Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 onion chopped

• 3 large cloves garlic minced

• 1 jalapeño diced and seeded

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin

• 1 teaspoon chili powder

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 14 ½ ounces crushed chipotle style tomatoes

• 3 cups chicken broth

• 1 tsp. Baking soda (to cut the acidity)

• 2 Tbsp flour

• 14 ½ ounces can black beans rinsed & drained

• 1 cup corn drained if canned

• 1 lb. chicken (I used chicken breast tenders)

• ¼ cup cilantro chopped

• 1 l½ lime juiced

• 1 avocado sliced

• corn tortillas cut into short strips

• ¼ cup olive or sunflower oil

• salt

Instructions

Heat ¼ cup olive oil over medium-high heat a small pan. Add tortilla strips in small batches and fry until crisp. Drain and salt.

Set instant pot to sauté. Heat olive oil, then add the onion, garlic and jalapeño and cook until onion is softened. Add spices and cook a few more minutes to meld flavors.

Add diced tomatoes, broth, and chicken to the pot. Close lid with vent closed, and cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. Natural decompress for 10 minutes or so, then open vent. Put pot on counter. Pull out chicken, pull apart/shred, and set aside.

Mix the 2 Tbsp flour and the baking powder in a small bowl. Add some broth and mix in so it's smooth. This is to avoid getting lumps of flour in the soup. Add mixture to the soup. Return the pulled chicken to the pot. Add corn, beans, cilantro, and lime juice, then add salt and lime juice to taste.

Spoon soup into bowls and and top with short tortilla strips, sour cream, and sliced avocado.

Elisabeth's New England Clam Chowdah

Ingredients

• 3 strips thick-cut bacon

• 4 tablespoons salted butter

• 1 large onion, cut into 1/4-inch cubes

• 1 rib celery, cut into 1/4-inch cubes

• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves

• 2 bay leaves

• 3 medium-size yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into ¼-inch cubes

• 1/3 Cup all-purpose flour

• 2 cups clam juice, bottled + from the canned clams

• 1 pound chopped fresh clam meat, about 4 cans (2 minced and 2 chopped)

• 1/2 tsp smoked salt (or to taste)

• 2 cups heavy cream

• 2 grinds black pepper

Instructions

1. In a 2- to 3-quart pot on high heat, boil the diced potatoes in the clam juice until tender, 4 - 6 minutes. Test the potatoes for doneness so they do not overcook. Drain the clam juice into a bowl and set the juice and the potatoes aside.

2. While the potatoes are cooking, set a stew pot over medium-low heat. Add the bacon and cook, turning occasionally, until crisp. Remove the bacon, leaving the fat in the pot, and crumble into small pieces; set aside.

3. Add the butter, onion, celery, thyme, and bay leaves to the pot. Cook, stirring often, until onions are tender and translucent, 6 to 8 minutes.

4. Return the crumbled bacon to the pot and stir. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally. Add the flour gradually, stirring continuously, until a thick paste forms. Slowly add the clam juice, 1/2 cup at a time, incorporating it into the mixture before adding more.

5. Add the potatoes and clam meat. Keep stirring 3 - 5 minutes, until the clams are warmed through, but not so long that the potatoes get overcooked. Add the heavy cream slowly; then stir in the black pepper. Add the smoked salt and adjust to your taste.

Feel free to adjust the heavy cream to your preferred consistency. I like my chowder thick, so 2 cups was just right for me. Discard the bay leaves before serving.

Additional Notes: Although this is made with cream, it freezes fine because the heavy cream has a high fat content and the chowder starts as a rue, which helps the chowder stay homogenous and not separate when being reheated. When reheating, thaw it slowly in the refrigerator first, and then on the stove over low heat. Try not to let it get to a boil. Many supermarkets carry frozen, chopped clam meat in 1-pound containers, which is fresher than canned and just as convenient. Simply defrost before using.