Taco-mania or Taco Party has become an amazingly favorite class!  I have gotten a number of requests to create another one and here it is.  What makes tacos so much fun is that they are fundamentally easy to create and very tasty. We do not make any of the traditional American Taco Bell type of hamburger based tacos.

We create original Mexican types of soft tacos with ALL freshly prepared ingredients.  Tacos originally were a child's snack given by the Mother when she was busy trying to create the next meal.  The word taco is a kind of Mexican slang for "take it and go".  The Mother would take a freshly made corn tortilla (there is no such thing as a flour tortilla among Mexican traditional families) and place a little treat inside such as a leftover from a previous meal or a spoon of the ubiquitous beans, which were always around.

Here's the Taco Party menu that we will be making-- 

Taco-Mania

Fun Taco Party Ideas 

At Jane Butel’s Professional Kitchen

April 25, 2024 at 5 PM  

Guacamole 

Corn Tortillas 

Roast Pork Taco Party Platter 

Grilled Chicken and Roasted Red Bell Pepper Tacos 

Fish Tacos with Pickled Cole Slaw 

Carne Asada Tacos 

SALSAS GALORE 

Salsa Verde, Mango and Roasted Corn Salsa, Salsa Rojo

Perfect Margaritas

We had a great deal of fun in our last week long class and our next weekend class is May 17-19.  The next day classes in May are Party Appetizers, May 7 and Finger Lickin' Barbeque on May 30.

And...there is still time to get in on our fabulous Oaxaca Mexico tour, June 11 - 17.

Here's a couple of quick and easy recipes to enjoy--

CHICKEN TORTILLA CHOWDER

The hearty, full flavor and creamy consistency of this chicken soup tastes like work, but this dish is actually fast and easy to make. Cutting the chicken breast is the most time-consuming part of the recipe. This is a versatile dish that you can vary in many ways. Instead of chicken breasts, you could use leftover roast chicken or turkey, firm-fleshed fish or shellfish with fish stock, roast beef, or ground chuck with beef stock.

Cooking Time: 10-12 minutes

Yield: 2 servings

1, 14 ½ oz. can chicken broth, preferably low sodium, with water added to make 2 cups

2 white or yellow corn tortillas, broken up

1 pound chicken breasts, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes

3 scallions, thinly sliced (some reserved for garnish)

1 ½ tablespoons minced pickled jalapenos with juice

Optional Garnishes:

Cilantro leaves

Crushed red caribe chiles

Lime wedges

1. Place the chicken broth and water in a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the tortillas and chicken. Cover, reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring, for 5 to 6 minutes.

2. Add the scallions and jalapenos with juice. Stir to combine well. Simmer for approximately another 5 minutes. Serve garnished with the reserved scallion and, if desired, the cilantro, chiles, and lime to squeeze on the chowder.

Per Serving:

Calories 326, Protein 50g, Carbohydrates 14g, Fiber 2g, Fat 8g, Saturated Fat 2g, Cholesterol 130mg, Sodium 338mg.

Reprinted with permission from Jane Butel’s Quick & Easy Southwestern Cookbook.

MEXICAN TORTILLA SOUP

Yield:  4 to 6 Servings

Similar to tortilla soup, this spicy veggie chili is delicious. It is made in the Mexican style, whereby the vegetables are grilled prior to being added to the soup-the grilled veggies have deeper, mellower flavors than their raw counterparts. The soup is made in two parts: the flavorful broth is prepared first and then poured over the vegetables.

If you wish to make this a vegetarian dish, simply substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth.

For the chili broth:
8 large tomatoes, stemmed
2 large Spanish onions, peeled and halved
6 large Mexican garlic cloves, peeled (see note)
1 quart chicken or vegetable broth (canned is fine)
1 teaspoon chipotle powder, or 2 dried chipotles, reconstituted (see note)
1 piece (2 inches) cinnamon, preferably canela (see sources)
Salt (optional)

For the chili vegetables:
2 pounds butternut squash (1 medium squash), peeled, seeded, and cubed
1 teaspoon ground dried Mexican oregano
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (15 ounces) garbanzo beans (chickpeas), with liquid
1 small bunch Swiss chard, stemmed, sliced into 1-inch-wide ribbons (about 1 cup)
1 teaspoon ground cumin

For serving:
1 lime
Corn tortillas, warmed (optional)

1. Prepare the broth: Score an X into the bottom of each tomato, cutting just through the skin. Place the tomatoes, onions, and garlic on a comal or other heavy griddle over medium-high heat and cook, turning, until the vegetables char on all sides, about 10 minutes. (Remove the garlic as soon as it browns a bit.) Transfer the vegetables to a plate and set them aside.

2. Place the chicken broth in a large Dutch oven or small stockpot over high heat. Add the chipotle powder and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat, cover the pot, and simmer for 5 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, peel and chop the tomatoes. Chop the onions, removing any blackened spots and mince the garlic.

4. Add the tomatoes, onions, and garlic to the broth, along with the canela. Simmer to blend the flavors, about 10 minutes. Remove the canela, taste the broth, and adjust the seasonings as needed, adding salt if desired. Keep warm.

5. Prepare the chili vegetables: Bring 4 cups salted water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the squash and oregano, cover the pan, and simmer until the squash is tender, about 15 minutes. Add the black beans, garbanzo beans, chard, and cumin and cook, uncovered, until the chard is limp and tender, about 10 minutes. Drain the vegetables, reserving the cooking water.

6. Cut the lime into quarters or sixths, depending on the number of servings. Squeeze a wedge of lime into the bottom of each individual bowl. Divide the vegetables among the bowls, and ladle the broth over them, coving the vegetables. (If the broth has become too stewlike, use the reserved vegetable cooking liquid to thin it to a soupier consistency.) Serve with warm corn tortillas, if desired.

 See the entire archive of Southwest Recipes and collect more ideas for cooking with chiles.