Chicken Tacos

An important lesson I've learned over the years is that you don't have to grocery shop for specific recipes. You can start with a set of ingredients and reinvent them into a new taste experience. Meals during the week don't have to be the usual boring stuff. Just be creative and don't be afraid to try something new! Today's post takes us from the Middle East to Central America. We're using the same chicken breast from yesterday, along with corn on the cob, cilantro, and tomatoes, to make yummy chicken tacos that are super good for you!

What you'll need:
1 package of corn tortillas
1 chicken breast, diced into thin slices
2 corn on the cobs, kernels sliced off into a bowl
1 tomato, cubed
A bunch of cilantro
1 package of Southwestern salsa or any salsa you want
1 package of Parmesan cheese
1 package of spinach
1 tsp. of cornstarch and water
1 tsp. of olive oil
Dash of cumin and red pepper flakes
Hot sauce for seasoning

Directions:
1. Start a pot of boiling water. Peel and place corn cobs in boiling water.
2. As the corn is cooking, start slicing the tomato. Set aside.
3. Corn doesn't take long to cook. Take out of water and let cool. Once cool, slice kernels off the cob.
4. Now time for the chicken (I like doing meats last since I'd much prefer not contaminating my cutting board and knife). Slice chicken breast into thin 2 inch slices. Once cut, dip in a bowl of cornstarch mixed with water. This is my guaranteed trick to succulent, tender, and juicy chicken.
5. Heat up a frying pan with a little olive oil. Drop the chicken in and start cooking! Season with cumin and red pepper flakes. This doesn't take long, maybe just 5 minutes. Set aside.
6. Start lining up a buffet style with all your taco toppings: tortillas, corn, tomato, cilantro, southwestern salsa, Parmesan cheese, and spinach! People can make their tacos as they go. It's delicious I promise :)

Tip! As people are ready to make their tacos, have them come by the stove to heat it up a little. Just place the taco on an unlit gas burner. Once set, turn the stove on low heat. The tortilla will bubble a little on top. When it does, flip the tortilla over and cook on the other side for a few seconds. It should be just a little browned.

Classic Israeli Salad

Wow, it has been a very long time since my last post. But I would like nothing more than sharing my first home cooked meal with you since being overseas these past few months :)

While overseas, I got to spend a good amount of time in Amman and Tel Aviv and it was fabulous. My favorite past-time, not surprisingly, was getting to experience the local cuisine. Middle Eastern food is so vibrant. I could honestly write a novel about the richness and depth of flavors of their food. I spent my days trying all the different varieties of falafel, hummus, schwarma, the fresh herb salads, and the little sweet treats from the bakery. And it'd be wrong of me to not mention the wonders of their black coffee with cardamon and chai tea. Just delightful.

To celebrate and commemorate my time there, I decided to prepare baked chicken sprinkled with cajun seasoning and Israeli salad and fresh corn on the cob. What I'd love to share with you is my twist on the Israeli salad. It's an incredibly easy and super delicious way to treat yourself to those much needed vegetables. Enjoy!

What you'll need:
1 Cucumber
1 Tomato
1/2 Onion
Bunch of cilantro
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
Sea Salt
Black Pepper

 Directions:
1. Chop the cucumber, tomato, and onion into small cubes. Place into bowl.
2. Chop cilantro into small pieces. Mix with vegetables.
3. Add lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil.
4. Season with sea salt and black pepper.

And that's it!