¡Hola amigos! It’s been a second. Life, así como es, (as it is) has been wild. I’ve been to Austin, Mexico, back to Austin and finally back and settled in Denver after a month away. My time in Oaxaca, Mexico was truly magical. It gave gorgeous shape to my new company, Vecina Provisions Co., which I like to think of as Gouramanda’s love child. I have a pretty wild vision rooted in the unity of neighbors, near and far, through shared experiences with great food. I consciously source heritage Mexican ingredients to high vibing home chefs, eh-hem, if you are reading this, you. The breadth of Mexican flavors is bananas, y’all. It goes so far beyond cumin, chips and salsa and monterrey jack cheese. Studying and sourcing these ingredients is incredibl . There is so much to learn about the abundance of unique and vibrant flavors, and their origins. I am having a blast with it and our flagship product, Pasilla Chile Magic (aka not your dad’s chile powder) will redefine the way you think of chile powder. It’s just loaded with…well, lots of smoky and intense magic. It will be available for preorder next month.
But alas, while I am burning the midnight oil with this Vecina baby (and my 2-year-old-not-such-a-baby baby) we still have to eat. This Enchipotlado Bowl is like a way elevated Chipotle (as in the fast casual Mexican restaurant) bowl, pure nutrient-dense fuel that my body craves. I actually made Pollo Enchipotlado one night over rice, then the leftovers transformed into this. The bowls you can really make with anything you are craving/ your body needs. I sautéed a few cups of kale and shitake mushrooms in avocado oil with some smashed garlic, broiled some cherry tomatoes (5 min), added leftover chickpea orzo, leftover borracho beans, crema mexicana, grated monterrey jack cheese, my own Oaxacan hot sauce, a sprinkle of corn flowers, cilantro, a squeeze of lime, and for me some chapulines (little grasshoppers) because I got turned onto those while traveling. No one else is quite ready, ha! They don’t know what they are missing.
This is what weeknight dinner dreams are made of. 2-in-1. And leftovers for lunch.
Buen provecho, y’all!
Amanda
- 1 whole chicken, butchered into 8 pieces, or 4 chicken breasts
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground Pasilla Chile Magic / chile powder
- 3 Tablespoons dijon mustard
- 6-8 medium, vine-ripe tomatoes (removed from vine)
- ½ yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 Tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- 3 whole chipotles in adobo
- big squeeze of lime
- ¼ cup whipping cream (optional)
- 3 bay leaves
- a pinch of crushed epazote (if available)
- ½ stick true (ceylon) cinnamon
- crema mexicana
- cilantro
- Preheat the oven to 500 degrees / broil and line a baking sheet with silpat.
- Season the chicken with salt, pepper, chile powder, then brush with dijon mustard thoroughly. Let sit for 10 minutes or so.
- Toss the tomatoes and onion on the baking sheet and broil. Add the garlic about 5 minutes in and broil 2 minutes longer until everything is charred.
- Heat the oil and butter in a large, deep skillet (that has a lid) or dutch oven /sauce pan over medium high heat. When it starts to smoke, add the chicken for about 3 minutes on each side.
- Meanwhile, blend the roasted tomatoes, onion and garlic, adding the chipotles, lime and whipping cream, until smooth. (Use a rag to hold it down so it doesn't explode!)
- Return the "enchipotlado" mixture to where the chicken is, covering it with the liquid, adding a big splash of water to thin out as needed. Toss in the bay leaves, epazote and cinnamon. Cover and cook on low heat about 10 minutes longer.
- Serve over rice with crema and cilantro, or shredded in bowls!