2 for 1: Homemade Stock & Tortilla Soup

I don't know what it is about taking the long route in life that intrigues me. Where my overachieving roots came from, I'll never know. However, I find it particularly satisfying to make something from scratch- old school style.

Homemade breads, pizza doughs, sauces, dressings, and anything else most people buy pre-packaged can be much easier to make from scratch than you think. Chances are, you'll prefer the taste too; not to mention the absence of unpronounceable ingredients. You save money, and if that still doesn't appeal to you, consider the principal philosophy of the Arts & Crafts movement...... the act of creating something changes the creator.

Chicken Stock

Ingredients:

Whole 4 lb. Chicken

2 Yellow Onions, quartered

2 small leeks, white & pale green parts: halved, rinsed, & chopped

4 Carrots, quartered

4 Celery stalks, quartered

6 Sprigs of fresh Parlsey

6 Sprigs of Thyme

10 Peppercorns

Kosher salt

*note: Do NOT finely chop vegetables; cut them into quarters so

they stay in large chunks.

Instructions:

• After removing the chicken from the packaging and rinsing it under cold running water, place the bird in a large stockpot. Add water to cover the bird by about 1-1/2". Bring the water to a simmer (i.e. a light boil) over medium-high heat. Skim any foam that forms at the surface with a large spoon and discard.
• Add the rest of the ingredients with 2 teaspoons of salt. Return to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer gently, uncovered, until the chicken is cooked through; about 1 hour.
• Transfer the chicken to a platter and let cool for a few minutes. Remove the meat from the, reserving the skin and bones. Reserve the meat for another recipe (See Tortilla Soup below)
• return the skin and bones to the pot and continue to summer for 1 more hour.

• Pour the contents through a fine mesh sieve into a large bowl.
• Press down on all the solids to extract all the liquid, using a large spoon, or hand held potato masher. Discard the solids.

Choose a large bowl that has a pouring edge and is made of plastic or glass. Metal bowls get too hot to handle easily.

At this point, you can either freeze the stock for another day or you can use it for a homemade soup; (you will have plenty leftover to freeze even if you make it into a soup at this point).

To store, pour the chicken stock into plastic containers with really nice tight fitting lids after the stock has been allowed to cool to room temperature. It will keep for 2-3 days in the refrigerator and 2-3 months in the freezer

Tortilla Soup(from William Sonoma Weeknight Cook)

Most of the flavor in this soup comes from the stock, so I highly recommend making this recipe with homemade stock. As you can see, making this soup right after you make the stock, makes it super easy & efficient. The cooked chicken from the stock can be used immediately, and the stock is already hot and ready when you finish running it through the sieve. In a pinch, however, you can make this recipe with boxed chicken stock and a rotisserie chicken from the supermarket.

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

1/2 white or yellow onion, finely chopped

2 teaspoons Chili Powder

6 cups Chicken Broth or Stock

2 cups cooked Chicken, shredded

Juice from 3-4 limes

Kosher Salt

Instructions:

• In a large saucepan or stock pot, warm oil over medium-high heat. When its hot, add the onion and saute until translucent, about 3 minutes.
• Add the chili powder and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Pour in the broth and bring to a boil.
• Add the shredded chicken, reducing the heat to medium, and simmer until the chicken is heated through, about 3 minutes.
• Add the lime juice and salt to taste.
• Ladle into bowls and service with garnishes of broken tortilla chips, cubed avocado, fresh chopped cilantro, and shredded Monterey Jack cheese.

The garnishes really make this soup special. Not to mention the fact that the leftovers can be used on nachos or tacos later in the week. To make the soup a heartier meal, serve with cornbread (from a box) and honey butter.