Tantalizing Thursday

Well, we finally made it to October. Someones (mine) birthday (mine) is coming up (mine) but I won't mention (mine) any names (mine)! Oh, my g-mom (grandmother) and bro - in - law share their birth date which is this month. So they (and me) get to celebrate their b-days for the whole month!

Enough about birthdays. I guess I will talk about work. So far I have only subbed one day (this week) (today) at a school I hadn't been to before. Although I don't really liked subbing, I have learned some very useful information. I have found that most adults at the schools I sub at seem to look down their noses at the "subs". I went another day with only one or two adults talking to me. When I become "real" teacher, I will be friendly to all subs and help them as much as possible. I never did learn where the faculty bathroom was today. Enough whining about work. . . .I had a good time with my 3rd graders I taught today. I wouldn't mind working with this group again.

Since I haven't cooked lately or added any new recipes, I decided today was the day to add a yummy Rachael Ray recipe. If you make this, you have to let me know how it is. Well, I guess that is all for today. Hope everyone has a wonderful fall weekend.

Mean Green Tortilla Soup

Ingredients
2 cups chicken stock
2 cups water
3 ears of corn, kernels removed (reserve shaved corn cobs)
1 package corn tortillas, cut into strips
4 tablespoons EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided
1 package (3 pieces) chicken thighs or breasts
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, grated
2 teaspoon cumin
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped
10 to 12 tomatillos, husks removed - can substitute a jar of chunky salsa verde sauce
2 cups cilantro, chopped
Zest and juice of 2 limes
2 cups jack cheese, shredded
3 avocados, chopped (optional)

Preparation: Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large pot, bring the chicken stock and water to a bubble with the reserved corn cobs and let simmer for about 10 minutes.

Place the corn tortilla strips onto a baking sheet and spray them with some cooking spray. Transfer to the oven and bake until crispy, 10 minutes.

Preheat a skillet over medium-high heat with some EVOO about 2 turns around the pan. Add the chicken, browning on all sides, then place into the oven for about 7-8 minutes, until juices run clear and no pink remains in the center. Once the chicken is done cooking, remove from oven and let rest before cutting into strips.
Preheat a heavy-bottomed pot with remaining 2 tablespoons of EVOO. Add the onion, garlic and cumin, and cook till soft, about 3-4 minutes. Add the corn kernels along with the jalapeño.

While the veggies are cooking, puree the tomatillos in a food processor until somewhat smooth. Add the purée, stock and chicken to the pot along with the veggies.

Simmer for 10-15 minutes. Remove the soup from the heat and add in the cilantro, lime zest and juice, and serve it up garnished with a big handful of jack cheese, tortilla and avocado.