Smokey Roasted Chicken Tacos with Spicy Goat Cheese Crema

As you probably guessed, I've been having a lot of internal debate lately.  There are a lot of days where I just say, that's it. I want to quit the blog.  But then, like the hot girl at the gym, a recipe comes along that I have to share with you that changes my mind.  So I'm back here again.  So don't despair.



So what have you missed?  We had a delicious Valentine's Day dinner at what just might be our favorite restaurant in Chicago.  I am so excited for my a la Chicago cards to come in the mail so we can go back again ASAP.  The Monkey Scientist had a milestone birthday, which called for two cakes - a graham cracker torte from me and a carrot cake (his favorite) from his mom.  We had a romantic French dinner for our anniversary at a Chicago institution.  And now, of course, Cadbury Mini Eggs have returned to my daily food pyramid.  They almost make up for the fact that Spring has definitely not sprung yet in Chicago.



For my loyal DC following, I did make a quick trip back to my former home last month.  It was great to be back, even just for a couple of days.  I got in an amazing workout with my old trainer who I miss every time I work out in Chicago.  No one can kick my butt into shape quite like he can.  I also had a really great dinner at Maple with some friends I love and miss every day.  That little corner of Columbia Heights has really transformed since I moved with new restaurants and bars! I'm loving what's going on there food-wise.



Oh, you just wanted to hear about the tacos?  The tacos are incredible.  This is not your every-Tuesday taco.  It's definitely up a level.  The goat cheese crema has a kick from the jalapenos that I really enjoyed.  And the chicken is smokey, spicy and exactly what I needed.  Way better than my standard ground chicken/turkey (even though I do love my homemade taco seasoning blend).  It takes a little more work, but it's still a pretty easy weeknight dinner if you give yourself the time to roast the chicken.  We will definitely be having this one again soon.  Or at least making some more crema, because I could eat that stuff with a spoon. (OK, I did eat some of it with a spoon.)



Smokey Roasted Chicken Tacos with Spicy Goat Cheese Crema
slightly adapted from How Sweet Eats

Ingredients
1.5-2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 sweet onion, sliced
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 limes, sliced into wedges
spicy goat cheese crema
1 tablespoon coconut oil (or unsalted butter)
1/2 jalapeño pepper, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 cup milk
6 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
salt and pepper
for serving
whole wheat tortillas, warmed
chopped tomatoes
sliced avocado
diced red onion
tequila lime salsa
lime wedges

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Spray a glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a small bowl, combine the salt, pepper, paprika, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, and cayenne, mixing to combine.
3. Pat the chicken thighs dry with a paper towel, then rub to coat with the spice mixture/
4. Spread the sliced onions evenly across the bottom of the baking dish, then set the chicken on top. Place lime wedges in between the chicken pieces. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 45-60 minutes.
5. Remove chicken and let cool slightly, then shred with two forks.
6. While the chicken is cooling, make the goat cheese crema:  In a medium saucepan, melt the coconut oil over medium heat.  When completely melted, add the garlic and jalapeno, cooking while stirring for 1-2 min.  Add the flour and whisk to form a roux.  Allow to cook for 1-2 minutes to brown very slightly.  Then, whisk in the milk.  Reduce the heat to low and allow to cook for another 1-2 minutes until thick.  Stir in the goat cheese until entirely melted, then season with salt and pepper.
7. Assemble the tacos on warm tortilla shells, with the shredded chicken, goat cheese crema, tomatoes, onions, avocados, and salsa.  If desired, top with fresh squeezed lime juice.


This recipe was featured on Full Plate Thursday!

Mango Guacamole (Taco night!)

We hadn't had a taco night in a loooong time. When the roommate suggested taco night, even though it wasn't Tuesday, the Monkey Scientist and I were totally on board! Tacos might just be the easiest, tastiest dinner I can think of it.  We actually ate before 9 (which around our place lately has been a struggle)!

These were turkey tacos, of course seasoned with a full batch of my favorite taco seasoning.  I swear, this taco seasoning is so good, you won't even remember that you used turkey instead of beef.  On a side note, where on earth are those adorable measuring spoons my mom gave me, featured so prominently in that taco seasoning post? I swear, moving has caused me to misplace SO many things.  I'll have to investigate and figure out where they ended up. Hopefully they aren't still back in DC with my oven thermometer!



Oh yeah, tacos. So the special element of these tacos was a mango guacamole we made up on the fly.  It added the perfect sweetness to counter the spicy meat. And by spicy, I mean the Monkey Scientist only had to add 2 kinds of hot sauce to his tacos to make them hit his flavor pallet. Plus salsa.  I swear, he's burned off all of his taste buds. I might just start snaking ghost chilis into his food - do you think he'd notice?

P.S. What do you think of our new dining room area?  I'm so excited to have a slightly bigger table. And it looks extra great with the flowers my bff sent us!



Mango Guacamole

Ingredients
3 ripe avocados, pitted, removed from skins, and cubed
2 shallots, diced
1 clove garlic, diced
juice of 1 lime
1 jalapeno, seeds removed and diced
1 tomatillo, diced
1 tsp cayenne
salt and pepper to taste
1 mango, peeled, pitted, and cubed

Instructions
1. Add avocado, shallots, garlic, lime juice, jalapeno, tomatillo and cayenne to a medium bowl. Mash with a potato masher until smooth.  Add salt and pepper to taste.
2. Add mango cubes and stir to incorporate. Serve on tacos.

Thai Beef Tacos

You might have noticed, we aren't big red meat eaters.  I don't have anything in particular against beef, and I'm pretty sure the Monkey Scientist grew up eating loads of steaks (he is from Chicago), but it has some drawbacks.  It really isn't that good for you.  And more importantly, it's expensive.  So when we do have beef, it's a special treat and we usually buy pretty cheap cuts.



The key to enjoying these cheaper cuts is not to eat them in a steak-and-potatoes kind of way.  While the Monkey Scientist does broil a mean teriyaki flank steak, tacos might just be the best way to eat flank steak. Tacos are such a simple recipe to throw together on a weeknight, and I loved the Asian twist in this recipe.  Definitely made for a unique dinner!



The Monkey Scientist did a lot of work to help me put this recipe together.  He made the mango salsa!  Since the mango salsa on our pork tenderloin a few weeks ago was too spicy, we left the jalapeno seeds out  this time around.  I liked it so much better!  The shallots were much milder than onions and the mango brought out the sweetness of the coconut milk in the marinade.  It was a great addition to the tacos.



These were some of the best tacos I've ever made.  The Monkey Scientist said this was one of his favorite dinners - I think he was happy to have some red meat, plus he's a big Chipotle lover.  I think marinading for longer than 2 hours (I should learn to prep ahead of time a little better) would have been a good idea, but it was still great.  I particularly liked the peanuts on top.  They brought out the Asian flavors from the marinade while adding a nice crunch.  This is an easy weeknight meal that you will really enjoy!



Thai Beef Tacos
every so slighty adapted from How Sweet It Is

Ingredients
1-1 1/2 pounds flank steak
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
3/4 cup light (canned) coconut milk
4 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/3 cup sweet chili sauce
1/2 mango, chopped
1 shallot, diced
1 jalapeno, diced (seeds removed)
a sprinkle each of sugar, salt & pepper
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
8-10 flour tortillas (I used burrito sized, but you could go smaller)
1/2 cup sweet chili sauce or hot salsa
1/4 cup peanuts, chopped

Instructions
1. Sprinkle flank steak with salt and pepper. Combine coconut milk, chili sauce, garlic, ginger, and sugar in a bowl and whisk.
2. Add flank steak to a ziplock bag or a shallow baking dish and pour marinade overtop. Refrigerate and let sit for 6-24 hours. (I only waited about 2 hours because I don't plan ahead well)
3. When ready to prepare, remove steak from fridge and let sit for 20-30 minutes. (Yep, I skipped this)
4. In a bowl, combine mango, shallot, jalapeno, salt, sugar and pepper, mix thoroughly, then set aside.
5. Heat a large oven-safe skillet (like cast iron) over high heat. At the same time, preheat the broiler in your oven. (You can also grill the steak if you wish.)
6. Using a pastry brush, brush oil onto the skillet so there is only a very thin layer. (CAREFUL! The oil may jump when you start to brush it!)
7. Remove steak from marinade with kitchen tongs, placing in the skillet. Sear on both sides for 1-2 minutes per side.
8. Remove skillet and place is the oven directly under the broiler. Cook for 3 minutes, then flip and cook for 3 minutes more. (Less time if you like it rarer, more if you like it more well done.)
9. Remove skillet from over, and place steak on a cutting board to rest for 15-20 minutes.
10. At this time, assemble your tortillas (warm them if desired), salsa, extra chili sauce for drizzling and peanuts. After the steak has rested, slice it into thin strips. Assemble tacos as desired and eat!

Homemade Taco Seasoning

Tacos are such a fun and easy weeknight dinner.  Meat, vegetables, shell or lettuce wrap - easy as pie.  And in college, we always flavored that meat with taco seasoning.  Have you ever read the ingredients on taco seasoning?  Check out what Ortega puts in theirs:
Yellow Corn Flour, Salt, Maltodextrin, Paprika, Spices, Modified Corn Starch, Sugar, Garlic Powder, Citric Acid, Autolyzed Yeast Extract, Natural Flavor, Caramel Color (sulfites).


Lots of salt (430 mg). Maltodextrin. Autolyzed Yeast Extract. Caramel Color?  The only other food I know with Caramel color in it is Coca-Cola.  Probably not the best things to be throwing into your ground beef.



As it turns out, making taco seasoning couldn't be easier.  I used all ingredients that I had in my house. I altered it a little below, based on what I had, but feel free to go back to the original recipe and add in some of the things I removed (like onion powder).  I also kicked up the spice for the Monkey Scientist, so feel free to cut back if you're not into that.



I made the seasoning with these super cute measuring spoons that my mom bought for me. How adorable are they?  I thought about giving you the ingredients in these cutesy measurements, but I figured it might not be that useful.  I just love them though - especially because they remind me of Mom.



This seasoning is super flavorful - we loved it.  I made lettuce wrap tacos to cut down on the carbs (and then loaded it with cheese, fair tradeoff!) and thought they were tasty and filling.  The seasoning does make a little more than you need for 1 lb of beef, so I put the extra in a ziploc for another day.  Make sure you label it!  Then you can have an easy weeknight dinner, and without all those unnatural ingredients and extra salt, in no time!



Homemade Taco Seasoning
adapted from Food Renegade

Ingredients:
1 tbsp chili powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp paprika (I used sweet)
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp ancho chili powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Instructions
Combine all spice and use to season your favorite taco meat!

Fish Tacos with Latin Slaw for two

Tonight I needed a nice simple dinner, just for me.  I still have lots of cabbage left from before the farmer's market closed for its spring hiatus, so I decided this would be a good week to continue to try new types of slaw.

This recipe looked super simple, and the ingredients were pretty minimal. Fish tacos are my mom's absolute favorite at the Cheesecake Factory, but this is definitely a trimmed down and healthier version!

By way, because I know a lot of friends have asked me before, this is a tomatillo.  It's like the green apple of tomatoes - it's more tart than a big red tomato and it's itty bitty. It comes with a skin on it that you have to peel off.  I love to use tomatillos in guacamole instead of tomato.

Although the original recipe called for a lot of patient, 3-hour marinating, I decided to cut all that out.  The only "marinating time" I allowed for was the time while I ran on the treadmill - and I am definitely not running 3 hours at a time.

I also tried to kick up the spice because...well because I always kick up the spice.  I definitely still could have used some Chulula on my taco.

Also, I got some great grocery deals!  Tilapia was only ~$2 for a filet, and I got the greek yogurt (I used Yoplait) for free by combining a store sale with a coupon!  I also got $15 worth of matzoh for free by spending $25 at the grocery store - all ready for my Passover seder (and some matzoh brie)!!

These tacos were really good.  I loved the slaw and the chipotle-greek yogurt sauce had a great flavor while keeping the tacos light and healthy.  I didn't even miss the rice in the Cheesecake Factory version!

And what did I do with the extra 1/2 avocado?  Ate it with a spoon, of course :)  Man, I love avocado!  It was a great "appetizer" for these tasty tacos.

Fish Tacos with Latin Slaw

Adapted from Eighty Twenty

Serves 2 (4 tacos)

2 tilapia (or other white fish) filet

1/4 cup white wine

1-2 tbsp lime juice (~1 limes)

2 tsp cumin

1 tsp crushed red chili flakes

1 tsp chili powder

4 -8" whole wheat tortillas

Latin Slaw

1 cup shredded purple and green cabbage

1/4 cup onion, sliced
1/2 avocado, sliced
1 tomatillo, peeled and diced

1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced

1 tbsp low fat mayonnaise

3 tbsp lime juice (~1 1/2 limes)

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

2 tsp olive oil

1 tsp salt

1 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 tsp cumin

Sauce

6 oz fat free Greek yogurt

1 tbsp chipotle seasoning

Instructions:

Marinate fish filets in white wine, lime juice, and cumin in the refrigerator, at least 2 hours or overnight.

For slaw: Mix together cabbage, onion, avocado, tomatillo and jalapeño in a large bowl. In a small bowl whisk together lime juice, mayonnaise, oil, vinegar, cumin, salt, and pepper. Add to dry ingredients and refrigerate until ready to use.

For sauce: mix chipotle seasoning into yogurt and refrigerate until ready to use.

Grill fish filets until done (~2 1/2 min on the Foreman), then cut into 2" thick strips. Microwave flour tortillas covered by a damp paper towel for ~30 seconds, or until soft.

Add 2 tbsp sauce to tortilla, then add fish. On top add 1/4 cup Latin Slaw.  Enjoy!