Smoky Chicken Tacos
Photo from Everyday Food
I am heading back over to my tried and true blog site. I tried a different name and even bought the domain and got a web host. I hated it. I am not a smart enough person to understand all the ins and outs. So back to what I believe is a name that fits me well.
With that said, I have a new Facebook page, Skills Cooking Class! it is all about my cooking classes. Yes real, hands on cooking classes. I have done the first one, "Chicken Breakdown, taking the bird apart". It was a huge success and I enjoyed doing the class so much.
I really can not seem to explain the joy it brings me to teach you basic skills and create real confidence in the kitchen. To give you the tools that seem to be missing in today's world. Skills that we must give to our own children. We are just one generation away from not being able to cook...and making a blue box of mac and cheese does not count as "cooking". How about learning to make a "gourmet" meal using everyday ingredients, but knowing and understanding how to make them into a meal that your family will oh and ah over. Oh yes it can be done!
I work full time, teach a middle school cooking class, help my husband run our small scale farm with 75 chickens, two donkeys, Bantams (they are pets) and two dogs. Oh and one cat and three adult children and all of my crafts. So we do live full lives, and this year, busier than normal. We are also gone one night every week to care for my husbands mother, which we cherish this time with her. Oh and DH is the scholars bowl coach so he is also gone one to three nights a week on top of all of this. Yes we are busy and we often to do not make it to the dinner table.
We do go out sometimes, but it takes so much time-and it gets dark early. Chores have to be done before dark, feeding everyone, collecting eggs (we average 5 dozen a day, we also sell eggs!) and making sure everyone is in the coop and locked up. We also have a major coyote problem. Then I go and pick up our youngest daughter who is 16 from her job at 5:30. If things have gone awry and they often do, I will pick up Freddy's, but that is not cheap.
Last night things got very busy because we had to go and get feed, pick up Clare which would put us home late with no dinner started. DH suggested going out, but that would have been another hour plus, and I wanted to go home. I had a quick recipe in the ready....Smokey Chicken Tacos and 20 minutes later we were eating a hot yummy dinner, at the table! Clare also had a friend over so it was nice to sit together and eat.
The recipe comes from Sarah Carey and Everyday Foods. I use so many of her recipes for cooking class at school, we did this one and the kids wolfed it down. This is what we did last night.
1-2 lbs of frozen breaded chicken (I had some sweet potato crusted chicken tenders, it is a new product that has not hit the shelves yet)
1-2 packages of finely shredded cabbage. Or if you shred your own about 1/2 head
1/4 - 1/2 mayo-start out with the smaller amount
1/2 lime
Chipotles in Adobo Sauce
Corn Tortillas-flour will work but it will not be as good.
Heat your oven and cook your chicken according to the package.
In a large bowl add your shredded cabbage, one or two bags it will depend on how much you need. I used one bag and fed 5 people with no left overs. To your cabbage add 1/4 mayo. Open your can of Chipotles in Adobo and fish out one chili, diced it up fine; add that to the cabbage and about a teaspoon of the sauce. Squeeze the half lime into the cabbage. Stir and let this sit while you do every thing else. It will break down and reduce. After 5 minutes stir, let it sit for another five. If it looks dry, add a bit more mayo.
The Chipotles in Adobo sauce is a hot, spicy, and smoky condiment. The more you add, the hotter it will be. So go slow and taste. The remainder of the can should be tossed into a zip lock bag, flattened and thrown into the freezer. You can then break off what you need for future recipes.
Now for the corn tortillas- Gas Stove method: turn your gas burner on to a medium flame. I use two burners at a time. Using tongs place a tortilla on the flame, let it bubble and blacken the edges. Flip over and repeat.
Electric Oven method: Lay your corn tortillas out on a baking sheet. Place on the top rack and cook till they bubble, flip them over. Do enough for at least three tacos a person.
Assembly: In your warm smoky taco lay a piece of chicken, top with the coleslaw, add any other items you might like, sour cream, shredded cheese and such. I am a purest and only use the slaw and then a squeeze of lime. Dig in and watch it disappear. Including the spicy coleslaw. So far every one who has tried the slaw expressed how much they liked it and how different it was. So use the slaw for a simple side dish anytime.
You can add a side dish, or just chips and salsa.
