Chipotle Chicken with Cilantro Lime Rice and Guacamole

I love Chipotle! I enjoy it so much I could eat it almost every day. However, this is not realistic, so I came up with my own homemade version. It is delish and totally satisfies the Chipotle craving! 

I am a firm believer in using a cast iron skillet for this. If you don't own one, you probably should, so go out and buy one. They last forever and can't be beat for heat retention. They are also necessary for homemade deep dish pizza - post coming soon!

I like my Chipotle with their delicious rice, guacamole, and lettuce (I know, kinda weird, but to each his own). Feel free to add salsa, cheese, beans or whatever you like. If you like their steak, I bet you could just substitute beef for the chicken.

I am a purist when it comes to guacamole and sometimes just use mashed avocado, salt and pepper. If you have good avocados, then that is all you really need, but feel free to add onion, tomato, chopped green chiles - it's all good.

Chipotle Chicken
 

Ingredients:

6 boneless skinless chicken thighs

vegetable oil for cooking

Marinade:

1 (7oz.) can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (use sauce only and discard the peppers or save for another use)

Juice of 1/2 lime

3/4 tsp. ground cumin

3/4 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. finely chopped garlic

1 Tbsp. honey

 

Directions:

Combine marinade ingredients in a ziploc bag. Add chicken and marinate in the refrigerator for 12-48 hours.

When ready to cook, remove from refrigerator and set on counter about 20 min. So chicken is not too cold when you cook it. Preheat a 12" cast iron skillet or griddle to medium heat (I use level 4, full burner on my electric cooktop). Add 1-2 Tbsp. of oil and add 3 pieces of chicken. Cook for 6-7 min. per side, flipping only once or twice. It's okay if it gets a little charred - makes it taste great. Remove from heat and allow to rest about 5 minutes I like to add a little more salt to taste at this point. Thinly slice or chop into small pieces. Cook remaining chicken breasts. 

Serve on flour tortillas with Cilantro Lime rice, guacamole, and julienned romaine lettuce.

Cilantro Lime Rice

Ingredients: 

2 cups water

1 cup long grain rice

1/2 tsp. salt

1 bay leaf

1 1/2-2 Tbsp. equal parts lime  lemon and orange juice

1/3 cup finely chopped cilantro

 

Directions:

Bring water to a boil. Add salt, bay leaf and rice and stir. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 25 min until rice is cooked. Let rest 5 minutes, then uncover and add juice and cilantro; fluff to combine.

Guacamole

Ingredients:

Mexican avocado

Lawry's garlic salt

Lawry's Seasoned Salt

 

Directions:

Skin and pit avocado, then mash in a bowl. Season to taste with Lawry's Garlic Salt and Lawry's Seasoned Salt.
 

Becky's Enchiladas

It seems that when you live in the South, everyone has a favorite enchilada recipe. Well, here is my family's favorite.

I usually buy a whole roasted chicken and use the dark meat for the enchiladas and save the white meat for other uses. Sometimes I use the whole chicken and double the recipe and cook both batches, then freeze one set of the enchiladas (I freeze it in serving sized portions for easy reheating after school!)

We like to use wheat tortillas from our local HEB store and Hatch Green Chile Enchilada Sauce. 

Becky likes shredded mozzarella so we always seem to have a bag of it around, but I think Monterey Jack would be delicious. Don't stress out over the Mexican cheese. I think the dish would be just as good if you omitted it and just added more of the shredded cheese.

I use cumin and coriander because I love these flavors but feel free to add green or red chile powder or Mexican oregano or whatever seasoning you like! This is a mild dish, so if you like spice you need to kick it up a notch. If it weren't for the kids I would add some fresh cilantro.

Serve with your choice of condiments and sides such as sour cream, guacamole, yellow rice and beans.

Ingredients

2 large cooked chicken breasts, shredded OR 2 thighs and legs, shredded

1/4 tsp. garlic salt

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1/4 tsp. ground coriander

8 flour or corn tortillas

8 Tbsp. cream cheese

1 (10 oz.) can Green Enchilada Sauce

2/3 cup crumbled Queso Fresco or Cotija cheese

1 cup shredded cheese of your choice, divided

Directions

Preheat oven to 400° F.

Coat the bottom of a 13"x9"x2" baking dish with 1/4 of the enchilada sauce.

Place the shredded chicken in a bowl and season with the garlic salt, cumin and coriander and about 1/8 cup of the enchilada sauce. Taste it to make sure it is seasoned to your taste.

Spread 1 Tbsp. of cream cheese on each tortilla.

Put 1/8 of the chicken mixture on each tortilla.

Top each tortilla with the crumbled cheese and 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese.

Roll up the tortillas and place them seam side down in the baking dish.

Top with the remaining enchilada sauce and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of shredded cheese.

Bake covered for 30 minutes until warmed through.

Honey Yummy Porkchops

Ingredients

4-6 pork chops (thin ribeye chops or thick chops)
1/4 cup honey
1/3 cup soy sauce
1 tsp of sesame oil
1/2 tsp of fresh ginger, grated
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 Jalapeño or Serrano pepper finely chopped
juice of 1 small lemon

Directions

1. Combine the honey, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, chopped pepper and lemon juice in a ziplock bag and mix well.
2. Add the porkchops to the ziplock bag. 
3. Close the bag and allow to marinate in the refrigerator for 20 minutes up to overnight.
4. When you are ready to cook the chops, heat a pan over medium high heat. 
5. Add the chops and about 1/4 cup of the marinade to the pan. Cook the chops, basting with the sauce until cooked through and sticky. Don't add too much sauce to the pan, and be careful not to burn the sauce. 
6. Once the chops are cooked, remove to a plate. 
7. You may add the remaining marinade to the pan if desired and reduce until sticky, then pour over chops. 

Taco Soup

A Southern Favorite!

Ingredients
1 pound ground beef (or turkey - I like 85% lean)
1 package dry taco seasoning mix (I like Lawry's brand)
1 package dry ranch dressing mix (I use Hidden Valley Ranch brand)
1 can pinto beans (I use Ranch Style brand)
1 can Ranch Style Beans
1 can kidney beans (I use Ranch Style brand)
1 can whole kernel corn (I like a mixture of White and Gold corn)
1 can creamed corn
1 can diced tomatoes (I use Rotel brand - they have mild, regular or extra spicy)

This recipe can be as plain or spicy as you like depending upon how seasoned the cans of beans and tomatoes are that you buy. I like to buy them already seasoned because then I don't have to season the soup at all! My Mom likes to add a can of Ranch Style Black Beans as well.

Directions
Step 1
You have two options:
(1) Original Version: cook the meat in a skillet until just browned; drain. Add the taco seasoning packet and cook another minute or two.  Continue to Step 2.
Or
(2) My Version: most of the time I just skip browning the meat, and put the raw meat directly into the crockpot. I think it turns out the same. Continue to Step 2, adding the taco seasoning directly to the crockpot.

Step 2
Empty ENTIRE contents of remaining ingredients (liquid and all!) into a crockpot or a heavy soup/stew pot.

Step 3
Add the meat and cook on low overnight in the crockpot, or simmer in soup pot - the longer the better.

Step 4
Enjoy! Don't forget the Beano!

Meaty Pasta Sauce or "Becky's Pasta"

Ingredients

1 package ground pork (about a pound)
1 package ground sirloin  90% lean (about a pound)
1 large onion, chopped
4-6 garlic cloves, minced
Salt, Lawry's Seasoning salt and/or garlic salt to taste
1 jar pasta sauce (I like Delallo Vodka Sauce or other creamy tomato sauce)
Pasta shape of your choice
Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions

1. Put meat, onion and garlic into the cold pan and turn the heat to medium or medium low. No need to add any oil, the juices from the meat will suffice. Sauté until just browned, breaking up the meat periodically with a spoon. I like to get it to small crumbles.  Do not drain. This is where all the flavor is! If you use lean ground beef, there won't be too much fat anyways.
2. Season with salt and Lawry's and/or garlic salt. Taste the meat to make sure it is seasoned well.
3. Add sauce and simmer for at least an hour. I have found that it takes this long for the flavors to meld and the onions to break down.
4. Serve over pasta. Becky likes linguine or rotini and layers in mozzarella and Parmesan. I like mine over spaghetti squash!