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Tag: extra bits

Chicken Tomato Soup

I don’t usually make hot food in the summer, unless it’s on a bbq.  But I had some tomatoes that needed to be used and some chicken breasts to cook.  I thought I would make chicken and rice with a tomato stew, but it quickly turned into a beautiful soup.   I threw in onions, carrots, mushrooms and some Mexican spices, along with the juice a lemon in for good measure.  It was easy and fun to make.  I love to let my instinct’s go and see where they take me.   I would add cilantro at the end but when I made this I didn’t have any.  But I will for the next batch!

 

 

Chicken Tomato Soup
Cuisine: Dinner
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 6-8 bowls
 
Easy weeknight dinner
Ingredients
  • 4 Chicken breasts, skin on, bone in
  • 1 Medium onion, chopped
  • 2 Carrots, peeled and sliced into rounds
  • ½ Container of button mushrooms (more if you like mushrooms), sliced
  • 1 Potato chopped into squares
  • 6 Large vine ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
  • 4 Cups homemade chicken stock
  • 1 Lemon, juiced
  • 1 Tbsp Olive oil, more if needed
  • 1 Tsp chile powder
  • 1 Tsp cumin
  • 1 Tsp taco seasoning
  • 1 Tsp Extra Bits from House of Zeta Hot Sauce
  • Salt & pepper
  • Cilnatro chopped for garnish
Instructions
  1. Add a tablespoon of olive oil to a dutch oven on medium heat
  2. Dry off the chicken breasts and season with salt and pepper
  3. Place chicken skin side down for about 8-10 minutes
  4. Flip chicken over and turn down heat a little and cover with a lid.
  5. Cook till done.
  6. Set aside to cool
  7. Add onion on medium heat.
  8. Cook for a minute or two
  9. Add mushrooms and cook for 3-5 minutes
  10. Add potato, cook for 5 minutes
  11. Next add carrots and cook for 5 minutes
  12. Add chile powder, cumin, taco seasoning and Extra Bits
  13. Add tomatoes and cook down on a low heat till they make a sauce
  14. If you like a spicy soup add more Extra Bits after tomatoes
  15. While that is cooking shred chicken breasts.
  16. When tomatoes have made a sauce add chicken stock, chicken and lemon juice
  17. Bring to a quick boil and then simmer for about 10 minutes till potatoes are fully cooked.
  18. Serve with brown rice at the bottom of bowls
  19. Garnish with cilantro

 

Extra Bits For Extra Goodness

As some on you may know, I have been making hot sauces for a while.  You may even remember that I made a second and arguably evermore useful ingredient for your cooking adventures.  I am talking about our Extra Bits.  I even wrote a post about how versatile and unique this product is.  Now I’m going to give you a very simple recipe that I made on Boxing Day.  It was a huge hit and very simple to make.

 

 

Extra Bits Pork Shoulder
Author: 
Cuisine: Mexican
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
 
Ingredients
  • 7-9 lb Pork Shoulder
  • 4-6 cloves of garlic
  • 2 Tbsp Extra Bits separated into thirds and a little extra
  • 1 large orange
  • salt and pepper
  • olive oil
  • Roasting pan
Instructions
  1. Pre heat oven to 300 degrees
  2. Remove shoulder from packaging a pat dry
  3. Score the fatty side
  4. Pole holes with knife in cuts between the fat
  5. Make sure you puncture though the meat, but not too far
  6. Cut garlic in halves
  7. Take the a little extra of the bits and put in the holes made by knife punctures
  8. Then push the garlic halves in holes made by knife punctures
  9. Generously rub fatty side of pork with ⅔ of Extra Bits.
  10. Make sure to get in all the crevices(If you need more use more.)
  11. Then take the rest, and rub the rest of the shoulder with it
  12. Drizzle a little olive oil, just to cover the bottom of the roasting pan and spread it around
  13. Lower heat to 250
  14. Place shoulder I middle of pan and place on middle rack.
  15. In around 3 hours pull shoulder out and squeeze orange juice all over the fat side
  16. Return shoulder to oven and continue to cook for 2-3 more hours
  17. Or till the meat start to fall away with a fork and knife
  18. If you want really crispy skin then the last hour of cooking turn the heat up to about 350
  19. Keep an eye on it as it can burn the skin.
Notes
Try to find one that doesn't have the ball socket/joint. It looks sort of like a handle. This will make it much easier to score. It may not always be possible but it really helps.

The size of the shoulder may vary. I prefer on closer to 7 pounds but one that size isn't always available. The last one I used was 9 lbs. The main difference will be the cooking time. The bigger the roast the longer to cook it.

Also sometimes there is a little extra fat that is not needed so I cut that off.

     

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