Caldo de Queso-Sonoran Cheese Soup

This is a modified recipe that my sister sent me from her suegra.

**A special note-if you think Tex Mex is even remotely edible, just keep going. This recipe is not for you

Wash, peel and then cut potatoes (Russet, Golden, whatever) into quarter inch cubes.

Fry in Canola oil until light brown.

In a separate pot, fry some finely diced onions in canola oil (the original recipe calls for lard in all frying but I have always used canola and the taste is fine)

Add 4 garlic cloves that have been crushed and finely chopped to the frying onions. When these are looking nice and golden add two finely diced/peeled tomatoes or a can of crushed tomatoes and let this cook for a couple of minutes. Throw in your roasted/canned green chilis (think hatch-nice and spicy). This is your soup base and will really flavor the whole pot.

Add potatoes to the mix. The recipe calls for a tablespoon of flour to thicken it but I have done it with and without and it and it doesn't make a huge difference. The penultimate step is to add water and 1.5 Tablespoons of Knorr chicken broth powder (not the cubed kind). You can add cheese to the whole pot or to individual servings. 

It is good either way, but if you might have leftovers then do it individually. I have used Jack, Mozzarella, and various other kinds. The trick is to use one that will hold up well in the hot broth and not get gross. The best I have had was a Mexican goat cheese but I have never been able to find the name of it and it is hard to find the right products in Texas. I also add a few sprigs of cilantro before serving.

Weekly Menu

We try to make our menu for the week in advance and buy the groceries we need in order to skip unnecessary trips to the store and/or fast food places.  This keeps our expenses low and we eat healthier.

Monday- Teriyaki Chicken
                Ingredients:
                Corn starch (enough to coat)
                Egg/Egg whites (enough to coat)
                Chicken cut into cubes
                Oil (enough to lightly oil a pan)
                   -You can use canola, olive, coconut.
                   -Choose one that is light in taste and that you consider healthy enough to feed your family.
                 Trader Joe's Teriyaki sauce or your equivalent
                 Rice (my husband won't eat brown but if you can get this one by, I know I prefer it).

                 Instructions:  Lightly coat chicken chunks in cornstarch and then immediately coat them with egg.
                 Put on oiled pan and sautee until almost completely cooked.  Add Teriyaki sauce.  Cook until
                 done.  Add more sauce on top of rice if desired

Tuesday- Chicken and Gross Packaged Rice
                I get to go work out. So, George is in charge of dinner.
                Ingredients:
                Chicken
                Gross store packaged rice
                I might sneak in a vegetable

Wednesday-Italian Sausage & Feta Salad
                Ingredients-
                Italian Sausage
                Feta
                Tomatoes
                Oil/Vinegar dressing
                Instructions: Cook sausages in pan with water or cut them into chunks to cook.  Dice tomatoes
                crumble Feta (we use Bulgarian sheep's milk Feta but we have to special order it). Season the 
                tomato and feta salad with a little olive oil or Trader Joe's Greek Dressing that has a touch of dill.
                The Dill makes a big difference in taste.


Thursday- Grilled Kebabs
                Ingredients:
                Pork Tenderloin
                Corn/Squash(Pick any summer vegetable that goes well on the grill)


Friday-Tacos
                Ingredients:
                Ground Beef
                Beer/Water
                Oil
                Tomato or tomato sauce
                Seasonings (cumin, chili powder, onion, garlic)
                Toppings (tomatoes, cheese, green onions, salsa, avocado...)
                Instructions: Lightly oil pan, throw in beef and spread it over the surface of the pan.  Add water or
                beer until the meat is almost covered.  As the water boils, add seasonings.  Once the water is 
                almost gone, add tomato sauce.  Cook until done and serve with toppings.