Chicken, Avocado, and Lime Soup

•    1 large onion
    •    2 tablespoons of garlic paste
    •    Roughly 1.5 tablespoons olive oil
    •    1 quart chicken stock
    •    1 skinless, boneless chicken breast
    •    Canned, diced tomatoes, drained
    •    Lime juice to taste – I ended up using like 1/3 cup, but I think most people would want about half that
    •    1/2 tablespoon of cumin
    •    1/2 teaspoon of paprika
    •    Dash of cayenne, if you like that sort of thing
    •    Salt & pepper to taste
    •    2 tortillas
    •    1-2 avocados depending on how many people you’re serving
    •    3ish green onions
    •    Fresh cilantro, chopped, if you have any

First, thinly slice the onion. Throw the onion, garlic, and olive oil into the soup pot over medium heat. Add a little bit of salt and pepper.

While that’s cooking, preheat your oven to 400 degrees and julienne the tortillas.
Spread the strips evenly over a cookie sheet and stick it in the oven for about 6 minutes.
Once the tortillas are in the oven, cut chicken into small pieces.

At this point, the onions should be soft and delicious-looking. Don’t let them get too brown…although that would probably taste delicious too. Throw in the chicken and tomatoes. Let the meat cook a little bit, then pour in the chicken broth and spices. Bring everything to a boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer.

While that’s happening, slice your green onions and cut your avocado into pieces. Toss the avocado in a bit of lime juice so that it doesn’t turn brown.

When the chicken is cooked through (about 6-8 minutes), add the lime juice a bit at a time, tasting frequently, until the broth is tart but not sour. Adjust the seasoning.

Let each person load up the soup with tortilla strips, green onions, and avocados. Also, fresh cilantro.

Chicken Chili

Serves: 4-6

8-16 oz. skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1" pieces
1 15-oz. can white kidney beans (cannellini beans) or Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/4. c. chicken broth (about 1-14 oz. can)
1/4 c. chopped onion
1/3 c. chopped green pepper
1/2 small fresh jalapeno chile pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1/4 t. ground cumin
1/4 t. dried oregano, crushed
1/8 t. ground white pepper
1 clove garlic, minced

Ideas for Garnishes:

• Fresh chopped tomatoes
• Small slices of green onion
• Shredded cheese
• Crumbled bacon
• Sour cream

1. Brown chicken over medium-high heat in a non-stick skillet. It should take on a little golden brown color.

2. Combine the chicken and all the rest of the ingredients in a crock pot. Cover and cook the chili about 5-6 hours on low or 2 1/2 hours on high. (4-5 hours if the crock pot doesn't specify a heat setting.)

Notes: I would tend to add more garlic, onion, and green pepper and the whole jalepeno pepper. (So long as the ribs and seeds are removed, they're fairly mild and I hate to waste the rest of the pepper.) I might add part of another can of chicken base too, if there isn't enough liquid. I'd also add a dollop or two of chicken base, which is like chicken bullion but better and richer, in a paste form. It's available in the soup aisle of the store. The white pepper is worth it just for this recipe. This recipe is quick and almost as easy to make just on the stovetop; the process is pretty much the same and you just simmer the soup over medium or medium-high heat until the vegetables are tender.