Easy, One Pan, Mexican Meal - Works With MANY Ingredients!

Yeah, It's Cold.

    Being cooped up in the winter, there's not much I can do except dream about this season's trips, modifications and improvements to the RV and...well..cooking and eating. When it's cold out nothing satisfies like cooking a great meal and relaxing while eating it and watching the snowfall outside. Traditionally, this meal is a soup or a stew. I also do chili, but that's a whole 'nother article. (It takes me 17 hours to make the perfect slow cooker chili...and it's well worth the wait!) I raided the fridge recently and had very few ingredients for a hearty meal....and I just wasn't in the mood for big prep and clean-up chores so this recipe just "jumped out" at me.

MMMMmmm, and No Heartburn!

I love the spice mix and flavor profile of good Mexican food. I'm NOT talking about fast food that wants you to believe it once knew someone from Mexico, I'm talking about honest to goodness, home-cooked fare that families (well and single folks too) would eat for dinner when not going all out. Simple, fresh ingredients and easy techniques....that's all there is to it. So, what did I end up making? I noticed a bag of those red, yellow and orange, tiny sweet peppers in the produce drawer. Next to those was a medium sized red onion and a bunch of rubber banded fresh cilantro. In the freezer I found a 1 pound block of chicken tenders. Some Salsa and chopped garlic from the top shelf of the fridge, some lime juice as well...rounded out the recipe.

Fresh Cilantro Cannot Be Beat!

Over to the spice cabinet, I pulled some Chili powder, black pepper, Kosher salt and a bottle of regular hot sauce (you can pick any brand you like)  While defrosting the chicken in the microwave, I cut the peppers and onion into 1/4 inch slices then cut those in half. The more uniform they are cut the more evenly they will cook. Once that was finished, the chicken was ready to be cut up. On another cutting board, this time(!) in 1/2 inch slices then in half like the vegetables. Sprinkle some Kosher salt on the chicken and the vegetables (NOT too much...) Pull a bunch of leaves from the cilantro bunch and roll them up. Cut horizontally and then lightly chop to get the flavor coming out nicely.

My Folding Handle Skillet

Pull out your 12 inch (or larger) skillet and put some vegetable oil at the bottom...about 1/4 cup is fine. After the oil is good and hot, turn down the flame (or remove from heat after turning down your electric stovetop) and add the onions, they will sizzle and likely splatter a bit. I use a splatter guard to keep things clean. Put them back on the heat and reduce to medium high. Once the onions are slightly translucent add the chicken. Push it around with whatever tool you prefer to cook with. Once it's cooked on the outside add the rest of the vegetables, but NOT the cilantro. Sprinkle the top with lime juice, stir, then turn down the heat to medium and cover the pot. Let it cook for a few minutes until the vegetables are the way you like them. Take off the lid, add 1/2 cup of salsa and the cilantro. Mix well and put the cover back on for 3 minutes or so. That's it! Done.

Everything comes out tender and flavorful. AND you can serve from the skillet on a trivet or big potholder. Yes, you could eat from the skillet as well, but that might be considered a bit barbaric. Clean-up is a breeze. A great meal for a miserable day.

Be Seeing You...Down The Road,

Rich "The Wanderman"
www.thewanderman.com