In The Kitchen - Cilantro Chicken Skewers

Cilantro Chicken Skewers

2 pounds boneless/skinless chicken breast meat
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
6 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 bunch fresh cilantro, minced
salt & pepper to taste
cooking skewers, soaked in water to prevent burning, about 20 min.

Cut chicken into 1" cubes and place into a zip lock back with S&P, oil, garlic and cilantro.  Let sit at least 4 hours or overnight if possible.
Preheat the grill to medium heat. Put chicken on skewers, cook for 4-5 minutes on each side.

For an added kick, you can drizzle with fresh lime juice while cooking or brush the chicken with chili sauce to create a glaze.

I served this with a couscous and added green onion, lime, cilantro S&P to taste.

In The Kitchen - Chipotle Chili

I have a go to chili recipe that I cook all the time for Matt, but I wanted to try something different.  This recipe uses pork (although you can use beef or chicken), chipotle peppers, beer & masa! It's more of a Mexican style chili and very tasty.

Here is the recipe for my other chili if you'd like to take a look at it out too.
http://athomeinjessicascorner.blogspot.com/2011/09/homemade-chili.html

CHIPOTLE CHILI

1 tablespoon bacon fat
1 tablespoon olive oil  (you can use only olive oil or only bacon fat if desired)
4 cloves minced garlic (more or less if desired)
1 onion diced (I used 1/2 of a red onion & 1/2 of a vidalia onion)
2 pounds pork loin, shoulder or butt, cut into a large dice
1 - 12oz bottle of good Mexican beer or you can use chicken broth
1 - 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 - 15 oz can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 - 15 oz can great northern beans, drained and rinsed
1 - 15 oz can of diced tomatoes or you can use fresh diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced (this is what brings the heat so use more or less if desired)
1/4 cup masa harina
1 lime, juiced

Toppings: lime wedges, cilantro, cheddar cheese, sour cream, diced tomatoes.

Heat the bacon fat & oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and cook until the onions soften.

Add the pork and cook until browned.

 

Add three-quarters of the beer or broth, reserving the rest, then cook for a couple of minutes to reduce.

 

Add the beans, tomatoes, chili powder, cumin, salt and chipotles and stir to combine.

 

Bring to a simmer, then cover the pot and cook for 1 hour.
Combine the masa with the rest of the beer or broth and stir to make a paste. Add this into the chili, along with the lime juice. Stir and cook until thick, about 10 minutes.

Serve with all the toppings.  The lime and cilantro really make this chili pop, the cheese and sour cream are pretty good too. ENJOY!


For those that don't know, this is what chipotle peppers in adobo sauce looks like. They are roasted jalapenos and they are spicy. Canned chipotles are easy to find in the Mexican food section at any grocery store.