Loving Chipotle at Home

The homemade Chipotle night this week was a big hit with everyone in my family! I thought you might like to do the same.

Here’s how we did it: I bought the bake-your-own tortillas from the refrigerated section at WalMart. It’s a little more work, but they are so good fresh (like at Chipotle!) Also, I looked up the Chipotle meat recipes and they were way too involved for me. So I simply put 6 boneless chicken thighs in the slow cooker on low for 6 hours and added ½ jar salsa verde, and shook in some cayenne pepper and chili pepper to spice it up. Juicy, tender and tasty!

We filled our tortillas with rice, beans, chicken, shredded Monterey Jack cheese, corn, shredded lettuce, tomatoes and salsa (or pico de gallo if you have it!) I didn’t have the corn salsa recipe at the time (it’s listed below), but I will also spice that up next time with some onions, lime and cilantro. The key seems to be lots of LIME and CILANTRO in everything. I looked up how to make the lime tortilla chips and it was way too much work for me! BUT I recommend getting the Cactus Creek Margarita Lime Chips – they are delicious and only 99 cents a bag! I know Brookshire’s carries them.

Enjoy!

Chipotle’s Basmati Rice Recipe
1 teaspoon vegetable oil or butter
2 tsp. fresh cilantro
2/3 cup white basmati rice
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Lime

In a 2-quart heavy saucepan, heat oil or butter over low heat, stirring occasionally until melted. Add rice and lime juice, stir for 1 minute. Add water and salt, bring to a full rolling boil. At boiling, cover, turn down to simmer over low heat until rice is tender and the water is absorbed, about 25 minutes. Fluff rice with a fork.

[bahs-MAH-tee]
Basmati is a long-grained rice, with a fine texture. It can be found in Middle Eastern and India markets, as well as some supermarkets.
(Source: http://www.chipotlefan.com/index.php?id=rice_recipe#)

 Chipotle’s black bean recipe                    

You’ll love the versatility of this recipe. Match it with highly seasoned dishes such as beef or pork fajitas, or use it to add zip to a menu with broiled salmon, sautéed catfish, or a vegetarian roll-up. You can substitute regular salsa for the chipotle salsa if you prefer.

Yield: 2 servings (serving size: 3/4 cup) So, you will probably want to double this recipe!

Ingredients

• 2  teaspoons  vegetable oil
• 1/2  cup  chopped red bell pepper
• 2  garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4  cup  bottled chipotle salsa (such as Jardine’s)
• (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• tablespoons  chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add bell pepper and garlic; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in salsa and beans; simmer 5 minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro.

(Source: http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=10000000226447)

Chipotle’s Corn Salsa

Sweet, spicy, and delicious!

6 ears Sweet Yellow Corn
2 Poblano Chilies
1/2 Red Onion
2 Red Jalapenos
1/3 Cup Chopped Cilantro
1 Tablespoon Lime Juice
Salt and Black Pepper to Taste

(Source: http://www.recipesecrets.net/blog/recipes/copycat-chipotle-corn-salsa/)