Not too long ago, Wilsall, Montana-based Shields Valley Ranchers reached out to me asking if they could send me samples of their sustainably sourced beef. Their literature states that they raise their beef in Montana with “compassion, care, and sustainable practices.” I love me some steaks and burgers, and I especially appreciate compassion, care and sustainability when working with animals, so I was excited to try what they had offered to send me and share a recipe for the perfect pan-seared steak on the stove, too!

(And a link to a burger recipe, too, because hey — why not?!)

Heads up if you are squeamish – there are pictures of raw meat in this post.

I also liked hearing about their unique take on their business. “Our hope is to support generational ranch families, by eliminating packing/shipping house interference and selling our quality beef directly to consumers (ranch to table). We sell and process parts of the live animal, like a co-op. This way, the entire animal is utilized and only processed once sold. We are Made in Montana certified and state inspected.”

I don’t eat a large amount of meat, but when I do, I prefer to be mindful of the source I purchase it from, and this sounded right up my alley.

They sent the steak cuts and ground beef in a refrigerated box. And I just had to laugh when I saw their slogan on the side:

The meat was well-insulated and still cold when I received it. They also included some information about their business, a magnet, a seasoning packet, and some recipes and suggestions to try when cooking the meat.

One of the things that stood out to me was this quote from their informational material: “Order the quantity that best suits your needs. We will raise the beef with minimum impact on the land.” As someone who is always trying to do my best to reduce my negative impact on the environment, I appreciate businesses that are also working toward this same goal. They even ship for free all over the United States.

I immediately wanted to try the rib and T-bone steaks they sent my way. I love cooking my steaks in a hot cast iron pan and then finishing them off in the oven. It’s about the easiest way ever to cook a steak, and also means you don’t have to fire up a grill. (Nothing against grilled steak, but sometimes I don’t want the hassle of that extra step when making dinner.)

You only need three ingredients to really make your steak shine: butter, salt, and pepper! And, if you want to add a little extra flavor, just toss in some quartered garlic cloves and fresh thyme or rosemary.

The first step is to use an oven-friendly pan, since you’ll be finishing the steak in the oven. I LOVE my cast iron pan, and always use this when cooking steaks. Get it nice and hot over medium-high heat. Don’t forget to preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

While your pan and oven are getting toasty, prepare your steak. I like to let mine come up to room temperature. Blot any excess moisture off the steak and generously season both sides of the steak with salt and pepper.

Next you’ll want to sear the steaks after your pan and oven are ready to go. Melt some butter in the pan (and add in your garlic, thyme, or rosemary if you’d like) and place your steaks in. If you’ve added in the aromatics (the garlic and herbs), you can spoon the butter (and all its yummy flavors) right over the steak as it cooks. You’ll want to cook the steaks about 3 to 4 minutes on the first side. Do not be tempted to touch the steaks or move them around as this will prevent you from creating a delicious brown crust and a great sear.

After the 3 or 4 minutes has passed, flip the steak over and top with the pat of butter. Transfer the hot pan and the steaks (remember, the pan’s hot! Use an oven mitt to handle the pan!) to the oven for about 5 minutes.

After the steak has baked for 5 minutes, remove the pan from the oven, and transfer the steaks to a plate. Tent them with foil and let them rest for about 5 minutes. This allows the steak to finish the last part of its cooking (yep, the steak still cooks after you’ve removed it from the oven), and it helps to evenly disburse the juices, meaning you won’t lose all that flavor when you do eventually cut into them.

Take the foil off after 5 minutes, slice the steak at an angle against the grain, and enjoy the heck out of them!

These steaks from Shields Valley Ranchers were absolutely delicious — so flavorful and totally satisfying for a super easy dinner.

I also wanted to give their ground beef a try, too, and I figured what better way to do that than with the “Eric’s Famous Hamburgers” recipe they provided in their informational material.

I sautéed up some bacon, mushrooms and onions (all chopped small). Once that was ready (and cooled), I mixed it in with the ground beef and then formed patties that I (again) cooked in my cast iron skillet.

I also seasoned the burgers with a touch of what they call “Alpine Touch seasoning salts.” (It’s a mix of sea salt, onion, garlic, pepper, sunflower oil and rice concentrate.)

These burgers were decadent! So tasty, and so good!

But they were almost a little too rich for me. So I repurposed the burger mixture and turned it into a spaghetti sauce that was so delicious.

All in all, you can’t go wrong with this beef. I’m definitely happy I was able to try it out! Thanks again, Shields Valley Ranchers!

Perfect pan-seared steak on the stove

 

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Prep time

2 mins

Cook time

9 mins

Total time

11 mins

 

Pan-seared steaks are just about the easiest, most delicious dinner you can make — and super quick, too!

Author: Big Sky, Little Kitchen

Recipe type: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Makes: 2

Ingredients

• 2 room temperature steaks of your choice
• Salt
• Pepper
• 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and quartered (optional)
• 1 to 3 sprigs of fresh rosemary or thyme (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat an oven-safe cast iron skillet (or any other oven-safe pan) over medium-high heat. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Blot any excess moisture on steaks with a paper towel. Season both sides of the steaks with salt and pepper.
3. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in the hot pan, add the garlic and herbs if desired, and immediately place steaks into the pan to sear for 3 to 4 minutes (depending on the thickness of the steak). Press down on steaks to make sure they make good contact with the pan to be able to develop a brown crust. Baste the steaks with the butter if you've added aromatics. Do not touch the steaks or move them around in the pan.
4. Flip steaks over, top each steak with ½ tablespoon of butter, and transfer the pan with the steaks into the hot oven. Cook for 5 minutes in the oven.
5. After 5 minutes in the oven, remove the pan and transfer the steaks to a plate.
6. Tent the steaks with foil and let rest for 5 minutes.
7. Remove the foil and slice the steaks at an angle against the grain. Serve with your favorite side.

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This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Albertsons. All opinions are 100% mine.

One of my all time favorite side dishes to celebrate autumn harvest and to make for holiday celebrations is browned Brussels sprouts with lemon. These are so good I could easily eat the entire recipe all in one sitting. (But shhh, don’t tell anyone I said that.) And Albertsons is your simple solution for your own holiday planning. You can purchase ingredients for your holiday meals (like these Brussels sprouts), prepared foods from the bakery and service deli, holiday treats, party trays, décor, greeting cards, gift supplies, etc. — all from Albertsons.

Even better? These Brussels sprouts are easier than easy to whip up, they don’t take lot of cook time, and they’re cheap!

If you want to up the ease factor, take advantage of Albertsons Grocery Delivery or DriveUp & Go services to order your groceries ahead of time and pick them up — all without having to go into the store yourself. That’s what I did for this recipe to save a little time, which was a huge bonus! Don’t forget to visit the Albertsons website for recipes, shopping, meal orders, etc.

Once you’ve got your veggies and any other ingredients you need back home, preheat your skillet, be sure to wash the sprouts, trim the bottoms off and discard any outer leaves. (You might want to give them another rinse after this step, too, just to ensure you’re cleaning off any residual dirt.) Then, slice your sprouts in half (or quarters if you’d prefer).

Once your skillet is nice and hot (I love my cast-iron skillet), add the oil and butter and sprouts and you’re off to the races! But don’t get too fired up yet — let the sprouts chill for a bit to give them their first browning.

Then, get your stir on. Shuffle those sprouts around a few times to evenly brown them on all sides. (I like mine extra browned, which you can see in my images. If you prefer a less-browned sprout, stir them more often.)

To give your sprouts the perfect bite — not too hard, not too soft, juuuust right — you’ll want to steam them. Toss in the water, put a lid on it, and let those little gems soften.

Last, but not least (because this is my absolute favorite part and what really makes this recipe sing), season your sprouts to taste with salt, pepper, (the optional pinch of nutmeg), and the ever-magical lemon juice.

I absolutely love a sprout that’s a little tart, so I opt for the larger amount of lemon juice. If you’re unsure how you’ll like it, start small and add more juice to taste. A large half of a lemon will typically give you plenty of juice. (And that leftover second half of the lemon will come in handy when you decide to immediately make this recipe again.)

Serve the sprouts warm and try not to devour them too quickly!

I shopped at Albertsons in my local area to get my ingredients, but you can also look for similar products at any of the Albertsons Companies family of stores, including ACME Markets, Jewel-Osco, Randalls, Shaw’s Supermarket, Star Market, Tom Thumb, Safeway, and Vons.

Browned Brussels Sprouts with Lemon

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

16 mins

Total time

26 mins

 

Author: Big Sky, Little Kitchen

Recipe type: Side dish

Cuisine: American

Makes: 8

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 pounds fresh Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
• Kosher salt
• ¼ cup water
• 2 to 4 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice (I like mine tart so I usually use 4)
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Pinch of nutmeg (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat (I love my cast-iron pan for this). When it’s hot, add the oil and butter. As soon as the butter melts, add the Brussels sprouts and spread evenly around the pan. Sprinkle with salt and cook without disturbing until browned on the first side, about 3 minutes.
2. Add the pinch of nutmeg if you'd like, and continue to cook, stirring the sprouts occasionally, until they’re well browned all over, another 5 to 8 minutes.
3. Add the water, cover partially, and cook until tender, another 4 to 5 minutes (if the water evaporates completely during cooking, add more, 2 Tablespoons at a time). Don’t overcook; the sprouts shouldn’t be mushy.
4. Season to taste with the lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Serve immediately or keep warm for up to 20 minutes. These are also delicious as leftovers.

3.4.3177

I’m not entirely sure what it is about the humble meatball that just makes me go ga-ga. I mean, it’s a ball of meat. That’s not entirely glamorous. (Though, speaking of gaga, perhaps this lady might disagree.)

But, I swear – it’s a magical ball of meat. (Note to self: never say that phrase again. Ever.)

When eating out at an Italian place and perusing the menu, I oftentimes find myself having a difficult time dodging any sort of meatball offering because I’m so tempted to see if they can get them right. Are they unctuous? Do they melt in your mouth? Do they make you feel less badly about yourself for loving a ball of meat?

Anywho. Suffice it to say, I really do adore meatballs.

So, for some odd reason, now that it’s the first of May, I had a hankering to make my own. Finally. For the first time ever in the history of my existence.

Yep – I’ve never made meatballs before in my life!

And what better classic pairing than spaghetti and meatballs of course?

These came together easily with fresh ingredients, and were even simpler to make with the help of a slow cooker (a la, the slow cook function on my Instant Pot).

This recipe can take a little time to prep, but once everything’s in the pot, it’s pretty hands-off from there. And mmm mmm mmm, does it ever make your house smell good while it’s simmering away!

This would also go great with a thin slice of crusty bread, slathered with some garlicky butter, and a tasty green salad. Not to mention, it’s some seriously lovely comfort food if you need it to get through a busy or challenging week. (This recipe makes enough to feed a small crowd!)

But enough chit chat – on to the recipe! Enjoy! Stay safe and healthy, folks!

Slow Cooker Spaghetti and Meatballs

 

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Prep time

30 mins

Cook time

5 hours

Total time

5 hours 30 mins

 

Slow cooker spaghetti and meatballs is a tasty, easy dish and makes a boatload for the whole family!

Author: Big Sky, Little Kitchen

Recipe type: Dinner

Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

For the Meatballs

• 2 pounds ground beef
• ½ yellow onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• ¼ cup minced flat-leaf parsley
• 2½ teaspoons dried oregano
• 2 eggs
• 1 egg white
• 1 cup whole wheat panko breadcrumbs
• ¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

For the Sauce:

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• ½ yellow onion chopped
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 4 Tablespoons dried basil or 4 large fresh basil leaves thinly sliced
• 6 ounces tomato paste (1 small can)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon ground pepper
• 56 ounces canned crushed tomatoes (2, 28 oz cans)

For the Other Essentials:

• 1 pound spaghetti cooked according to package directions & drained
• Grated parmesan cheese for serving
• Minced flat-leaf (Italian) parsley for serving

Instructions

For the meatballs:

1. In a large bowl, stir together all the meatball ingredients until combined.
2. Form meatballs by rolling between the palms of your hands into roughly the size of golfballs. Set aside.

For the sauce:

1. Heat the olive oil using the lowest heat level with the sauté function of your instant pot (or in a large skillet set over medium heat). Add the onion and oregano, and cook until the onions are starting to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds.
2. Add another small splash of olive oil to your pan or instant pot. Then add the tomato paste, salt and pepper to the onions and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
3. Stir in the crushed tomatoes and the basil.
4. If your sauce is not already in your slow cooker (or instant pot), transfer it to your slow cooking appliance.
5. Add in all your meatballs to the sauce and gently push them down into it without mashing them together too much. Don't worry if the sauce doesn't totally cover all of them.
6. Set the instant pot to the slow cooker setting on HIGH (the "more" setting), close the lid, set the seal to "venting," and cook for 3 hours. After 3 hours, open the pot, gently stir the sauce being careful to keep the meatballs intact, and readjust your slow cooker heat to LOW (the "normal" setting). Slow cook on low for 2 more hours.
7. Start boiling your water and cooking your pasta about half an hour before the meatballs and sauce are ready (at the 4 hour 30 minute mark).
8. Serve the sauce and meatballs over the spaghetti. Garnish with grated Parmesan cheese and parsley, if desired.

Notes

If you like a little spice, you can add a teaspoon or two of red pepper flakes to your sauce before starting your 5 hours of slow cooking.

Adapted from a recipe from the Cookin Canuck.

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Yeeesh, time really flies, doesn’t it? It’s been a while since my last post (apologies!), but better late than never to share this Instant Pot chicken noodle soup recipe, yes?

Anyway, as you may have heard, there’s this mega virus touching all parts of the globe right now (yes, the sarcasm is alive and well here). And, unfortunately, the Coronavirus has landed in Missoula. The last I heard is that we’ve got two presumptive cases, which means that there’s likely quite a few more people out there who have come down with it, too, and are contagious.

While I refuse to fall prey to the panic and paranoia that many people have succumbed to (I did not buy massive amounts of toilet paper), I am approaching this virus thoughtfully, rationally, and carefully.

It’s not hype to socially distance myself from the general population, as we all should be doing if we want the spread of this virus to flatten. (Flatten the curve, anyone?) So, I figured that if I were to get sick, I obviously shouldn’t be wandering around in public places, most especially a grocery store. Which means that this weekend I decided to go to the store to pick up some ingredients to make some Instant Pot chicken noodle soup, to have on hand if I were to get sick. (I plan to freeze this.)

I probably shouldn’t have been surprised by what I saw at my local, neighborhood grocery store, but it still was odd to witness. I walked in and immediately noticed that all the bananas were gone (except one lone one, who, I joked with the cashier was practicing excellent social distancing from all the other, nonexistent bananas).

The onions and potatoes were completely gone, all the large carrots had vanished, as had most vegetables. Nearly all the pasta and rice were gone, and the store had limited customers to two chicken breasts apiece.

The toilet paper, unsurprisingly, was also nonexistent, with a sign on the empty rack saying that all purchases were final and refunds would not be offered.

Weird times, folks. Weird times.

Wash those hands!

Anyway…back to the main point of this post. Apparently, I, along with many of my fellow Missoulians, had the same idea and we were all making loads of soup this past weekend, hence the run on the onions and carrots.

The Instant Pot chicken noodle soup recipe that I made is flipping awesome, and I wanted to be able to share it with you here, in case you, too, wanted to have a stockpile of soup on hand that you can freeze and access when needed. Also, it’s way nicer to be eating this soup than the canned stuff, and I’d argue that this is healthier, cheaper and goes a lot farther than a small can ever would. (It nearly filled my 6-quart instant pot!)

Normally, I’d want to make this with large carrots (as I think they have better flavor), but all the large-sized carrots were gone when I went to the store, and the only thing left was a few one-pound packages of baby carrots. They worked in a pinch, but in the future, I’d use the regular-sized carrots.

Side bonus? Your house smells wonderful as the soup cooks! Turn on Simon and Garfunkel’s Scarborough Fair, revel in the scents of the parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme wafting about, and dance around your kitchen as you get ready to take a taste of this delicious soup! And, if you’re feeling particularly adventurous, you can whip up some easy rustic dutch oven no-knead crusty bread bread to go along with it!

Without further ado, here’s the recipe!

Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup

 

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Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

35 mins

 

Instant Pot chicken noodle soup is quick, healthy and easy to make!

Author: Big Sky, Little Kitchen

Recipe type: Dinner

Cuisine: Soup

Makes: 6

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion chopped
• 4 medium carrots peeled and cut into small pieces, or 1 pound of baby carrots chopped small
• 4 ribs celery chopped
• 4 large cloves garlic minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
• ½ teaspoon dried sage
• ¼ to ½ teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 bay leaf
• ¾ teaspoon salt or to taste (I ended up using about 1½ teaspoons)
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper or to taste (I likely ended up using about ¾ teaspoon)
• 4 cups low sodium chicken broth (I make mine with 4 cups of water and 4 teaspoons of Better than Boullion)
• 4 cups water
• 1 to 1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 6 ounces egg noodles
• chopped fresh parsley optional, for serving

Instructions

1. Press the sauté button on the Instant Pot and add your olive oil to the pot. Once the pot and the oil are hot, add the onion, carrots and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until veggies start to soften, about 3 to 5 minutes, depending on your volume of vegetables. Stir in the garlic.
2. Press "Cancel" to turn off the Instant Pot.
3. Add the dried oregano, thyme, rosemary, sage, dried parsley, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Stir and toast the seasonings with the vegetables for about a minute.
4. Add broth and water to the pot. Stir. Nestle the chicken into the broth. (Chicken can be frozen - see notes on cooking times for frozen chicken.)
5. Close the Instant Pot lid and turn the valve to the sealing position. Pressure cook on high pressure for 7 minutes if chicken is fresh. The Instant Pot will take about 20 minutes to reach pressure and then the cook time will begin counting down.
6. When the cook time ends, allow the Instant Pot to naturally release for 10 minutes (i.e. let it sit for 10 minutes without doing anything). Then, carefully release the remaining pressure by turning the steam release valve to the venting position using the handle of a long spoon or while wearing thick, protective oven mitts.
7. When the pin drops down, open the Instant Pot lid. Remove the bay leaf and discard. Remove the chicken to a clean plate, bowl, or cutting board. Let the chicken rest for a few minutes and then shred the chicken.
8. Press "Cancel" to turn off the warm setting and then press "Saute" and set it to high. Add the noodles to the pot and let them simmer for about 5 minutes, until just tender. Turn the Instant Pot off.
9. Stir the shredded chicken back into the soup. Taste soup and season with additional salt and pepper as needed. Serve soup with fresh parsley, if desired.

Notes

To make this recipe with frozen chicken, increase the pressure cook time to 12 minutes, and continue with a regular 10 minute natural pressure release.

If using bone-in fresh chicken, pressure cook for 10 minutes followed by a 10 minute natural release.

To cook chicken noodle soup on the stove top, follow the recipe as written except instead of pressure cooking, simmer soup on the stove (covered) for about 20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken to shred, and add the noodles to the pot, simmering until noodles are cooked. Return the shredded chicken to the pot and serve.

Recipe slightly adapted from Kristine's Kitchen.

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It appears as though I’ve been on a bit of a taco kick lately. But I swear, I can’t help it. When springtime’s in the air (heck, summertime with the weather we’ve been experiencing lately), I just crave easy, bright foods with lots of flavor. Enter these fabulous Carnitas Tacos with Red Cabbage Citrus Slaw. So yummy, so good, so flipping easy.

All it requires is a bit of time to make – but it’s mostly hands off. You sear the pork, add a few spices and water, and then simmer away. While the pork shoulder is slowly tenderizing via a slow braise and while you prep the slaw, you can spend that time catching up on This American Life, which I find to always be a wonderful cooking companion when it’s just me in the kitchen. This episode featured a few excerpts from a podcast called “Beautiful Stories from Anonymous People,” which really struck a chord with me. Have any of you listened to that podcast yet? I think I’m a new fan. I can’t wait to listen to more of it.

Anyway…I digress. Try not to get too distracted by the radio, and as the pork simmers in the oven, enjoy the aroma of the cinnamon wafting through the air.

To be honest, when I first made this recipe, I was a little skeptical of the addition of the cinnamon to the spice mixture. To me cinnamon is a sweet flavor, and not something I’m a huge fan of in savory dishes. (I’ve had some East Indian meals that I think overdid it on the cinnamon and spoiled all the rest of the marvelous flavors.) But the spices in these pork carnitas are so balanced that it just enhances the fantastic savory flavors that are already there. The added benefit is that your house will smell lovely and cinnamon-y as the oven works its magic.

The cabbage slaw also adds a great “crunch” component, which is something I think I’m always seeking out in recipes. And, if you’re into color and vibrancy, then the rich purple of the red cabbage will not leave you wanting. My grandma would be happy with this dish. (She always aims for a rainbow of colors at each meal – and I’m going to say that’s served her well as she’s 91 and going strong!)

This recipe will make a hefty amount, great for multiple servings to multiple people, or enough for many happy nights of leftovers for dinner. Everything is best served fresh and hot from the oven, but this also holds up well to reheating. Just make sure not to overheat the carnitas, which will leave things a little dry and not as tender as its initial straight-from-the-oven bliss.

Carnitas Tacos with Red Cabbage Citrus Slaw

 

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Prep time

30 mins

Cook time

4 hours

Total time

4 hours 30 mins

 

Author: Big Sky, Little Kitchen

Recipe type: Dinner

Makes: 8 servings

Ingredients

• 4 lbs boneless pork shoulder, cut into 4-inch chunks, trimmed of excess fat (or bone-in...just remove the bone)
• salt
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• 2 bay leaves
• 5 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 small head or half a large head of red cabbage, shredded
• 1 small orange, juiced and zested
• olive oil
• corn tortillas, toasted
• chopped avocado
• fresh cilantro
• lime wedges

Instructions

1. Sprinkle and rub the pork with the salt. Add oil to a large ovenproof pot or dutch oven, and heat over medium high heat. Sear the pork in batches until it’s browned on all sides.
2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Make sure all pork has been added back to the dutch oven. To that, add in the spices, bay leaves and garlic. Stir to distribute. Cover the meat ⅔ of the way up with water. (For reference, I used about 12 cups of water.) Bring to a boil on the stove. Once your mixture begins to boil, place the entire mixture into the oven, and leave the pot uncovered. Cook 3 ½ to 4 hours (I cooked mine for 4 hours), checking the pork every hour to give it a stir and assess the water level. If the pot starts drying out, add a little more water (you will likely not run into this issue). Remove the pot from the oven when the pork is tender and falling apart.
3. Toss the shredded cabbage with orange juice, orange zest, a drizzle of olive oil, and salt to taste. Serve the carnitas in a toasted corn tortilla (I toast mine straight over my open stove flame), along with the cabbage slaw, some fresh avocado chunks, fresh cilantro sprigs and a squeeze of fresh lime juice.

Notes

Barely adapted from The Woks of Life.

Nutrition Information

Serving size: 2 tacos

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Once again, life gets away from me and I haven’t been able to post on here as much as I’d prefer. I’ve also been in a bit of a slump recipe-wise. You know…the kind where you make a meal and it’s just sort of lacking somehow and all you can do is utter a resouding, “Meh.” Thankfully, that’s turned right around with these Chipotle Spice Chicken Tacos with Cilantro Slaw and Avocado Cream. An about face, really!

I made these last night, and I canNOT get enough of them, despite the fact that they are tacos and are somewhat messy to eat (I tend to avoid messy things, which is really pretty silly of me). In my opinion, these tacos embody everything that really makes a recipe shine – they’re easy, they’re quick to make, they’re healthy (gluten-free, too!), they deliver a satisfying crunch of texture, they’re filling yet light, and they make my spice-loving self giddy.

Spice, to me, is essential in a good recipe. Without spices to take regular ingredients to the next level, I’m left with that unsatisfied “meh” feeling. But this…this recipe is full of robust flavor. The chipotle spice is a little sweet, a little smoky, with just a hint of heat. And yes – it’s specifically chipotle chili pepper powder you want to use here. Regular chili powder is often a blend of spices. Typically in the blend you’ll get chilis (however, you often won’t know what kind of pepper is included), cumin, oregano, garlic and salt. And while that may work in a pinch, it’s nice to use straight up chipotle chili pepper powder that’s unadulterated by those other spices.

It’s worth mentioning, too, that the heat from the chipotle chili pepper powder is tempered by the addition of the avocado cream, so if you prefer more heat in your meals, then I’d suggest cutting the chipotle powder with a little cayenne to amp up the heat level.

Which leads me to…that avocado cream. You’ll start out making this first, and ohhhhh – is it ever-so-delicious, so refreshing, so light and pleasantly tangy. I’m a bit of a lime-lover, so I tend to splash a little more lime juice and a little more lime zest than called for into my recipes. Not *too* much more, though, or that pleasant tang can overpower the other flavors of this dish.

Once you’ve made the avocado cream, you can prep the cilantro slaw, which is also bright, light and happy, and really adds a satisfying crunch to the tacos. I just used a pre-made slaw base to keep this on the quick and easy side, but you can make your own from scratch, too. I again splashed a little more lime juice than called for into the slaw and added a generous dose of cilantro, a dash of green onions, and, holy moly – I lurrrve it.

Once you’ve got your avocado cream and slaw created and ready to go, go ahead and start working on your chicken. Sprinkle the spices evenly over the 1/4″ strips you’ve cut from the breast, pop them into a toasty-hot pan lightly coated with olive oil, and sizzle away for about 4 minutes or so as you stir and flip the chicken pieces frequently. You’ll likely want to cook your chicken in two batches, so be sure to keep the first batch warm by tenting it with foil as you finish up the rest.

Tent all the chicken once you’ve completed cooking it, and get your tortillas warm and ready to go. There are a few options – you can microwave them along with a damp paper towel, you can dry toast them in a hot, dry pan (this will add just the slightest crunch, so if you like that, go for it!), or you can directly toast them over an open flame on your stovetop. I prefer this method and turn my flame onto a medium-low setting, set the tortilla directly over the flame (and on the stove top grate) for about 30 seconds each side, shifting it around a bit so it can evenly warm and lightly char the surface. After you’ve warmed and toasted your tortillas, you’ll want to prevent heat loss by gently wrapping them in a clean dish towel.

Then, it’s assembly time! A serving of these chipotle spice chicken tacos with cilantro slaw and avocado cream is about two tacos, so get everything ready to go, add a few pieces of chicken, add a few tablespoons of slaw, add about a tablespoon of avocado cream and sprinkle with a few rinsed and drained black beans. Voila – dig in!

(P.S. If you don’t eat all the servings for this recipe in one go, it makes for great, fast leftovers, too. Just heat your chicken separately, get your tortillas toasted and assemble. Easy as pie!)

Chipotle Spice Chicken Tacos with Cilantro Slaw and Avocado Cream

 

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Prep time

22 mins

Cook time

8 mins

Total time

30 mins

 

Author: Big Sky, Little Kitchen

Recipe type: Dinner

Makes: 16 tacos (8 servings)

Ingredients

Avocado Cream

• ¼ to ½ teaspoon grated lime rind (or grate about half a lime)
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• ½ cup non-fat, plain Greek yogurt
• 4 tablespoons plain, unsweetened coconut milk - not from a can, but from a carton (like Silk)
• 1 ripe, peeled avocado, diced

Cilantro Slaw

• 4 cups packaged slaw
• 1 cup thinly sliced green onion
• ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• ½ teaspoon salt

Chipotle Spice Chicken

• 2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into ¼-inch strips
• 1½ teaspoons chipotle chili pepper powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Beans

• 1 can, rinsed and drained black beans

Tortillas

• 16, 6-inch corn tortillas

Instructions

1. For the avocado cream, combine lime juice, lime zest, yogurt, coconut milk and avocado in a blender, food processor or immersion blender, and process until smooth. Set aside.
2. For the cilantro slaw, combine slaw, green onion, cilantro, olive oil, lime juice and salt in a medium-sized bowl, and toss to coat. Set aside.
3. For the chicken, heat a large saute pan over medium-high to high heat.
4. Combine chipotle chili powder, garlic powder, salt and cumin in a small bowl and whisk to combine.
5. Sprinkle the chicken with the seasoning mixture.
6. Add olive oil to pan and swirl to coat.
7. Add about half the chicken to the pan and cook for 4 minutes, stirring frequently, and flipping the chicken about halfway through. Remove and keep warm with foil tent. Repeat this for remaining chicken.
8. Heat the corn tortillas either via dry toasting in a dry pan, via microwave along with a damp paper towel, or directly over an open flame. To keep tortillas warm until ready to serve and assemble, place in a clean dishtowel and loosely cover.
9. Divide the chicken mixture evenly among the tortillas. Top each with ¼ cup slaw mixture, 1 tablespoon avocado cream, and 1 tablespoon black beans, and serve.

Notes

Regular, low-fat or non-fat milk can be used in place of coconut milk in a carton.
Light sour cream can be used in place of the Greek yogurt.
If you'd like more heat in your tacos, I suggest cutting a bit of the chipotle spice with cayenne to amp it up a bit more.

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