Tag: tortillas

Chicken Fajitas with Cilantro Avocado Sauce

I love, love, Mexican flavors and this recipe is a great example of the food I love to cook and eat. I made this dish this past summer and served it with a nectarine salsa- you can substitute apples or some pineapple for the summer fruit…

2 cups cilantro
3 green onions
½ cup chicken broth
Juice of 2 large limes
1 to 2 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons salt

Transfer all the ingredients into a blender. Blend well until a smooth sauce is formed. Taste for seasonings and keep aside. Take out 3 tablespoons of the sauce and keep aside.

1 pound chicken breast, sliced into strips
1 large yellow onion, sliced
1 green pepper, sliced
1 orange pepper, sliced

Marinate the chicken in a bowl with half of the cilantro sauce. Marinate the onion and peppers in the other half of the cilantro sauce. Transfer them to a fridge and marinate for 2 to 3 hours. Take out an hour before cooking.

1 medium avocado
¼ cup full fat yogurt
Salt

Add the avocado and yogurt to the blender with the remaining cilantro sauce. Add a bit of water if needed and blend till smooth. Keep aside as a sauce for the fajitas.

3 to 6 tablespoons oil
4 to 6 corn tortillas

Heat a grill pan or regular pan with 2 tablespoons oil. Cook the chicken strips in 2 to 3 batches till golden brown and cooked through. Add more oil and cook the onion and peppers and add them to the cooked chicken.

Heat the corn tortillas and add some of the chicken and pepper mixture. Top with some avocado sauce and serve.

Pulled Chicken Tacos

I love making tacos- especially pulled chicken or pork… chicken being healthier, I tend to make them more often. I made a delicious crunchy cole slaw to go on top…

1 pound chicken thighs, skinless, with bones

Spice Rub

2 teaspoons ancho chili powder
2 teaspoons chipotle powder
2 teaspoons salt

Mix all the spices in a small bowl. Sprinkle all over the chicken thighs and marinate for 2 to 3 hours in the fridge.

2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced thin
3 garlic cloves, grated
1 cup blood orange juice (regular orange juice will work as well)
2 cups tomato sauce (preferably homemade)
½ cup cilantro, chopped
Salt
Pack of small tortillas

Heat a medium saucepan with olive oil. Brown the chicken pieces on high heat on both sides. Reduce heat and add the onion and garlic. Saute on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the orange juice to deglaze. Mix well and add the tomato sauce. Bring to a boil and cover with lid. Lower to a simmer and cook for 25 minutes. Take the lid off and turn the heat off. Let the chicken pieces cool. Take out the pieces and shred with a fork. Return to the pan and bring back to a boil to cook any extra moisture. Check for salt and garnish with cilantro. Assemble the tacos with the pulled chicken and top with cabbage slaw.

Chicken Enchiladas

One of our favorite cuisines is Mexican- we all love it and I make a whole lot of it at home… this is one of our favs…

1 pound chicken thighs, boneless and skinless
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon chipotle powder
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Drizzle the olive oil all over the chicken thighs and rub them with the spices and salt. Marinate for at least 2 to 3 hours. Keep aside.

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 cups homemade sauce or a 28 ounces can of crushed tomatoes
1 large onion, sliced
3 garlic cloves, crushed
Salt
½ cup cilantro, chopped

Heat a heavy saucepan with the olive oil. Add the chicken pieces and brown them on both sides until golden brown, at least 4 to 5 minutes on each side.

Take out of the pan and add the onion and garlic. Saute on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomato sauce and the chicken back to the saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer with the lid on for 15 to 20 minutes or till the chicken is cooked through. Take the chicken out and let cool. Once thoroughly cooled off, shred the chicken with a fork and keep the meat aside. Add cilantro to the tomato sauce, check for seasoning and keep aside.

6 to 8 small tortillas (I used a tortillas made with both flour and corn)
2 cups shredded cheese (I used a mixture of Mexican cheeses) and more if needed

Use a 8X8 oven proof dish and start assembling the enchiladas. Dip a tortilla in the tomato sauce and then place half a cup of the shredded chicken in the middle and top with about a ¼ cup of shredded cheese. Roll it up tightly and place it in the dish seam side down. Repeat with all the tortillas you have using up all the chicken. Top with the tomato sauce and about one cup of shredded cheese.

Bake in a 350 degrees oven for 45 minutes covered with aluminum foil. Take out and let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Deconstructed Shrimp Enchiladas with Tomato Sauce

These are soooo good! I saw some chef make a version of these on The Chew… and it looked yummy.. and very interesting as she added nutmeg to the tomato sauce- not something I associate with Mexican cooking…. So, I tweaked it to my taste and came up with this version. They are easier than traditional enchiladas as there is no assembly requires.. just dip the tortillas in the sauce and add the filling, fold in half and serve!!! Definitely make yesterday’s slaw with them…

2 cups tomato sauce, homemade or store bought (14 ounces can of tomato sauce)
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 jalapeno chili, sliced in half and deseeded
1 medium onion, chopped
½ teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup fish stock
½ cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon olive oil

Transfer the tomato sauce to a medium saucepan. Add the garlic, jalapeno, onion, nutmeg and salt. Bring to a boil and lower the heat to a simmer for 10 minutes or till the vegetables are soft. Transfer to a blender and add the fish stock and blend till smooth.

Heat the same saucepan with olive oil and add the tomato sauce and sauté for a minute. Turn heat lower and simmer, covered for 15 minutes, till the sauce is thickened. Add the heavy cream, mix well and check for seasonings. Keep warm.

1 pound medium shrimp, cleaned and cut into half
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt

Heat a frying pan with the butter and olive oil. Add the shrimp and cook on medium heat, stirring constantly, for 3 to 4 minutes or till the shrimp is cooked through. Turn heat off and keep aside.

1 large avocado, diced
Juice of half a lemon
1 teaspoon salt

Mix the avocado, lemon juice and salt in a small bowl and keep aside.

6 to 8 6 inch tortillas, heated in a toaster oven or stove top
½ cup queso fresco, crumbled

Take each tortilla and immerse in the tomato sauce. Remove and place on a plate. Add some shrimp and avocado and garnish with some queso fresco. Repeat with the rest of the tortillas.

Shrimp Tacos with Crunchy Tamarind Coleslaw

Here is a delicious taco recipe for Cinco de Mayo!

1 pound medium shrimp, cleaned and deveined
Zest of one lemon
Zest of one orange
1 teaspoon chipotle pepper
2 teaspoons salt

Marinate the shrimp with the lemon zest, orange zest, chipotle pepper and salt for 3 to 4 hours in the fridge.

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, sliced
3 garlic cloves, grated
1 poblano pepper, sliced
Juice of a lemon
4 to 6 small tortillas, heated

Heat a non-stick pan with the olive oil. Add the onion, garlic and poblano pepper. Saute on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook just until they are cooked through- about 3 to 4 minutes. Drizzle the lemon juice, mix well and turn heat off and keep aside.

1 cup shredded cabbage (I used shredded broccoli and carrots)
½ teaspoon tamarind concentrate
Juice of one orange
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon chipotle pepper
1 teaspoon honey
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

Mix the tamarind, orange juice, salt, chipotle pepper, honey and olive oil in a container with a tight lid. Shake well and pour all over the cabbage. Mix well.

Assemble the tacos with a heated tortilla with some shrimp on top and finally topped with the crunchy coleslaw.

Leftover Quesadilla

I love, love creating something completely different with my leftovers in the fridge. I had the grilled chicken and plum sauce from yesterdays posting. I decided to reuse them through the week and create quesadillas. My favorite tortillas to buy right now are the habanero lime ones from Trader Joes. They are not super spicy but have a nice kick to them.

It was a very quick meal to put together which is very convenient through the week. I paired it with some mild mozzarella cheese and the quesadillas were delicious. I served an avocado salad and a glass of refreshing Rose!!

Left over grilled plum chicken, cut into bite size pieces
Left over plum barbecue sauce
Shredded mozzarella cheese
Tortillas of choice
Olive oil

Heat a non-stick pan with the olive oil. Add the tortilla. Place the shredded cheese and the chicken pieces on the tortilla. Drizzle some sauce and top with the other tortilla. Cook well on both sides or till the cheese melts. Cut and serve with salsa.

Mexican Chicken Stew with Chorizo

This dish reflects my obsession with smoked paprika- yet again. I also love Mexican and Latin flavors. They are very similar to Indian and Thai flavors- loud and flavorful. That is what I love. Don’t get me wrong, I do love the subtle dishes as well but I find myself craving the spicy, flavorful foods- preferably the kind I churn out in my kitchen. I can control the fat, sodium and honestly make it more tasty than what we get outside.

This one starts with chicken thighs- my favorite cut to cook with.. they are very forgiving and super flavorful. I then added my other other favorite ingredient- chorizo which provides immense flavor to any dish. I love eating it on it’s own…

A mixture of green onions, carrots, tomatoes and chipotle sauce makes this stew really delicious. I served it hot with hot corn tortillas and fresh guacamole. My husband had a cold beer and I enjoyed a glass of red wine. It was absolutely delicious…

1 pound skinless thighs
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 teaspoons salt

Sprinkle the chicken thighs generously with the paprika and salt. Keep aside.

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 cup carrots, chopped
½ cup green onions, chopped
1 link chorizo, casing removed and chopped
1 to 2 teaspoons chipotle sauce
1 cup chopped tomatoes
2 cups chicken broth
Salt
½ cup cilantro, chopped

Heat a heavy saucepan with the olive oil. Brown the chicken thighs on both sides on high heat in two batches and keep aside. Add the chorizo to the pan and sauté on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the carrots and green onions. Saute for another 2 to 3 minutes and add the chipotle sauce, chopped tomatoes and chicken broth. Bring to a boil and add the chicken thighs. Bring to a boil and lower heat to a simmer and cover with lid. Let it cook for at least 45 minutes. Take the lid off and cook on a simmer for another half an hour until the meat is falling off the bone. Check for seasonings and add salt. Garnish with cilantro and serve with guacamole and tortillas.

« older entries