Post Thanksgiving Tex Mex Soup and an Avocado

After a long Thanksgiving weekend away, I was ready to be home and eat something from my own kitchen. Tired, but hungry, and hearing the usual chorus of "What's for dinner tonight?" led me to the freezer. I found some leftover smoked BBQ pork that I had frozen in chicken broth. I've tried to save smoked BBQ in a Ziploc, but it doesn't freeze well-too dry. However, if the meat is frozen in a liquid, it obviously retains both its moisture and flavor. This recipe could work well with leftover turkey, too.
So, after some mixing and tasting, this is what I came up with for our dinner... My husband made some cornbread to accompany the soup. It was just the right addition to the meal!
And after the recipe, I've shared my solution for removing the pit from an avocado without sustaining a knife wound.

Post Thanksgiving Tex Mex Soup

1 1/2 qts of Chicken broth
1 can of black beans (drained)
1 can of corn
1 package of Turkey Kielbasa
2-3 cups of leftover meat (chicken, turkey, or pork BBQ)
1 1/2 cups V8 juice
1 can mild Rotel
2/3 can regular Rotel
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp or more of Cumin
pinch of oregano

Place chicken broth, cooked meat, and V8 juice in in a large dutch oven. Slice Kielbasa down the middle longways and then into quarter-inch slices. Add slices to the broth mixture bring to a gentle boil. Add spices and corn. Cook for 20 minutes. Add black beans. Cook another 10 minutes, taste and adjust spices according to desired level of heat. If too spicy, dilute it with another cup of chicken broth. Garnish with avocado and fresh cilantro.

Garnishes:
avocado
cilantro
crushed tortilla chips
shredded cheese
sour cream


How to choose (and safely cut) an avocado
If an avocado is solid green and hard, it will be ready in 2-3 days. If it is solid black, it is probably ready. A perfectly ripe avocado should be black (with maybe a tinge of green) and firm, but barely give when you squeeze it. If the skin mashes in and you feel an air pocket between the skin and avocado's flesh, it is past its moment of usefulness.

To cut it, hold it in one hand, and your knife in the other. Make a circle all the way around. Put the knife down, squeeze and gently pull apart. Cut the half without the pit in half. Here is what I discovered about the side with a pit. Place the pit against the palm of your hand, use the knife to cut through the skin on the outside of the avocado. Gently tug one side from the pit. It is now in fourths. Use your hands to remove the pit from the other side. Previously, every time I tried to remove the pit by whacking it with a knife (As seen on TV), I caused an injury. So instead of giving up avocados, I created a different removal method. Now I have happy fingers and a happy tummy. I hope you do, too!

Green Beans with Almonds (haricots verts avec amandes)

How many people do you know that don't like green beans? Maybe they have never eaten them fresh, or perhaps they thought they were fresh, but were a stringy variety or were old. A good solution would be French Style Green Beans. A little pricier? Yes. But they get devoured around our table and there aren't any of those embarrassing thread-like strings dangling on the edge of your dinner plate.
In Middle Tennessee, I have found that a pre-measured package of French Green Beans works best for this cooking method. Good, quality beans can be found year-round at Publix (8oz bag $3.29) or Harris Teeter (1lb bag $4.99). I use only 1/2 pound at a time for a family of 4. Oh yeah, and they have an expiration date on the package, too.

If you want to sound sophisticated when serving your French Green Beans, tell everyone that in France they are called haricots verts avec amandes. (air-ree Ko Vair uh-vek ah mahnd)

Green Beans with Almonds

1/2 lb French style green beans
1-2TBSP olive oil
1/2 medium onion finely chopped
1/4 c less of sliced almonds
salt and pepper to taste

Cut the ends off of the green beans. Wash and place in a 1 inch of water in a sauce pan. Cook over medium heat for 6 minutes. remove from heat and leave the lid off of the pan. (I remove 12 or so beans for my 4 year-old's plate before I add these to the onion/almond mixture.) In a skillet, saute the onions in the olive oil. Transfer the green beans to the already cooked onions. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and almonds. Warm and toss in the pan over med/low heat. Serve immediately.