chicken tortilla soup

I am swamped with deadlines the next couple of weeks - Amos & Boris is due tomorrow (why am I writing this blog post right now?!) and Semester Abroad is due the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. There are other various projects in the mix that require my attention as well and I am feeling a tad bit overwhelmed. But, the best part about being swamped with deadlines and working from home (and signing up for fresh direct, and having a new fridge!) is that when I need a break, I can cook! I just need to keep myself in check to make sure that the cooking becomes a break from writing and not the other way around.

Also, because there are not as many take-out / restaurant options in our part of Bed Stuy as we were used to in Greenpoint, I am trying to stock our freezer with meals we can reheat instead of scrolling seamless when we're hangry and waited too long to decide what to eat for dinner.

I searched the internet looking for a Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe that would land me in spitting distance of Mesa's - I couldn't find it. But I did adapt Jenny Rosenstrach's to be a little more tomatoey and I am VERY happy with the results.

Recipe below --

2 boneless chx breasts, rinsed and patted dry
1 tbsp oil (veg, canola, I used grapeseed)
1/2 an onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 jalepeño pepper, finely chopped
salt & pepper
2 cups chx broth (preferably homemade)
1 28oz can chopped tomatoes
1 15oz can hominy, drained
juice from 1 lime

various toppings: cilantro, tortilla chips (I used red, hot blues), avocado, cheese, etc...

Add the oil to a large dutch oven, allow the oil to heat-up for a couple of minutes. Add the chicken and brown on each side (about two minutes per side). Move the chicken to the sides of the pot and add your onion, jalepeño, garlic, salt & pepper. Sauté for a few minutes until the onion starts to get soft.

Add the chili pepper, chicken broth, tomatoes and hominy - bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and let simmer for fifteen minutes. Remove the chicken and shred it with two forks. Add the shredded chicken back to the pot and let simmer for another five minutes.

Squeeze lime juice directly into bowls and finish off with your choice of toppings.

Eat or freeze for that day you just can't get another falafel or burrito when you get off the train.