Burrito Bowl
So here is Part Two from last weeks Guacamole Post. The flavors of this recipe is definitely on point, I feel it tasted exactly like a Chipotle Burrito Bowl (Just wish I cooked the rice a little better). I guess really the only thing is convenience, it's a lot easier to just go buy a Burrito Bowl at Chipotle. I think where this recipe would shine is if you had a party or if you have a larger family and you could have people build their own burrito bowls.
One thing that I did learn though is a really easy substitute for Chipotles in Adobo. Me being the bone head I am, forgot to grab a can for this recipe. So I did a little googling to find this substitute that worked out really nice. You simply mix 1 Tbsp Ketchup, 1 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar, 1/2 tsp Smoked Paprika, 1/2 tsp Cayenne Powder, 1/2 tsp Cumin, and a pinch of oregano. It worked surprisingly well! Permanent substitute? No, but an easy fix with some common household ingredients for sure. On to the recipe!
Burrito Bowls
Prep time: 1hr | Cook time: 30min | Total time: 1hr30min | Yield: 4 portions
Ingredients
For the Chicken
-
- 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 chipotle peppers in adobo, finely chopped
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
For the Rice
-
- 1 tsp vegetable oil
- 1 cup white basmati rice
- 2 cups water
- 1 lime, juiced
- 2 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
- kosher salt to taste
For the Toppings
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- 1 cup black beans, warmed
- 1 cup charred corn (canned or frozen), warmed
- 1 each red and green pepper, julienned and sauteed
- 1 cup guacamole
- 1 cup pico de gallo, or salsa of your choosing
- 1 cup monterey jack cheese, finely shredded
Cooking Directions
For the Chicken
- Combine the vegetable oil, chopped chipotle peppers in adobo, garlic powder, cumin, dried oregano, and black pepper in a small bowl, stir to combine.
- Place the chicken in a large zip top plastic bag and add the marinade. Zip the bag and mix the chicken into the marinade. Place in the fridge and let it marinate for at least 1 hour.
- Heat a large saute pan or outdoor grill to medium high heat. Place the chicken on the cooking surface and cook 5 to 6 minutes per side, until the internal temperature reads 165F. Remove chicken and let rest for 10 min. Chop the chicken into small bit sized pieces and use as needed.
For the Rice
- In a heavy saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Once hot, add the white rice and lime juice and saute for 60 seconds to toast the rice.
- Add the water and bring the rice to a boil. Cover and reduce the heat to low and cook until the rice is tender and all the water is absorbed.
- Add in the cilantro and fluff the rice with a fork.
To Assemble
- Arrange equal parts of the white rice and chopped chicken in 4 bowls. Top with equal parts of the black beans, corn, guacamole, fajita peppers, and cheese. Season with salt and pepper as needed and serve immediately.
Cooking your meats to the perfect temperature is crucial not only from a food safety stand point, but from flavor and tenderness stand point as well. Make sure you cook your chicken, like in this recipe to 165F. The best way to accurately monitor the internal temperature of your meats is by using a Thermapen MK4. They are the most durable, accurate, fast, and reliable thermometer on the market. These are a kitchen MUST HAVE! Go buy yourself a Thermapen MK4 today!
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Guacamole
Guacamole is one of my favorite dips, right behind Galliker's french onion chip dip. It's super easy to make and just has such a great, fresh flavor...and people tend to love it so it usually goes over well. This recipe is very traditional and honestly, I don't believe guacamole should ever be over complicated....don't mess with it! This entry is a two-parter. I made a big batch of guacamole to make homemade burrito bowls one night. So my next recipe will be the burrito bowls. I figured this guacamole recipe deserved it's own post...it's that dang good!
When beginning to write this entry, my mind started thinking, where did guacamole come from? Thank god for Google, I got a pretty quick answer that I thought was intriguing.
“When you’re eating guacamole, you’re eating history that dates back to the 1500s. The Aztec empire created this spread with the same exact ingredients that local restuarants use today. The Aztecs called this saucy spread “ahuaca-mulli” which translates to avocado-mixture or avocado-sauce. Pretty creative, eh? Of course, the secret didn’t stay with the Aztecs for long.
The Spaniards encountered the Aztec people and their ahuaca-mulli while exploring the New World and knew it would be a hit back home. Unfortunately, avocados are not native to Europe so there was a problem when trying to recreate the dish for friends and family when they returned to Spain. Over the course of time, guacamole has stayed in North and South America, while back in Europe the Spanish tried to duplicate the tasty treat with substitutions for the avocado. Of course nothing could live up to the guacamole they had in their travels.
The word guacamole is derived from Nahuatl, a language from Central Mexico. Years ago “waka’mole” and “huaka’mole” were were a few different ways to pronounce gucamole. Our society and fast-paced culture has even gone so far as to shorten this word with the abbreviation “guac” written on menus and featured on signs at local restaurants.
Guacamole has always been a table pleaser, as we can see. The Aztecs believed it to be a natural aphrodisiac and with more natural monosaturated fat and protein than other fruits available, it was vital to their diet. Avocados have almost 20 vitamins and minerals and have been found to help manage heart problems and cholesterol for some people.”
Guacamole
Prep time: 15m | Cook time: 0min | Total time: 15min | Yield: 3 cups
Ingredients
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- 2 rip Hass avocados
- 2 tsp lime juice
- 2 Tbsp cilantro, chopped
- 1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
- 1/2 jalapeno, including seeds, finely chopped
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
Cooking Directions
- Cut the avocado in half and then remove the pit. Scoop the avocado flesh out and place in a medium bowl. Toss and coat with lime juice.
- Add the salt and using a fork or potato masher, mash until a smooth consistency is achieved
- Fold in the remaining ingredients and mix well. Taste the guacamole and adjust seasoning if necessary.
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Cajun BBQ Chicken Thighs
The weather last week was absolutely incredible for mid-February in Northeast Indiana. Mid-upper 60s all week and I took advantage of it in a big way! I cleaned my Weber Performer Deluxe, got a couple bags of charcoal, some propane canisters, and grilled out pretty much every night of the week....it was GLORIOUS!! Saturday I ended up smoking a rack of spare ribs for the first time in shorts and a t-shirt while sippin' on a Yeungling...IN FEBRUARY!! The spare ribs turned out alright, but I wasn't quite happy with them enough to share them quite yet....so I am going to continue working on the recipe and hopefully will have that to you soon. Of course, now we are back to normal February weather...blah! So, my smoking experiments may have to wait, unless I am feeling bold.
But, one thing that I was VERY happy with were these Cajun BBQ Chicken thighs. The one reason I absolutely love chicken thighs is because they are soooo much cheaper than chicken breasts. For typically half the price I can get 4 chicken thighs, but they don't seem to be all that popular. I believe the reason why is because they are a little intimidating to the average home cook. But, I promise you, there isn't anything to be scared of! Two things you want to make sure of is 1) Getting the skin nice and crispy and 2) Obtaining a temperature of 175F. The reason why we want a higher temperature compared to chicken breast (165F) is because chicken thighs contain a lot more connective tissue so they can withstand a lot higher heat than the breast. But, if you don't cook them to a higher temperature you typically get a chewy mess because that connective tissue hasn't broken down. You know what the best way to achieve this temperature? Get your butt over to Thermoworks and pick yourself up an Thermapen MK4. You want to talk about a useful piece of cooking equipment, they are totally worth the money and would make a perfect gift for a cook in your family. Easy to use, accurate, durable; you can't beat them! Now onto the recipe!
Cajun BBQ Chicken Thighs
Prep time: 10m | Cook time: 30min | Total time: 40min | Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
-
- 6 Tbsp paprika
- 1/4 cup kosher salt
- 2 Tbsp ground black pepper
- 2 Tbsp ground white pepper
- 2 Tbsp garlic powder
- 2 Tbsp onion powder
- 1 Tbsp dried thyme
- 1 Tbsp cayenne
- 4 chicken thighs
- Barbeque Sauce, as needed
Cooking Directions
- Mix the first 8 ingredients together and store in an container. This is a standard cajun seasoning that can be used on a number of different things.
- Season the tops and bottoms of the chicken thighs generously with the cajun seasoning. I prefer to let them sit overnight in this seasoning, but you can use them immediately if you don't have the time.
- Heat grill, either charcoal or gas, so that there is a direct heat side and an indirect side. Whenever the grill is hot, place the chicken thighs, skin side down, on the direct heat side. Grill for 4 minutes and then rotate 90 degress and grill for another 4 minutes until skin is crispy. Watch for flare ups during this period and make sure the skin doesn't burn.
- Once skin is crispy transfer the chicken to the indirect side, skin side up, cover and continue cooking. Once you reach an internal temperature of about 160F, go ahead and apply some barbeque sauce on the tops. Cover and continue to cook until you reach an internal temperature of 170F.
- Remove from grill and let rest for 5 min, the cooking processing should continue during this rest period and get you to exactly 175F. Grab some napkins and dig in!