Chicken Tinga Tinga Tacos

If there is one cuisine I can have over and over again, it would be Mexican. I love the combination of flavors , from the salt to the sweet and heat, everything comes together in a perfect harmony. These Chicken Tinga Tinga tacos are the perfect example! 

I dare you to eat just one! From the spicy sauce to the layer of toppings, this is the taco recipe you didn't know you needed! 

The sauce is made with adobo peppers, and fire roasted tomatoes that gives a kick and a layer a sweetness to the sauce. Top a nice bowl of rice, or drizzle some on your morning eggs! Delicious!!

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Ingredients 

Tacos :

• Olive oil

• 1 ½ lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs

• Salt and Pepper

• 1 yellow onion, roughly chopped

• 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

• 2-3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped

• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin

• 1 (14.5 oz.) can crushed fire-roasted tomatoes

• 1/4 cup low sodium chicken stock or water

For serving :

• Corn tortillas

• 2 ripe avocados, sliced

• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

• 1/2 cup pico de gallo 

• crumbled cotija cheese

• 1 lime, cut into wedges

Recipe

1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven or large heavy bottom pot over medium-high heat. Add chicken thighs, cook until browned, about 6 minutes. Flip thighs and continue to cook until the other side is lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate, set aside.

2. In the same pot, add onions and garlic, cook, stirring occasionally, until onions have browned around the edges, about 5 minutes. 

3. Add oregano and cumin and cook until fragrant. Add the can of tomatoes, and the chipotles in adobo, stir to combine. Remove from heat and allow to cool. 

4. Transfer sauce to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Pour sauce back into the pan, stir in the chicken stock, and bring to a boil over medium heat. 

5. Nestle the chicken thighs in the sauce, reduce to a simmer, and cook until the chicken is done, registering at 165°F, about 15-20 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate and let sit  until it is cool enough to handle. Shred the chicken meat into strips. Stir chicken back into the sauce and cook over medium heat until warmed through. Remove from heat and season to taste. 

6. Char the tortillas over an open flame on the burner or in a dry skillet over medium-high heat. Keep warm.  If you're charing over an open flame,  use low heat and keep an eye on it as  they will charr quickly. 

7. Spoon chicken into warm tortillas and top with avocado, salsa, cilantro, and cotija cheese. Serve with lime wedges.

Chef Jose Andres : Mushroom Orzo Risotto

April/May 2020 Cookbook of the Month, Chef Jose Andres' Vegetables Unleashed

Rather than using the traditional Arborio Rice, this recipe uses Orzo, a pasta made of semolina flour and other hard varieties of wheat, and is shaped like rice. Orzo, translated to "Barley," in Italian, is cooked and served like pasta.

Orzo pasta is very versatile and can be used in a range of recipes, from soups to salads, to casseroles and is an excellent substitute when making risotto!

The starch from the Orzo resembles Arborio rice, resulting in the same creamy risotto texture. In this recipe, the mushrooms are a great partner, adding meatiness and tons of flavor, that creates a comforting and indulgent meal.

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Ingredients 

• 2 cups vegetable stock

• 2 cups whole milk

• 1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms, rinshed

• 2 tablespoons extra- virgin olive oil 

• ½ pound mixed mushrooms, such as stemmed shiitakes or trimmed cremini, or other wild mushrooms, sliced

• Salt 

• 2 tablespoons butter

• ⅓ minced onion 

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 ½ cups orzo, ( or arborio rice, which is the classic grain used in risotto) 

• ¼ cup white wine 

• Black pepper

• Freshly grated Parmigiano - Reggiano

Recipe

1. Combine the vegetable stock, milk and dried porcini in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer, keep warm over low heat.

2. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms season with salt, and cook until they release all their liquid.

3. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the mushrooms are golden brown, and about 12 minutes total. Transfer mushrooms to a plate.

4. Melt the butter in the same saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. 

5. Add the przo and stir to coat it evenly with the butter. 

6. Add the wine and cook, stirring until it has been absorbed. Turn the heat to medium-low, add 1 cup of the warm vegetable stock mixture, and cook, stirring constantly, until the orzo has absorbed all the liquid. 

7. Continue adding the stock mixture ½ cup at a time and stirring until it has been absorbed each time before adding more. 

8. The risotto is done when the orzo is al dente and is suspended in a silky sauce, about 30 minutes.

9. Stir the sauteed mushrooms into the risotto. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately, with grated Parmesan.

Brown Butter Mashed Sweet Potatoes

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Ingredients

• 39 oz. sweet potatoes ( about 2 ½ lbs) , peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

• Salt & pepper

• 1 stick salted butter

• ½ cup whole milk

• 4 - 6 leaves fresh sage

Recipe

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add sweet potatoes and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for about 15 to 20 minutes, until very tender when pierced with a fork.

2. Drain the cooked potatoes and add them to a food processor. Add the milk, season with salt and pepper and pulse until the mixture is creamy and smooth. Taste to adjust any seasoning.

3. Meanwhile, melt the stick of butter and the sage leaves over medium heat until just browned. The butter will melt, foam and froth, then begin to brown along the bottom. Stir the browned bits off of the bottom of the pan. 

4. Pour the potatoes in a serving bowl. Top the potatoes with the brown butter sauce, and sage leaves.

Cauliflower Gratin

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Ingredients

•  1 large head cauliflower ( 3 lb ) , cored and cut into florets

• ½ stick  unsalted butter, divided, more for pan 

• 2 cups hot milk

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• Salt & pepper

• ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg

• ¾ cup grated gruyere cheese

• 1/2  cup parmesan, finely grated, divided

• ¾ cup panko Japanese breadcrumbs

• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves

Recipe

1. Preheat oven to 375º. 

2. Melt 2 Tbsp. butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add panko and cook until crumbs are golden brown, keep a watchful eye as they burn quickly. Transfer the panko to a small bowl and toss ¼ cup parmesan, and ¼ cup of gruyere cheese, thyme leaves, and season with salt & pepper. Set aside.

3. While you prepare the cauliflower, bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook the cauliflower until tender, but still firm, about 6-7 minutes. Drain the cauliflower, and set aside.

4. In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt the rest of the 2 tablespoons of butter. Stir in the flour and cook until the paste cooks and bubbles a bit, don't let it brown. Add the hot milk, continuing to stir as the sauce thickens. Bring it to a boil. Add salt and pepper to taste, lower the heat, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more. 

5. Off the heat, add nutmeg, and the remaining of gruyere and parmesan cheese.

6. Pour 1/3 of the sauce on the bottom of an 8 by 11 by 2-inch baking dish. Place the drained cauliflower on top and then spread the rest of the sauce evenly on top. Pour the rest of the sauce over the cauliflower. Sprinkle the herbed panko  bread crumbs and cheese over the top. 

7. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the top is browned. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Macaroni & Cheese

What is more comforting than a bowl of warm mac & cheese! NOTHING.

This recipe is perfect for a weeknight meal because of how simple it is to make, and also, it can easily be doubled for any holiday like Thanksgiving or just a family dinner.

Before jumping straight to the recipe, let's breakdown the important qualities to the perfect mac & cheese.

1. Pasta - Look for a pasta with a lot of nooks and crannies. I love to use cavatappi, but other popular shapes are elbow pasta, shells, or pipette.

2. At least 2 Cheeses - When it comes to choosing your cheese, remember to use at least 2 in your recipe, 1 sharp, and 1 creamy. Using at least two will give your mac and cheese creaminess while the other will give a flavor punch. My favorite cheeses to use are Gruyere and Cheddar! But any mix of sharp and creamy cheese will do like these:

   • Sharp Cheese - Parmesan, Pecorino, aged Asiago,

   • Creamy Cheese - Gouda, Monterey Jack, and Fontina, cream cheese

3. Grate your cheese! - Picking up pre-shredded bag and cheese is tempting; however, I urge you to think twice! The pre-shredded cheese bags have stabilizers and anti-caking agents, lessen the flavor of the cheese, and it won't melt properly. BUT, if you are tight on time, I advise you to pick only one pre-shredded cheese!

4. Spices - this recipe has mustard powder and a pinch of cayenne pepper. Adding a pinch of spice really makes all the difference! The mustard goes really well with the cheese, and the pepper just adds that extra kick.

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Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for baking dish

• ¾ cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

• ¼ cup Parmesan, finely grated 

• 2 teaspoons fresh sage leaves

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided, plus more

• 8 oz. cavatappi 

• 2 ½ cups whole milk

• 2 shallot, grated

• 1 garlic clove, finely grated

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 4 oz. Gruyère, grated 

• 8 oz. mild white cheddar, grated 

• ½ teaspoon English mustard powder

• Pinch of cayenne pepper

Recipe

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Butter a 2 qt. Baking dish. 

2. Melt 2 Tbsp. butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add panko and cook, stirring, until crumbs are golden brown, 6–8 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and toss with Parmesan, thyme leaves, and ¼ tsp. salt.

3. Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente (the noodles will continue to cook in the cheese sauce, so take them out a minute or two before you think they’re actually done). Drain pasta; let cool while you make the sauce.

4. Bring milk to a bare simmer in a small saucepan; keep warm. Melt remaining 2 Tbsp. butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until onions are fragrant and beginning to soften, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle flour over and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture starts to stick to bottom of saucepan, about 1 minute. Add warm milk in a few additions, whisking to combine after each addition.

5. Bring béchamel sauce to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, stirring, until sauce is thickened and doesn’t feel grainy when a little bit is rubbed between your fingers, 6–8 minutes.  Add the grated cheese, mustard powder, cayenne, and ¾ tsp. salt and stir until cheeses are melted and sauce is smooth. Remove from heat and mix in pasta; transfer to the buttered baking dish.

6. Bake 10 minutes. Top with Parmesan breadcrumbs and bake until sauce is bubbling around the edges, 8–10 minutes longer. Let cool in pan 15 minutes before serving.

Adapted from Bon Appetit