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!

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

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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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Make ahead Mandarin Sauce from your garden

This make-ahead mandarin sauce recipe uses fresh produce from your garden. It'd ready to go when you don't have time to stir up a batch of Nadine's Mandarin Sauce.

Mandarin Sauce (Bottled)

8 Cups Tomatoes - Scalded, peeled & chopped

4 Cups Onions - Diced

40 oz. Canned pineapple crushed or tidbits (reserve juice)

4 Cups Green Pepper - Chopped

7 Cups Sugar

4 Tbsp Soy Sauce (optional)

3 Cups Apple Cider Vinegar

1 Cup Sugar

1 Cup Modified Food Starch (Clear Gel, Ultra Gel, Instant Clear Jel)

½ Cup Water

Combine vegetables and pineapple in a large (8-10 quart) pot. Add 7 Cups sugar, soy sauce and vinegar. Bring to a boil. 
Thoroughly combine 1 cup sugar and modified food starch. Add reserved pineapple juice and water.
Stir until smooth. Add to boiling liquid and stir until thickened.
Ladle sauce into clean pint jars and process* in a pressure canner at 10-12 lbs. for 25 minutes. Quarts
for 35 minutes. Makes 12 pints.
Serve with your favorite tempura battered foods, egg rolls, or as a sweet and sour sauce for meatballs or
leftover pork roast.

*I prefer to process all tomato products under pressure - just to be safe.

Check current canning guidelines. Ball Mason Jars is a good resource.

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!

Pork Sausage Egg Rolls with Sweet and Sour Sauce

Montanans know how to prepare beef, and they do it well. However, good ethnic food is hard to find. Idaho's Treasure Valley is rich with culinary variety, and perhaps I was a bit spoiled, but I often tell people, "The best Chinese (or Mexican) food in Montana is in my kitchen." Enjoy another of my favorite dishes with this make it yourself egg roll recipe.

Pork Sausage Egg Rolls

1 lb. Pork Sausage

1 C Shredded Cabbage

1 C Shredded Carrots

¼ - ½ C Dice Onions 

Dash each of Garlic Powder, Cayenne, and Ginger

Salt and Pepper to taste

Egg Roll Wrappers - 1 - 2 packages.

Brown sausage over medium heat in a large skillet. Break it up with a nylon meat chopper or potato masher while cooking. Add spices and vegetables and cook until tender. Cool slightly.

Assemble egg rolls following instructions on the package. Fill with a spoonful of the sausage mixture and tightly wrap like a burrito. (See package) Dampen the last corner and press firmly to seal the roll. If preferred, double wrap to avoid spilling of filling. There may be a learning curve here!

Fry in hot oil until golden brown. Serve with Mandarin Sauce, sweet and sour sauce (recipe below), or hot mustard.

Hint: Egg Rolls can be made ahead and refrigerated or frozen. Leftover filling can be frozen for future use. Leftover wrappers can be filled with cream cheese, jam, pie filling - the options are endless!

Julie’s Sweet and Sour Sauce

This is the easiest sweet and sour sauce recipe ever! Julie is a dear friend who learned Chinese cooking as a teen from friends who owned a restaurant, so this recipe is a winner!

1 ¼ C Cold Water

1 C Sugar

¼ C White Vinegar

3 Tbsp Cornstarch

Red and Yellow Food Coloring

Combine ingredients and cook until thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add a few drops of food coloring to achieve the desired hue. Makes enough sauce for 4. Can easily be doubled or tripled as needed.

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!

Easy Tempura Batter

 This tempura recipe is so versatile! It’s quick and easy and will impress your guests. Use it for your main dish such as Mandarin Chicken or for appetizers like fried mushrooms, zucchini, onion rings (although I have another fabulous onion rings recipe I’ll share later), or seafood.

Tempura Batter for fried meats and vegetables

½ C All Purpose Flour

½ C Cornstarch

1 tsp Baking Soda

1 tsp Baking Powder

1 tsp MSG (Optional)

1 tsp White Sugar

½ tsp Salt

Dash of white pepper (Optional)

⅔ C Ice Water

1 Egg

Several ice cubes

Yellow food coloring (Optional)

Sift together dry ingredients. Beat egg slightly and mix with ice water and optional food coloring. Combine wet and dry ingredients in a container large enough for dipping. Stir only until mixed. It should resemble muffin batter. Float several ice cubes in the mixture to keep it cold while dipping. Dip the cooled chicken, shrimp, or vegetables and fry in deep hot oil until lightly browned. Drain on a paper towel and serve hot. 

Hint: Hotter oil will brown the batter faster and darker. I usually omit the MSG and food coloring, but I do love the little zing of white pepper in my batter.

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!