Slow Cooked Chicken Verde Tacos with Mexican Rice and Black Beans

It was Taco Night in the anti-Chef household. I've been working a ridiculous number of hours lately, so I wanted a meal that required minimal effort on my part. This chicken uses a crock pot to achieve its slow-cooked status (and allows me to sleep while my electronic sous chef does all the work). The protein has a lot of flavor, so I recommend keeping the toppings simple. As you can see in the photo, I just used some fresh avocado and cilantro to finish my soft tacos. My oldest used some leftover Chilled Avocado Soup to top hers; the youngest didn't use any toppings at all.

Slightly more time-intensive were the side dishes. The black beans and Mexican rice were made for a potluck at work, and I was blessed to have some leftovers. I've included the recipes here, of course. Know that these work quite well made ahead of time! The microwave is my friend....

I finished off the meal with a little shredded cabbage slaw and some roasted bell peppers. Aside from the chicken, this meal counts as vegetarian and vegan. Perhaps some seitan instead for the non-carnivores out there?

Slow-Cooked Chicken Tacos in Verde Sauce

Ingredients:

6 tomatillos, husks removed and halved

2 serrano peppers, stems removed and halved lengthwise

1 small yellow onion, quartered

2 cloves garlic

3/4 c cilantro

1/4 c fresh oregano

zest and juice from 1 lime

2 tbs honey

2 tsp salt

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast

1/2 tsp fresh cracked pepper

12 corn tortillas

toppings of choice

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450F. Place tomatillos and serrano peppers, cut side down, on an oiled baking sheet. Roast in oven 15-20 minutes, or until skins start to blacken.

Place roasted produce in a blender with onion, garlic, herbs, lime juice and zest, and honey. Puree with 1 teaspoon of the salt until well blended. Season chicken with remaining salt and the pepper and place in the crockpot. Cover with the tomatillo blend and cook on "Low" for 6 hours.

Using two forks, shred chicken and stir to distribute the sauce. Allow to cook another hour or two. Serve shredded chicken on warmed corn tortillas with toppings of your choice. Served 6.

Mexican Rice

Ingredients:

1 tbs butter or olive oil

1 c uncooked rice

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbs fresh oregano, finely chopped (or 1 tsp dried)

1/2 onion, chopped

1/2 green bell pepper, chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, minced

1 15oz can corn, drained

1 8oz can diced tomatoes with chilis

1/2 c spicy tomato juice

1 1/2 c cold water

1 tsp cumin powder

2 tsp chili powder

salt to taste

1/4 c cilantro or parsley, finely chopped

Directions:

Heat butter or oil over medium heat in a large skillet (a wok works nicely for this). Cook rice in the oil for about 10 minutes, stiring frequently, until rice just starts to brown. Add the garlic and oregano; cook another minute.

Stir remaining ingredients in and increase heat to high. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low. Allow to cook for 20 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and let rest 10 minutes. Fluff with fork and salt to taste. Stir in cilantro. Makes about 5 cups of Mexican rice.

Mexican Black Beans

Ingredients:

1 tbs light olive oil

1/2 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbs fresh oregano, finely chopped (or 1 tsp dried)

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp lime zest

1/4 tsp cayenne

2 15oz cans black beans, rinsed and drained

3/4 c Mexican lager of choice

salt to taste

1/4 c cilantro or parsley, finely chopped

lime wedges

Directions:

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, then add garlic, oregano, and cumin; saute one more minute.

Stir in zest, cayenne, beans, and beer. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season to taste with salt and stir in cilantro. Serve with lime wedges to squeeze over beans. Makes about 4 cups of black beans.

Chana Masala

Here's a simple Indian favorite of mine. Chana masala has a spicy dry flavor that goes great over rice or with flatbread (as you can see in my photo, I chose flatbread this time). While I can't attest to exactly how authentic the recipe is, I can definitely vouch for the flavor! I like it spicy, so I added about twice as much red pepper. To cool it off, I topped my serving off with a cucumber, onion, and tomato salad--simply dice equal amounts of each ingredient to make.

God bless the chickpea.

Chana Masala

Ingredients:

2 tbs peanut oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 clove of garlic, minced

2 tsp ginger, grated

1 tbs guaram masala

1 tbs paprika

1 tsp tumeric

1 med tomato, diced

1 tbs tomato paste

1 15oz can chick peas, rinsed and drained

3 tbs coconut milk

1 tsp lime zest

1/2 tbs lime juice

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp fresh cracked pepper

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper, optional (adjust to taste)

1 jalapeno, stemmed, seeded, and chopped

1/2 cup water (give or take a quarter cup)

Directions:

Heat oil on medium high heat in a large wok. Saute onions until pale golden brown. Reduce heat to medium and add garlic, ginger, guaram masala, paprika, tumeric, tomato, and paste. Stir and simmer about 2 minutes. Add chick peas, coconut milk, lime zest and juice, salt, pepper, and jalapeno. Simmer 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally; add red pepper to taste. Stir and simmer for 10-15 minutes more or until peas are softened, adding water as needed to prevent the stew from drying out. Serve over rice or with flat bread. Makes 4 servings.

Black Bean Burgers, Grilled Pineapple Salsa, Homemade Ketchup, and Bacon-Flavored Potato Chips

....a.k.a., the All-American Meal: anti-Chef-style.

I tagged this as vegetarian, but no one get up in arms over the bacon-flavored chips. I'm not forcing you to make them! The chips came about as an epiphany after the oldest spawn complained about me making veggie burgers. Because her step-mom is a vegetarian, my poor deprived teenage daughter looks to me to satisfy those cravings (for, while I do make a lot of vegetarian items, I am most definitely not a vegetarian. I just like vegetables!).

I suggested topping the burgers with bacon, which the offspring was agreeable to. Then the inspiration started flowing, and I decided bacon chips were the way to go. For the meat-abstainers out there, these homemade potato chips work just fine without the bacon fat. Just use an additional tablespoon of oil and some fresh herbs.

I apologize for the photo....we were one hungry family last night, so I was lucky to even get this picture taken. For the burger buns, I really like the multi-grain sandwich thins. You can see a bit of the fire-roasted tomato ketchup on the bottom bun, followed by the burger topped with grilled pineapple salsa and the top half of the bread. The potato chips have bacon bits on them, and I also served them with a little of my garlic aioli. Had I been thinking with my blog rather than with my stomach, each item would've had a higher chance of individual photo shoots!

Hey, a girl's gotta eat.

Black Bean Burgers

Ingredients:

2 15oz cans black beans, rinsed and drained

1 med red onion, finely chopped

2 eggs, beaten

1 1/2 - 2 c panko (I used 1 2/3 c, but it will vary depending on how wet your ingredients are)

1 tsp each salt/pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/3 c red pepper, finely chopped

1 4oz can chopped green chilis

4 green onions, chopped

1 tbs fresh cilantro, minced

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp lime zest

1 tsp pepper sauce (more if you like it hot!)

Directions:

In a large bowl, mash beans. Add remaining ingredients and mix until well-combined. Shape into 5 1/2" patties and allow to rest about half an hour at room temperature.

Heat grill pan or skillet over medium heat. Place patties in pan, cover, and cook 5 minutes on each side. Serve on toasted whole wheat buns. Makes 6-8 burgers.

Grilled Pineapple Salsa

Ingredients:

Cooking spray

1 15oz cans sliced pineapple rings

1 jalapeno pepper, sliced in half

1 med ripe avocado, sliced

1/3 c red onion, finely chopped

1 tbs cilantro, finely chopped

1 tsp fresh lime zest

lime juice of 1/2 lime (about 1 tbs)

salt to taste (about 1/4 tsp)

Directions:

Heat grill pan over med-high heat and coat with cooking spray. Grill pineapple rings, jalapeno, and avocado about 2 minutes on each side. Remove from pan and allow to cool slightly.

Chop pineapple and avocado; remove seeds from jalapeno and finely chop. Combine grilled fruits with remaining ingredients. Refrigerate half an hour before serving. Make about 2 cups of salsa.

Fire-Roasted Tomato Ketchup

Ingredients:

1/2 tbs light olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1 15oz can diced fire-roasted tomatoes, undrained

1 tbs pineapple juice

1/2 tsp salt

Directions:

Place oil and garlic in a cold small saucepan. Turn stop-top on medium and heat about 2 minutes (including warm up time). Add remaining ingredients, bring to simmer, and reduce heat to med-low. Allow to simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, and mashing the chunks of tomato. When mixture is the desired consistency (about 15-20 minutes), remove from heat. If a smooth ketchup is desired, blend until pureed. Makes about 3/4 cup ketchup.

Bacon-flavored Potato Chips

Ingredients:

2 strips thick cut bacon (or 4 regular strips), diced

1 green onion, finely chopped

1 tbs celery greens, finely chopped

3 med potatoes, sliced into 1/8" thick rounds

1 tbs light olive oil

sea salt to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425F.

Fry bacon in pan over medium heat 3-5 minutes, until starting to brown. Add onion and celery greens; saute about 2 more minutes. In a medium bowl, combine the contents of the pan (including bacon grease) with the olive oil. Toss mixture with potatoes and place in a large ziplock bag to marinate for 15 minutes.

Reserving the bacon bits, arrange potato slices in a single layer (very important!) on baking sheets. Bake in preheated oven 10 minutes. Flip potato slices over and bake an additional 5-10 minutes, until potatos are golden brown. Remove from oven, immediately toss with bacon bits and salt, and serve. Makes about 4 servings.

Vegetarian Kidney Lasagna

The rainy weather yesterday had me yearning for comfort food, and few foods are more comforting than lasagna.

I had no meat, nor an overwhelming amount of cheese. What I did have were a variety of odds and ends and a ten can assortment of beans. Black beans, chickpeas, and kidney beans....I went with the red beans to match the tomatoes. Plus, I like the play on words: Vegetarian Kidney.

It's the little things, you know.

I had this with a salad of fresh spinach, parsley, basil, chives, and red onion; a few croutons substituted for the garlic bread I knew I'd inevitably want.

Vegetarian Kidney Lasagna

Ingredients:

1 tsp light olive oil

1-2 marinated artichoke hearts, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 15-oz can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 14.5-oz can diced tomatoes, drained

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried oregano

salt and pepper to taste

1 c alfredo sauce of choice (or use recipe below)

6 no-boil lasagna noodles

1/4 c smoked Provolone, shredded

1/4 c Parmesan cheese, shredded

1/3 c fresh parsley, chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375F.

Heat the olive oil and artichoke in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook until tender. Mix in garlic; saute another minute. Add red beans, tomatoes, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer, and cook 10 more minutes, stirring occasionally.

In a 9x9 glass pan, spread 1/4 cup of the alfredo sauce. Place two lasagna noodles on top of alfredo sauce. Spoon half the kidney bean mixture over the noodles, followed by 1/4 cup of alfredo. Repeat these layers (noodles, beans, alfredo) until you have placed the last 2 lasagna noodles. End with the remaining 1/4 cup of alfredo sauce and top with the cheeses and parsley. Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes in preheated oven. Remove foil and bake an additional 15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to rest 10 minutes before serving. Serves 6.

Alfredo-Style Sauce

Ingredients:

2 tbs butter

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 c heavy cream

1/2 c milk

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/3 c Provolone, shredded

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In a small sauce pan, heat butter over med-low heat. Once butter is melted, add garlic and saute 1 minute. Add cream and milk to pan. Stirring frequently, bring to a slight simmer (do not boil!). Add cheeses and continue cooking over med-low heat, frequently stirring, until cheese is melted and sauce has thickened. Season to taste.

Improv-erish Red Beans & Rice

It was one of those nights tonight. After a mere four hours of sleep and some middle school-style drama from the oldest offspring, I wasn't in the mood to hit the grocery store. I've been craving red beans and rice lately, and the thought of minimal clean-up after a one-pot wonder was appealing.

For some reason I thought I had several cans of kidney beans. I was wrong....one lonely 15 ounce can rested in my cupboard (surrounded by six cans of mandarin oranges....what the--?). So, I killed off some veggies to round out this one-pot meal (using a pot to make the rice would bump the pot count up to two, of course).

Ingredients

3 tbs butter

4 medium carrots, peeled and sliced

4 stalks celery, sliced

1/2 red onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbs dried thyme

1 tbs dried parsley

1 tbs dried marjoram

salt and pepper

Chipotle Tabasco

14 oz smoked turkey sausage, sliced

1 15oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

8 servings rice, prepared according to package directions

several green onion stalks, sliced

Directions

Heat wok or large skillet over med-high heat. Melt butter in wok and saute carrots, celery, and onion for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add garlic and dried herbs and saute another two minutes, stirring constantly. Season to taste with salt/pepper and Tabasco.

Push veggies to edges of the wok, clearing the center. Lay sausage in middle and allow to brown about 5-7 minutes (avoid moving the sausage much during this time so it browns properly).

Mix the contents of the wok together and add beans. Stir to combine, and turn heat to low. Cover and allow flavors to meld about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Adjust seasoning as desired.

Serve over hot rice and garnish with green onion.

Serves 8.