Vaquero Chicken Recipes

Steps:

• To toast cumin and coriander, saute in dry frying pan on high heat until lightly browned. Cool. In an electric grinder (such as a coffee grinder) or with a mortar and pestle, grind cumin and coriander to a powder. Add remaining spices and grind until all spices are of a consistent texture. Combine spices and canola oil in a bowl. Place chicken pieces in marinade, marinate overnight in the refrigerator.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. In an ovenproof saute pan, over high heat, sear chicken breasts until brown. Place in the oven and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, or until done. Chicken is completely cooked when an instant read thermometer reaches 165 degrees F.
• Variation: Chicken breasts can be marked on the grill instead of seared, then cooked for 10 to 12 minutes in the oven.

Steps:

• In a large pot, add ground beef and onion. Cook until ground beef is cooked through and onions are translucent. Add garlic and tomato paste (if using vegetable broth) and cook for 1 - 2 minutes or until garlic is fragrant and mixture is well combined. Add corn, green beans, Ro*Tel, rice, vegetable broth (or stewed tomatoes), cream style corn & kidney beans. Mix well and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and let simmer for 30 minutes or until rice is cooked through. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• Heat oil over medium heat in a large, heavy pan (I use a heavy nonstick pan for this) and add cumin. When it is sizzling, add beans with their liquid and turn up heat to medium-high. Cook beans, mashing with the back of your spoon and stirring often, until they are thick but still fairly moist, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Every so often a layer of thick broth should begin to stick to the pan. Stir that into the beans - it has a lot of flavor. The smashed beans will continue to dry even after you remove from the heat.
• Toast the tortillas. For really crisp tortillas, heat one at a time (2 if you have a large enough microwave to fit 2 without the tortillas overlapping) in a microwave for 1 minute on full power. Flip tortilla over and microwave for 30 seconds to a minute more on full power, until crisp. You can also toast them in a dry pan or directly over the flame, but this will not crisp the tortillas, it will just char them.
• In a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, chiles, onion, and cilantro. Season to taste with salt. Stir in lime juice and the avocado. Let sit for 15 to 30 minutes for the best flavor.
• Spread about 1/2 cup of the refried beans over each tortilla. Top with a generous spoonful of salsa. Place a handful of shredded lettuce or cabbage on top and if desired a little more salsa on the lettuce. Sprinkle on some white cheese, and serve.