Too Hot to Cook? Chicken Tacos Easy!

Everyone might assume that since it's summer and I have this abundance of time on my hands that Eric comes home to a meal each night that took hours of preparation.  I mean, what else am I doing with my time, right?!  Wrong.

It's been hot.  Like really really hot.  As in AC is on but I am still laying under this fan sweating hot.  Why do I want to be standing in a kitchen perspiring when I can be reading on the roof, battling pirates on Xbox, or avoiding my long list of summer projects?  However, since Eric IS at work, and I do feel slightly obligated to cook SOMETHING since I am sitting around all day, I like to get creative.  But with as minimal sweating as possible.

I think I've said before that we like tacos.  Okay, I couldn't find a post where I said it directly, so that must just be my old lady brain replaying conversations as things I've written down.  But we do.  We like tacos, or less specifically, mexican food.  A.lot.  As in hey, let's have tacos every night.  Shrimp, chicken, pork, beef... that's 4 days of deliciousness right there.  Heck, our wedding was a smorgasbord of everything you'd find at a mexican restaurant.  Who needs fancy cuts of meat when you can make your own enchiladas?  Plus I find tacos are easy to make, and who can beat an easy meal that tastes incredible?

Anyways, this is another easy recipe that only requires you to sweat for as long as it takes you to flip and season the other side of the chicken breast.  I love this meal because it makes tacos (duh), but also makes a quality meal that is healthy and filling while being quick.  It's the type of thing you can prep in about 5 minutes, throw in the oven, do your workout/cleaning/reading/pirate beating, and still have a lovely meal ready for whenever hunger strikes.  Plus it's applicable year round.  Think winter when you ALSO don't want to cook because it's too cold to move (I swear, I do enjoy cooking sometimes).

I think you get it.  So here's what you do...

Oven Mexican Chicken

• 2 lbs thawed chicken breast or thigh
• olive oil
• garlic powder
• cajun seasoning
• cumin
• chili powder
• salt and pepper

Place chicken on a baking sheet.  Drizzle olive oil onto chicken.  Sprinkle spices on top, enough to coat one side of chicken. Rub into meat. Cook at 350 for 15 minutes, then flip, sprinkle/rub again.  Put back in oven for another 10 minutes at 350 plus another five on high broil.

Note:  If you are extra lazy and your chicken is still frozen you can still do this... just do 25/20/5 instead!

Check to make sure the inside is not pink, but still moist, and remove from oven.  Let sit for about 5 minutes, then slice and eat with your choice of sauteed veggies and topping. Pile it all on to corn tortillas, or lettuce wraps.  And of course I recommend the below guacamole by Eric.

Eric's Guacamole

(large mortar and pestle recommended)

• 2 ripe avocados
• 1/3 small yellow onion (minced)
• 1 clove minced garlic (crushed)
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 1/2 tsp lime juice
• pepper to taste

Note:  We do not use hot sauce or tomatoes or cilantro.  That's Eric's fault, he hates them.  And mine too, because I can't handle spicyness.  If you wanted to add those I wouldn't judge...

Second note: I strongly recommend investing in a large mortar and pestle and an avocado masher to make your guacamole... it's worth the weight.

First add the salt, onion, and garlic to the mortar, or a bowl.  Mash this with the pestle or a spoon if in a bowl to release the juices and until salt is a powder (It's hard to do in a bowl, see?  This is why I told you to get a mortar).  Remove the avocados from their skin.  If you don't know how YouTube it or something, it's not hard if you use a spoon.

Use mash the avocado, until a consistency you like.  Then add salt/pepper/lime juice.  Mix gently.  Taste.  Add anything you think is missing.  Then put in a bowl and get ready to eat with your tacos.  Or chips.  Or just off the spoon.

Mmmmmm, enjoy!

**these have been R&E originals