If you ask me, fall is the perfect time for an easy. flavorful, crock-pot soup. We all seem to be so busy at this time of year, and everyone would rather be outside enjoying the crisp weather and beautiful fall colors than slaving over a complicated dinner recipe. So throw this easy chicken salsa soup in the crock pot and get outside and enjoy the day!!

To make this recipe even easier, you can add the onion and garlic to the crock pot raw, and use pre-cooked chicken cut into bite-sized pieces. The salsa in this soup is a great shortcut, delivering tons of flavor with minimal work! Use spicy salsa for a zestier soup. I always like to use low-sodium broth in my soups so that I can control the level of salt in the final product. I would recommend serving this soup with a nice cornbread or a handful of tortilla chips. Enjoy!

Chicken Salsa Soup

From AllRecipes.com

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic
2 chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 jar of your favorite salsa
1 package of frozen corn
2 cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
Hot sauce, to taste
Sour cream, avocado, and/or cilantro for garnish

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and add the onion. Cook over medium heat until translucent and beginning to brown. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Empty the skillet into your crock pot, and add the chicken pieces. Brown the chicken over medium-high heat and add to the crock pot. Add the salsa, corn, beans,  chicken broth, and cumin. Cook on low for 4-6 hours or on high for 2-4 hours. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and hot sauce to taste. Serve with your choice of garnish.

Fiesta Rice

2 cups white rice, cooked
1 cup fresh or canned Mexicorn
3/4 cup shredded pepper-jack cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine the rice, the Mexicorn, and the shredded cheese, tossing lightly with a fork.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Serve immediately.

Looking for an appetizer to bring to a holiday party? Tired of the same-old-same-old?  Try something zesty and bold . . . this spicy black bean dip is sure to keep your party warm on a cold winter night!

Spicy Black Bean Dip

1 15-ounce can black beans
3 cloves of garlic
2 teaspoons cumin
3-4 shakes of hot sauce (optional)
1 teaspoon fresh or canned jalapeno, finely diced
1 tablespoon grated onion
Salt and pepper to taste
Sour cream and cilantro for garnish

First, drain the black beans, reserving their liquid in a bowl.

In the bowl of your food processor, combine the beans, the garlic, the cumin, and the hot sauce. Blend until smooth. Adjust the texture to your liking by using the reserved bean liquid to thin the dip. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with sour cream and cilantro, and serve with your favorite tortilla chips.

1 lb. ground beef
1 1.25-ounce package dry taco seasoning mix
1 8-ounce package cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup chopped tomato
1 cup shredded cheddar jack cheese
1/4 cup sliced black olives
Cilantro or green onion, chopped (optional)
Tortilla chips (I like Frito Scoops for this)

Brown ground beef and drain all grease. Add the taco seasoning mix and set aside.

Beat cream cheese with sour cream. Spread mixture in a pan. Cover with the meat. Top with chopped green pepper, chopped tomatoes, shredded cheddar jack cheese and black olives. Garnish with cilantro or green onions. Serve with tortilla chips for dipping.

Tip: Add a layer of refried beans, black beans, and/or guacamole for a delicious seven-layer Mexican dip!

So, you know me, dear readers. I can’t just stop at making salsa out of my tomatillos. I had to incorporate them into a fabulous new dish! I kept reading about green chilaquiles – basically glorified nachos with chicken and tomatillo salsa. I decided to go for it, even though my husband is not a huge fan of chips or nachos.

He ate three bowl-fuls of this stuff!

This dish was delicious! The toasty cheese compliments the tangy salsa perfectly, all atop deliciously moist chicken and crunchy tortilla chips. This one is a keeper!!!

Green Chilaquiles

3-4 big handfuls tortilla chips
1 cup salsa de tomatillo (see recipe above)
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 cups shredded monterrey jack cheese
Cilantro, for garnish

Preheat your oven to broil, and grease a 9×9-inch baking dish. Lay a generous bed of tortilla chips across the bottom of the prepared dish. Spread an even layer of chicken over the top of the chips. Drizzle the salsa de tomatillo evenly across the chicken and sprinkle with the cheese.

Broil for 2-3 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Garnish with cilantro and serve immediately.

These happy little tomatillos appeared in our CSA basket this week. I had no idea what to do with them, so I started searching around the internet and immediately came up with a bunch of great recipes for tomatillo salsa.

What a perfect way to get to know these little guys! Their slightly sweet and tangy flavor is perfectly displayed in this fresh and zesty salsa. Perfect as a snack with chips, or get more creative and use it as a sauce for grilled chicken or fish. Or make a meal of it with Green Chicken Chilaquiles!

Salsa de Tomatillo
from AllRecipes.com

10 tomatillos, husked and rinsed with cool water
1 small onion, chopped
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon jalapeno pepper, chopped (seeds removed if you’re wimpy like me)
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Salt and pepper to taste

Place tomatillos in a saucepan with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil. Simmer until tomatillos soften and begin to burst, about 10 minutes.

Drain tomatillos and allow to cool. Place in a food processor or blender with onion, garlic, jalapeno peppers, cilantro, salt and pepper. Blend to desired consistency.

1 packet of dry taco seasoning
1.5 lbs. ground beef (~85% lean)
1 egg, lightly beaten
4 slices cheddar or cheddar jack cheese
4 buns
Red onion, sliced
Guacamole (make your own! it’s easy!)

In a medium bowl, combine taco seasoning, ground beef, and egg lightly until completely combined. Divide the meat into four equal patties.

Grill the patties to desired done-ness, topping with sliced cheese during the last 2 minutes of grilling. Grill the buns, too, if desired.

Place a patty on each bun, and top with sliced onion and guacamole. Enjoy!

Here’s a tasty little number I came up with: grilled fish tacos. Hubby and I love mexican food, and eating lighter is on our agenda these days with a beach vacation coming up. So here is my lightened-up version of fish tacos. Instead of fried fish, it’s grilled. Instead of creamy sauce, use some guacamole. And those fiber-packed tortillas really aren’t that bad! Spicy, tangy, creamy, delicious.

Grilled Fish Tacos

4-6 soft taco tortillas (the high-fiber ones are actually good)
1/2 lb. tilapia filets
1 teaspoon cajun seasoning
1 teaspoon fajita seasoning
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt (if your seasoning blends contain no salt)
Salsa
Guacamole
Fat free sour cream
Shredded cheese (recommended: cheddar jack)
Cilantro

Heat your outdoor grill, george foreman, or stovetop grill pan to medium-high heat. Spray with cooking spray or olive oil.

Meanwhile, cut your tilapia filets into 2″ by 1″ chunks. In a small bowl, combine the cajun seasoning, fajita seasoning, pepper, and salt. Sprinkle half of the seasoning mixiture over the fish chunks.

When the grill is heated, use tongs to place the fish on the heat, seasoned-side-down. Apply the other half of the seasoning to the tops of the fish. Grill for 4-5 minutes on each side. You will know that the fish is ready to turn over when the fish releasesz easily from the grill, and you see nice golden brown grill marks on it.

Serve the fish with the tortillas and your favorite toppings. Makes about 2 servings.

When brainstorming for a great dessert to compliment our Cinco de Mayo feast, I was reminded of a recipe I’d seen Paula Deen make on the Food Network a few years ago. Here is my version!

Tex-Mex Sundaes
Adapted from Paula Deen’s recipe

Vegetable oil
8-10 flour tortillas
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cinnamon
Turtle Tracks ice cream
Chocolate Syrup
Caramel Syrup

In a heavy skillet, pour vegetable oil until about 1/2 inch deep. Turn on medium heat.

In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.

Using tongs, add tortillas one at a time, frying for about 45 seconds per side until puffed and golden brown. Remove the tortilla to paper towels to drain, and sprinkle on both sides, while still hot, with the cinnamon sugar. Repeat until all tortillas are done.

For each sundae, place one tortilla in a shallow bowl or on a plate. Top with ice cream. Then drizzle with chocolate and/or caramel syrup. Serve immediately.

Yep, when you like food (and cocktails),
then you pretty much make every holiday YOUR holiday.

Here’s the casserole I served to my friends at our casual little get together tonight. I sort of made it up on the fly based on many recipes I had seen floating around.

Seven Layer Mexican Lasagna
8 large flour tortillas
1.25ish lb. ground beef or ground turkey
1 teaspoon cumin
1 cup enchilada sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large sweet onion, diced
1/2 of a green bell pepper, diced
1/2 of a red bell pepper, diced
1/2 of a yellow bell pepper, diced
1/3 cup red onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fajita seasoning
1 package of frozen corn kernels
2 cups shredded cheese (sharp cheddar, monterey jack, whatever you like)
About 12-15 tortilla chips, crushed

Preheat your oven to 350 and grease a 9×13 inch baking dish. Line the bottom with 4 of the tortillas, cutting the edges if necessary.

Next, brown the ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat, seasoning it with the cumin. Add the enchilada sauce and heat through. Set aside.

In another large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onion, peppers, red onion, and garlic. Sprinkle with the fajita seasoning. Cook, stirring until fragrant and softened, about 4 minutes. Add the frozen corn and heat through. Remove from heat.

Next spoon the meat mixture over the tortillas in the baking dish. Sprinkle with half the cheese. Then place the remaining 4 tortillas on top of the cheese. Spoon the corn and veggie mixture over the tortillas. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top of the veggies. Finally, top with the crushed tortilla chips.

Bake for 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Garnish with cilantro and serve with guacamole and sour cream toppings.