spicy

Chipotle Chicken Tacos with Spicy Avocado Cream

By in GF Mains, Main Dish, Poultry 4 Comments Tags: , , , , , ,

chipotle chicken tacos 36

The other night my hubby and I went on a very long awaited date. We drove from our sleepy (or boring, whatever you prefer) little country town to the “big” city of Calgary. We watched The Hobbit (yay!) and then drove downtown to eat at Joey Eau Claire. We’ve eaten there a couple of times and every time the food has been absolutely delicious. I highly recommend it.

I had the Baja Fish Tacos. They were sooo good. In fact, the very next day I was craving them again and decided to create my own version of a “fancy” taco. Since I have a favourite fish taco recipe already, I thought I’d go for a poultry version and put my own spin on it. They’re nothing like the fish tacos I had the night before but I think they are just as crave worthy. With homemade crispy taco shells, smokey chipotle chicken strips, a cooling yet spicy avocado cream, and broccoli slaw, this is no boring taco. But the best part? They hardly take any time to put together, making them a great choice for any old weeknight.

The spicy avocado cream makes a great dip for nachos. So, if you’ve got any leftover don’t throw it out! Save it in the fridge for a tasty game night snack.

Chipotle Chicken Tacos with Spicy Avocado Cream

Spicy Avocado Cream

If your family can’t handle spice you can omit the jalapeño to make it simply a cooling cream, with no added spiciness.

  • 1/2 avocado, peeled and pit removed
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • juice of half a lime
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 1/2 jalapeño, seeded if desired (optional)
  • salt and pepper, to taste
Chipotle Chicken
  • 2 chicken breasts, sliced into strips
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced
To Serve

Place all ingredients for the avocado cream in a blender or food processor. Blend until completely smooth. Pour into serving bowl.

Preheat a skillet, with a bit of oil, over medium high heat. Add chicken; season with salt, pepper, chili powder and cumin. Cook without stirring until browned on the bottom. Flip and cook until fully cooked through. Add garlic and chipotle pepper. Cook 1 minute more.

To serve: add a couple sliced of chicken to a taco shell, top with avocado cream, cheese, slaw and cilantro.

Makes: 8-10 tacos

Cheesy Mexican Corn Dip

By in Appetizers, GF Sides, Gluten Free 6 Comments Tags: , , , , , ,

cheesy mexican corn dip

A couple nights ago I went over to one of my fantastic sister-in-laws’ house and we had a sleepover with our kids. Both of us had been without our husbands for a week and it was time for some adult interaction, with a little dash of craziness (a.k.a. children). As expected, the kids stayed up far too late. Even though we wanted them to go to bed, it was cute hearing the boys talking and playing in their room. It brought back so many memories! And, the fact that we made pizza for dinner and ate pancakes in the morning was just icing on the cake.

I’ve been craving this dip ever since my mom first pointed it out to me on Pinterest, even though I’d never had it before. I was hoping it would live up to my expectations and I figured that a sleepover was the perfect place to try it out. That way, if it was as good as I hoped, I wouldn’t end up eating it all by myself. I was smart to do that, because it ended up exceeding my expectations. I purposely left it at my sister-in-laws, because I knew if I brought it home I would not be able to resist it. And, eating a whole bowl of dip by myself, while tasty, would be regrettable.

This dip is melty, gooey, spicy and packed with flavour. I love how the corn and tomatoes add natural cooling powers. It is so darn good when it’s warm, but surprisingly I even found the leftovers super delicious, straight from the fridge. That is a dangerous thing.

Tread lightly my friends.

Cheesy Mexican Corn Dip

This dip is quite spicy. If you like things less spicy cut back on the chipotle peppers.

  • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
  • 2 tablespoons chipotle peppers in adobe sauce, minced
  • 1 (4 oz.) can diced green chilies
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1.5 cups corn kernels (fresh, frozen or canned)
  • 1 small tomato, chopped and seeded
  • 1 green onion, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped (optional)

Mix together cheeses, chipotle peppers, green chilies, mayonnaise, garlic powder and corn. Spread into an 8-inch baking dish. Bake at 350ºF for 20 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly and golden brown.

Let cool slightly and then top with tomato, green onion and cilantro. Serve warm.

Adapted from Gina Marie’s Kitchen.

Spicy Bean Burritos (Freezer Friendly)

By in Lunch, Main Dish, Meatless 6 Comments Tags: , , , ,

I had high hopes for these burritos after spotting them on Annie”s Eats (I trust that woman with my taste buds) and they were even better than I thought they were going to be. That doesn”t happen too often. I find that beans tend to zap the flavour out of dishes and I was a little afraid that would be the case here, but these were so flavourful – thanks to the beans being simmered in a spicy broth until they soak up every last tasty drop.

This recipe helped me knock off yet another of my 2012 food goals – meatless meals that the whole family enjoys. I”m on a roll! ;) Max did have a little bit of trouble eating a full burrito just because it was a little bit too bean-y for him, so I turned his into a quesadilla and served the “salad” on the side (the guys likes his veggies!) and he gobbled it right up.

It”ll definitely be a regular at our table, especially since I almost always have the ingredients on hand. It”s a perfect last-minute meal when you”ve had a tiring day and just want to get something quick and healthy on the table. I”m planning on serving it with Quick Mexican Rice with Beans (minus the beans) next time, to round out the meal.

Growing up we used to heat up those store-bought spicy bean burritos and top them with salad toppings, sour cream and salsa. I”m planning to make my own version by filling some 6 inch tortillas with this bean filling and some cheese, rolling them up and freezing them for quick lunches during the week. To serve, we”ll treat them just like the store-bought burritos and top them with the sour cream and veggies instead of having them in the wraps. I”m already excited to eat them again!

Spicy Bean Burritos

Don”t throw out the extra chipotles! Put them in a freezer bag and pop them in the freezer. When you need some for a recipe, chop off as much as needed and thaw to use.

Bean Filling

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 teaspoon chili powder

  • 1 teaspoon minced chipotle in adobo sauce

  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin

  • ¼ teaspoon salt

  • dash cayenne pepper

  • 1/3 cup chicken broth

  • 1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained

  • 1 (15 oz.) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained

  • 6 tablespoons salsa

To Serve

  • tortillas

  • shredded cheese

  • diced tomatoes

  • chopped lettuce

  • chopped green onions

  • sour cream

Cook garlic in a small amount of oil just until fragrant (30-60 seconds). Add spices, broth and beans. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in salsa.

Spoon bean filling into tortillas, top with cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, green onions and sour cream to serve.

Adapted from Pink Parsley via Annie”s Eats.