Tex Mex in Telluride

So... it has been a while since my last post, but for a very good reason.... Russ and I were on vacation with his family! We went to Telluride, Colorado for a week to ski, relax, and eat! This was my first time ever to ski and despite a tough first few days I picked it up fairly well by the end of the week. I have come to realize that being an Olympic skier is never going to be in the cards for me. However, I think I may end up a slow, but steady skier after all.


So back to a topic that I am a little more familiar with and that doesn't make my legs sore... cooking. We ate out at several wonderful restaurants while we were in Telluride, but the "kids" also took turns cooking one night. On Russ and my night I really wanted to make a tortilla soup recipe that was new to us this winter. Russ was concerned that soup wasn't going to be filling enough, so we compromised and decided to do a cup of the tortilla soup and taco bar.


The tortilla soup recipe is fairly simple, but super yummy! This recipe is better than others to me because it has you saute chopped corn tortillas at the very beginning along with onion, cilantro, and garlic. The pieces of tortilla then stay in the soup the entire time it simmers and by the end are broken down and add a real heartiness to the texture. This texture along with its great flavor really makes this soup a winner for me.

For the taco bar we did ground beef with taco seasoning, flour tortillas, and lots of toppings. When I first started cooking for Russ I realized that some of his favorite recipes are the super simple ones and ground beef with package taco seasoning is definitely one of those. I have been tempted to try more elaborate tacos (such as pulled beef or marinated chicken), but it is hard to beat the quick and easy version since Russ loves it the best. I still may try new taco recipes in the future, but I imagine we'll still have the Russ' version too.

The only down side to our meal that I saw was that we served it a little later than we had hoped. However, this is one of the great things about being on vacation that it doesn't matter that much because you can sleep in the next day, take a nap or both. From the rest of the family's reviews of the meal I think it was a success despite it late serving.

Russ rates the tortilla soup a 8 and the taco bar a 8. We rate the vacation a 10 though!














Here is the recipe for anyone who wants it:

Tortilla Soup ("Stop and Smell the Rosemary")

6 tablespoons vegetable oil (I used a little less than 3)
8 corn tortillas chopped
6 garlic cloves minced
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 medium onion
chopped 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (14 oz) petite diced tomatoes, undrained
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
3 bay leaves
6 cups chicken stock (I used reduced sodium)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add tortillas, garlic, cilantro, and onion. Saute 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes. Bring to a boil and add cumin, chili powder, bay leaves, and chicken stock. Return to a boil. Reduce heat. Add salt and cayenne. Simmer 30 minutes. Remove bay leaves and stir in chicken. Reheat. Garnish with monterey jack, avocado, sour cream, and tortilla strips. (I cut some of the leftover corn tortillas into strips and bake them. I then salt them when they are done and serve them with the soup.) Serves 6 (1.5 cup servings)