Navidad Chicken Enchiladas

This year was a big year for my hubby & me. We celebrated 20 years of meeting & dating! We met right before Christmas & went on our first date the day after Christmas. Isn't that sweet?

We were reminiscing about that time when it was brought up how giddy I was that I got a call from him on Christmas day! *SWOON* And I vividly remember him talking about what his family was having to eat on Christmas: Enchiladas.

Folks, there is not a drop of Mexican blood in him. So I told him, as we reminisced, about how weird I thought he & his family were for being so non-traditional. HA!!

What made this reminiscing conversation so funny was the fact that, 20 years later, we had decided that enchiladas for Christmas would be the easiest...especially since everyone on his side of the family loves them, too. Even funnier? It was MY idea to have the enchiladas!

Something we decided to try, quite some time back, was chicken enchiladas. His family has always done ground beef ones, so venturing to something a little better for us was taking some thinking. We also decided to add sour cream to them for an added layer of flavor. We love them!! But with us taking up running & trying so hard to be better, we bumped up the nutritional factor. Even for Christmas!

Not only did we make them slightly better for us, they also looked delightfully festive!

So, for our own Fiesta Feliz Navidad, here's what we did:

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NAVIDAD CHICKEN ENCHILADAS

Ingredients:

* 2 lb chicken breasts (thawed if frozen)
* 2 pkg McCormick's original taco seasoning (less sodium version)
* 1 1/2 C chunky salsa or picante sauce
* 1 T liquid smoke (optional)
* 1 pkg of 6 Mission Spinach & Herb tortillas (yes, they are green)
* 2 pkg McCormick's enchilada sauce mix (to package directions)
          * 1 can tomato sauce
          * 3 C water
* apprx. 1 1/2 C Nonfat Greek yogurt, plain
* 2 C sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
* 2 C mozzerella cheese, shredded


Directions:

1. In your trusty lazy cooker, spray the insert with cooking spray, then place the fresh or thawed chicken breasts into the lazy cooker insert.

2. Sprinkle the chicken with the contents of the taco seasoning packets (or you can use your own seasoning).

3. Pour in the salsa or picante sauce, along with liquid smoke (if using).

4. Close the lid & allow to cook for at least 6 hours on low or 3 hours on high.

5. At the end of the cooking time, open the lid & stir the mixture until the chicken is broken up into tiny pieces & at least most of the liquid as disappeared.

6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

7. With the enchilada packets, water & tomato sauce, make the enchilada sauce to package directions.

8. In a 9x13" cake pan, coat all of the inside with cooking spray, then ladle in some of the enchilada sauce to just cover the bottom of the pan.

9. Open the Greek yogurt & make sure it's stirred well, and then open the package of spinach & herb tortillas.

10. Take one tortilla, spread one side liberally with Greek yogurt (I use a rubber spatula).

11. Hold the coated tortilla by an edge, cupped in your hand, yogurt side up, then scoop some of the chicken mixture into the tortilla cupped in your hand, then it becomes easier to roll.

Photo for technique reference

12. As stated in the last step, begin to roll the tortilla from the cupped side to the other, then place outer flap side down into the pan, all the way against the 9" side, and press firmly into the sauce.

13. Repeat steps 10-12 until all 6 tortillas are coated, filled, rolled & placed side-by-side in the cake pan, pressed firmly into the sauce at the bottom of the pan.

14. Once all 6 tortillas are filled, rolled & are laying, hopefully tightly, into the pan, cover the enchilada rolls with more of the enchilada sauce.

15. Take the 2 cups of either the cheddar or mozzarella cheese & cover the entire top of the enchilada surface.

16. Repeat step 15 with the other 2 cups of cheese.

17. Place in the oven for 20-25 minutes, until all the cheese is perfectly melted.

18. Pull the pan out of the oven, then cut the enchiladas down the middle (short side to short side) so that 6 large enchiladas become 12 smaller enchiladas.

19. Serve up 2 halves at a time.

20. Consume the deliciousness!


Yield: 6-12 (depending on how you serve them up)

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We have usually made these, like I stated before, with sour cream & in either flour or whole wheat tortillas, which you can certainly use! Lately we have switched out the sour cream with Greek yogurt, and we love it! Also, the spinach & herb tortillas not only added beautiful festive color to our Christmas dinner, but gave yet another layer of flavor that was awesome!!

As a note: My hubby & I work as a team on these at assembly time! I coat the tortillas with the Greek yogurt/sour cream, then he takes them to fill with the chicken & roll them to put in the pan. If you have someone to work with you on these, do it!

We only made one pan & didn't have any left.

There were ground beef enchiladas, in flour tortillas, also served up. So we had a delightful variety for our fiesta de Navidad! Even this filling option for those who still wanted to try to be good with their eating during the holiday.

I seriously cannot wait to do this version of this chicken variety again! So. Good.

These are also perfect for Cinco de Mayo, Grito de Dolores, Dia de los Muertos, or any time you want or need a Mexican fiesta, like Navidad. You can also use any of these recipes HERE!

Hope you had the merriest of Christmases with loved ones, and may the new year be a blessed & prosperous for you!

** If you want to look ahead to a perfect New Year's Day dish, try my NEW YEAR'S HAM & BEANS!

ENJOY!

Sopapilla Icebox Cheesecake

WOW! The Strawberry Icebox Cheesecake I made a few days ago went over SO well (recipe HERE), it actually inspired me to try to make more icebox cakes.

With the cheesecake mix I made, along with the graham crackers, I got thinking about another icebox cake to give a whirl. I was trying to find a good recipe for what I wanted to do..but alas...and as usual...nothing came up. So, I decided to give this super easy, still healthy, and Mexican-dessert-inspired icebox cake!

Here's what I did:

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SOPAPILLA ICEBOX CHEESECAKE

Ingredients:

* 1 32 oz. tub of Fat Free Greek Yogurt - Vanilla

* 2 boxes sugar free/fat free cheesecake Jell-O instant pudding mix

* 9 cinnamon graham crackers - halved (to make 18 squares)

* 1 8 oz. tub fat free Cool Whip topping, thawed

* 2-3 T honey
* 1 t cinnamon (for topping)

Directions:

1.In a large mixing bowl, combine the entire tub of Greek yogurt & both boxes of pudding mix; stir well (it will be VERY thick)

2. Lightly spray a baking or trifle dish, about 8x8, with cooking spray (either butter or vegetable)

3. Line the bottom of the dish with 9 graham squares, cinnamon side down

4. CAREFULLY use a spoon or spoonula to spread all of the cheesecake mixture over the top of the graham layer; don't forget this mixture is THICK, so spread carefully

5. Once all the cheesecake mix is spread into a thick layer, take the other half of the graham squares and lay them on top, cinnamon side up

6. Add the honey in with the whipped topping, stir very well until well blended

7. Spoon and spread the honey-flavored whipped topping over the top graham layer until completely covered

8. Sprinkle cinnamon over the top the whipped topping layer (I also added some of the stray graham crumbs to the top, too)

9. Cover & place in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours, and probably up to 12 hours; usually it would be in the fridge overnight - just let it all soak & allow the graham crackers to make a soft crust

10. Serve

Yield: about 9-20 (depending on how small you make the pieces)

** NOTE: If you feel the cheesecake mixture is TOO thick to work with, add about half a cup skim milk to help thin it out & still not take away from how good it is for

Also, if you want to use just the whipped topping for the top layer & just drizzle the honey over each piece, you can certainly do that. I won't be there to stop you.

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This went over pretty well! It was a good fit to finish off some grilled Mexican Chicken that my hubby fixes. My youngest liked the strawberry version better, but still was good overall.

With it being Mexican-inspired, I say make it to serve for Cinco de Mayo (perfect warm-weather dish), for Dios de los Muertos, your Navidad get-together...or anytime you feel like throwing this super easy dessert together along with any of these Mexi-dishes (HERE)!!

ENJOY!

Smokey Mexi-Mocha Chili

My hubby makes great chili! I know a lot of guys (even gals) claim they have the best, but my hubby's is kind of different & so good. He makes a chili that's sweet & spicy.

OK...he tones down the spicy so I can eat it, but he puts in his own special ingredients. And I'm a sucker for the sweeter side of foods. Creamier, too. And his chili is more of a stoup (a Rachael Ray term for "thicker than soup & thinner than stew"). It's got a good, bold flavor that is sweet & savory.

It's important to know this about my hubby's chili, but let's jump to my own  ingredient search:

I love chocolate. No really...I. Love. Chocolate. And I will try all kinds to see if it's to my liking or not. One day, as I was searching the candy aisle at the grocery store, I discovered something that began my brain's wheels to start turning on overdrive. Lindt has a dark chocolate bar that contains chili pepper in it! Did you know that? And I questioned why...

Quite some time later, I learned that there are people who have added cocoa to their chili recipes. wha-WHA?? I know, right?

Then I got thinking about that chili chocolate bar from Lindt...
I had already been adding a square of it to my Spicy Mexi-Mocha (recipe HERE).

My hubby has talked about trying a Tex-Mex seasoning in his chili, and I remembered him saying that...so I got thinking about the whole spicy chocolate in chili, much like my Mexi-mocha. And, mocha includes coffee...so I thought I'd throw in some coffee, too! Because...well...I also LOVE coffee!! I. Love. Coffee.

Then a friend of mine put her vegan chili recipe out there. Imagine my shock when it, too, included coffee!! Since then, I had seen where a couple of chili recipe demos, on news segments, that also included coffee.

But...none of those recipes had included both chocolate AND coffee!! I had even tried to research other recipes that had those ingredients. Guess what I found! Nada...nothing...zip...zero. So, I was on my own.

I also love a smokey flavor to my chili, along with a lot of other soups & meats. So I thought I'd include it here, too.

So, after some research of spices & other chili recipes, and finally getting all the ingredients I needed for what I wanted to use, here's what I came up with:

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SMOKEY MEXI-MOCHA CHILI

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef or turkey; browned, drained & rinsed
1 14.5 oz cans diced fire-roasted tomatoes
1 small can tomato sauce
1 small can tomato paste
1-2 can(s) black beans, drained & rinsed
1 can corn, drained (I used a can with no salt added)
1-2 sweet red bell pepper, deseeded & diced
1 beef bouillon cube
1½ cup dark roast/strong coffee, brewed
½ cup minced onion or 1 small sweet yellow onion, diced - divided
½ chili dark chocolate bar; broken into much smaller pieces
3 T cumin
2 T parsley
2 T oregano
3 T flour
3 T cinnamon
1 T nutmeg
1cup brown sugar
2-3 T vinegar
3 T liquid smoke
3 T smoked paprika
3 T chili powder
3 pinches ground cayenne pepper
1 pinch red pepper flakes
garlic powder to taste
3 T honey
3 T vanilla extract
½ tsp anise extract (you seriously don't want too much of this, but just enough to give umph)
2 tsp cardamom
2 T each: unsweet cocoa & dark cocoa
2 T sugar
1 T salt
1 T ground black pepper

Directions:

~ in a large pot, brown meat thoroughly, adding half the onions; drain, rinse & add back into the pot

~ turn heat to mid-high heat, then add the beans, corn, bell pepper, the rest of the onions, and tomatoes (sauce, diced & paste) to the meat; stir

~ add in the coffee, liquid smoke, honey & extracts, then stir

~ begin to add all the other ingredients, stir & allow to simmer for 20-30 minutes

~ stir again & take a test taste to figure out where you might want to adjust seasonings & such, depending on how spicy, sweet &/or smokey you want it, then allow to simmer again to get those flavors all blended

* if you cannot live without a couple shimmy-shakes of tabasco sauce or chipotle seasoning, put it in...they are very fitting for this dish
* serve with cornbread or tortilla chips; sprinkle the top with cheese &/or sour cream, if desired

* use it as a hearty dip at your next fiesta

*serving suggestion: ladle the chili into a pottery mug (or any mug)...cuz...mocha should be in a mug

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This a different, yet yummy flavor for a chili. Perfect for a cold night (cuz...uh...chili) &/or for something like Cinco de Mayo, Dios de los Muertos, or even a different twist to for your Navidad fiesta...or any other night.

There are some surprising ingredients in this chili, but I really did take lead from my hubby's chili & a yummy Mexi-mocha. I even used the mocha idea as the basis for my Mexi-cocoa cake, too (recipe HERE)!

I mean...in ancient times, cocoa was mixed with spices & peppers before sugar & cream. So this is right on track with all of that!

As for the pepper, you can also mix it up by adding orange &/or yellow to make it more festive, too.

ENJOY!

Bacon Dog Nachos

So...what's for lunch? It's hard to keep the kiddos satisfied with food options during the summer months. Anyone else have this issue?

My youngest was set on having nachos for lunch! Nothing else would suffice. I tried to offer up other things...but NOOOOOOO! We didn't have any taco meat, and we weren't making taco mac (recipe HERE)  until tomorrow. My older son made up a cheese quesadilla. I offered that up. Still a no go as I got the response, "Does that sound like nachos?" D'oh! So time to scrounge & see what we have...

So here's what I came up with:

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BACON DOG NACHOS

Ingredients:

~ 2 handfuls tortilla chips
~ 1/4 C taco sauce &/or picante sauce
~ 1-2 hot dogs
~ 2 T bacon bits
~ 1/2 C shredded cheese


Directions:

* on a microwave-safe plate, place tortilla chips

* drizzle the sauce around the chips

* thinly slice the hot dog(s) (we had a couple of left over ones from grilling) & scatter on top of the sauce & chips

* spread the shredded cheese on top the sliced hot dog(s)

* sprinkle the bacon bits over the top of the cheese

* place in the microwave for about 30-45 seconds or until the cheese is melted

* it's ready to eat

Yield: 1-2 servings

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After serving up this concoction to my youngest, he got really excited & said he liked.

On of scale of 1-10...he gave it a 10 (with 10 being the best)!

So...it's a good way to use up left over grilled hot dogs or taco leftovers.

ENJOY!

Spicy Mexi-Cocoa Cake with Brown Sugar Whipped Cream

Oh man, I have really been enjoying my Spicy Mexi-Mocha lately! (recipe HERE)

Cinco de Mayo was about a month ago, of course. We fixed up quite a Mexican fiesta! It did include the Cliantro Lime Black Bean & Corn Salsa! (salsa recipe HERE)

Now, I wanted to include a dessert, of course! I wasn't sure how a Mexi-Mocha would go over since we had the kiddos, too...so I wanted to do up just the Spicy Mexi-Cocoa. However, I didn't know how long it would take us to eat, how full we'd be, and how long the company we had over was gonna be able to stay. So I was thinking how I could get it to last. So...I BAKED IT! Right along the lines of my Apple Irish Cream Cake. (recipe HERE)

Yes, I turned it into a cake. And since I tend to use cake mixes to play with, I didn't want to add too much sweet stuffs to the mix. So I did something else with the brown & granulated sugar.

So, here's what I did:

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Spicy Mexi-Cocoa Cake with Brown Sugar Whipped Cream

Cake Ingredients:
~ 1 box chocolate cake mix
   ~ use milk instead of water
   ~ use butter instead of the oil & double the amount
   ~ add one extra egg than the box directions call for
~ 2 T cinnamon
~ 2 t ground black pepper
~ 1 1/2 t salt
~ 1 t nutmeg
~ 1 t ground cloves
~ 1 t ground cardamom
~ 1 t chili powder
~ 3 pinches ground cayenne pepper
~ 2 T vanilla extract
~ 1 t orange extract
~ 1 t anise extract


Cake Directions:

~ Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

~ Place all ingredients into a large bowl, and then mix together well

~ Spray or grease cake pan - I used my trusty bundt pan

~ Transfer cake batter evenly into the cake pan

~ Bake for approximately 45 minutes; check at around 40 minutes with knife or toothpick insertion

(while baking, make the whipped cream - recipe below)

~ Once baked thru, pull out of oven & allow to cool in pan for about 5 minutes

~ Carefully turn cake out onto cake plate or platter

~ Allow to cool for about 15-20 minutes & sprinkle with powdered sugar or cocoa powder

~ When slicing & serving, top each slice with a drizzle of honey & a dollop of brown sugar whipped cream:


Brown Sugar Whipped Cream Ingredients:

~ 1 C heavy whipping cream
~ 1/4 C packed brown sugar
~ 1 T granulated sugar


Brown Sugar Whipped Cream Directions:

~ Place ingredients into a medium bowl

~ With a hand-held mixer, whip ingredients together on medium until firm; about 5 minutes (do NOT over-whip)

~ May sprinkle a little cocoa powder or cinnamon on top, if desired ...or some chili powder if you want more spice

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OK...we didn't get to enjoy the cake on Cinco de Mayo. We were so full. But got to try it the next day. And...

Oh...My...Yum.

Just some chocolate, cake, sweet, and a little bite of spice...just so good!

Of course, not just for Cinco de Mayo, but also for Dios de los Muertos (Day of the Dead - November 1st & 2nd) or even September 16 &/or 27th.

For a little mocha variation, you can either do half a cup of strong brewed coffee & half cup milk in the cake batter instead of the 1 cup of milk, or you can make a glaze of powdered sugar, chilled brewed coffee & milk.

That slice you see in the above picture is mine! And it's already gone. I might grab me another...

ENJOY!

Quick Cilantro Lime Black Bean & Corn Salsa

OK...after having put out there a recipe for Taco Mac (recipe HERE) in time for Cinco de Mayo, that looks like a big cop out. As I was just giving another variation for families, we really are planning a Cinco de Mayo fiesta!

Now then, I wanted to make sure we had Cilantro Lime something...cuz...YUM! And we won't have enough room to make the Cilantro Lime Mexican Chicken Noodle Soup with Green Tea (recipe HERE). Bummer. Instead, I decided to make a salsa. Some of the stuff I had on hand, and it's really cheap to make!

Now then, I know fresh everything is better, but sometimes it doesn't always go that way. And I was looking into a lot of different salsa recipes to see what I could throw together. So here's what I ended up doing with some things on hand:

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QUICK CILANTRO LIME BLACK BEAN & CORN SALSA

Ingredients:

~ 1 can black beans, drained & rinsed
~ 1 small can whole kernel corn, drained
~ 1 can Southwestern seasoned white corn, drained
~ 1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes (I had a garlic version on hand)
~ 1 can cilantro lime Ro-Tel
~ 2 C diced bell pepper (I had frozen strips on hand)
~ 1/4 C cilantro
~ 1/4 C lime juice
~ 2 T parsley
~ 1 T chives
~ 1 T extra virgin olive oil
~ salt &/or black pepper, to taste


Directions:

In a large bowl, place all the ingredients & mix together

Serve or place in refrigerator until ready to use

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Like I said, I had a lot of this stuff on hand already. Something you can make in a bind...just throw things in. You can add diced onion if you have it, too. If you have fresh ingredients...even better. Just note that I used dried cilantro, parsley & chives; I also used bottled lime juice. If you have fresh-squeezed lime & fresh herbs & veggies...that's a bonus!

Sometimes, you just gotta use what you have in the pantry. Can't wait to serve my salsa at our buffet fiesta!

ENJOY!

Taco Mac

OK, with Cinco de Mayo right here upon us, I thought I'd give another quick & easy recipe that our family loves to eat on a "Taco Tuesday" rotating menu schedule.

Of course, we enjoy tacos...and then we add nachos to the mix, too. I'll show you how I do my taco/nacho meat in this recipe...so give me a moment. We also have grilled Mexican chicken in the mix. The chicken is my hubby's deal.

We were getting the Hamburger Helper version of Taco Mac for a little while...but my hubby had faith in me that I could just make it on my own. Isn't that sweet of him? He's started having faith in my cooking! That's a big deal since he did all the cooking for years.

So, here's what I have done for my quick, cheap & easy dish that even my kiddos love:

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TACO MAC

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
3 heaping T minced onion
1 envelope taco seasoning (I use McCormick's Original)
1/4 C salsa or picante sauce (I like using Pace picante)
1/2 C water
1 box mac and cheese (we use Kraft's whole grain variety) *to package directions
1/4 C shredded cheese

Directions:
~ in a skillet, brown ground beef & minced onion; drain & rinse

~ place back into the skillet, add salsa/picante sauce, water, taco seasoning (this is my taco/nacho meat)
~ add the cheese sauce ingredients (from mac & cheese & box directions), and shredded cheese to skillet

~ as the meat mixture simmers, make the macaroni in a pot until tender & al dente, drain (DO NOT RINSE)

~ mix the macaroni & meat mixture together

~ serve

Yield: about 4

Notes: 
* Once in a while, I like making tortilla bowls to serve the taco mac in (as pictured, above); I got a Perfect Tortilla set, and love it! Or you can certainly serve the Taco Mac with tortilla chips, too.

* You can make your own mac & cheese recipe if you don't want to use a box version. My kids don't like the homemade stuff...cuz they're weird. It's also really cheap to just pick that stuff up from the store. But if you make your own, you can certainly decide which noodles to use!

* I double the recipe above. This feeds all of our mouths, and gives us some leftovers...sometimes.

* This can be topped with lettuce, tomato, onion &/or sour cream, too.

* Just for a fun & more grown up kick...add some cilantro &/or lime to the mix. YUM! (or even a tequila shot...whatever)

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Now then, I want to apologize to my Mexican friends who are cringing that I would put this down for Cinco de Mayo. It's all extra cheesy & Americanized. I realize this. But Americans use about any excuse to pretend to be cultured for the sole purpose of partying & drinking.

But if this doesn't set well with you for Cinco de Mayo or Dios de los Muertos (aka - Day of the Dead) or even the actual Mexican Independence Day on September 27th, you can always try the Cilantro Lime Mexican Chicken Noodle Soup with Green Tea (click HERE for recipe) instead! You can always have the Taco Mac any time! Well...the soup, too.

However, you could certainly enjoy a Spicy Mexi-Mocha (Mexi-Coco) (click HERE for recipe). That's based on more authenticity.

Even though this dish probably won't be a part of our Cinco de Mayo fiesta...this one is super kid friendly, and is a regular part of our dinner menu a couple once or twice a month.

ENJOY!

Spicy Mexi-Mocha (Mexi-Cocoa)

I love me my coffee. I love me some chocolate. I love me some Mexican food...Americanized or not. And I started diving into researching some Mexican culture when I was totally drawn into the Day of the Dead celebrations.

It was terribly exciting for me to find out that hot chocolate was go-to beverage in Mexico! So I came across a lot of different recipes for coffee & hot chocolate. I love me a good mocha...and I tend to cheat a mocha often. I will add an envelope of hot chocolate to my coffee. And it suffices. Perfect? No...but it is easy & I will drink it!

After I found these different recipes, I came up with my own easy & spicy Mexi-mocha concoction & would like to share it with you...

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SPICY MEXI-MOCHA

Ingredients:

1 C brewed coffee
1/4 C milk
1 envelope hot chocolate mix
1 T vanilla extract
2 T brown sugar
1 t ground cardamom
1 t cinnamon
1/4 t nutmeg
1/4 t ground cloves
pinch ground cayenne pepper
pinch chili powder
2 T honey
1 T granulated sugar

Directions:

* Once brewed, pour about a cup of coffee into a large mug.
* Place the contents of the hot chocolate into the coffee, then stir to dissolve.
* Add the milk, and stir.
* Add all the other ingredients, stir very well.

Top with a dollop of whipped topping & maybe sprinkle some cocoa or cinnamon for garnish. (the above picture has whipped topping & a sugar/cocoa/coffee bean mix from a grinder)

Serve.

** Makes 1 serving

NOTES: If you want an iced version, make sure the brewed coffee is chilled first, dissolve the hot chocolate mix in hot milk, and be sure to add plenty of ice and enjoy it from a larger glass!

If you want to leave out the coffee & make it the MEXI-COCOA, replace the coffee with boiling water or hot milk. BAM! Spicy Mexi-Cocoa!

A small splash of orange extract/flavoring or a tablespoon of orange juice gives a nice twist to this drink, too...hot or cold! You can also add some ground anise seed or a small splash of it's extract for a little more licorice...if that's your preference.

You can also put all of this (minus whipped topping) into a jar or bowl with a lid, shake it up & then strain into a mug or glass if you don't want the seasoning sediment. Then you can add the whipped topping...

Once in a while...if I have it on hand...I really love adding a square of Lindt Chili Dark Chocolate & allow it to melt in there, too. Seriously! YUM!! (like I did just this morning)

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See? Just in time for Cinco de Mayo! Or the actual Mexican Independence Day on September 16th...or on Day of the Dead on November 1st-2nd.

Oh...and I like to make this from time-to-time...just because. It's that yummy!

ENJOY!

Cilantro Lime Mexican Chicken Noodle Soup with Green Tea

We really enjoy eating Mexican around here. Tacos are a staple favorite. It's one of the few things that we know everyone will eat. Nachos, enchiladas & taco mac are also big hits. I think this is about the only line of things my whole family will eat together. Seriously.

Now, even though some of my family freaks out over soup...cuz they are weird...I will have issues with them trying this new version. But...I am quite happy with it!

So...wanna try to make it, too?

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Cilantro Lime Mexican Chicken Noodle Soup with Green Tea

2 lb boneless/skinless chicken breast, cooked & shredded

1/2 C lime juice

80 oz chicken broth

4 C brewed green tea (yes! Green Tea)

1/4 sweet onion, chopped

2 C finely chopped spinach or kale (or other dark leafy greens)

1 - 10 oz can cilantro lime Ro-Tel

1 can black beans, drained & rinsed

1 small can whole kernel corn - no salt added, drained & rinsed

1/4 bell pepper of each color (red, orange, yellow & green)

Ground black pepper, to taste

3 T ground ginger

1/4 C parsley

3 T ground cinnamon

1/4 C cilantro

3 T smoked paprika

2 T chili powder

2 T garlic powder

2 T green onion

2 T cumin

1 T onion powder

1 bag whole wheat egg noodles

Pour lime juice, chicken broth & green tea into a large pot. Bring to a boil.

Once boiling, turn heat down to mid-hi heat. Put in the shredded chicken (I put the chicken breasts in my lazy cooker in the morning so it would be cooked thru & easy to shred by the time I made the soup) into the broth.

Begin adding the vegetables plus the herbs & seasonings to the soup. Continue to let boil on mid-hi heat.

Then add the noodles. Make sure they are tender.

Begin testing the soup's broth to make sure seasonings are to your liking; adjust as necessary.

Let simmer.

Garnish with shredded cheese & tortilla chips (crushed or strips). Serve.

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I made this version after I made the LEMON HERB RAINBOW CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP WITH GREEN TEA and based it off the same soup. So still the healing properties...and still the beautiful comfort food!

Aye-yi-yi...I think I need another bowl.

Soup's on, y'all!!

ENJOY!