Spicy Chicken Tacos with Chipotle Cream

Chipotles are hot, so use them to taste

Chipotle Cream

Mix the following:

• 1 cup of Sour Cream
• Diced canned chipotles, along with a little of their adobo sauce

Chicken Tacos

Mix the following in a small bowl

• 2 TBSP of Brown Sugar
• 1 TBSP Paprika
• 1 TBSP Chili Powder
• 1 TBSP Salt
• 1 TBSP Pepper

Pound Chicken Breasts to ½ inch thickness.  Brush them with a little oil and coat them with the spice rub.  Grill or broil the chicken, turning once, until it’s cooked through (about 6 minutes).

Dice the following:

• 1 Tomato
• 1 Avocado
• 1 Red Onion

Slice the chicken and serve it on warm corn tortillas with the vegetables and chipotle cream.  Garnish with Cilantro.

Serves 6

Candied Almonds

• ½ Cup Sliced Almonds
• 3 TBSP Sugar

Preparing Candied Almonds

Melt sugar in large frying pan with sliced almonds, stirring continuously until almonds are coated.  Don’t let the sugar burn.  Spread out on foil to cool.

Dressing

• ½ tsp Salt
• ½ tsp Pepper
• ¼ Cup Oil
• 1 TBSP chopped Parsley
• 2 TBSP Sugar
• 2 TBSP White Wine Vinegar

Preparing Dressing

Mix all ingredients together.  Let sit while making salad.

Salad

• ½ Head Green Leaf Lettuce, torn into bite sized pieces
• ½ head Romaine Lettuce, torn into bite sized pieces
• 1 Cup Celery, chopped
• 4 Green Onions, chopped
• 1 – 11 oz can of Mandarin Oranges
• 1 Avocado, cut into chunks
• 1 Apple, diced
• ¼ Cup Dried Currants
• ½ Cup Crumbled Bleu Cheese
• 3 Chicken Breast Halves, cooked and shredded

Preparing Salad

Mix all salad ingredients, and candied almonds together.  Toss with dressing, and serve.

I made them for a family dinner on Memorial day and they were a hit!

Chicken:

• 4.5 pounds chicken wings/chicken drums
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 6 cloves minced garlic
• 8 tablespoons olive oil

Sauce:

• 2 tablespoon grated lime zest
• 1 ¼ cup fresh lime juice
• ½ cup honey
• 2 tablespoons ground cumin
• 2 ½ tablespoons of chilies with adobo sauce
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• Chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish (optional)

Prepare the wings:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Toss the wings in a bowl with salt, pepper, minced garlic and olive oil.
3. Arrange on a baking sheet in a single layer.
4. Cook until just cooked through, about 30 minutes.

Make the sauce:

1. Combine the sauce ingredients in a blender.
2. Pour sauce over the warm wings and let marinate at least 30 minutes.  (I let mine marinate for 2 hours, tossing them with the sauce occasionally.)
3. Preheat a grill to medium.
4. Grill the wings until marked, 10 to 15 minutes, turning as needed.
5. Transfer the marinade to a saucepan and cook until slightly thick.
6. Toss the cooked wings with the sauce.
7. Top with Cilantro if desired & serve.

*If you don’t have a grill, you can use a grill pan indoors, bake them in the oven or broil them in the oven.

* To make ahead/freezer meal - Place wings and sauce in a gallon sized freezer bag and allow to cool. Once cooled, freeze. When ready to prepare, defrost and grill as outlined above.

• 1 10-oz can green enchilada sauce (I used Stokes green chili with pork)
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 8-inch flour tortillas, torn into large pieces
• 2 cups shredded cheese, plus 1/2 cup for top (I used that Mexican mixture already shredded)
• 1 rotisserie chicken, shredded or cut in pieces
• 1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
• 1 cup of frozen corn (or more)
• 1 small can of chopped green chilies
• 1/2 cup salsa
• Avocado
• Cilantro

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees
2. In a small bowl, combine the enchilada sauce and cream.
3. In another bowl, mix the cheese, chicken, onion, corn, chilies and salsa.
4. Spoon 1/4 cup of the sauce mixture into the bottom of a shallow 2-quart casserole.
5. Top with one tortilla and a third of the cheese, chicken, onion, corn, green chili mixture.
6. Repeat twice to form a total of 3 layers.
7. Top with the remaining tortilla, sauce mixture, salsa and cheese.
8. Cover loosely with the foil and bake 20 minutes.
9. Uncover and bake 10 minutes more.
10. Serve with the avocado and cilantro and salsa.
11. ENJOY!!

Ingredients:

-         1 lb of thinly sliced beef, or flank steak ***

-         1/2 cup of Brown Sugar

-         2 Pieces of Green Onions, julienned

-         1/2 of an Onion, chopped into thin sliced

-         1 Carrot, julienned

-         1/2 cup of Soy Sauce

-         1 Tbsp of Garlic, minced

-         2 Tbsp of Cooking Wine

-         2 Tbsp of Sesame Seeds

-         2 Tbsp of Sesame Oil

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl or a large Ziploc bag.
2. Mix ingredients well and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
3. Cook over medium high heat in a large frying pan for about 3-5 minutes, or until meat is cooked.
4. Serve with steamed rice!

Enjoy!

*** This weekend I wanted to make Bulgogi, but I didn’t have any beef at home.  I tried it with thinly sliced Chicken and it was DELICIOUS!!!  I’m sure the Bulgogi sauce would work well with any type of meat.

Cook Time: 1 hr 0 min

Serves: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon Lime or Lemon Juice
• 1 tsp Lime or Lemon Zest
• 1 tablespoon chopped dried Basil
• 1 tablespoon dried Rosemary
• 1 (4-pound) whole chicken, cut into pieces (Don’t use giblets, neck and backbone)

Directions: Whisk all ingredients except the chicken into a large resealable plastic bag. Add the chicken pieces into the bag; seal the bag and toss to coat. Refrigerate, turning the chicken pieces occasionally, for at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Remove chicken from the bag and arrange the chicken pieces on a large baking dish. Roast until the chicken is just cooked through, about 1 hour.

If your chicken browns too quickly, cover it with foil for the remaining cooking time. Place the roasted chicking onto a serving platter.

Optional: Place the baking dish on a burner over medium-low heat. Whisk chicken broth into the pan drippings, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the baking sheet with a wooden spoon and mixing them into the broth and pan drippings. Drizzle the pan drippings over the chicken.   You can also use as a gravy for mashed potatoes.

• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 Tablespoons Spicy Brown Mustard
• 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 (4-pound) whole chicken, cut into pieces
• 1/2 cup low-salt chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions

Whisk the vinegar, mustard, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper in small bowl to blend. Combine the vinaigrette and chicken pieces in a large resealable plastic bag; seal the bag and toss to coat. Refrigerate, turning the chicken pieces occasionally, for at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Remove chicken from the bag and arrange the chicken pieces on a large greased baking dish. Roast until the chicken is just cooked through, about 1 hour. If your chicken browns too quickly, cover it with foil for the remaining cooking time. Transfer the chicken to a serving platter. Place the baking dish on a burner over medium-low heat. Whisk the chicken broth into the pan drippings, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the baking sheet with a wooden spoon and mixing them into the broth and pan drippings. Drizzle the pan drippings over the chicken. Sprinkle the lemon zest and parsley over the chicken, and serve.

PICTURE WILL BE COMING SOON!!!

Garlic & Seasoning Salt

Cornstarch

2 Beaten Eggs

Sprinkle chicken with seasonings

Sweet & Sour Sauce

1 ½ Cups Sugar

½ Cup Vinegar

½ Cup Chicken Broth

2 TBSP Ketchup

2 TBSP Soy Sauce

Roll chicken in egg & dip in cornstarch.  Brown on med-high heat till golden on both sides.

Combine remaining ingredients in sauce pan.  Heat till dissolved.

Put chicken in crock pot or covered baking dish.  Pour sauce over all chicken.

Cook in crock pot at medium setting for 4-6 hours.

OR

Bake in oven at 325°F for 1 hour.

Serve with rice

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons chopped shallots
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons minced lemongrass* (from bottom 4 inches of about 3 stalks, tough outer leaves discarded)
2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
2 tablespoons Thai yellow curry paste*
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 teaspoon hot chili paste (such as sambal oelek)*
2 13.5- to 14-ounce cans unsweetened coconut milk,* divided
5 cups low-salt chicken broth
2 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce (such as nam pla or nuoc nam)*
2 teaspoons sugar
3 cups snow peas, trimmed
2 cups 1/2-inch cubes peeled red-skinned sweet potato (yam; from about 1 large)
1 pound dried rice vermicelli noodles or rice stick noodles*
3/4 pound skinless boneless chicken thighs, thinly sliced
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 red Thai bird chiles or 2 red jalapeño chiles, thinly sliced with seeds
1 lime, cut into 6 wedges

Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add next 4 ingredients; stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium-low. Stir in curry paste, curry powder, and chili paste. Add 1/2 cup coconut milk (scooped from thick liquid at top of can). Stir until thick and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add remaining coconut milk, broth, fish sauce, and sugar; bring broth to boil. Keep warm. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Refrigerate until cold, then cover and keep chilled.

Cook snow peas in large pot of boiling salted water until bright green, about 20 seconds. Using strainer, remove peas from pot; rinse under cold water to cool. Place peas in medium bowl. Bring water in same pot back to boil. Add sweet potato and cook until tender, about 7 minutes. Using strainer, remove sweet potato from pot and rinse under cold water to cool. Place in small bowl. Bring water in same pot back to boil and cook noodles until just tender but still firm to bite, about 6 minutes. Drain; rinse under cold water to cool. Transfer to microwave-safe bowl. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 hour ahead. Let stand at room temperature.

Bring broth to simmer. Add chicken; simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes. Add sweet potato; stir to heat through, about 1 minute. Heat noodles in microwave in 30-second intervals to rewarm. Cut noodles with scissors if too long. Divide noodles among bowls. Divide snow peas and hot soup among bowls. Scatter red onion, green onions, cilantro, and chiles over soup. Garnish with lime wedges and serve.

1 ½ T. vegetable or corn oil

Add and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes.

1 medium onion, chopped fine (about 1 cup)

Add, cook, stirring constantly until fragrant, about 30 seconds:

3 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 T.)

3 T. chili powder

2 tsp. ground coriander

2 tsp. cumin

½ tsp. salt

2 tsp. sugar

Add, cook, stirring constantly, until coated with spices, about 30 seconds

12 oz. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, (about 4) trimmed of excess fat

and cut into ¼ inch-wide strips

Add, stir to separate chicken pieces. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium low; simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through and flavors have melded, about 8 minutes

2 cans (8 oz. each) tomato sauce

¾ cup water

Pour mixture through medium-mesh strainer into medium bowl, pressing chicken and onions to extract as much sauce as possible.

Set sauce aside.

Transfer chicken mixture to a large plate; freeze 10 minutes to cool, then combine with:

½ cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leaves

1 can (4 oz.) pickled jalapenos, drained and chopped (about ¼ cup)

8 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, grated (2 cups)

Set aside.

Assembling enchiladas

10 six inch corn tortillas

3 oz. grated sharp cheddar cheese

¾ cup sour cream

1 avocado, diced medium

5 romaine leaves, washed, dried, and shredded

2 limes quartered

1. Preheat oven to 300°
2. Smear entire bottom of 9X13 inch baking dish with ¾ cup sauce
3. Place tortillas on 2 baking sheets. Spray both sides lightly with cooking spray (Pam) Bake until tortillas are soft and pliable, about 4 minutes
4. Place warm tortillas on countertop. Increase oven temp. to 400°.
5. Place 1/3 cup filling down center of each tortilla.
6. Roll each tortilla tightly by hand and place in baking dish, side by side, seam-side down.
7. Pour remaining chili sauce over top of enchiladas. Use back of spoon to spread sauce so it coats top of each tortilla.
8. Sprinkle with ¾ cup grated cheese down center of enchiladas.

Cover dish with foil. Bake enchiladas on lower-middle rack until heated through and cheese is melted, 20-25 minutes.

Uncover and serve immediately, passing sour cream, avocado, lettuce and lime wedges separately.

Happy Cooking,

Tag’s Kitchen