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.

2 pounds asparagus
Olive oil
Salt
Extra pork marinade from Grilled Pork Tenderloin recipe

Instructions

1. Prepare the grill.
2. Snap off tough ends of asparagus and trim scales. Arrange spears in baking dish or heavy-duty zip-top bag; drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
3. Grill thin spears in a grill pan or basket; arrange thicker spears perpendicular to grates to prevent falling through. Cook 6 to 10 minutes, until slightly charred and crisp-tender. Serve with extra pork marinade.

Serves 6 to 8.

Ginger-Lime Vinaigrette Marinade:

½ cup lime juice
½ cup olive oil
3 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
3 tablespoons finely chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

2 (1- to 1½-pound) pork tenderloins

Instructions

1. To prepare the marinade, whisk together all ingredients.
2. Place pork in zip-top plastic bag; add about half the marinade (reserve remaining marinade to serve with asparagus or pork). Seal bag and refrigerate 30 minutes to 24 hours.
3. Prepare the grill.
4. Remove pork from bag; discard bag and marinade. Grill pork 15 to 25 minutes, turning occasionally, until a meat thermometer registers 155F (slightly pink). Remove from heat and let stand about 5 minutes before slicing.

Serves 4, plus leftovers.

2 pounds flank or skirt steak
Olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Marinade:
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeño chile pepper, seeded and minced
1 teaspoon freshly ground cumin seed (best to lightly toast the seeds first, then grind them)
1 large handful fresh cilantro, leaves and stems, finely chopped (great flavor in the stems)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 limes, juiced
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup olive oil                                                                                                                    1 slice of Orange

Directions:

1. Put the flank steak in a large ziplock bag.  Add all marinade ingredients into the bag.  Let marinade for 1-4 hours. Make sure each steak piece is well covered in marinade

2. Preheat your grill over medium-high flame.  Brush the grates with a little oil to prevent the meat from sticking.

3. Season both sides of the steak pieces with salt and pepper. Grill the pieces for a few minutes for about 4 minutes, until medium rare to well done. Remove the steak pieces to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes. Thinly slice the steak across the grain on a diagonal.

Note:  I found that there wasn’t enough marinade for the meat.  I would suggest doubling the marinade.

(Optional) Serve with warm tortillas (flour or corn). Warm the tortillas for 30 seconds on each side in a dry skillet or on the grill, until toasty and pliable. Alternatively, you can warm tortillas in a microwave: heating just one or two at a time, place tortillas on a paper towel and microwave them for 15 to 20 seconds each on high.

(Optional) Serve with pico de gallo (fresh tomato salsa) and chopped avocados.

(Optional) Sauté the onions & Cilantro for an added topping for the carne asada.

3 cups of Oil (Canola, Corn, Peanut or Olive Oil)

¼ cups of hot red chilies (dried & crushed)

Instructions

1. Combine oil and crushed hot chile in a heavy-bottomed pan. Starting on the lowest heat possible, bring oil temperature to 140 degrees (use a deep-fry or candy thermometer), and maintain temperature for 10 minutes.
2. Take oil off of heat and let stand until it comes down to room temperature. Let sit for at least 1 day before using. Pour into a clean, tightly sealed glass jar and refrigerate. Use within 1 month.

This is great with balsamic vinegar to dip bread into.  Works well brushing onto a chicken prior to cooking.

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.

4 teaspoons cinnamon

2 teaspoons ginger

1 teaspoon allspice

1 teaspoon nutmeg

Mix ingredients in a bowl and store in an airtight container.  Adjust the spices to suit your tastes.  I personally like a little more nutmeg & ginger.

¼ cup Dijon mustard

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

4 large cloves garlic, minced

1 T. minced fresh rosemary

½ tsp. pepper

¼-½ cup olive oil

Wash and pat dry:

4 chicken breasts, skinned and  boned

Place chicken and marinade in a ziplock bag and marinade at room temperature for 2 hours or in refrigerator 4-6 hours or overnight.

Grill chicken for 5-6 minutes per side or until it springs to the touch.

¼ Cup Soy Sauce

¼ Cup Vegetable Oil

1 Tbsp Grated Fresh Ginger

1 Clove Garlic, minced

1 to 1 ½ Lbs Flank Steak

Asian Slaw:

3 Tbsp. Sugar

¼ Cup Seasoned Rice Vinegar

2 Jalapeño Peppers (Green or Red), thinly sliced into rounds

2 tsp. Soy Sauce

1 Tbsp Grated Fresh Ginger

5 Cups thinly sliced Napa Cabbage

1 Cup Julienned Carrots

½ Cup Chopped Fresh Mint

Salt & Pepper to taste

Mix first 4 ingredients together and marinate flake steak in a zip-lock bag for 1 to 3 hours.  Turn occasionally.

When ready to cook, preheat grill.  Stir sugar and vinegar in a small saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves.  Remove from heat and add jalapeños, 2 tsp. soy sauce & 1 Tbsp. ginger.  Place cabbage, carrots and mint in a medium bowl.  Pour the vinegar mixture over the vegetables and toss to coat.  Season with Salt & Pepper.

Grill the steak for about 4 minutes per side for medium rare.  It’s important to make sure the cooked meat has time to rest before carving into thin slices.  Divide slaw between plates and then top with beef.

With Flank Steak you want to cut the meat across the grain… not with it.

*** This recipe is great with Yummy & Easy Mashed Potatoes***

½ LBS. Granulated Sugar

1/3 Cup Chili Powder

1 Cup Paprika

1 ½ TBSP Thyme Leaves

1 ½ TBSP Celery Leaves

2 ½ TBSP Granulated Garlic

2 ½ TBSP Oregano

2 ½ TBSP Dried Basil

½ TBSP Cayenne Pepper

1/3 Cup Kosher Salt

Mix all ingredients together

Store in air tight container

Rub meat thickly with the rub & a small amount of olive oil.

Then BBQ or Broil meat until cooked at desired temperature.

This cure works well on pork loins, chicken, steak & fish