Southwest Chicken Tortilla Soup

Question:   What do a group of parents do when their adult children return back to their busy lives at university, work, or travels after the Christmas holiday?

Do we feel let down after all of the great times shared over the week?  Do we sit around and reminisce fondly about all of the laughter, wonderful meals, lively dinner conversation, awkward family gatherings, and the traditions that our kids happily participate in year after year: Witmiller Christmas, pre-Christmas drinks at Ethels, the boxing day road hockey game?

Answer:   Heck no!! We grab our dogs and skis and head for the hills- of Ellicottville!

 Our recipe for surviving a touch of post-Christmas stress disorder is surrounding ourselves with friends, fresh air, exercise and some great food and wine!!

With plenty of snow on the ground, we didn't want to tie ourselves to the kitchen, so simple and quick were the qualities that we were looking for in a great meal this weekend. Cedar Plank Salmon is one of our go to dishes under these circumstances. The preparation involves a marinade made from ingredients that are found in most pantries, and the grilling time is super quick. We served it with a lovely coconut rice and grilled butternut squash.

Cedar Plank Chili Lime Salmon

1 large salmon filet about 1 inch thick, or more

For the Marinade:

Juice of 1 lime

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 teaspoon grated gingerroot

1 teaspoon sambal oelek

1 teaspoon honey

1 tablespoon mirin

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

1 cedar plank, soaked in water for ½ hour

In a small bowl, whisk together all the marinade ingredients.  Pour over the salmon and marinate for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the barbecue.  Pat dry the cedar plank, and brush the smoother side with a little more sesame oil.

Place the salmon skin side down directly on the heated grids, and place the prepared plank on the grill beside it, oil side up.  Grill the salmon for 2 minutes, then wiggle a spatula between the skin, which will stick slightly, and the flesh.  Place it on the plank, close the lid, and reduce heat to LOW.  Scrape the skin off the grill and dispose of it.  Check salmon for doneness after 20 minutes.

Grilled Butternut Squash

½ butternut squash, sliced ½” thick and peeled

¼ cup thai sweet chili sauce

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon mirin

Whisk together the sweet chili sauce, sesame oil and mirin in a small bowl.  Brush this mixture on the prepared squash slices.  Lay the squash on the top rack of a preheated grill, and cook about 10 minutes per side, or until just tender, brushing on more of the sauce as needed to keep it moist.

Southwest Chicken Tortilla Soup

                                                                 
This soup was also a quick meal. While one of us grilled the chicken thighs and tortillas, the others chopped the vegetables and prepared the base of the soup. Once we added the chopped, grilled chicken thighs to the soup and set it to simmer for 15 minutes, we assembled the garnishes and set the table for lunch. This was the perfect meal to enjoy between a morning of down-hill skiing and snowboarding and an afternoon of cross-country skiing through the woods.

4 chicken thighs

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 red pepper, chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

¼ cup chopped cilantro stems

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

6 cups chicken stock

1 small tin tomato paste

1 chipotle pepper, diced

3 cobs corn, kernels cut off the cobs

3 fresh tomatoes, chopped

1 can Bush’s  Sweet Mesquite Black Beans

For Garnish:

2 avocados, cut in chunks
Sour cream

Grated cheddar cheese

Chopped cilantro leaves

Grilled corn tortillas, broken

Vegetable oil, for brushing the tortillas

Lime wedges

Preheat barbecue on MEDIUM HIGH, then reduce temperature to MEDIUM LOW.  Place the chicken thighs on the grill, turn once and cook for 15-20 minutes, until cooked through.  Remove the skin and chop into 1/2” pieces. 

In a large dutch oven, heat the vegetable oil on MEDIUM, and add the onions, celery and both kinds of peppers.  Cook until the vegetables are almost tender.  Add the garlic, cilantro stems, cumin and coriander, and stir until very fragrant, about 1 minute.  Stir in the chicken stock and tomato paste.  Bring to a simmer and add the chipotle pepper, corn kernels, and chopped tomatoes.  Simmer until the corn is cooked, and add the black beans and the chicken.  Heat until steaming hot. 

Meanwhile, brush the corn tortillas with vegetable oil, and place on a heated grill set to LOW.  Cook until heated and crisped, about 4 minutes, turning often.  Let rest until cool enough to break into pieces.

Ladle the hot soup into heated bowls, and garnish as desired.  Squeeze lime juice over the soup for a nice bright flavour.  

 

We are not so virtuous that we did not enjoy these fabulous souffles, served with orange Grand Marnier sauce

Finishing the weekend off with a 2 1/2 hour ski through the hills and valleys of Holimont!