Caldo de Pollo con Tortillas

6" White Corn Tortilla , heated on griddle, and sliced into 1" slices
2 Tbsp. Vegetable Oil
1 lbs. Chicken Fryer
2 cloves Garlic
2 Tbsp. Salt
1 cup Onion , roughly chopped
1 Tbsp. fresh Sage , minced
1 Tbsp. fresh Thyme , minced
1 tsp. Oregano Leaves
1 tsp. fresh Rosemary , minced
2 Bay Leaves
1 cup Carrot , sliced
1 medium Chayote (Mirliton) (about 1 cup)
5 small Red Potatoes , diced (about 1 cup)
1 Pasilia Chile , chopped (about 1/2 cup)
2 Yellow Squash , sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)
dash of Cayenne Pepper Sauce
2 Tbsp. Cilantro Leaves
2 large Roma (Plum) Tomatoes (3/4 cup)
11 cups Water
2 cups fresh Spinach , roughly chopped

Directions
1 Heat oil in large heavy stockpot over medium-high heat. Brown chicken in stockpot. Add garlic, onions, 1 tsp. salt, herbs and carrots and sauté for 3 minutes. Add water and cook for 40 minutes.
2 Remove chicken from soup and remove bones. Shred chicken using a fork and place back in pot. Add remaining vegetables and hot sauce. Cook for about 10 additional minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Season to taste with remaining salt. Add the tortillas to the soup and serve.

Bean Soup

2 Tbsp. Minced Garlic
1 1/4 cups Diced Onions
3 Tbsp. Olive Oil
3/4 cup Diced Carrot
1 1/2 cups Diced Celery
1 1/3 cups Diced Red Bell Peppers
1/3 cup Fresh Cilantro , chopped
2 Tbsp. Minced Fresh Oregano
1/2 tsp. Ground Cumin
1 Tbsp. Fresh Thyme
6 cups Cooked Black Beans (about 1 lb. uncooked)
4 cups Chicken Broth
1 Tbsp. Minced Chipotle Chile (canned in Adobo sauce)
2 Tbsp. Lemon Juice
Salt to taste
2 cups Pre-cut Unfried Tri-Color Tortilla Strips
Mexican Créma to garnish

Directions
1 In a large pot, sauté the Garlic and Onions in the Olive Oil, over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add Carrots, Celery, Bell Peppers, Cilantro, Oregano, Cumin and Thyme. Sauté until vegetables are tender.
2 Add the cooked Black Beans, Chicken Broth, Chipotle and Lemon Juice. Let simmer for 35 minutes.
3 Process soup in a blender until smooth. Add Salt to taste and additional broth if soup is too thick.
4 Fry Pre-cut Unfried Tri-Color Tortilla Strips in 360º oil for 40 seconds until crisp. Serve on top of soup along with Crema as a garnish.

Chunky Venison Chili Colorado in a Tortilla Bowl

3 White Onions , quartered
8 Tomatillos , peeled and sliced
4 Tomatoes , quartered
8 cloves Garlic , chopped
1/2 lbs. Ancho Chile , seeded and deveined
1/2 lbs. Guajillo Chile , seeded and deveined
1/4 cup Flour , sifted
1 quart Beef Stock
1 Tbsp. Ground Cumin
1 Tbsp. Ground Coriander
1 Tbsp. Ground Yellow Mustard Seed
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Tbsp. Salt
1 tsp. Pepper
2 lbs. Venison Steaks, cubed
2 cups Water
6 oz. Grated Mild Cheddar Cheese
1/2 oz. Fresh Cilantro
1 6" Tortilla Bowl

Directions
1 Preheat oven to 500º F.
2 Place onions , tomatillos, tomatoes, and garlic on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil.
3 Place under broiler and roast in a preheated 500º F oven.
4 When vegetables are a little charred on the outside, remove and set aside.
5 Place the dried chiles on another baking sheet and toast in 500º F oven for one minute.
6 Remove chiles from oven and plunge into bowl of hot water. Set aside.
7 In a blender, puree chiles and roasted vegetables in batches with beef stock until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
8 In a sauté pan, toast cumin, coriander and mustard seed for three minutes until smoky.
9 Place spice mixture in a bowl and add olive oil, salt and pepper until it forms a paste.
10 Rub on venison steak and allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
11 Preheat oven to 350º F and preheat grill on high.
12 Grill venison steak for three minutes per side to char the meat.
13 Place venison steak in a roasting pan and cover with pureed chile sauce. Add water and cover. Cook in oven for one hour at 350º F.
14 Remove meat when flakey and shred meat, reserving the sauce.
15 Spoon mixture into Tortilla Bowl. Top with cheddar cheese and fresh cilantro.

Cream of Tortilla Soup

4 1/2 oz. Pre-cut Unfried White Corn Tortilla Strips
19 oz. Chicken Broth
14 oz. Whole Milk
2 oz. Unsalted Butter
6 oz. Onions , diced
5 oz. Celery , diced
2 cloves Garlic , minced
4 oz. Tomatoes , chopped
1/2 oz. Cilantro , fresh and minced
1 Tbsp. All Purpose Flour
4 oz. Whipping Cream
4 oz. Monterey Jack Cheese , grated
4 oz. Pepper Jack Cheese , grated
.17 oz. Chile Powder
.17 oz. ground Cumin
Dash of Hot Sauce
Salt and Pepper to taste
8 oz. Precooked Chicken Breast, diced (optional)
Extra Cilantro to garnish
Tomato to garnish
Crushed Tortilla Chips to garnish

Directions
1 Fry Pre-cut Unfried tortilla chips in a deep fat fryer heated at 350º F. Fry until crisp, about 40-60 seconds. Remove from oil and drain. When cool, crush into small pieces.
2 Bring chicken broth and milk to a boil in medium saucepan over medium heat. Meanwhile, melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, celery and garlic and sauté until onion is translucent, about 4 minutes.
3 Add tomato, cilantro and tortilla chips to sautéed ingredients. Reduce heat to low and sprinkle flour over mixture and stir for 2 minutes.
4 Stir chicken broth and milk solution into tortilla mixture adding optional chicken. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat.
5 Stir in whipping cream, pepper jack and Monterey jack cheese, melt thoroughly.
6 Add chile powder, hot sauce, cumin, salt and pepper. Garnish with extra cilantro, tomato and crushed tortilla chips.

Winter Chili


4 Pre-cut Unfried Tri-Color Tortilla Strips
2 tsp. Vegetable Oil
1 medium Onion , chopped
1 stalk Celery , chopped
2 lbs. Ground Chicken , Turkey or Sirloin
3 Tbsp. All-Purpose Flour
2 Tbsp. Chile Powder
1 tsp. ground Cumin
1/2 tsp. ground Coriander
1/8 tsp. Cayenne Pepper
Salt and Pepper to taste
15 oz. can Kidney Beans , drained
15 oz. can Pink or Pinto Beans , drained
28 oz. can Stewed Tomatoes
16 oz. can Tomato Sauce
dash Hot Sauce
Cheddar Cheese (optional)

Directions
1 Preheat deep fat fryer or pan with vegetable oil to 375 degrees F. Place tortilla strips in fryer and fry until golden, about 2-3 minutes. Drain on a paper towel lined surface. Season with salt. Set aside until ready to use.
2 Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Heat oil in pot and sauté onions and celery for 1 minute.
3 Add meat to the pot and crumble. When meat is halfway cooked, add seasoning and continue crumbling until the seasonings are incorporated. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4 Add beans, tomatoes and tomato sauce. Heat until mixture bubbles. Reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes. Season with hot sauce and stir.
5 Top with tortilla strips and cheddar cheese. Serve.