Culinary Risks

I used my crockpot for the first time last night... yes, the first time. I made a Mexican flavored rice and beans thing that we topped with cheddar and fresh cilantro. It was pretty good. But I used a new ingredient (which I like to do as often as possible) that I thought I'd share with you... all three of you.

Chipotle in adobo. Say it with me (chi-POLT-le in uh-DO-bo).

They're smoked jalapeno peppers, and they're spicy and taste a little like barbecue sauce (hence the smoked part). I chopped one of them up and threw it in the crockpot with the chicken, black beans, rice, salsa, chopped onion, some spices, and water. The chipotle pepper gave it a nice smoky kick, and I highly suggest you try one. I also learned that when cooking with chipotles, combine it with something sweet. I didn't have anything sweet in my crockpot, and next time I'll throw in some canned tomatoes instead of salsa (didn't need the extra kick) and some frozen corn. That should be just enough sweetness to balance the smoky spice.

Here's another idea; I haven't tried it yet, so don't get mad if it isn't good. Throw the following in a gallon plastic bag: chicken breasts or thighs cut into small pieces, a chopped chipotle, the juice from a lime, a squeeze of honey, about a half a teaspoon of cumin, a quick drizzle of canola oil, and a couple pinches of salt. Squeeze out the air, seal the bag, and mush it all together. Let that hang out in the fridge for about thirty minutes. Cook the chicken over medium-high heat in a nonstick pan (the honey will be a beast to get off otherwise), stirring pretty frequently until the chicken is done. It'll probably take about four or five minutes. You can serve the chicken on some lettuce with some mild salsa and cheese or wrap it up in a flour tortilla with some lettuce, cheese, sour cream, salsa, or whatever you want. It would also probably be pretty good thrown together with some pasta, fresh tomato, and fresh cilantro.

Okay, there you go. Go grab a can of chipotle in adobo sauce. You can find a can (yes, a can) at any grocery store in the international foods aisle with the Mexican ingredients. And now that you know how to say it, asking for help won't be a problem.

Happy cooking.