Quick and easy chicken tortilla soup

 Quick and Easy Chicken Tortilla (Taco) Soup

Yes, I've posted this recipe before, but it's been a while and this version has a few more tips and photos to help you out!

Quick and easy chicken tortilla soup

Everyone needs a go-to recipe for busy days. This soup comes together quickly with items from your pantry. Perfect for a hectic evening or when you want to warm up quickly. The chicken can be substituted with seasoned ground beef for a different twist, but keep in mind it will take a little longer to prepare. 

1 -2 Quarts Stewed Tomatoes

½ Onion Diced

1 tsp Minced Garlic

1 Pkg. or 2 Tbsp Taco Seasoning

Chicken Broth if desired

1 can each of Black Beans, White Northern Beans, and Red Kidney Beans
1 - 1 1/2 Cups Corn (I prefer frozen to canned)

1-2 Cans Chicken Breast Meat

Salt & Pepper to taste

Grated Cheese, Sour Cream, Avocado slices, Salsa and Tortilla Chips or Strips for garnish.

Combine tomatoes, onion, garlic, taco seasoning and chicken broth and bring to a boil. Cook until onions are tender. Add remaining ingredients and heat through. Garnish as desired.

To make tortilla strips, cut corn tortillas in ¼ - ⅓ inch thick slices and cook in hot oil. Drain on a paper towel and sprinkle with salt.

This recipe is easy to adjust depending on your tastes. For a thinner soup, use more tomatoes or add chicken broth to achieve desired consistency. I like a variety of colors and textures, but feel free to omit or add any beans or vegetables you wish. Ground beef cooked and seasoned for tacos or leftover roasted chicken can be used in place of canned chicken. Be adventurous and experiment until you find the right combination for your household.

Fry tortilla strips until crispy!

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Running Granny Green encourages women, especially grandmothers, to gain greater fitness by providing tips and inspiration to insure long years of joyful grand-parenting. The cookie recipes are a bonus!

Happy Running!

- Carol aka Running Granny Green

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Tomato Bruschetta Sauce for appetizers

Tomato Bruschetta Sauce on Cheesy Garlic Sourdough Bread

Tomato Bruschetta Sauce

This fresh tomato bruschetta recipe will make you feel like an Italian chef! Whether served on toasted bagel slices or my favorite, Easy Cheesy Garlic Sourdough Bread, it will be a crowd pleaser. Adjust amounts to your taste and make it your own.

2 C Chopped Fresh Tomatoes

½ C Chopped Red Onion

1 Tsp Minced Garlic (I use the bottled stuff for convenience, but fresh is best!)

2 Tbsp Chopped Fresh Basil

Splash of Apple Cider Vinegar (Balsamic has great flavor but isn’t as aesthetically pleasing.)

Splash of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (You can use vegetable oil in a pinch.)

Sea Salt to taste

Stir all ingredients together and chill to allow the flavors to meld. Serve on toasted bread.

Confession: I sometimes dip it with tortilla chips for a really quick snack!

You can’t mess this up. Adjust the ingredients until it pleases your palate or as with all good cooks, until your ancestors whisper, “That is enough, my child.”

Do you have a favorite Running Granny Green recipe? I would love to hear about it.

Find more of my favorite sourdough recipes HERE

Question: Do you have a recipe to share?  Comment below.

Running Granny Green encourages women, especially grandmothers, to gain greater fitness by providing tips and inspiration to insure long years of joyful grand-parenting. The cookie recipes are a bonus!

Happy Running!

Carol aka Running Granny Green

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Homemade Zucchini Relish

Zucchini Relish

How many things can you do with zucchini? A lot, but it never seems like enough if your zucchini plants are flourishing. This zucchini relish recipe is great for hamburgers, hot dogs, tuna salad or any time you need a little sweet relish to complete a dish.

Zucchini Relish

4 C Chopped Onions

10 C Grated Zucchini

2 Chopped Green Peppers

2 Chopped Red Peppers

3 Tbsp Salt

2 1/2 C Vinegar

3 1/2 C Sugar

1 tsp each of Nutmeg, Turmeric, Celery Seed,

1 Tbsp Cornstarch

Grind together vegetables and place in a large container.

Add 3 Tbsp table salt and soak overnight.

Drain and rinse well to remove salt brine. Squeeze out excess moisture. 

Cook vinegar, sugar, spices, and cornstarch. Bring to a boil. Add vegetables and simmer 30 minutes.

Cold pack into pint or jelly jars for 10-15 minutes. Makes 8 pints.

Find more of my favorite recipes HERE.

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Running Granny Green encourages women, especially grandmothers, to gain greater fitness by providing tips and inspiration to insure long years of joyful grand-parenting. The cookie recipes are a bonus!

Happy Running!

- Carol aka Running Granny Green

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Hot Pepper Jelly with Jalapenos or Habaneros

Habanero Pepper Jelly

                                       

This Jalapeno Pepper Jelly recipe has been around for years! It's an old standby family recipe and I often have requests.  It's one of this Granny's favorite Recipes. It's not a secret guarded recipe, so I'm sharing it here for those that can't find their own copy. This picture shows a variation using orange bell peppers.

Jalapeno Pepper Jelly

3 Medium Bell Peppers (You can use green, yellow, orange, or red)

2 Jalapeno Peppers (2 inches long. I've substituted habanero peppers for a HOT variation)

1 1/2 Cup White Vinegar

5 1/2 Cups White Sugar

1 tsp Ground Cayenne Pepper

6 ounces liquid pectin

Chop peppers and puree in a blender. Add 1 cup of vinegar and blend well. Combine pureed mixture with sugar, cayenne, and the rest of the vinegar in a large saucepan. Blend well.

Bring to a full rolling boil.

Stir in pectin and boil 1 more minute.

Remove from heat and skim off foam.

Seal in jars. Recipe fills 8 jelly jars.

For a fun twist on this old standby, try this alternative:

Habanero Pepper Jelly

Prepare as Jalapeno Pepper Jelly (Above) except substitute 2 ripe habanero peppers for jalapeno peppers. For a colorful twist, use yellow, red, or orange bell peppers in place of green bell peppers.

Jalapeno Pepper Jelly

*Note: This jelly can take up to two weeks to set up.

Serve with crackers and cream cheese to mellow the hot flavor of this recipe.

Running Granny Green encourages women, especially grandmothers, to gain greater fitness by providing tips and inspiration to insure long years of joyful grand parenting. The cookie recipes are a bonus!

Happy Running!

Carol - aka Running Granny Green

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Buttery Sourdough Croissant-like Loaf

Buttery Croissant Sourdough Loaf

Buttery Croissant Sourdough Bread

I modified someone else’s recipe to be able to use my own Basic Sourdough Bread recipe. I’m all about simplification! This bread was soft and fluffy with a flaky crust. I use a beeswax bread wrapper to keep it from drying out.

1 Basic Sourdough Bread Recipe

1 Cube (½ Cup) Butter (You can use unsalted if it’s handy but remember I’m all about simplification. Salted butter works just fine.)

Prepare one recipe of Basic Sourdough Bread. Let proof 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, perform a set of stretch and folds. Wet your hands and reach down to the bottom of the dough. Pull the dough up and fold over the top. Turn the bowl and repeat 4-6 times until the dough won’t stretch anymore. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes. 

Grate the cold butter. 

Stretch and fold in butter

Add ½ of the grated butter on top of the dough and then perform the second stretch and fold. Let rest 30 minutes.

Add the remaining grated butter and perform a third stretch and fold. You may wish to do a fourth set of stretch and folds.

Long proof for 6 -10 hours. After your loaf has proofed for several (6 -10) hours remove it gently from the bowl and allow it to rest for 5-10 minutes. Using the stretching and folding technique, work the dough one last time. 

Shape the dough into a nice round loaf. Coat a cloth large enough to cover the inside of the bowl with a light layer of flour - a woven dish towel works well. Line the bowl with floured side up. Place the loaf back into the bowl. Cover with a damp cloth and allow it to proof 1 hour.

After one hour, heat your oven to 435 degrees. 

Remove the damp cloth and use parchment paper to cover your dough bowl. Gently invert the bowl so the loaf drops onto the parchment paper. This might take some practice. Don't panic!

Using a serrated knife (unless you are fancy and have all the latest sourdough gadgets) score your dough

as desired. The easiest and probably my favorite is a crisscross cut about 1/2 inch deep in the top. Make the cuts about 5-6 inches long.

Squishy!

Lift the loaf using the parchment as a liner and place in a cast iron or ceramic Dutch oven. I prefer ceramic. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 400 degrees, remove lid and bake for approximately 30 minutes more. Temperatures and times will vary depending on elevation, dough density, and humidity. Keep an eye on it and allow yourself a learning curve. After all, you're only out some flour and salt! 

This is the hardest part - when the dough is finished, allow it to cool completely before slicing. I know! It's a challenge, but slicing it while warm, though tempting, can make that fluffy loaf fall. 

This soft buttery sourdough bread is great alone, with peanut butter and/or jelly, or used for French Toast.

Find more of my favorite recipes HERE.

Question: Do you have a recipe to share?  Comment below.

Running Granny Green encourages women, especially grandmothers, to gain greater fitness by providing tips and inspiration to insure long years of joyful grand-parenting. The cookie recipes are a bonus!

Happy Running!

- Carol aka Running Granny Green

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Meatloaf with BBQ basting sauce and Garlic Smashed Potatoes

We were never meatloaf fans (the food, not the singer) until our youngest son found a recipe that he wanted me to try. I was skeptical, but after a few tweaks, this one is a keeper. I think it's all about this sauce that keeps it moist and flavorful. I usually try to set some aside for later use before it contacts the meat. Pair it with Garlic Smashed Potatoes and glazed carrots. Your tummy and tastebuds will thank you!

The leftovers are great for meatball sandwiches.

Brock’s Meatloaf                                                                            

1 - 1 ½ Lbs Ground Beef

1 C Breadcrumbs

¾ Onion, diced

1 Egg, slightly beaten

1 ½ tsp Salt

½ tsp Pepper

2 8-oz. Cans Tomato Sauce

3 Tbsp Vinegar

3 Tbsp Brown Sugar

2 Tbsp Dijon Mustard

2 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix together beef, breadcrumbs, onion, egg, salt, pepper, and ½ Cup of tomato sauce. Form the meat mixture into a loaf and place in a shallow pan. Stir together the remaining tomato sauce, vinegar, sugar, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and water as needed to thin the sauce. Pour the sauce over the meatloaf. Save excess sauce for garnishing baked meatloaf. Bake for 1 hour, basting every 15 minutes with juices from the pan.

Serve with garlic mashed potatoes.

Garlic Smashed Potatoes

Yes, we call them smashed potatoes, cuz that’s what you do to mash them - you smash ‘em!

These pair well with any meat dish when you want to get a little fancy or don’t want to make gravy.

We like them with meatloaf, salmon, and pork chops. You might get a sidelong look when you serve

them up without sauce, but your guests will soon get over it. 

3-4 Potatoes (Russets or Reds will work just fine)

1-2 tsp Minced Garlic

Water and Chicken Bouillon or Chicken Broth

2-4 Tbsp Butter

Several Tbsp of Sour Cream

Garlic Powder (if needed)

Salt to Taste

Herbs for Garnish

Peel and quarter potatoes. Add enough chicken broth or water and bouillon to cover.

Add minced garlic and salt as desired. Bring to a boil and cook until tender. Drain, reserving

liquid to add later if needed for consistency. Smash those spuds! Use a vegetable masher,

electric mixer, or ricer to mash potatoes until smooth. Add butter and sour cream.

Stir or beat until smooth. Add reserved liquid until desired consistency is achieved.

You will want to be able to drop potatoes from a serving spoon. If more garlic flavor is desired,

use garlic powder as needed.

Garnish with butter and chives or parsley.

Find more of my favorite recipes HERE.

Question: Do you have a recipe to share?  Comment below.

Running Granny Green encourages women, especially grandmothers, to gain greater fitness by providing tips and inspiration to insure long years of joyful grand-parenting. The cookie recipes are a bonus!

Happy Running!

- Carol aka Running Granny Green

Follow me on Facebook and Instagram!