Spicy Chicken Nachos

I tinkered with a recipe I have for chicken tortilla soup (really good, if anyone wants it let me know!) and made spicy chicken for nachos. It turned out really, really good! It's even better on the 2nd or 3rd day, when the chicken has had some time to soak up more flavor. But if you like nachos, these are the way to go. And they're really not that spicy at all. They just have a little kick, and if you add sour cream to the nachos they are perfect for kids.

1 small onion, coarsely chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 TB chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano, crumbled
1 bay leaf
2 cans low-salt chicken broth
1 8-oz can tomato sauce
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp sugar
3-4 large boneless, skinless, chicken breast halves

Optional toppings:
sour cream
salsa (the chile verde is the best!)
chopped fresh cilantro
shredded cheese (any kind will do)
olives
banana peppers
ranch
lettuce
avacado
tomato
Or pretty much anything you like to have on nachos will do!

In medium stockpot, saute onion in oil until tender. Add garlic, chili powder, ocumin, oregano, and bay leaf. Saute 1 minute. Add broth, tomato sauce, salt, sugar, and pepper, and bring to a boil. Add chicken; cover pot and simmer until chicken is done, about 15 minutes.

Using tongs, transfer chicken to plate and cool slightly. Shred finely and return to broth. Simmer 1 minute minimum (more for better flavor). Place chicken in a serving bowl, and ladle a small amount of broth into the bowl to prevent the chicken from drying out. You can even put the broth on your nachos, if you don't mind it being a bit soggy.

I have started putting all the prepared toppings in a veggie tray (the round kind with dividers). I bought a cheap one in the party aisle at WalMart, and it's perfect. I think this would be a ton of fun to have friends over and have a taco/nacho bar. Also, if you have leftover chicken, store it with the leftover broth...it will taste better that way when you reheat it. Enjoy!

Cafe Rio Pork

Love Cafe Rio's Sweet Pork Tacos or Pork Salads? I found this recipe off one of the recipe blogs listed on the sidebar. Unfortunately, I can't remember which one. I've made this for my family a few times and it is devoured every time. It's so good.

3 lbs boneless pork roast
1 c brown sugar
1 c Worcestershire Sauce
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp salt
1 tsp chili powder
2 T minced onions.

Combine all ingredients and cook in crockpot on low 8-10 hours or on high 4-6 hours. One hour before serving, shred meat and discard juice. Add 1 cup brown sugar and 1 cup red enchilada sauce to meat.

Serve with Spanish rice, pinto or black beans, lettuce, tomato, cheese, guacamole, and any other taco toppings in a large tortilla or as a salad. Both are yummy.