Chicken Cacciatore Soup

I told you in the previous post I baked two chickens and made several new soups this week. After making many many soups with rotisserie and baked chicken I have decided it really makes the best chicken soup. There is something about using the pre-cooked chicken that keeps it moist and tender. In my experience when you start with raw it has to cook forever to get tender. Then the veggies are over cooked. In a quick 30 minute soup like this the veggies are perfect but the chicken is usually tough and dry. So using pre-cooked chicken you get the best of both. You can cook the veggies to just the right consistency then add the perfectly cooked chicken. The results are amazing! For my second soup this week I looked to Chicken Cacciatore. I was really craving spicy tomato flavors and mushrooms. This soup really hit the spot. It is loaded with veggies like peppers, onions, mushrooms and tomatoes. The broth is rich with Italian tomato flavor and has a nice spoonable texture. It was really deliciously savory. I look forward to making it again in the future. What's funny is the photos turned out a little "Halloweenie". Don't you think? I wanted to use dear sister's slate board and the napkins she gave me. And when I looked at the photos they looked a little different or unusual. The black and white background with the green bowl full of soup looks a little spooky, almost Photoshop-ed. I didn't like it at first, but now I think I do. They seem totally appropriate for fall and Halloween. Maybe you should give this soup a try before a cool night of spooky Halloween activities?

Chicken Cacciatore Soup

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients

2 Tbsp. Chicken fat (butter or olive oil)

1 onion, chopped

1/2 green bell pepper, chopped

1/2 red bell pepper, chopped                                            

8 oz. mushrooms, sliced

1 garlic clove, minced

2 Tbsp. dry sherry or wine

15 oz. can no salt added diced tomatoes, undrained

27 oz. traditional pasta sauce

4 cups fat free unsalted chicken stock

2-1/2 cups cooked chicken, chopped

1/2 tsp, rosemary, crushed

Kosher salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes; to taste

Directions

In a Dutch oven, sauté the onion, and bell pepper in chicken fat over medium high heat. Season with salt, black and red pepper; sauté until veggies begin to soften. When onion is translucent, add mushrooms continue to sauté until mushrooms soften and begin to brown. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant. De-glaze pan with sherry.

Add tomatoes, pasta sauce, and chicken stock; bring to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add chicken and rosemary to pot and bring back to a simmer. Lower the heat, cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.

Linking to:

Love Bakes Good Cakes: The Ultimate Soup Recipe List Linky
Tumbleweed Contessa: What'd You Do This Weekend?
God's Growing Garden: Tuesdays with a Twist
Miz Helen's Country Cottage: Full Plate Thursday
Reasons To Skip The Housework: STH Link Party
Spatulas On Parade: Wonderful Wednesday
Dizzy Busy & Hungry: Wine'd Down Wednesday
Buns In My Oven: What's Cookin' Wednesday
Kahakai Kitchen: Souper Sundays

Mesquite Grilled Tacos

IT'S TACO TUESDAY! I have to admit I have become a little obsessed with tacos lately. I look at everything and wonder would that make a good taco? I have always loved them but when I found a YouTube channel called Aim'em and Claim'em Smokers doing Taco Tuesdays; I started having them every week. You have to check out James' channel it not only delivers a delicious taco every Tuesday. He is also a very experienced BBQ fanatic. He shares all his tips and techniques for grilling, barbecue and smoking. He has also graciously made his version of two of my tacos on video to share with his subscribers. Go check him out!

Okay now for another delicious taco! This taco gets it inspiration from a meal dear sister had at a local restaurant called The Oyster Bar & Grille. The restaurant is so good! It is sort of an island or coastal twist on Mexican food. Check them out too! They grille all their delicious food with Mesquite. She had Mesquite grilled tuna and buttered grilled veggies with fresh pico. Now doesn't that sound like it would make a great taco meal? It does, oh boy it does! I used a smoking tray you can buy at the store to get that Mesquite flavor. It is so easy you unwrap it and toss it on the grill. The wood chips inside start to smoke and they impart delicious flavor to whatever you are grilling. I grilled zucchini, squash and a red poblano as a side. I grilled both shrimp and tuna for the tacos. I also made a spiced butter to bathe everything in. Many Mexican restaurants serve a spiced butter with their grilled meats. It was amazing! The Mesquite smoke and the butter has to be my favorite part of this recipe. The veggies and shrimp seemed to absorb the most smoke. The butter is flavored with chicken bouillon, garlic and wine! It was great with everything including the pico. Such a great combo. I can't wait to try these tacos with beef or chicken too. That butter and Mesquite are too good not to give it a try. I will caution, do not marinate the tuna and shrimp for more than the time it takes to heat the grill. The lime juice will start to cook them. Check out the photos below you can see the tuna changing color just after 10 minutes. I hope you will give these tacos a try. I loved telling you about them just as much as eating them.

Mesquite Grilled Tacos

Serves 2

Ingredients

12 shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 tuna filet

Juice of 1/2 of a lime

Drizzle of Olive oil

Several dashes of Maggi Seasoning Sauce

Spiced Salt (or salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes)

Mesquite Smoker Tray

2 wooden skewers, soaked

4 small flour tortillas

Pico de Gallo

Spiced Butter (recipe below)

Directions

Place skewers to soak for 20 minutes.

Pre-heat grill on high for 10 minutes. Place smoker tray on grill while pre-heating.

Drizzle shrimp and tuna filet with olive oil, lime juice and maggi seasoning. Turn to coat with marinade. Season both side of tuna and shrimp with spiced salt and set aside. Just before grilling thread shrimp on skewers.

Grill shrimp and tuna for 2 minutes each side for a total of 4 minutes. The tuna will be medium rare, if you prefer it medium or well adjust cooking time. Remove from grill and rest while warming the tortillas. Top or brush with spiced butter.

Place a skillet on high heat, when hot warm the tortillas on both sides until warm and blistered.

To serve place grilled shrimp or tuna in a warm flour tortilla. Top with Pico de Gallo and serve with a ramekin of melted spiced butter.

Do not over marinate the tuna and shrimp!
Ten minutes is just right.

Spiced Butter

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter with canola spread

1 tsp. chicken bouillon granules (Knorr)

1 clove (1/2 tsp.) garlic, minced

1/16 tsp. black pepper

1/16 tsp. red pepper flakes

4 leaves cilantro, minced

1/4 cup white wine (Chardonnay)

Directions

In a medium sized bowl combine all ingredients except wine, whisk to combine. Slowly incorporate wine whisking until thoroughly combined. Place in a container and refrigerate until ready to use.

Linking to:
Love Bakes Good Cakes: Freedom Fridays with All My Bloggy Friends
The Lazy Gastronome: Taco Tuesday Link Party

Frozen Mulled Wine

Living in the south, the Fall is both hot and cold. You will wake up and it is cool, the air is crisp and it feels like Fall. You just can't wait to get home and make a pot of soup or gumbo even. Or sip hot apple cider or mulled wine by a fire. But then by noon, Oh my! It is time to go home and put on your shorts and forget cooking it is too hot! Well here is a way to celebrate Fall in the south without losing your cool; Frozen Mulled Wine. It is so so good! I love the sweet spicy apple flavors with the wine. All the warm flavors of fall but very refreshing if it is still warm outside. The idea came to me last year but temperatures suddenly dropped and it was too cold to post a frozen drink recipe. Now is the perfect time to make a pitcher and share it with your friends. I originally wanted to use sugar free spiced apple cider mix but I could not find it. As soon as I do I am going to try it. I have tried making it with six envelopes of spiced apple cider mix and it is too sweet. Four was kind of bland. But five is perfect! Plus there are ten envelopes in the box, so with one box of spiced apple cider mix and a bottle of wine you have a great gift or a party. I hope you enjoy this cool Fall treat. I am going back to the frig for a refill.

Frozen Mulled Wine

Serves 4

Ingredients

1/2 a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon

5 envelopes of spiced apple cider mix

3/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Ice to fill blender

Apple slices for a garnish

Directions

Combine wine, spiced apple cider mix and pumpkin pie spice in a blender container. Blend until mix is dissolved into wine. Fill blender with ice (at least to the 6 cup line). Blend until ice is finely crushed and smooth. Garnish with apple slices and serve with a straw for sipping.

**UPDATE** 9/30/2014

This frozen spicy apple wine delight is also 

delicious made with Pinot Grigio.

Linking to:
Ms. enPlace: See Ya in the Gumbo
The Chicken Chick: Clever Chicks Blog Hop
Yesterfood: Treasure Box Tuesday
Stone Cottage Adventures: Tuesdays with a Twist
Horrific Knits: Fall Into the Holidays
Anyonita Nibbles:Tasty Tuesdays
Dizzy Busy & Hungry: Wine'd Down Wednesday
Family Home and Life: Wow Us Wednesday Link Party
Miz Helen's Country Cottage: Full Plate Thursday
Carole's Chatter: Food on Fridays - Cocktails and Mocktails
Love Bakes Good Cakes: Freedom Fridays with All My Bloggy Friends
Made in a Day: Perpetual Pinterest Party