TROPICAL CHICKEN TAQUITOS
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp canola oil
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 cup shredded Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup diced fresh pineapple
1/3 cup barbecue sauce, plus more for dipping
3 Tbsp chopped cilantro leaves
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
8-10, soft 7-inch flour tortillas (warmed to soften)
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 425F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
Heat canola oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, jalapeno and garlic; stir-cook until golden and caramelized (about 5-7 minutes). Transfer to a large bowl.
Stir in chicken, cheese, pineapple, BBQ sauce and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Lay a tortilla on cutting board. Spread 1 heaping tablespoon of the chicken mixture in a line down the center of the tortilla. Bring the tortilla edge closest to you up over the filling, tightly rolling it to form a tube. Place the taquito seam side down on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and filling. If there is filling left over, tuck it into the ends of the taquitos.
Bake taquitos until crisp and the cheese has melted, about 15 minutes.
Serve immediately with extra BBQ sauce, or hot sauce if preferred.
CHICKEN TARTLETS WITH CRANBERRY SALSA
Ingredients:
Tartlets
1 lb ground chicken
1/4 cup minced onion
1 tsp fresh thyme (1/2 tsp dry)
1/2 tsp salt
1 beaten egg
1/3 cup sour cream
16-24 mini tart shells, if frozen, thaw before baking
Salsa
1/2 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
1/4 cup sugar
2 green onions, sliced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
2 tsps coarsely chopped fresh ginger
1 lime, juice and zest
Preparation:
Combine all salsa ingredients in a food processor. Pulse on/off until the mixture is chopped (not pureed). Place in a small sauce pan and stirring constantly bring to a boil, cover and chill at least 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 400F.
In a skillet, combine ground chicken, onion, thyme and salt. Stir cook until the ground chicken is no longer pink and any liquid has evaporated. Remove from the heat.
Beat together egg and sour cream. Stir into the meat mixture.
Fill tart shells. Bake for 12-15 minutes until crust is golden brown.
Serve warm tartlets topped with cranberry salsa. Salsa will keep in the fridge for one week.
Variations: try grilled pineapple and a smokey barbecue sauce. Or substitute mango for the pineapple.
