Chicken Tacos with Tomatillo Sauce (i.e., leftovers), Pickled Red Onions, Sautéed Peppers, Guacamole
With both boys out of the house, I actually have leftovers on occasion, as was the case with the Tomatillo Sauce with Spicy Grilled Chicken I made a few days ago. Hence, I turned that into last night's dinner of Chicken Tacos with Tomatillo Sauce. I sliced the chicken and added not only tomatillo sauce but some pickled red onions, sautéed peppers and guacamole, as well. (I've included the recipes for the additional toppings below.) You can, of course, add whatever you like to your tacos. I usually use a combination of hard taco shells and tortillas. I served the tacos with a green salad and an ice cold Corona with lime!
Ingredients
For Pickled Red Onions:
1 medium red onion, cut in half and then into super thin slices. (I use a small julienne slicer.)
Juice of 1 lime (maybe more)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Preparation
1. Mix onion, lime juice and oregano in a bowl.
2. Press down on the onions to make sure they are fully covered in lime juice. If not, add more lime juice.
3. Weight the onions down lightly (I use a small ramekin) and let set for an hour.
Ingredients
For Sautéed Peppers:
1 large red, yellow or orange pepper, cleaned, sliced thin then cut crosswise
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Preparation
1. Heat olive oil over medium heat and add peppers. Sauté on medium to low heat for 10-15 minutes until tender. Set aside.
Ingredients
For Guacamole:
2 medium ripe but firm Hass avocados
1 tablespoon finely chopped onion (I use red but white is fine, too)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon finely chopped jalapeño (or more to taste)
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt to taste
Quarter section of lime
Preparation
1. Lightly mash the onion, cilantro, jalapeño and salt in a wooden bowl.
2. Cut the avocados in half, remove the pit and scoop out the flesh and place in a molcajete or mixing bowl.
3. Fold in the onion, cilantro and jalapeno and gently mix, keeping the avocado in as large pieces as possible. Add more salt if needed and squeeze lime juice into bowl. Gently stir one more time and serve immediately (or add one of the avocado pits to the mixture to stave off browning until ready to serve).
To Prepare Tacos...
You can do this in any way you'd like, but I usually start with the guacamole on the bottom, add the chicken, onions, peppers and finish with tomatillo sauce and fresh cilantro. While I don't add cheese to mine, others in the house like to throw shredded cheese in the mix, too. You can use pork, shrimp, steak or tofu in place of the chicken, as well.
