Dutch Pea Soup

***This makes a lot of soup...***

Ingredients:

2.5 lbs green split peas

1 ham bone

6 qts water

3 bay leaves

2 whole cloves

6 peppercorns

10oz chopped onion

5 oz chopped celery (with leaves)

5 oz chopped carrots

1 lb smoked sausage

Salt to taste

Instructions:

Wash, then soak peas over night. In a large stock pot, add ham bone, peas, water, and herbs. Add salt to taste. Bring to a boil, and continue to boil for two hours. Remove bay leaves and ham bone. Trim any ham off the bone and return meat to the pot. Continue to simmer.

Meanwhile, in a skillet, add onions, carrot, and celery. Sauté with a little butter and salt. When the vegetables have softened, add the smoked sausage cut into bite sized pieces. Let cook through.

Add the vegetable and sausage mix to the soup. Stir well. Add more salt to taste. Let simmer for at least 20 minutes before you use an immersion blender to combine peas and vegetables. 

Continue to keep warm over the stove to help thicken the soup. 

Serve with bread or crackers. Plus more salt to taste!

Chicken Tortilla Chili

This tasty Pampered Chef recipe is a great weeknight meal. It is so easy to prepare. 

4 yellow corn tortillas (6 in)

1 large onion

1 medium zucchini

1 T vegetable oil

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

4 garlic cloves

1 T cumin

3 cups chicken stock

2 cans diced tomatoes

1 can pinto beans

3 cups shredded chicken

1 tsp salt

Optional Garnishes: diced avocado, lime wedges, cilantro, tortilla chips, sour cream, cheese

Cut tortillas into 1-inch pieces and place in blender or food processor. Cover and pulse until fine crumbs form. Set aside. 

Dice onion and zucchini. Set zucchini aside. Place oil and onion in pot. Cook and stir over medium heat 4-6 minutes. Add cilantro, minced garlic, and cumin. Cook an additional 20-30 seconds or until fragrant. Stir in tortilla crumbs, stock, tomatoes, and beans. Bring to a simmer. Then reduce heat to medium low and cook 15-20 minutes or until chili is thickened. Stir frequently, scraping bottom of pot. 

Stir in zucchini, chicken, and salt. Cook 3-4 minutes or until zucchini is tender and chicken is hot. Serve with toppings of your choice. 

Note: the original recipe called for shredded rotisserie chicken. I used frozen chicken breast. In advance, I dissolved 2 T taco seasoning in 1 cup of chicken broth. Then I poured it over a pound or so of frozen chicken breasts in the crockpot and let it cook on low for 6 hours. It shreds beautifully. I also like doing this for tacos, burritos, salads, etc, except I usually double the taco seasoning. If you shred and put in the fridge or freezer, it will be ready for whatever you want to use it for. 

Note:  In the picture above you'll see one of my garnishes was tortilla strips. These are super easy to make. Just take a few yellow corn tortillas. Brush or spray lightly with vegetable oil. The use a pizza cutter to slice into thin strips. Spread in a single later on stoneware and bake 12-14 minutes at 425.