This recipe, inspired by south-of-the-border flavors,  is a delicious twist on classic chicken salad. It’s got kick from the pickled jalapeños, crunch from the chopped veggies, and flavor from the cilantro and fresh lime. Serve the jalapeño chicken salad in the easy-to-make tortilla bowls or use it as a filling for wraps. The tortilla bowl isn’t as crisp and crunchy as the fried kind you get in a restaurant. It’s edible, of course, but it’s main purpose in this recipe is for presentation. Enjoy!

Jalapeño Chicken Salad
-recipe from Cook’s Country Magazine

Chicken salad is a great use for chicken left over from the night before or the rotisserie chickens sold by many chain restaurants and supermarkets. Any meat can be used–dark meat tends to be moister. Pickled jalapeños can be found in the international aisle at the supermarket, near the taco fixings. They add a bright, spicy flavor and crunchy texture to the salad. Cilantro stems have just as much flavor as the leaves, so you don’t have to be too thorough when picking and chopping the herb for the salad.

Makes about 5 cups.

2/3 cup mayonnaise  
1 tablespoon lime juice  
3 cups shredded cooked chicken  
1/2 medium rib celery, chopped fine 
1/2 small red onion, chopped fine 
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped fine 
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves   
1/4 cup sliced pickled jalapeños, chopped fine 

Mix mayonnaise and lime juice in small bowl until combined. Toss chicken, celery, onion, bell pepper, cilantro, and jalapeños in large bowl. Add mayonnaise mixture and toss until evenly coated. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

Note: To make a tortilla bowl, spray both sides of large flour tortilla with nonstick cooking spray. Toast tortilla in nonstick skillet over medium heat until spotty brown on both sides but still soft, about 3 minutes. Using tongs, drape tortilla over small overturned bowl. Place second overturned bowl over tortilla and cool completely.

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Tags: celery, cilantro, Jalapeño Chicken Salad, jalapeno chiles, lime, lunch, red onion, red pepper, sandwich, wrap

I made these flavorful chicken tacos the other night when we had friends over for dinner. They’re easy, delicious, and the chicken can be made ahead of time and reheated…always a bonus for entertaining!

For the marinade, I substituted 1/2 of a canned chipotle pepper (chopped) and a little of it’s adobo sauce for the jalapeno, and added a bit more OJ to tone down the heat. The chipotles added a nice smoky flavor to the chicken that blended well with the citrus and herb flavors. I offered both flour and corn tortillas for the tacos and served them with a variety of toppings: avocado, sour cream, salsa, etc. YUMM!!!

Citrus & Herb Marinated Chicken Tacos
-recipe from Fine Cooking Magazine (by Mary Sue Milliken, Susan Feniger)
 
The marinade for the chicken is delicious: citrusy, herby, and fresh tasting. Yields enough for 12 small tacos.

2/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice    
2 to 3 jalapeño chiles, stemmed and seeded
7 cloves garlic
1 Tbs. black peppercorns
1 Tbs. salt
1/2 bunch cilantro, leaves and stems included (about 1 cup)
2 lb. chicken legs and thighs

In a food processor or blender, combine 1/3 cup of the orange juice, the jalapeños, garlic, peppercorns, and salt. Purée until the peppercorns are completely crushed. Add the cilantro and remaining 1/3 cup orange juice and purée until smooth. In a ceramic or glass ovenproof dish, toss the chicken with the marinade, rubbing it on to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 12 hours.

Heat the oven to 350°F. Bake the chicken in the pan it was marinated in until the meat easily pulls away from the bone, about 40 min. Set the chicken aside to cool. Pour the juices from the pan into a bowl or cup and reserve. Refrigerate the juices so that the fat rises to the top. When the chicken is cool, remove the skin and shred the meat into bite-size pieces. Cover and refrigerate up to 2 days.

When ready to serve, skim off the fat that has risen to the top of the reserved cooking juices. Use the remaining liquid to moisten the shredded chicken as you reheat it.

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Tags: chicken thighs, cilantro, garlic, jalapeno chiles, orange juice, peppercorns

I could eat stir-fries just about every day. It’s a great way to make a quick meal plus there’s a bazillion different ways to make them, which means you never get bored with the same ol’ thing. Here’s a recipe I found recently that features stir-fried strips of pork with thinly sliced sweet red pepper and spicy jalepeno chiles. 

I used boneless pork loin chops (they were on sale) instead of the pork tenderloin, which worked fine but the tenderloin would’ve been more tender. Thinly sliced chicken breast would be a good substitute for the pork, if you prefer. Serve with steamed jasmine rice.

Spicy Stir-fried Pork with Garlic and Chiles
-recipe from America’s Test Kitchen 30-Minute Suppers (Winter 2010)

Pork tenderloin is the ideal cut for stir-frying because of its tender texture and meaty flavor. Serves 4.

1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons lime juice
1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 large pork tenderloin (about 1 pound), sliced crosswise into 1/4-inch pieces (see note below)
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced thin
2 jalapeno chiles, seeded and sliced thin
4 garlic cloves, minced
2/3 cup chopped fresh basil

Whisk soy sauce, fish sauce, lime juice, and sugar in bowl until sugar dissolves.

Pat pork dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in large nonstick skilled over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown half of pork, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to bowl and repeat with additional 2 teaspoons oil and remaining pork.

Add bell pepper, jalapenos, and remaining oil to empty pan and cook until just softened, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Return pork and any accumulated juices to pan. Stir in soy sauce mixture and cook until slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Off heat, stir in basil. Serve.

Test Kitchen Note: To make the pork easier to slice, freeze the tenderloin for 15 minutes until slightly firm.

Tags: basil, fish sauce, garlic, jalapeno chiles, lime juice, pork tenderloin, red bell pepper, soy sauce, stir-fry