’t wait!

Watermelon Tequila Mojito

Ingredients:
10 mint leaves
1/2 of a lime, cut into three wedges
2 – 3 tsp sugar, depending on how sweet you like your drink
3 Tbsp tequila
Ice cubes
About 1/2 cup seedless watermelon, blended until liquidized and strained
Splash of lemon-lime soda or sparkling water
Mint and lime for garnish (optional)

Directions:
In a glass, muddle the mint, lime wedges, and sugar. Add the tequila and stir to mix and dissolve the sugar.  Add ice, watermelon juice, and the soda or sparkling water and combine. Garnish with a slice of lime and mint leaves, if desired.

Source: Girl Cooks World

Spicy Black Bean Soup

As a huge fan of black beans, I bookmarked this recipe in a hurry and absolutely loved the results! This soup has great flavor and is a perfect addition to any Tex-Mex inspired meal or can be a meal in itself. It’s healthy, hearty, and is a good vegetarian option with a smooth texture that can be left a little chunky if desired. This recipe makes a large portion, so be prepared to feed a crowd or have lots of tasty leftovers. Enjoy!

Spicy Black Bean Soup

Ingredients:
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 large white onion, chopped
4 large jalapenos, minced
1 large shallot, minced
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 1/2 Tbsp cumin
2 Tbsp chili powder
2 tsp white pepper
2 tsp dried oregano
6 cans black beans (14.5 oz cans - 4 cans drained & rinsed, 2 cans with liquid)
3 cans vegetable broth (14 oz cans)
3/4 cups water

Directions:
In a large stock pot over medium high heat, add olive oil, onion, jalapeno, shallot, and garlic. Sauté until translucent. Add spices and mix until well combined. Cook for 3 minutes more.

Add beans, broth, and water and bring to a simmer. Simmer until soup has thickened slightly, about 40-45 minutes.

Using an immersion blender or transferring a little at a time to a blender, blend soup until smooth. (be careful using a blender with warm soup – hold the lid down tightly or let it cool)

Serve while hot with a scoop of sour cream, cilantro, or anything else your heart desires.

Source: Slightly adapted from The Novice Chef Blog

Chicken Pineapple Quesadilla

This is definitely one of those quick go-to meals in our house when we have a limited time to cook and eat. (It could even be taken on the go if needed!) Take a simple chicken quesadilla, add some pineapple, and it’s taken to a whole other level. If you have fresh pineapple, go for it, and if you have time, grill it before adding to the dish! If not, the cute little canned pineapple tidbits work perfectly too. This is another dish you can personalize to your liking – add some black beans, skip the cilantro, dip in some salsa, etc…

Here’s another version that looks mighty tasty: The Pioneer Woman’s Grilled Chicken and Pineapple Quesadillas

Chicken Pineapple Quesadilla

Ingredients:
4 tortillas
2 chicken breasts, cooked and cut into pieces
2 cups of shredded cheese
2/3 cups pineapple tidbits
1/3 cups fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions:
Heat a pan on the stovetop over medium heat. When hot, put a tortilla in the pan and top it with some chicken, pineapple, cilantro, and cheese. Heat it for 1-2 minutes, until cheese starts to melt and tortilla starts to get crispy. Then fold the quesadilla in half and cook another minute until cheese is melted all the way. Serve whole or cut into smaller pieces. Makes 4 quesadillas.

Source: A Beckster Original

South of the Border Bruschetta

After making the traditional Italian style bruschetta, my creative juices were flowing and I wanted to create a different take. Remembering I had an avocado, the idea came quickly to make a Tex-Mex style bruschetta. Let me tell you, these flavors work perfectly and make for a tasty option to add to taco night! Or maybe a Cinco de Mayo party? Either way, this dish totally works – hope yall enjoy!

South of the Border Bruschetta

Ingredients:
1 small avocado, diced
1 red chili pepper, minced (about 1 Tbsp)
1 1/2 Tbsp cilantro, diced
Zest and juice of 1 small lime
Dash of salt
Cheese crumbles (cheddar, pepper jack, etc…)
Baguette, sliced and toasted

Directions:
Combine the first five ingredients in a bowl and mix together. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes to let the flavors mix well. Toast slices of baguette and top with the mixture. Sprinkle cheese on top, if desired. Serve and enjoy!

Source: A Beckster Original

Pineapple Salsa

When I saw this recipe, it was a MUST make on my list! Some of my favorite ingredients all combined into one magnificent salsa – yes please! This is such a fresh and flavorful dish that can be used as a snack with a handful of chips or used to top off all kinds of different dishes. The sweet/spicy contrast is amazing and is a nice change from the usual tomato based salsa. My salsa turned out a bit too pureed rather than a crushed pineapple texture, (try not to over blend!) but whether you like it chunky or smooth, this flavor combo rocks!

Pineapple Salsa

Ingredients:
2 cups chopped fresh pineapple (1/4-inch dice)
Juice of 1 lime
1 handful cilantro, chopped
1 jalapeno, chopped
Salt

Directions:
Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse 2 or 3 times. This will give you the crushed pineapple texture. For a chunkier salsa, stir all ingredients together and salt to taste. Chill in the fridge until ready to serve.

Source: Confections of a Foodie Bride