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)!

my new air fryer

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So I finally broke down and got the air fryer lid for the Instant Pot which literally turns the IP into an air fryer, though a small one. I figured I’m cooking SO much, it would be a fun tool to play with. And it is. Despite Melissa Clark’s lackluster review, I’ve found it really useful for a few items. One is veggies: brussel sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli, shishito peppers— well seasoned with a little olive oil then air fried for about 15 minutes per batch at 400 degrees turns out really yummy little bites of crispy veg. I’ve served them with dinner but also as a pre-dinner snack.

For both the cauliflower and broccoli, I mixed the small florets with 1 tablespoon of olive oil plus a spice mixture (garlic powder, cajun spices, smoked paprika, salt and pepper—but you could use any mixture you like; just use enough to coat). Then air-fried for 15 at 400.

Chickpeas were good too—crunchy and healthy with just a little bit of oil. A good snack to serve with a cocktail. French fries were amazing—similar to a fast food fry—though you have to air-fry them in small batches to get the right about of crisp. I’ve also thrown in small new potatoes cut in half with just a bit of oil, salt and pepper.

I have yet to try any meats or bigger objects, so I’ll have to check back in when that happens. Perhaps fried chicken or a piece of fish? Stay tuned.

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.