Taco Soup

Fall means soup. It's crisp cool days that leave you rushing indoors to enjoy something soothing and hot. Here in the Palouse region of Washington, we're still warm. Tomorrow is the first real cool day with a predicted high of 59 degrees. Today we're in the 70's. The amount of rain we have gotten over the past few months hasn't been a good full day's rain. Our trees are still so green and my garden is trying to eek out the last of the summer produce. Apple picking is just beginning. My internal clock can't believe it's October. I'm having conflicting feelings. I want soup but it seems too early in the year. I'm trying to get into the Halloween spirit but my brain still wants camping and can't understand why the public pool is closed.
I'm forcing soup on myself and my family starting with this quick, easy and wonderful Taco Soup. It's open to interpretation so feel free to pull out what you have in your cupboards and try your own variation. We ate this with Quesadillas (cheese melted between two tortillas in a skillet) but it would be great with tortilla chips.

Taco Soup
3 chicken thighs
1 can diced tomatoes (mexican flavor is best but plain is fine)
1 packet taco seasoning
1 can corn
1 can carrots
water
cheese

Peel skin off chicken but leave in bones. Boil in water until fully cooked, for best flavor let boil for awhile and then let sit but not necessary. Remove chicken from broth. Pull meat off bones and chop. Feel through the chicken for cartilege that may have come off bone. Return meat to pot and discard bones. Add taco seasoning, tomatoes, corn and carrots. Swish the tomato can with water and add to pot. Bring to a boil and then simmer until ready to serve. (The soup just needs to be warmed thoroughly before serving, simmering just increases the flavor).
Serve hot with cheese sprinkled on top.

Taco Salad

Sorry I missed yesterday, I was on jury duty. If you are interested in that story, you can find a scattered recollection here.
Today I thought I'd share my recipe for Taco Salad. Taco Salad is one of those things I just throw together without any regard for a recipe. I often forget it is a recipe since it's just something I throw together. Feel free to play with the recipe and see what you come up with.

Taco Salad
1 bag doritos
1 pound hamburger
1 packet taco seasoning
1 container sour cream
2 cups shredded cheese
1 bag american/iceburg salad
Fry hamburger with taco seasoning. I often add the seasoning to the hamburger as it is cooking instead of browning and then adding seasoning. This does mean losing some seasoning when you drain the meat and you can not use the color as an indicator of doneness. But it's quicker and doesn't require water.
Drain hamburger.
Crush doritos into bite sized pieces. Dump in large bowl. Add hamburger, lettuce and cheese. Mix with hands or two spoons until evenly mixed. Mix in sour cream until everything is covered.
Serve warm or cold.