Chicken Tacos

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Chicken TacosGuys, I don’t know how I got away without sharing this recipe with you guys yet. I know everyone is probably Mexican-ed out from Cinco de Mayo – but just trust me. This is one you want to Pin, or bookmark, or whatever it is you kids are doing these days!

Our family friend Stephanie introduced me to them a few years ago now. We went through a phase where I made them, like every week, for months. Needless to say, I kind of burnt ourselves out on them. Not to mention, they’re not exactly the healthiest option in my repitoire. But, oh are they good!

We always fry our own corn tortillas – but these are different. They’re almost deep fried. The crispiest taco you’ll ever find! And they retain their crispiness – even cold, after sitting on the cooling rack for 2 hours. Not that I speak from experience or anything..

And, they certainly could be tweaked to be healthier. The filling itself isn’t too bad – with some whole wheat tortillas, or even flour – your calorie count would come down significantly. But the fried shells are really worth trying once!

Chicken Tacos

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs – cut into thin strips
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp cumin
1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder (regular chili powder is fine too)
1 tsp kosher salt
ground black pepper
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Juice of 1 lime
canola oil
12 corn tortillas
lettuce
cilantro
shredded cheese

Place a cooling rack inside/ over a jelly roll pan. Place a layer of paper towels over the cooling rack. Set aside.

Heat a large, heavy bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 Tbsp oil, as well as the chicken. Season with 1/2 tsp salt and black pepper. Cook, stirring frequently until chicken is cooked through and starting to brown on the edges – about 5 minutes. Remove from pan to a cutting board to cool before chopping into small pieces.

Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan and add the bell pepper and onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until peppers and onions are soft and starting to brown on the edges – about 5 minutes. Add garlic, cumin, and chili powder and cook for an additional minute. Add the chopped chicken back to the pan, as well as the chopped cilantro and lime juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat, and place taco filling in a medium-sized bowl.

Wipe the skillet clean, and return to stove over medium heat. Add a few tablespoons of oil to the pan. Place a tortilla in the pan and let it fry for about 15 seconds, then flip over. Place about 3 Tbsp chicken taco filling inside the tortilla, right down the center.

Using tongs, carefully fold the tortilla in half, forming a taco shell. Fry on one side for about 1 minute, then using a spatula (I like using my fish spatula) carefully flip over and brown the other side. Remove to the paper-towel lined cooling rack. Repeat process with remaining tortillas. You can usually get 2 or 3 tacos going at the same time once you have the hang of it.

Serve tacos with shredded lettuce, fresh cilantro, and shredded cheese.

Source: adapted from a family friend recipe. Thanks, Burke crew!

Orange Chicken

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Take Out Fake Out: Orange ChickenIt’s been a while since we shared a take out fake-out favorite here on the site – so I thought it was high time! I’ve made this orange chicken several times now over the past couple years, and we always really enjoy it. I hate deep-frying anything. Not that I don’t love fried foods, but it makes a mess, isn’t figure friendly, and the smell lingers in the air for hours. But, once in a blue moon it’s a nice treat that we all look forward to.

At first I was leery of the cornstarch batter. But, I’ll tell you – it’s totally the secret of the Chinese restaurants. Browns and crisps up beautifully, and it stays crispy. Even after spending some time in the oven while I fried the rest of the chicken, and saucing – it was still nice and crunchy.

And the sauce? Fresh orange juice and zest, a little tang from rice wine vinegar, and a spicy kick from cayenne makes for a perfect combination. I actually like to use whole dried small red peppers, but I couldn’t find any – so cayenne works in a pinch (heh, in a pinch – no pun intended). I’m looking forward to trying the sauce in other applications as well. I think it would be a fabulous basting sauce for chicken or pork on the grill – which we’ve been firing up a lot lately.

So let’s give your delivery guy a rest, and make this Chinese favorite in your own kitchen tonight!

Orange Chicken

For the marinade and sauce:
3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
2 tsp. finely grated orange zest
6 tbsp. rice wine vinegar (or white vinegar)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar (dark or light)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp. fresh ginger, grated
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 1/2 lbs. boneless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 tbsp. plus 2 tsp. cornstarch
2 tbsp. cold water
8 thin strips orange peel (optional)

For the coating and frying:
3 large egg whites
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
3 cups vegetable oil

To make the marinade and sauce, combine the chicken broth, orange juice, orange zest, vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger and cayenne pepper in a large saucepan; whisk to blend well.  Measure out ¾ cup of the mixture and transfer it to a large zipper lock plastic bag.  Add the chicken pieces to the bag, pressing out the excess air and sealing well.  Refrigerate and let marinate 30-60 minutes, but no longer.  Place the saucepan with the remaining mixture on the stove and heat over medium-high heat.  Bring to a simmer.  In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and water until smooth.  Add the mixture to the saucepan with the sauce.  Continue simmering until the sauce is thick and translucent, about 1 minute.  Remove from the heat and stir in the strips of orange peel, if using.

To prepare the coating, place the egg whites in a pie plate and whisk until frothy.  In a second pie plate combine the cornstarch, baking soda and cayenne pepper; whisk to blend.  Drain the chicken of the marinade in a colander or large strainer; pat dry with paper towels.  Place half of the chicken pieces in the egg whites and turn to coat.  Transfer the pieces to the cornstarch mixture and coat thoroughly, shaking off the excess.  Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining chicken pieces.

To fry the chicken, heat the oil in 5-quart Dutch oven or straight-sided sauté pan until the oil reaches 350 F.  Carefully place half of the chicken pieces in the oil and fry until golden brown, about 5 minutes, turning the pieces halfway through cooking.  Remove from the oil with a skimmer or slotted spoon and transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.  Return the oil to 350 F and repeat with the remaining chicken pieces.

Reheat the sauce if necessary and toss with the cooked chicken pieces.  Serve over rice, if desired.

Source: adapted from America’s Test Kitchen via Annie’s Eats

Chicken Tortilla Soup

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Chicken Tortilla Soup

While some people don’t think of the warmer months as soup season, I can’t help turning the stuff away just because the thermometer rises. I just cook different kinds of soups than I do in the winter months! Lighter fare, full of good things – like veggies, and beans. Enter, Chicken Tortilla Soup. I still have a stockpile of whole chickens from my dad that I’ve been trying to use (there will no doubt be another 10 chickens soon to follow!) and making homemade chicken stock and soup is always my favorite thing to do with the small fryers.

Now, there are differing approaches to tortilla soup. Some recipes called for adding the uncooked tortillas right in the soup – which is okay. But, I kind of wanted them slightly crunchy. And, toasting anything totally brings out the flavor more – always a good thing.

So I did the soup on it’s own, then fried up some tortilla strips and served the soup on a few strips of those. They softened up, and released their tortilla-ey goodness into the soup, but still retained a slight crunch. I kept the ingredient list fairly simple. Chicken, black beans, onions, tomatoes, bell peppers, and corn – all in a delicious seasoned chicken broth. We all really enjoyed it. It was a meal that filled us up, without weighing us down. And, leftovers were great all week long!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

3 cups shredded chicken
8 cups chicken stock or broth
1 cup water
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (10 ounce) can Rotel tomatoes
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cup corn kernels, thawed
1 small can tomato paste
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp kosher salt
ground black pepper
fresh cilantro, chopped
sliced jalapeno, for garnish
sliced avocado, for garnish
8, 6-inch tortillas, cut into strips and fried (or store-bought tortilla chips)

Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot, like a Dutch oven. Add onions, peppers, and garlic. Saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add cumin, chili powder, oregano – cook for an additional minute until fragrant. Add in the tomato paste, and cook stirring frequently, until tomato paste is starting to darken. Slowly add the chicken stock and water and bring to a boil.

Add the shredded chicken, tomatoes, black beans, corn, and salt. Stir to combine. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 45 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

When ready to serve, add a small handful of tortilla strips to the bottom of a bowl. Ladle soup onto tortilla strips. Garnish soup with fresh cilantro, sliced avocado, and a few more tortilla strips.

Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

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Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

I can’t say enough wonderful things about this soup. Definitely didn’t see this one coming! Dad brought us another stockpile of whole fryer chickens – which is the perfect size to roast, then break down and turn into soup. But, we wanted something a little different. While I love my classics (chicken and noodle, chicken and rice) I wanted something a little different. I had a half a box of orzo, and some pretty lemons – so I went to Google to see what it could direct me too.

It led me to this recipe from Cooking Light, and it turned out exceptional. We enjoyed it for dinner last Sunday night, I ate the leftovers for lunch all week long, and was disappointed when it was all gone! Which, isn’t like me at all – I’m usually over leftovers on day 2. The lemon in it is just perfect – not enough to make you pucker or be overpowering – but just enough to brighten up the flavor of the broth.

I also think it’s a great dish to segue into spring. Still a warm and comforting soup on a chilly evening, but brings the fresh flavors of lemon and fresh parsley to the table. I’m already thinking about the next time we’ll make it! All of us in the house are still thinking and talking about this one. Definitely a new family favorite.


Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch thick
1 celery stalk, thinly sliced
8 cups of chicken stock or broth
Zest of 2 lemons
Juice of 2 lemons
1 bay leaf
8 oz (1.5 cups) orzo pasta
2 cups cooked shredded chicken
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
Salt and pepper, to taste

In a large stockpot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, carrots, and celery and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.

Add the chicken broth, lemon zest, lemon juice,and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook for 20 minutes.

Add the shredded chicken and orzo to the pot and cook for about 10 minutes, until the orzo is tender.

Discard the bay leaf and stir in the parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste before serving.

Source: adapted from Cooking Light