Chile Chicken Posole

I love this soup.  This is so refreshing, easy, and quick!  Though it's served warm, something about the citrus and spice of the soup reminds me of summer.  I made this weeks ago and its always in heavy rotation at our home. I found a recipe on Food Network for this a while back but I added my own touches to make it perfect for our tummies.

Chicken Posole Soup Recipe

1 lb diced boneless chicken thighs or breast

1 chopped large brown onion

1 chopped serrano pepper (or half if you like it less spicy)

3 minced garlic cloves

1 - 4oz can of green chiles 

1 cup roughly chopped cilantro

1 lime

2 tbsp vegetable oil 

8 cups chicken broth

4- 15oz cans of hominy

2 tsp of dried thyme

salt and pepper to taste

optional:  sliced avocado, sliced radishes, chopped green onions, shredded cabbage

optional:  dollop of sour cream

1. Season chicken with 1 tsp of thyme (set other tsp of thyme aside for later), salt and pepper.
2. Add vegetable oil to a large skillet and cook garlic, onions and serrano pepper on medium for 5 minutes.
3. Transfer items from the skillet to a blender and add green chiles, lime (juiced), cilantro and remainder thyme and puree until smooth.
4. Transfer the puree to a large soup pot and cook on medium for 2-3 minutes.  
5. Add chicken broth, hominy, and chicken to the soup pot and simmer for 15 minutes or until chicken is done.  Add salt and pepper to taste (I didn't even have to add any since it was salty enough for me)
6. When done ladle soup into a bowl and top with avocado, cabbage, radishes, green onions and a dollop of sour cream. If you like a really citrus-y taste squeeze a slice of fresh lime to it as well.  This soup goes a side of tortilla chips.
7. Enjoy and bon appetit!

Love,

First Gen Fam

Turkey Lasanga

I wanted to take a break and put up one of my favorite recipes for Turkey Lasagna. It can easily be replaced by beef or even made veggie.

I like the idea of making everything from scratch, but really?  Who has the time?  With a full time job, a toddler and being pregnant there is just no way that is going to happen. I am a big believer in semi-homemade cooking (not to steal Sandra Lee's thunder or anything). It's quick and produces a result that is tasty and I ask those to try figure out what ingredients are not from scratch!  This lasagna is a perfect example of semi-homemade, its not hard to make but it does require a good amount of time for prep and layering in my opinion.  Initially it takes a lot of time but with all the leftovers you'll save time on making dinner on nights after.  The end result is one heavy dish (wouldn't want to drop it my foot) and its super yum-o.

Turkey Lasagna
1 lb ground turkey
1 package lasagna noodles
1 large chopped brown onion
5 diced garlic cloves
1 - 16oz pkg mozzarella shredded cheese
1 - 16oz tube of ricotta cheese
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1 tbsp olive oil
1 egg
1 diced tomato
1 can of pasta sauce (pick your fav flavor we love garlic)
10 fresh rough chopped basil leaves
1 tbsp italian seasoning
salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 425.
2. Boil water and cook lasagna noodles according to instructions.  When done lay them flat on a towel to cool.
3. Heat a large pot or skillet on med-high and add oil olive.  Add garlic and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add onion and cook for 5 minutes.
4. Add ground beef to the pot and cook for 10 minutes or until done.
5. Add diced tomatoes and pasta sauce.  Cook for 10 minutes.
6. Add italian seasoning, salt and pepper to taste.  Stir in basil and reduce heat to low and simmer for 8-10 minutes.
7. In a mixing bowl combine ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, and egg.  Mix until creamy.
8. Spray a 9x12 pan with Pam or grease it with olive oil so the lasagna does not stick.
9. Add a thin layer of the meat sauce to the bottom of the pan then line single layer to lasagna noodles on top.
10. Add a layer of meat sauce over the noodles.  Follow it with a layer of the ricotta cheese mixture.
11. Sprinkle a layer of mozzarella cheese next.  Add another layer of noodles and repeat steps 9 and 10 until you reach the top or no until you run out of ingredients.  The last layer should be meat sauce mixture and a layer to mozzarella.
12. Place the lasagna pan on a cookie sheet to avoid overflow.  Place in oven and cook for 40 minutes.
13. Remove and let cool for 10-15 minutes before cutting into it.
14. Bon appetit!

Enjoy!

Best,

First Gen Fam

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