Green Chili, Chicken, and Corn Soup

The other day I got an idea to make this soup. I had made something similar before, but this time I didn’t look up a recipe and just winged it. This is what I did and it came out really tasty. This amount made 6-8 large bowls of soup.

1 roast chicken – pull white meat off both sides of the entire chicken breast and shred with your fingers. Use the rest of the bird for a chicken salad.
2 stalks celery, diced
5 scallions, diced
½ red bell pepper, chopped
15 oz can corn (with juice), or frozen, or fresh corn
15 oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes (with juice), or other diced tomato product
7 oz can of mild diced green chilies
2 dashes of Worcestershire
2 Tablespoons ketchup
¼ cup of green or red salsa, or both
2 chicken bullion cubes- or boxed broth
Water to cover over about an inch
Any leftover beans you might have. I threw in half a can of ranch style beans. Black beans would be good, but not too many.

Sauté the celery, onions, and pepper in a little olive oil. Start adding chicken and all other ingredients but the water or broth. Now I add: a palmful (About a large Tablespoon) of cumin, chili powder, dried parsley and oregano. A teaspoon of garlic powder, dash of cayenne, a teaspoon of seasoning salt, black pepper, shot of any Mexican hot sauce, a palmful of dried cilantro, or you could chop fresh, and a few shakes of Mrs. Dash Spicy. You can use any or all of these spices according to your tastes. After all that is simmering well, add your liquid and bring back to a nice simmer. Taste for seasoning. Adjust if needed at this time. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Ladle into bowls for a perfect meal.

We served ours with an onion - faccacia bread. I know; that’s Italian. But it was very good to go along with the slightly spicy soup. Cornbread would also go very well on the side.

Sweet & Sour Turkey Meatballs

This was supposedly one of Maureen Macormick's(Jan Brady's) favorite recipes. I have made it many times and like to serve it with brown or white rice. Makes 6 servings

1-1/2 lb. ground turkey breast 2 heaping Tablespoons cornstarch
2/3 cup seasoned crumbs 1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup minced onion 13-1/2 oz. can pineapple tidbits or chunks,
1 egg juice reserved
1-1/2 teaspoon salt 1/3 cup vinegar
1/2 teaspoon ginger 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 cup milk 1/2 green or red bell pepper, cut in strips
2 Tablespoons butter

In a large bowl combine the turkey, crumbs, onion, salt, egg, ginger and milk. Mix well. Shape into small balls. In a large skillet, melt butter and brown the meatballs on a medium heat. Remove from the pan and keep warm. Drain fat. In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch and sugar. Add pineapple juice, vinegar, and soy sauce and stir until smooth. Pour into the same skillet and stir constantly over medium heat until it thickens and starts to boil. Stirring constantly, boil for 1 minute. If the mixture gets too thick, add water and stir. Add meatballs back into pan, pineapple chunks, and bell pepper strips. Heat through. Serve immediately with rice.

Oriental Cole Slaw

This is an interesting, mayonnaise-free twist on the usual cole slaw recipe. It makes a great barbeque side dish and is easy to take on a picnic or in your lunch. Sugar can be adjusted to make the dressing more tangy or tart, if that is your preference. Serves 6-8 people

1/3 cup rice vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1 Tablespoon fresh grated ginger, or1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon red chili paste, or 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
4 cups shredded cabbage
1 cup shredded carrots
1 small onion, quartered then sliced thinly
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper, red or green

Combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl and set aside. Combine the remaining vegetables, pour the dressing on and toss. Cover and chill at least one hour in refrigerator before serving. Stays crunchy and keeps well for a couple of days in refrigerator.