New Years Day Tortilla Soup (or, life in the galley)

Add-ins

• 1 ripe avocado
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice (1/2 lemon)
• 2 cooked boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized strips
• 1 bag corn tortilla chips
• 2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese
• 1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped

In preparation of cooking: Set stern anchor the night before, so that boat isn't rolling so much that persons inside lose their appetite. ("Bobbling like a bobble head turtle," Robert says.)  Turn on generator to power air conditioning so that stove doesn't heat up whole boat.

Step 1
In a large soup pot, combine the broth, corn, tomatoes, and salsa.

Step 1a:  Find the bouillon cubes.  Convert quarts to liters and figure out how many Mexican bouillon squares to use. Turns out 2 quarts is very close to 2 liters and you use 2 squares per liter, or 4 squares total.  Measure out 2 liters, drop in 4 squares, let Robert stir.

Step 1b:  Dig in the "pantry" to find a can of corn.   Luckily,  the corn is only one layer deep, which means I only have to dig out 2 shoebox-sized containers of canned goods before I find the corn.  Cans are identified because I label them on their tops with a Sharpie before I put them away.

Step  1c:  Open can, measure in cup and, again luckily, it is just about 2 cups.  Let Robert dump the corn in the bouillon mixture and keep stirring.

Step 1d:  Locate Roma tomatoes on top shelf, way back, of fridge.  This involves removing only 6 or 7 items and moving them to other shelves so that I can get to the tomatoes.  Wash tomatoes with anti-bacterial hand soap before chopping.  Let Robert help dump the chopped tomatoes...WAIT! Robert, you need to wash off your sticky hands before touching the tomatoes.

Step 1e:  Help Robert wash hands, return to step 1d.

Step 1f:  Locate Salsa. Easy- middle shelf of fridge, right in front.  Measure out 4 Tablespoons (I would use 6 Tablespoons next time).  Keep stirring.

Step 1g:  Locate canned chicken. I know the recipe says to serve it as an "add in," but have you ever used canned chicken? It doesn't look very appetizing. I decide to use one can and put it in the soup and cook it with it.  Back to the "pantry."  Dig down 3 layers on left side, don't find it. Scoot right side layers over and see the chicken.  Put other "layers" back in the "pantry."  Drain the chicken, dump it in the pot...oops, sorry Robert, about the splash.  Keep stirring.  Next time I'd use two cans, if I could find them.

Bring to a boil, cover, reduce the heat, and simmer for approximately 10 to 15 minutes.

Step 1h:  Put lid on pressure cooker, lock lid.  Mark asks, "Are you sure you're doing this right?"  I answer, "I'm not sure. I've only used this once before."  Mark responds, "Maybe you ought to read the instruction manual again."  Look around the boat a few minutes for the manual, can't find it.  Shocker, given the current state of organization on the boat.  Return to pressure cooker, stare at it, remember how to lock the pressure relief button.

Step 1i:  Hook up stove to propane. Mark goes up to cockpit, unhooks grill from propane tank, hooks up propane to stove.  Turn on gas breaker at electrical circuit board.   Put heavy pressure cooker on top of stove. Gimballed stove tips at a dangerous angle.  Can't find the screw which broke off months ago that stabilizes gimballed stove.  Need to rig something to balance the load of the pressure cooker so that it does not slide off the back of stovetop.

Step 1j: Robert is playing with the bungee cord I use to keep the top of the "pantry" door open; Mark decides to use that to hold down the stove, by connecting that to a gallon jug of "fluoride water" and setting that on Robert's stool.

Robert protests, parents try to use the "Hey, look Robert! Fun! You can help Mom with your bungee cord!" angle.  Robert doesn't fall for it.  Mark pulls rank and gives him some other bungees to play with.

These bungees are shorter, however, and are not long enough to play the 'lift it up' game he was playing before.  Mark leaves the room momentarily, Robert whines about cords, Amy gives in and swaps out bungee cords.  Mark comes back, tells Robert he's not sharing nicely, Robert cries, Mark sends him to his room.  Lots of tears from youngest crew member.  Forgot what I was trying to do.  Oh yes,the stove...

Step 1k:  Attempt to light stove.  We have not used the stove in over 2 years because we have been using the Bar-B-Q grill to cook from, so this takes awhile.  Finally stove is lit.  Keep flame on cooker until cooker starts to let out a little steam.  Turn off flame. 

"Are you supposed to turn it off all the way?" Mark asks.  "I don't know, I've only used this once before."  I leave it off for about 5 minutes before deciding to turn the flame back on.  I relight the stove and turn it on  low.  Within a few minutes, the steam comes out again. "Okay,  guess you should turn it off all the way," Mark says. 

Turn off stove, wait 10 minutes, set table.  "This better be good soup," I say.

Step 2
Just before you are ready to eat, cube the avocado and sprinkle it with lemon juice. Place the add-ins in bowls on the table. Diners can fill a bowl with the ingredients of their choice, then ladle on the hot soup. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Step 2a:  Robert and I don't like avacado, and they don't sell lemons in Mexico, only limes.  My "add-ins" are tostada rounds, cheddar cheese (a brick purchased in Puerto Vallarta at Sams and frozen until ready to use.  Sams is the only place I have found cheddar cheese in Mexico), and sour cream.

Step 2b:  I don't have a ladle on the boat, I use a mug.

Serves three hungry Reads, with leftovers.  Good recipe, I'd do it all over again!