As we move into springtime it is time to transition from heavy meals to fresh, light recipes. I am officially retiring gravies, grits and pot pies in favor of salads, marinades and this awesome rice bowl. This recipe seems like a knock off of everyone’s favorite Mexican food chain… and it is! We live far from civilization so we often make do with homemade versions of big city meals. The homemade versions are always better tasting, and much better for you.
To prepare chicken, remove tendon from chicken tenders- With your fingers pinch the end of the white tendon that runs through the center of the tender. Using a paring knife, while still holding the end, scrape the tendon away from the chicken. Repeat for all tenders. Combine all ingredients for marinade together in a medium bowl and add chicken. Marinate for at least 2 hours.
Bring water to a boil and add chicken base, butter, salt and lime juice. Then add rice and bring water back up to a boil. Once it has boiled turn heat to low, allowing water to simmer, sprinkle in cilantro. Cover pan and allow to simmer for 20 minutes. Set aside for service.
To make tortilla strips cut tortillas into thin strips and place on a baking sheet. Toss with oil, taco seasoning and salt. Spread strips out so they are only in one layer. Bake at 350 for 7 minutes. Set aside for service.
While the rice cooks prepare the rest of your topping for the burrito bowl. Wash and shred lettuce. Wash and cut tomatoes as desired. Prepare avocados. Sauté corn and black beans until warmed over medium heat in small sauté pan. Set aside for service.
To cook chicken heat medium sauté pan with 1 tsp olive oil over medium heat. Add chicken tenders and cook over medium heat until cooked through.
Finally, prepare your burrito bowls. In 4 shallow dinner bowls place about 1 cup of rice, in each. Then in a pie chart pattern place your toppings – Lettuce, tomato, cheese, avocado, tortilla strips, corn and black beans and chicken . Then top with a dollop of sour cream.
What do you do when you are out of tortillas and want to make Mexican for dinner? More specifically… what do you do when you are out of tortillas and there is 4 inches of ice on your driveway, and it is 0 degrees outside? You make your own tortillas.
Tortillas are simple to make and the flavor of homemade is so much better than that of store bought. By that I mean, the kind of tortillas you can buy at your local Walmart. I have a good friend, who is a Chef and lives in Texas. When she wants tortillas she can just run to the store and buy freshly made, warm tortillas. We, here in the Tundra of Ohio (as she calls it) are not so lucky.
In a medium sized mixing bowl combine flour, salt, baking powder and shortening. Mix with hands until shortening is well blended with the flour. Add water, 1/3 cup at a time. Fold with wooden spoon to incorporate water. Add only enough water necessary to soak up all of the flour, but not make dough sticky.
Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Roll dough into a log and cut in ½, then cut pieces in half again, and then each piece into 3 slices. This should give you 12 even dough discs. Roll each disc into a 6-8 inch round tortilla, with a rolling pin. Tortillas should about 1 millimeter thick.
I use a folded paper towel secured with a rubber band as a make-shift oil brush. I grab it with tongs and brush the pan between each tortilla.
Once all of the tortillas have been rolled out, heat a 10 inch cast iron skillet over medium heat. Pan is ready to be cooked in when you can feel the warmth of the heat while holding your hand one inch from the bottom of the pan. Brush lightly with vegetable oil and cook tortilla on one side until large bubbles form, then flip and cook until browned in a few spots.
Continue this process until the remaining tortillas are cooked, brushing pan with oil between each tortilla.
Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to one week.