Peachy Chicken

Last year, I made peach barbecue sauce and canned it.  To finish out the year, I used it to coat this chicken.  Went well stirred into the coconut rice, too.

1 lb chicken
1/4 Tsp Salt
1/4 Tsp Pepper
3/4 Cup Tortilla Chips
1/4 Cup Lime Juice
1/2 Cup Peach Salsa

Pound chicken out to an even thickness, not too thin.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Crush tortilla chips as fine as you can get them, put them into a bowl.  In another bowl, whisk together juice and salsa.

Dip chicken in salsa mixture, then into tortilla chips.

Heat oil in a large skillet and cook chicken to 165 degrees.

Enjoy!

Cantaloupe Salsa - Sound Fishy?

It should, it goes well with fish.  Hubby wanted something fresh and springy to go with our grilled fish, so this was the solution.

1 Cup Cantaloupe, Diced
1/2 Cup Tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 Tsp Jalapeño Pepper, Diced
1 Lime, Juiced and Zested
1/2 Orange, Juiced and Zested
Pinch Salt and Pepper
1 Tbl Fresh Basil, chopped.

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and toss to combine.  Let sit for at least an hour before using.

Mexican Meatball Soup

Unfortunately, soup is still a viable option as there is still a chill in the air - especially after the sun starts to go down.  You can make this as spicy or as mild as you like.  You can make the meatballs the night before or just before you are ready to add them to the soup.

Meatballs:
1 Lb Ground Beef
1 Large Egg
1/3 Cup Cornmeal
1/3 Cup Water
1 Tbl Hot Pepper Sauce
3 Tbl Chopped Fresh Cilantro

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix all meatball ingredients.

Form into 1 inch balls, place on a foil lined cookie sheet.  Bake for 20 minutes.

Soup:
4 Cups Beef Stock
16 Ounces Salsa (I prefer Medium Salsa)
14.5 Ounces Petit Diced Tomatoes
4 Cloves Garlic, Minced
3/4 Cup UNCOOKED Long Grain Rice

Stir together soup ingredients in a crock pot.

Cook on low 7 to 8 hours (until rice is tender).  If you have a stirring crock pot, push the pulse button every 2 hours or so.

Add the meatballs during the last hour of cooking.

Black Bean and Corn (Salsa) Soup

A few years ago, my friend Mary Ann shared a black bean and corn salsa recipe with me.  It is one of Hubby's favorites.  I was looking for an option for supper and while Hubby would eat just this salsa for a meal, I wanted soup.  So, I played with mixtures until I came up with this.  I like to use hot salsa, but you may use your preference, even omit the chili pepper, if you don't like much spice.  If you don't have a stick blender, carefully puree in a blender.  Goes great with cornbread or topped with tortilla chips.

2 Tbl Olive Oil
2 Tbl Minced Garlic
3 Cups Tomatoes - quartered
1 Cup Bell Pepper
2 Chili Peppers - Minced
1/2 Cup Salsa
15 Ounce Black Beans, rinsed and drained
6 ears corn, cooked and removed from the cob
1/4 Cup Lime Juice
2 tsp Cumin
2 tsp Cilantro
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Heat the olive oil and cook the garlic until fragrant.  Stir in tomatoes, bell pepper, chili peppers and salsa.  Cook until tomatoes are soft, puree with a stick blender.  Add black beans, corn, lime juice, cumin and cilantro.  Cook until heated through.