Another part of the preparation for the arrival of little sister (yes, we found out we will welcome another sweet girl), we are working with Elli to be more independent with things. Potty training, drinking from a glass, cleaning up after herself, dressing and undressing. With the latter, she has a thing where she pulls her shirt behind her head, looks up at me, smiles and says emphatically, "Superhero!" As she breaks into giggles, I'm left wondering 1) what exactly a shirt half-off and a superhero have in common and 2) where or from whom she picked this up. Wherever or whomever, she gets a kick out of it. I get a kick out of her giggle.
She also gets a kick out of the (so far) only other little girl in the family: her cousin. And her cousin, con the parentals, came over to our house to join us and Oma for a special family dinner. Because it's fall, my favorite season, it's the perfect time for soup, perhaps one of my favorite meals. I decided to make taco soup served with homemade tortilla chips. Who better to have on hand to help prepare the meal for seven than Souper-hero Elli?
Taco Soup (adapted from Taste of Home)
2 pounds lean ground beef or turkey
1 envelope taco seasoning (or 1/2 envelope of Williams Chili Seasoning for no sodium)
1 1/2 cup water
1 can mild chili beans
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 can diced tomatoes
1 envelope ranch salad dressing mix
In Dutch oven, brown beef; drain. Add seasoning and mix well. Stir in remaining ingredients. Simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes or until heated through, stirring occasionally. Suggested toppings: shredded cheese, sour cream ranch dressing or homemade tortilla chips (see below).
Homemade Tortilla Chips (from Oma)
5 10-inch flour tortillas
canola oil spray
sea salt
Using a pizza cutter on a cutting board, cut tortillas into 1-inch by 2-inch strips. Spread strips onto two jelly roll pans. Spray evenly with oil on both sides. Sprinkle with desired amount of sea salt. Bake at 350 for 7 minutes. Turn strips and spray again. Sprinkle with a little more salt if desired. Bake for an additional 7 minutes or until lightly brown.
Except for browning the meat, there wasn't anything Elli couldn't do with this recipe. While I handled the meat, Oma helped Elli cut up the tortillas. Elli loved handling the big pizza cutter -- with Oma's help, of course -- and spreading the tortillas strips on the pans.
She organized the strips on the pan, then organized them again...and then again. She loves to arrange. You should see her with her building blocks.
By the time they were done, so was the meat. I removed the pan from the heat and let it cool a bit and lined up the opened cans of veggies and beans on the counter.
"Ready to help me make the soup?" I asked Elli.
"Yeah!" she said, and scrambled up her steps, which were positioned close but still a safe distance from the stove. Together, we picked up each can and poured the contents into the pot, all the while I carefully guided her hands and arms clear of the pot.
Then came her all-time favorite thing about cooking. That's right, the zenith of culinary arts: stirring. With a steady guiding hand from Mommy, Elli took on the large pot of chunky ingredients with an expert touch.
"Very nice, Elli," I said.
"Mmmm, that looks good!" she replied, her little face hovering over the pot. And within in 20 minutes, it smelled good too.
By the time, uncle, aunt and cousin arrived, the soup was simmered to perfection and the tortilla chips were crisped and cooled. Everyone gave their compliments to the young chef.
Overall Taco Soup and Homemade Tortilla Chips Ratings (5 being the best):
Elli-friendly cooking: 5
Elli-friendly eating: 3 (soup can't compete with cousin)
Simple: 5
Fast: 4
Frugal: 5
Question for you: What quick, crowd-pleasing meal do you serve for company?
