Sweet Potato and Black Bean Salsa

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Isn't this pretty? I've always found it hard to come up with vegetables to serve with with Mexican food. I'm not fond of the colors or tastes of the usual suspects, but the sparkling colors and piquant flavor of this salsa have solved the problem. If you're tired of gray vegetables and tinned tomatoes I hope you'll try this. It will give a real lift to your palate. While I serve the salsa in tortilla bowls, that really isn't necessary - it does, however, add pizzazz to the presentation. If you plan to serve the salsa with chips I suggest you cut the ingredients in smaller pieces than that recommended in the recipe. I use pickled jalapeno peppers to insure a constant amount of heat. There are times when the jalapenos in the market are as sweet as bell peppers and that just won't do in this recipe. I know you're going to like this one!

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I took out my can opener and put this soup together before heading to the coast early this afternoon. The Silver Fox was going to spend the afternoon watching the Super Bowl with friends, and while they did not watch the game here, I suspected they'd be at my table when the game ended. After an afternoon of snacks and junk food, I wanted something that was filling and substantial, but easy to make. This is one of the easiest recipes I have in my rotation. It is effortless to make and if you enjoy spicy Mexican food I think you'll love this soup. I served it with a "guy-type" salad and skillet cornbread and I can happily report that I have no leftovers to deal with. Here is how the soup is made.

Mexican White Bean Soup

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...When the weather outside is frightful, I'd like to suggest a cupful of this hearty Mexican soup. While brandy would be delightful, this bean soup is infinitely better for your liver and it will cure baldness and improve your general well-being as well. I was told that by a snake oil salesman, who swore lightning would strike him dead if I did not like his soup. I wasn't looking for a miracle, mind you, so he escaped annihilation, and in the realm of good cheap food, this soup is not at all bad. It is inexpensive to make, really easy to prepare and chances are you already have the ingredients needed to make it in your pantry. I'm not, generally, a huge fan Mexican bean soups because I find their flavors to be muddy and their appearance singularly unattractive. The orange juice and zest that are used in this recipe really brighten the flavor of the soup. When I make this for the Silver Fox, I use a tablespoon or two of orange liqueur rather than the fresh orange that is called for in the original recipe, which, by the way, came from Better Homes and Gardens magazine. The sour cream and cilantro garnish add flavor and more importantly, help improve the appearance of the soup. If you are looking  for a cold weather soup, and your family enjoys Mexican food, you can't go wrong with this one.  Here is how the soup is made.

Tomatillo Shrimp Enchiladas

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...For good or ill, the food from my summer kitchen is simple and easy to prepare. This dish, made for teens by teens, is no exception, and I think those of you who have, or will be entertaining young adults this summer might want to keep it in mind. It requires no special equipment to make, so, in addition to being child friendly, it's also a perfect dish to prepare in a poorly equipped camp or rental cottage kitchen. The recipe lends itself to manipulation, so it can be halved or doubled as circumstances demand. The ingredients required to make it can be found in any large grocery store, and it takes very little time to prepare. You'll need about 40 minutes to get this dish from the chopping block to the dinner table, where I guarantee it will be well-received. I do hope you'll give this family friendly gem a try. Here is how it's made.