Crock Pot Tortilla Soup

My crock pot has been on my mind lately. It's so neglected, sitting there on the shelf collecting dust. I feel I owe it to her to use her more often...and...I'm not feeling as excited to spend alot of time on dinner lately. So, I've been looking at different crock pot recipes. Coincidentally, I also received an e-mail from Jake's cousin, asking for favorite crock pot recipes. This is the one I did last night and has always been dependable and scrumdiddlyumptious!

Crock Pot Tortilla Soup
Friend: Adrianne Schmutz

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (or a can of chicken if you forgot to thaw your frozen chicken like I do everyday!)
1 15 oz. can diced tomato's
1 16 oz. can green chile enchilada sauce
1 4 oz. can chopped green chiles
1 15 oz. can black or pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 med. onion, chopped (I use about a 1/4 c. of dehydrated onion when cutting a fresh one isn't in my plans)
2 tbs. minced garlic (once again, go for the powder stuff if it suits you)
2 c. water (I cut this almost in half)
1 15 oz. can chicken broth
1 15 oz. can corn, drained
2 tsp. each of cumin, chili powder, salt, black pepper (I cut down on the spicy stuff a bit)
2 tbs. cilantro, chopped

Combing all ingredients (except cilantro) in a crock pot. Cover and cook for 6-8 hours. Add cilantro right before serving. Top with cheese, sour cream, tortilla chips, and avocado.

*When I made this, I used the canned chicken and cooked it on high for 3 hours. It was great!

Cafe Rio Pork Salad/Burritos

This is by far the best recipe I have found for these burritos so far.

CAFÉ RIO PORK SALAD
(Kaori Anderson)

4 lbs of pork roast
3 cans tomato sauce (8 oz each)
3 tsp pressed garlic
3 c brown sugar
4 tsp cumin
1 1/2 c Dr. Pepper
4 Tbsp Molasses
1/2 tsp salt
5-6 drops tobasco sauce
1 Sarrano chile

Combine all ingredients in a crock pot, cover and cook 10 hours on low. When pork falls apart or shreds easily remove from juice. Simmer the juices until it reduces to 1/3-1/2. Put the pork back in the crock pot with a little juice (so it doesn’t dry out while waiting for the juice to simmer) and shred. Then add the juice back in for flavor.


CAFE RIO RICE-

3 cups water
4 t chicken bouillon
4 t garlic – minced
½ bunch cilantro
1/2 can green chiles
¾ t salt
1 T butter
½ onion
1 ½ cups rice (not minute rice)

Blend cilantro, green chiles, and onion together in food processor or blender. Bring water to a boil and add all the ingredients including the blended ingredients. Simmer covered on low for 25-30 minutes. Watch carefully as this can burn easily.


CAFE RIO DRESSING-

1 buttermilk ranch dressing packet (made as per recipe with 2 c.
buttermilk and 2 c. mayonnaise)
2 tomatillos (tomato like vegetable with a husk around them)
½ bunch of cilantro
1 clove garlic
Juice of 1 lime
1 jalepeno (use the seeds too if you like it spicy)

Use a food processor or blender to blend all the ingredients.

BLACK BEANS
2 cans black beans
3-5 chopped green onions
Garlic salt to taste (not too much it won’t taste good)

Bring to boil and then simmer on low.


How to build your Salad:
Flour Tortilla
Cheese (you can melt the cheese on the tortilla in microwave if
desired)
Beans (pinto or black)
Rice
Chicken
Romaine Lettuce
Fresh Salsa
Guacamole
Sprig of cilantro
Lime wedge (squeeze over top)
Crushed Tortilla chips
Dressing

Pork Tacos
Toritilla
Pork
Cilantro
Avocado
Lime
Dressing
Cheese

Burrito
Pork taco stuff plus lettuce, beans, and rice.