Adobo Chicken Tacos

With so many Latin-Asian fusion eateries popping up (think Kogi Korean Tacos and the recently-opened Zengo restaurant at Santa Monica Place), it's no wonder my mind drifted to tacos after figuring out what to do with the leftovers from my shredded chicken adobo. 

Maybe I just have a special place in my heart for tacos, maybe I just really love the caramelized onions in this chicken. Whatever it is, this dish melts my heart.

Adobo Chicken Tacos

Serves 2 (6 tacos)

INGREDIENTS:

Shredded Chicken Adobo

12 small corn tortillas

1 cup shredded cheese (I used cheddar)

1/2 cup sour cream

1 handful of cilantro, chopped

1 avocado, sliced (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Place three sets of two tortillas each of a microwave-safe plate. Sprinkle each tortilla set with cheese and heat in the microwave for 50 seconds, or until cheese is melted. Top each tortilla with 1/4 cup (or more) chicken, a dollop of sour cream, sliced avocado (if desired) and top with cilantro. 

Serve and enjoy. 

Shredded Chicken Adobo

There is something amazingly delicious about savory, slow-cooked meats. Pork, beef, or chicken and more. No matter the meat, you can tell when it's been cooked with love for hours and hours. The way it tenderly falls off the bone and into a watering mouth is succulent. This chicken is one of those meals. It is the national dish of the Philippines, and it is simple yet delicious.

*Adapted (slightly) from Williams-Sonoma Food Made Fast: Slow Cooker Cookbook

INGREDIENTS:

2 yellow onions, halved and sliced

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

1 bay leaf

1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns

1.5 lbs. chicken (I used three large chicken breasts, with bones and skin still attached; might be a good idea to remove the bones first so as to make the shredding step a bit easier) -- may also substitute for 1.5 lbs. pork or 1.5 lbs. beef

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

DIRECTIONS:

Spread half of the sliced onions in the bottom of a slow cooker. Add one of the garlic cloves, peppercorns, and the bay leaf. Arrange chicken in a single layer on top of the onions. Top with the remaining onions and garlic. Drizzle the vinegar and soy sauce over the ingredients and sprinkle with sugar. 

Cover and cook on high setting for 4 hours or low setting for 8 hours. When finished, discard the bay leaf. Using two forks, shred the chicken, being careful to remove all bones first. 

Serve with rice.

**Stay tuned for Adobo Chicken Tacos.

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

*From Just Cook Already

INGREDIENTS

{For Sauce to pour over wraps}

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup warm water

2 Tablespoons soy sauce

2 Tablespoons ketchup

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

1/8 teaspoon sesame oil

1 Tablespoon dijon mustard

2 cloves finely minced garlic

{For Chicken Stir-fry}

1 Tablespoon + 1 Tablespoon olive oil

2 Tablespoons sesame oil

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 8 oz. can water chestnuts

1 8 oz. can bamboo shoots

1/2 cup mushrooms

3 cloves garlic

3 green onions, finely chopped (optional)

{Stir-fry Sauce}

2 Tablespoons soy sauce

2 Tablespoons brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon rice wine vinegar

DIRECTIONS

Begin by making pouring sauce. Mix all ingredients together and set aside.

Using a food processor, mince the chicken and saute in a pan over medium heat with 1 T. olive oil and 2 T. sesame oil until cooked through. Remove from pan and set aside.

Using the food processor again, mince, one at a time, the water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, mushrooms, and garlic. Add another tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and saute above ingredients (plus green onions, if using) until the aromas blend together, 3-4 minutes. Add chicken and stir-fry sauce and stir until well blended.

Serve with fresh, crisp lettuce leaves. The combination of savory chicken and cold, crisp lettuce gets me every time!