Tortilla Soup and Tamale Tarts

I'm not confident enough yet in my culinary abilities to create many recipes of my own but when I find a recipe that rocks, I want to share it with everyone.  With the cooler nights, and golden glow beginning to appear in the trees comes a strong urge to cook more soup.  



Today's meal is a combination of two recipes.  The first was a complimentary reciple from Trader Joe's daily flyer and the second was from Sunset magazine with a picture that had me drooling.  

Without a doubt this pairing is the ultimate warm delicious hug on a cool Autumn night.




TORTILLA SOUP


8 servings



All of the ingredients are from trader joes



2 quarts chicken broth


2 cups Trader Joes frozen roasted corn


1 can black beans


1 jar trader joes salsa verde 


1 tablespoon trader joes 21 seasoning salute


1 bag 3 cheese blend


1 package of the "just chicken" pre cooked chicken breast chunks (or 3 chicken breasts grilled/baked and chopped)


Trader Joe's salsa tortilla chips (if you like spicy) or regular tortilla chips



I bake my own chicken breast using olive oil and the 21 seasoning salute, then dice the chicken into small pieces and put everything listed except the chips and cheese in a crock pot.  Let it warm on low all day or about 12 hours.  When serving, crush the tortilla chips in bottom of the bowl, add soup then top with cheese.  If short on time, put everything in pot and cook on high for about an hour or until hot, then reduce to warm until ready to serve.



MY NOTES - 

This recipe freezes really well!  But you need to eat all of it after thaw/reheating.  It doesn't store well after that.

  If you find yourself with too much meat/beans/corn and no broth left after you have eaten it all, it makes wonderfull filling for quesadillas.




TAMALE TART


8 servings



Dough:


1 2/3 cups dehydrated masa flour (corn tortilla flour)

1/4 cup sugar 

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 can (14 3/4 oz.) cream-style corn

2/3 cup frozen corn kernels

1 can (4 oz.) diced green chilies

1/3 cup chopped white onion 

1/4 cup vegetable oil

Spinach filling:

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 onion (8 oz.), peeled and chopped 

1 red bell pepper (8 oz.), rinsed, stemmed, seeded, and chopped 

2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

1 package (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed 

8 ounces Roma tomatoes, rinsed and chopped 

Salt

1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese

1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend or cheddar cheese 

For dough: In a bowl, mix masa flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add cream-style corn, corn kernels, chilies, white onion, and oil; mix until blended.

For spinach filling: In a 10- to 12-inch frying pan over medium-high heat, stir cumin seeds, coriander seeds, and oregano in oil until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add onion, bell pepper, and garlic; stir occasionally until onion is limp, about 3 minutes. Press liquid out of spinach. Add spinach and tomatoes to pan and stir often until liquid has evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes. Add salt to taste.

Add dough to a casserole dish.  With the back of a spoon, spread dough over bottom and partially up sides of dish; it should be about 1/4 inch thick. Evenly layer the pepper cheese, spinach filling, and Mexican cheese blend over dough. Cover pan with foil.

Bake in a 350° oven until tart is hot in the center, about 30 minutes

MY NOTES - 

You can substitute artichoke hearts for the spinach (or do half of each).  Also see the fancy individual ramekin version on the Sunset site.  Personally, it was too much extra work and I got the same presentation effect adding the corn husks to a single casserole dish.   For regular family meals (or when delivering a meal to someone) I don't add the husks at all, as it is in the above directions.

I tend to buy larger quantities of fresh bell peppers and onions, and then dice and freeze them.  That way I have most of my ingredients on hand.

This recipe stores well in the fridge, either assembled or with dough and filling separate.  I almost always prepare it a day or two in advance.