Tinga Tacos/ Rice/ Mississippi Mud Brownies

August 2016
Ariel Laughton

TINGA CHICKEN TACOS

2pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed

Salt and pepper

2tablespoons vegetable oil

1onion, halved and sliced thin

3garlic cloves, minced

1teaspoon ground cumin

¼teaspoon ground cinnamon

1(14.5-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes

½cup chicken broth

2tablespoons minced canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce plus 2 teaspoons adobo sauce

½teaspoon brown sugar

1teaspoon grated lime zest plus 2 tablespoons juice

TACOS

12(6-inch) corn tortillas, warmed

1avocado, halved, pitted, and cut into ½-inch pieces

2ounces Cotija cheese, crumbled (½ cup)

6scallions, minced

minced fresh cilantro

Lime wedges

1. FOR THE CHICKEN: Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add half of chicken and brown on both sides, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to large plate. Repeat with remaining chicken.

2. Reduce heat to medium, add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to now-empty pot, and heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until browned, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, cumin, and cinnamon and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes, broth, chipotle and adobo sauce, and sugar and bring to boil, scraping up any browned bits.

3. Return chicken to pot, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until meat registers 195 degrees, 15 to 20 minutes, flipping chicken after 5 minutes. Transfer chicken to cutting board.

4. Transfer cooking liquid to blender and process until smooth, 15 to 30 seconds. Return sauce to pot. When cool enough to handle, use two forks to shred chicken into bite-size pieces. Return chicken to pot with sauce. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until sauce is thickened and clings to chicken, about 10 minutes. Stir in lime zest and juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

5. FOR THE TACOS: Spoon chicken into center of each warm tortilla and serve, passing avocado, Cotija, scallions, cilantro, and lime wedges separately.

Spanish Rice

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons canned chopped green chilies
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 2 cups long-grain white rice
• ⅓ cup oil
• ½ large yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 Tablespoons minced garlic
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 Tablespoon tomato paste
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup chopped cilantro

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Combine chilies and diced tomatoes (plus liquid) in the bowl of a food processor, and pulse until mostly smooth; set aside. Put the rice in a strainer and rinse with cold water until the water runs clear. Shake as much water out as possible. Pour oil into the bottom of a dutch oven over medium heat. Add rice and saute until just beginning to turn golden, about 10 minutes. Add onions and garlic, and cook until onions are tranlucent. Add chicken broth, tomato paste, salt, and reserved tomato/chili mixture and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, cover, and place in the oven. Bake 15 minutes. Remove from oven, stir, replace cover, and bake another 15-20 minutes, until the rice is nice, fluffy, and dry. Stir in cilantro and cover until ready to serve
2. Mississippi Mud Brownies
3. Ingredients
4. 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, lightly spooned into measuring cups and leveled with a knife
5. 2 cups sugar
6. 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
7. 2 teaspoons baking powder
8. 1/2 teaspoons table salt
9. 1 cup (2 sticks) melted butter (no substitutions)
10. 3 eggs, lightly beaten
11. 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
12. 1 cup dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips or chunks
13. 3 cups mini marshmallows (or enough flat marshmallows to cover a 9x13" pan)

Frosting

1. 1/2 cup melted butter
2. 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3. 1/3 cup evaporated milk or whole milk
4. 1 pound powdered sugar
5. 1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease (and flour, if desired) a 9x13" pan and set aside.
2. Combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer. Add the melted butter, whisked eggs, and vanilla. Beat on medium speed for about 3 minutes, scraping the bowl occasionally. Add in the chocolate chips and spread the batter in the prepared pan. Bake for 25-40 minutes (or a little less if using a metal pan; please check out the notes on baking times in the post because they can vary as wildly as a drunken party at Tim Riggins' house) or until a pick inserted into the center of the brownies comes out clean.
3. When the brownies are done, remove from the oven and spread the marshmallows on top. Return the pan to the oven for 2-3 minutes or until the marshmallows are puffed. Remove from oven and cool completely.
4. While the brownies are cooling, beat together the frosting ingredients on high speed until light and fluffy. Spread over the cooled brownies and cut into squares. Makes about 24 brownies.