Chicken in Tomato Chipotle Sauce
April 02, 2008
It has been two months since I’ve blogged – terrible neglect, I know. In light of this, I am going to give you a random recipe I’ve cooked a few times over the last two months that actually involves chicken – the bird I rarely eat. I loved this dish so much I made it again and again. If you dislike chicken because of its plain nature, I suggest you try cooking it with this fabulous chipotle sauce. I also know that you can substitute carrots and potatoes for the chicken to serve a vegetarian version of this dish. The entire meal is below, with cooking instructions and alternative “quickies” for folks with less time on their hands to prepare the full meal.
Chicken in Chipotle Sauce with Beans, Papas, and Corn Tortillas
For the sauce:
1 tomato
4 pieces of garlic, with the skin on
1 tbsp Mexican Oregano
4 chipotle chiles (you can buy this in a can)
¼ white or yellow onion, quickly sautéed in hot vegetable oil
1 c water
Step One: Place tomato and garlic pieces on a cookie sheet and broil. You want the tomato skin to blister (it will look slightly burnt), and the garlic skin to turn brown. Oven times vary.
Step Two: Remove the skin of the tomato and garlic. Place tomato, garlic, oregano, chipotle peppers, sautéed onion, and water in a blender and puree. Set aside.
You can freeze this mixture to serve it later when you are crunched for time.
For the Chicken:
2 chicken breasts, not frozen! (you can leave the bone in or out)
3 tbsp vegetable oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Heat the oil over medium heat until hot. Add chicken, salt and pepper, and cook until chicken browns slightly (about 7-10 minutes). Add the sauce, cover pan and let simmer for 20 minutes. The simmering sauce finishes the cooking process and will result in a tender chicken.
The side dishes:
Pinto Beans
Step One: clean 1 cup of pinto beans (i.e., pick out the rocks and rinse the beans under water). Soak the beans overnight or while you are away at work all day in a large bowl. The water should cover the beans by 2 inches.
Step Two: Drain the beans and add them to a large pot. Add 4 cups of water and cook on high for 1 ½ - 2 hours or until beans are tender. Keep adding liquid if too much evaporates. The liquid should be light brown.
Step Three: When beans are tender, add 1 tbsp salt, and 3 tbsp of olive or vegetable oil and slightly mash the beans. Cook for another 15 minutes before eating. I like to serve the beans more like a soup, but you can always drain the liquid and mash the beans in a frying pan with the 3 tbsp of olive or vegetable oil for frijoles refritos. You should be advised that adding salt before the beans finish cooking prolongs cooking time.
Roasted Papas (potatoes)
Rinse 3 medium potatoes of any variety, and cut into smaller pieces. Toss in 4 tbsp of olive oil, salt and pepper, and roast in the oven on a cookie sheet at 400F for 25 minutes or until toasty brown. Serve hot!
Corn Tortillas
Contrary to popular belief, your tortillas should not be placed in the microwave. Rather, treat your tortilla with some dignity and place it on a comal or heat it in a sauté pan over medium heat, carefully turning the tortilla until each side is warmed and begins to slightly toast. Place in a clean towel to keep warm.
If you are cooking beans, you can make them from scratch, or heat up some canned beans on the stove with some vegetable fat (so you don’t get too much gas!). If making them from scratch, follow the recipe above.
Lastly, if you want an all vegetarian version of this dish, swap carrots for chicken, but do not add the potatoes yet. They will turn mushy. Roast the potatoes as indicated above, and ladle the sauce and carrots over them.
¡Buen provecho!
Chicken in Chipotle Sauce with Beans, Papas, and Corn Tortillas
For the sauce:
1 tomato
4 pieces of garlic, with the skin on
1 tbsp Mexican Oregano
4 chipotle chiles (you can buy this in a can)
¼ white or yellow onion, quickly sautéed in hot vegetable oil
1 c water
Step One: Place tomato and garlic pieces on a cookie sheet and broil. You want the tomato skin to blister (it will look slightly burnt), and the garlic skin to turn brown. Oven times vary.
Step Two: Remove the skin of the tomato and garlic. Place tomato, garlic, oregano, chipotle peppers, sautéed onion, and water in a blender and puree. Set aside.
You can freeze this mixture to serve it later when you are crunched for time.
For the Chicken:
2 chicken breasts, not frozen! (you can leave the bone in or out)
3 tbsp vegetable oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Heat the oil over medium heat until hot. Add chicken, salt and pepper, and cook until chicken browns slightly (about 7-10 minutes). Add the sauce, cover pan and let simmer for 20 minutes. The simmering sauce finishes the cooking process and will result in a tender chicken.
The side dishes:
Pinto Beans
Step One: clean 1 cup of pinto beans (i.e., pick out the rocks and rinse the beans under water). Soak the beans overnight or while you are away at work all day in a large bowl. The water should cover the beans by 2 inches.
Step Two: Drain the beans and add them to a large pot. Add 4 cups of water and cook on high for 1 ½ - 2 hours or until beans are tender. Keep adding liquid if too much evaporates. The liquid should be light brown.
Step Three: When beans are tender, add 1 tbsp salt, and 3 tbsp of olive or vegetable oil and slightly mash the beans. Cook for another 15 minutes before eating. I like to serve the beans more like a soup, but you can always drain the liquid and mash the beans in a frying pan with the 3 tbsp of olive or vegetable oil for frijoles refritos. You should be advised that adding salt before the beans finish cooking prolongs cooking time.
Roasted Papas (potatoes)
Rinse 3 medium potatoes of any variety, and cut into smaller pieces. Toss in 4 tbsp of olive oil, salt and pepper, and roast in the oven on a cookie sheet at 400F for 25 minutes or until toasty brown. Serve hot!
Corn Tortillas
Contrary to popular belief, your tortillas should not be placed in the microwave. Rather, treat your tortilla with some dignity and place it on a comal or heat it in a sauté pan over medium heat, carefully turning the tortilla until each side is warmed and begins to slightly toast. Place in a clean towel to keep warm.
If you are cooking beans, you can make them from scratch, or heat up some canned beans on the stove with some vegetable fat (so you don’t get too much gas!). If making them from scratch, follow the recipe above.
Lastly, if you want an all vegetarian version of this dish, swap carrots for chicken, but do not add the potatoes yet. They will turn mushy. Roast the potatoes as indicated above, and ladle the sauce and carrots over them.
¡Buen provecho!
Labels: chicken, chili, pinto beans, tomatoes
