easy chicken tacos "recipe"

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Today I needed to flee and drove to Stew Leonard’s for a break from home. Shopped for groceries and then had an ice cream in the freezing cold, and felt somewhat refreshed. That’s what it’s come to.

As we head into our second quarantine, I’m returning to the blog, getting back to writing about all that I’m cooking, and feeling. These days have been rough—stuck at home without much to do, seeing fewer people and now furloughed from work.

Being home has been a lot about cooking, eating, drinking. I’ve covered the world in my food—from Ethiopian Berbere chicken to lasagna to vegetable curry, writing notes in my handy kitchen notebook. Many of the dishes I’ve made have been just for Michael and myself but I’ve also been mastering some family favorites, like chicken tacos—the boys’ new favorites. I’ve got a good go-to recipe for making the chicken filling now, in the Instant Pot. I cook 1-2 pounds of thighs, a packet of taco seasoning, a little salsa and about a cup of chicken broth for 12 minutes (15 if frozen). Then shred the chicken while boiling down the sauce. I return the shredded chicken to the sauce to moisten it but you could also just dump the sauce and keep the chicken as is or add a little bit of the sauce to the shredded chicken.

I keep the chicken in a Tupperware in the fridge for easy lunches: Microwave two tortillas topped with shredded cheese for 30 seconds. Add some chicken and microwave for 30 seconds more. Add whatever toppings you like: guac, sour cream, hot sauce, etc. Then roll it up. It’s a great fast hot lunch for the boys during school days that doesn’t require a lot of cleanup.

Here’s a good video about hot sauces (by Nate)!

chicken wars

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So yeah we’ve been eating a lot of chicken lately. It might have something to do with the fact that Michael became a vegan and then a pandemic hit. Somehow that meant we couldn’t eat meat…but chicken was okay. And then we just went crazy on chicken.

We made Jerk chicken, Thai chicken, Filipino Chicken Adobo, Vietnamese chicken (fried, grilled and baked on a bed of salt), Japanese fried chicken, chicken tacos, chicken pozole, chicken shawarma chicken schnitzel, chicken curry (from Swati) and chicken tandoori (from Dave) and butter chicken. This one was really good: Turmeric Coconut Curry (but of course we made it with ground chicken instead of pork.) We even made Brooklyn chicken, or rather brick chicken from Marlow & Sons which was amazing. (And courtesy of The New Brooklyn Cookbook.) As well as Jonathan Waxman’s famous roast chicken.

At some point in all this madness, Michael had the idea to formalize these meals into a competitive draw: chicken wars, ala March Madness, in which we would have winners and losers and seatings and whatever else goes with whatever March Madness is. (I’m still learning the terms.)

We haven’t yet gotten around to an actual tournament but we’re still making so much damn chicken that it’s definitely a war—on poultry, but also between dishes. We haven’t yet declared a winner winner chicken dinner, but the dish I made last night came pretty close—it was a riff on lots of recipes that I’ve been reading and cooking. We happened to have a bunch of cilantro stems left over from the pozole, and I’m currently obsessed with fish sauce, so I turned those two into a marinade for chicken thighs that we grilled and served with a sauce I made up. It was so good I had to write it down.

Vaguely Thai Chicken

Marinade:
1 bunch cilantro stems, chopped
2 tbsp fish sauce
2 tsp lime juice
2 garlic cloves roughly chopped
1 Serrano pepper roughly chopped
1 tbsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil

Combine all ingredients in blender or food processor. It will take a few minutes to break down the stems but blend until you get a green sauce. Marinade 4-6 chicken thighs (bone-in, skin-on)in sauce for at least 2 hours. Grill on high until chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes.

Dipping Sauce
2 tbsp chili-garlic sauce
1 tsp fish sauce
1 tsp lime juice
1 tbsp heavy cream
1 tbsp Kewpie mayo (or regular mayo)

Combine all ingredients in small bowl and serve with grilled chicken.

save yourself

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You know that feeling right?

It’s a lot. Staying home and cooking ALL THE TIME. But then again, you could have your head crushed by Abomination. That would be worse.

So the latest issue in this busy kitchen is: How do you cook enough not to cook every day but also have variety? We’ve had a leftovers-lunch-rut lately—someone has to finish the lentil soup! And then there’s the kids: I can’t eat pasta for lunch and dinner! I’ve realized (not that this is news to anyone else) that it all comes down to making a big recipe and then portioning it out.

For example I made a batch of tomatoey white beans in the Instant Pot this week. It took me about 10 minutes of active time. We then ate it with grilled chicken one night. The next night I mixed in a little sauteed kale. We finished it for lunch with some canned tuna flaked in. You could also add some sausage or broth and turn it into a soup. I know everyone’s talking about beans these days but this recipe turned out to be very versatile and forgiving, even for my formerly vegan, maybe still vegan when this whole thing is over, husband,

A great big batch recipe to make for the kids is this incredible recipe for Mac and Cheese in the Instant Pot. It’s easier than anything else I’ve made in a few months and it’s delicious, and freezes well. Make the whole recipe (one box of pasta which makes about 10-15 servings) and then freeze meal-size portions in small Tupperwares or plastic bags for when the kids refuse to make what you ate that night.

Another one—humous. I usually just mix two cans chickpeas, 1/4 cup tahini, 1 lemon’s juice, salt/pepper, 1/4 cup Olive Oil and a few ice cubes in the blender and then store the whole thing in a Tupperware in the fridge. It will keep for at last a week or two and everyday when you heave it out for snack time, place a small amount in a bowl and flavor it however you want for the day: chili powder; cajun spice; sesame seeds, hot sauce; EVOO and extra lemon. Each day it becomes a little new.

Of course part of this strategy is making a plan: writing down the exciting meals you will make that week using the 3-5 major big batch dishes you choose to make. (Some other ideas: any bean dishes; grilled or baked chicken (put it into tacos, pasta, soup); slaw; pasta; roasted salmon (eat it cold or turn it into these amazing salmon cakes; ) It takes some time to plan it all out but honestly, what else do you have right now?

Day 93, or something like that

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I’ve lost count. I’ve cooked so many damn meals they would be melting together if I didn’t keep this photo diary of my daily restaurant specials. I’m quite proud of myself for cooking every meal but burnt out at the same time. Last night Michael grilled veggie burgers and hot dogs and it was a relief not to be in charge. So one night a week should be daddy’s night, I think. The problem is we’re making the most of limited supplies so creativity and skill is crucial. Michael did make this lentil soup this week, and made it entirely on his own—super impressive. So we’re both reaching out of our comfort zones.

I actually think this quarantined time has an advantage in that we are spending more quality time together as a family doing things I like to do—being at home, cooking, watching movies, reading. There’s no soccer or baseball or neighbors yelling in our playroom. Today with video games allowed since it is Sunday, I’m feeling a bit lonely—the kids are doing something that doesn’t involve me, nor that I get any pleasure in. But strangely that isn’t normally the situation these days.

I’ve read a lot about how this time befits introverts (Larry David) and even depressives….which is interesting. There are no social plans or run-ins and we’re all supposed to feel a little bad. Plus we’re at home, where some of us like to be, doing quiet activities. So yeah there are some positives. One of them being: bread. We made this bread—which is something we would never ordinarily do. But it was crazy easy and yummy—it makes a ton so you can keep it in the fridge and bake off a loaf when you feel like it.

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day 13: more soup

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Finally Saturday when I don’t have to homeschool! We started the day with cleaning, which was supposed to be a family affair but was mostly me and Michael, plus a little help from the kids. Mack was in charge of Vacuuming his room and he asked: Do I have to Vacuum everything, or just the floor? Clearly these kids don’t do enough chores.

Well, we got plenty of time for that now.

After cleaning I moved on to…cooking! I made an easy broccoli and cauliflower soup but substituted gouda for cheddar. I think it turned out really delicious but Mack said it was “smelly and hot.” My kind of soup. And then I had some leftover broccoli and cauliflower so I decided to make a stiryfry which meant that I basically didn’t leave the kitchen for like 6 hours. On the other hand, not much else to do. Strange times.

Broccoli and Cheese soup

Ingredients

  • 2 tsp butter 

  • 1 medium onion, chopped

  • 1 cup chopped carrots (about 2 medium)

  • 4 cups chicken broth

  • 4 cups broccoli, roughly chopped (about 1/2 lb)

  • 2 cups cauliflower, roughly chopped (about 6 oz)

  • salt & pepper, to taste

  • 1 1/3 cups shredded cheddar cheese (or gouda)

  • 1 tsp sherry vinegar

  • 1 TBSP heavy cream

Instructions

Instant Pot Directions: 

  1. Turn on the saute function, melt the butter in your pot and cook the onions and carrots in the butter until they start to soften .

  2. Next, add the roughly chopped broccoli, the cauliflower, 1 tsp salt and the broth. Put the lid on and set on manual for 3 minutes, quick release when it's finished.

  3. Blend in batches in a blender and return to pot. Add cheese, salt and pepper to taste, sherry vinegar and cream.

day 7: no rest for the chef

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Photo from the New York Times

Photo from the New York Times

Washing dishes this morning for the nth time in days I realized how much my kitchen feels like a restaurant. I basically don’t leave it for large parts of the day—cooking, eating, cleaning, repeat. So today I wrote some specials on the chalkboard: egg tacos for breakfast, cauliflower soup for lunch (there was actually some left!), and plant-based bolognese with spaghetti squash for dinner. I also badmouthed some recent customers who asked for and then didn’t eat a buttered bagel—and then left a lovey on the table. Unfortunately the same customers are coming back today, and tomorrow, and…

Last night I dug into the forgotten drawer of weird asian noodles and seaweed that I don’t really know what to do with but they never go bad. I found a package of dried shiitake mushrooms and reconstituted them in some water to make a recipe I made years ago and still had in my Paprika app: The New York Times version of vegan MaPo Tofu. I prefer the meaty pork version, I think, but this is way healthier and did I mention that Michael recently became a vegan? (We were trying to eat more plant-based and then he saw the movie Game Changers and boom, he hasn’t had meat or dairy in over a month. It’s a bummer.)

Anyway, I used dried instead of fresh shiitakes and a fermented black bean paste that I had from Hmart, along with a little Gochujang It was tasty and filling, and I served it over quinoa just to hippy-ify it even more. We ate it with wine in front of candles—and a laptop on which six of our friends were having their dinner and wine. A Zoom dinner party! The new normal.

day 6: soup

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Who woke up this morning thinking, OMG another fucking day?! What are we going to do? Without our homeschool schedule (It is Saturday after all), we are more at a loss than ever. Right now the kids are fighting over a video game. And that’s probably how it’s going to go for the next 4 hours.

I got up this morning and looked in the fridge to find a giant cauliflower that was about to lose its life. So I proceeded to try to teach Mack how to make cauliflower soup, the easy way. I think a lot of parents are taking the quarantine as an opportunity to teach their kids how to do things they normally wouldn’t—cleaning bathrooms, for example. It’s the new version of homeschool or as a friend recently put it “home, work.” See my recent article for some ideas.

So here’s what I told Mack: cut up cauliflower in small florets and add to a big pot of half water, half chicken broth. Cook until cauliflower is soft, about 20 minutes. Puree cauliflower plus about 3 cups of liquid in blender and add back to the pot. Now the fun part: flavor. I usually add some combination of milk/cream, parmesan cheese, 1 tsp of sherry vinegar, onion and garlic powders and salt. Keep tasting until it’s delicious. Then leave on the (turned off) stove all day for everyone to help themselves. *You can reheat in a bowl in the microwave.

It’s not even 11am and half the soup is already eaten.

day 5: shrimp & grits

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Okay, I’m ready for this whole thing to be over already. My kids are driving me crazy. I’m bored and depressed and out of shape. So tonight I’m making a fancy dinner, a dinner party recipe, inspired by our trip to New Orleans. A taste of something fine and foreign.

It’s funny how this new reality is forcing us to both be in our extreme comfort zone, and leave it. I’m spending more quality time with my kids than I usually do—going on walks, doing writing projects, seeing films. Today I got out the bike that was my my mother-in-law’s and took a 2 hour bike ride on the path that runs though Westchester. I made it from Ardsley to Hartsdale. I’d never normally do that.

Tonight’s recipe however is not new, I made it a few weeks ago when the world still seemed like a steady place. But I learned a couple tricks so tonight’s version will be simplified. It’s shrimp and grits but I’ve tailored it to be able to be mostly made-ahead.

Quarantine Shrimp and Grits

Ingredients

·       5 3/4 cups chicken broth divided

·       1 pound large shrimp, shelled (shells reserved)

·       3/4 pound mushrooms chopped up

·       1/4 teaspoon baking soda

·       1/4 teaspoon cornstarch

·       1 cup grits, preferably stone-ground

·       1 cup grated cheese

·       4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed and divided

·       4 slices bacon, diced

·       1 medium shallot, minced

·       2 medium cloves garlic, minced

·       1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

·       1 tablespoon fresh juice from 1 lemon

Directions 

1.    In a large saucepan, combine 5 cups stock with reserved shrimp shells. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Strain and return stock to saucepan. Trash shells.

2.    Whisk grits into stock, set over medium-high heat, and bring to a simmer, whisking frequently. Lower heat to a bare simmer and cook, stirring and scraping bottom frequently with a wooden spoon, until grits are fully softened and cooked and have thickened into a spoonable porridge, about 1 hour. Stir in 2 tablespoons butter and cheese until fully melted. Season with salt and pepper and keep grits warm. (A piece of parchment pressed against the surface will help prevent a skin from forming.)

3.    In a large skillet, cook bacon until crisp then move bacon to towels to drain. (Bacon is optional; you could just add some oil to a pan). Add mushrooms and cook, stirring, until mushrooms release their liquid, about 3 minutes. Stir in shallot, garlic, and cayenne and cook for 2 minutes. Add baking soda and cornstarch and ¾ cup stock. Cook until thickened. Whisk in butter until emulsified. Add lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. (At this point you can turn it off and reheat it right before serving time.)

4.    Right before you want to serve, quickly salt shrimp and cook in a little oil in a frying pan, then add them to the hot gravy to finish cooking.

5.    Serve grits in a bowl with shrimp and gravy on top. Finish with herbs if you want to get fancy.