Gluten Free Tortilla Soup

This recipe was inspired by The Modern Proper's tortilla soup. Make sure to read all your canned labels to make sure you are using gluten free products. This recipe is SO easy to make and delicious to eat. Enjoy and happy Autumn!

Gluten Free Tortilla Soup

Soup Ingredients:
2 cups cooked shredded chicken (use a rotisserie chicken if GF)
1 can (14 oz) fire roasted tomatoes
1 can (10 oz) red enchilada sauce
1 small onion, diced
1 large zucchini, chopped
1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 can sweet corn, drained and rinsed
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 qt chicken broth (I use Pacific brand)
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp red chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
3 bay leaves

Garnish: serve with whatever you like!
fresh cilantro
lime wedges
sour cream
shredded cheese
avocado slices
corn chips

Instructions:

Place all SOUP ingredients into large soup pot or dutch oven. Turn heat to high. Once soup begins to boil, turn to low heat and continue to cook until onions are translucent and zucchini is tender. About 30 minutes. Taste for salt.

Serve soup with your garnish: chopped cilantro, a squeeze of lime, dollop of sour cream, avocado slices etc...

Enjoy!

gluten free chicken tortilla soup

Vegetable Coconut Curry

This recipe was recommended by my SIL to try out. It was definitely an easy way to eat a bowl of vegetables on a cold winter night. The sweet potato in this recipe elevates the flavor of the curry. I will surely be making this again.

Vegetable Coconut Curry

Vegetable Coconut Curry

(adapted from Harriet Emily blog)

Ingredients:

1 medium sweet potato
1 medium baking/russet potato
10 stems broccoli or broccolini
2 tbs coconut oil
1 onion
1 or 2 red chili peppers- depending on spice (I only had green, but will use red next time!)
2 garlic cloves
1 zucchini
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp tumeric
1/2 tsp all spice
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp chile powder (add more if you like more spice)
1 cube of vegetable bouillion (make sure they are GF. I use Edward and Sons)
1 14oz can of diced tomatoes
1 14oz can of coconut milk
1/2 cup frozen peas- thawed
1/2 cup spinach

Directions:
1. peel and chop the sweet potato and baking potato. Then, finely slice your onion, garlic and zucchini. De-seed and chop your chile. Set aside.

2. Fill a large pan with water, and bring to a boil on a medium-high heat. Add in the sweet potato and baking potato, and cook for 10 minutes.

While they cook, add the onion, garlic and chile into a large wok with the coconut oil, and place onto a medium heat. Fry for about 4 minutes, stirring to avoid browning. Then, add zucchini and cook about 2 minutes.

3. Next, add the cumin, cinnamon, turmeric, allspice, ginger, chile and bouillon cube into the pan with the onion mixture. Stir together, and then add the diced tomatoes and coconut milk. Now add the broccoli into the pan with the potatoes, and cook for their few remaining minutes.

4. When the potatoes have finished cooking, drain them and add them into the curry mixture. Reduce the curry to a low-medium heat, and cook for a further 15 minutes to thicken. Lastly add in the peas and the spinach, cook for about 2 more minutes.

5. Remove from heat and serve with rice! 

Vegetable Coconut Curry

Spices! 

Grilled Marinated Flank Steak Salad with Cilantro Dressing

Good friends, good weather, good food. Thank you Allison and Mo for spending a weekend in Boulder! I must say it feels a little strange to relax at the kitchen table, sipping a glass of wine while my sweet friends cook for me. I spend so much time in the kitchen, that I often forget what it's like to be on the other side...it was wonderful! I am forever grateful to eat so well and be healthy. I didn't help make this meal, but I did devour it. (Recipe inspiration comes from Diabetic Living Magazine)

Ingredients:
8oz beef flank steak
2 yellow or red bell peppers, sliced
8 asparagus stalks, trimmed
2 green onions, trimmed
8 cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 avocado, halved, seeded, peeled and sliced
2-3 cups torn romaine lettuce
fresh cilantro sprigs, for garnish
Cilantro Dressing (recipe follows)


Cilantro Dressing: 
Lime juice
shallot
cilantro
olive oil
honey
garlic clove
red chile powder
water 
salt
ground cumin


Directions:
In a blender or food processor, combine 3 tablespoons lime juice; 2 tablespoons chopped shallot; 2 tablespoons snipped cilantro; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 tablespoon water; 2 teaspoons honey; 1 large clove garlic, quartered; 1/2 teaspoon red chile powder; 1/4 teaspoon salt; and 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin. Cover and blend or process until combined.
Divide Cilantro Dressing into two portions.


Trim fat from steak. Score both sides of steak in a diamond pattern by making shallow diagonal cuts at 1-inch intervals. Place steak in a resealable plastic bag. Pour one portion of the Cilantro Dressing over steak in bag; set remaining dressing portion aside. Seal bag; turn to coat steak. Marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.


Drizzle peppers, green onions and asparagus with olive oil. For a gas grill, preheat grill. Reduce heat to medium. Place meat and, later, vegetables on grill rack over heat. Cover and grill. For steak, allow 17 to 21 minutes for medium rare (145 degrees F) to medium (160 degrees F). Add pepper and asparagus to the grill for the last 8 minutes of grilling and green onions to the grill for the last 4 minutes grilling, turning frequently. For a gas grill, preheat grill. Reduce heat to medium. Place meat and, later, vegetables on grill rack over heat. Cover and grill. 

Thinly slice meat against the grain. Serve meat, vegetables, tomatoes, and, avocado slices over romaine lettuce. Drizzle with the reserved portion of the Cilantro Dressing. Garnish with cilantro sprigs. Makes 2 servings 

New Mexico Green Chile Sauce

Red or Green? That is the token question at almost every restaurant in Santa Fe. Personally, I like "christmas". I like to have my food drenched in red and green chile. This green chile recipe is a smothering sauce. Smother your eggs, smother your burrito, smother your potatoes,  smother your enchiladas. You get the point.

                                                       New Mexico Green Chile Sauce
Ingredients
2 tbs oil (olive or grapeseed oil)
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup cold water
2 tbs cornstarch
1.5 to 2 cups chicken broth
~16oz chopped green chile (roasted)

Directions
Dissolve cornstarch in cold water, and set aside. Saute onion and garlic in oil until soft, over medium heat. About 8 minutes.
Whisk cornstarch mixture into onions, immediately add 1 cup chicken broth. Sauce should be thickening slightly. Stir and then add remaining chicken broth. Next add the green chile and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes. Enjoy!

                                                 Tacos topped with NM Green Chile Sauce

**Why do New Mexican's spell chile with an "e" and not and "i"? Read this article from the New York Times

Tomato Avocado Salsa

This recipe comes from a wonderful woman in Santa Fe. Della kindheartedly shared this recipe with me after I devoured it at a holiday party last year. Thankfully it is now my go-to salsa :)

1 14oz can diced tomatoes 

1 jalapeno, diced

2 scallions (use only the bottom half), diced

1 large handful of fresh cilantro

salt and pepper to taste (about 1/2 tsp each)

1 avocado, chopped

Directions

Add tomatoes, jalapeno, scallions, cilantro, salt and pepper to blender or food processor and chop for about 30 seconds. If not spicy enough, add sprinkles of chile pequin (red pepper flakes). 

Transfer to a serving bowl and top with slices of avocado. Serve with corn tortilla chips.