Monday, August 20, 2007

Training Meals, part 3: Chicken Tacos

This one is so easy, and so good. It's not your mom's chicken tacos, either, unless your mom is from Mexico. Not only do these taste so fresh and light, they're filling (if you eat 2 or 3, maybe 4 if you have a larger appetite but not on a training diet!) and very nutritious. You've got lean proteins from the chicken, vitamins from the avocados and fresh salsa, healthy fats in the avocados, and fiber in the corn tortillas. It's one of our favorite meals at home, though I do admit my kids like grated cheese in place of the salsa. Not to mention, it takes about 5 minutes to get dinner ready.

First, you buy a rotisserie chicken. Yes, I said "buy a rotisserie chicken." In the old days, I would have roasted one myself, and you're certainly welcome to do that, but life is a bit busy right now and Costco has great rotisserie chickens.

Next, make some salsa. This is easy, too, especially if you skip this step and buy freshly-made salsa. If you don't, I would combine 3-4 seeded, chopped large tomatoes (preferably local, they'll taste better), 1 medium onion, about 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, 1-2 chopped serranos, the juice of a lime, and salt to taste.

Now, select a ripe avocado. It should still feel fairly firm to the gentle grip, giving in only slightly. Slice the avocado.

Warm some corn tortillas in the microwave by wrapping them in a clean kitchen towel and heating them for about one minute.

Slice a lime in half.

To assemble, take a corn tortilla (or two, if you've got juicy salsa), and top with just a bit of chicken, a couple of slices of avocado, some fresh salsa, a squeeze of lime, and a sprinkle of salt. Don't try to overstuff your taco - you want to be able to fold it and eat it easily.

And there you have it. One of the best meals you can ever make, and it tastes just the same leftover. Enjoy!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I have been eating these chicken tacos for ten years and still get excited when Rachel tells me that's what we're having for dinner. The only thing guilty about this meal is that they are so good I want to eat about six.

Rachel said...

By the way, we had these tonight with tilapia instead of chicken. I don't know which we like better!