Chipotle at home!

It's common knowledge that everyone loves chipotle, but it can be embarrassing going in there 4 times a week. Why spend extra money and embarrass yourself when you can just make chipotle at home for cheap, and not be judged for how much you eat it?

I've grouped together the most accurate recipes for making your very own Chipotle meals at home:

Rices­

White Rice: 

 - 1 teaspoon vegetable oil or butter 

 - 2 tsp. fresh cilantro

 - 2/3 cup white basmati rice

 - 1 cup water

 - 1/2 teaspoon salt

 - 1 Lime

In a 2-quart heavy saucepan, heat oil or butter over low heat, stirring occasionally until melted. Add rice and lime juice, stir for 1 minute. Add water and salt, bring to a full rolling boil. At boiling, cover, turn down to simmer over low heat until rice is tender and the water is absorbed, about 25 minutes. Fluff rice with a fork.

 

Brown Rice:

 - 4 cups of water

 - 2 cups brown rice

 - 1 Lime, juiced

 - 1 teaspoon minced garlic

 - 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

 - 1 teaspoon sea salt

 - 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Bring water and brown rice to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until rice is tender and liquid has been absorbed, 30 to 45 minutes. Transfer brown rice to a large bowl and cool slightly, 5 to 7 minutes. Whisk lime juice, garlic, olive oil, and salt together in a bowl; stir into rice. Fold cilantro into rice mixture.

 

Beans

Black Beans:

 - 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

 - ½ cup onion, yellow & finely chopped

 - 2 cloves garlic, pressed

 - 2 cans black beans {15.5 ounce}

 - 1 teaspoon salt

 - 1 teaspoon cumin

 - 1 teaspoon oregano

 - ½ teaspoon pepper, fresh ground

 - 1 bay leaf

 - 1 teaspoon lime juice

Add the oil to medium pan on medium heat. Add onions and garlic and sautee until onions are clear. Add the remaining ingredients {except for lime juice} and simmer for at least ½ hour. Stir in lime juice before serving.

 

Pinto Beans:

 - 1 lb pinto beans

 - 6 strips bacon (or 1 ham hock)

 - 1 small onion, sliced

 - 3 cloves of garlic

 - 1/2 bunch of cilantro, stems and all

 - 1 jalapeno pepper

 - 1 teaspoon salt - this is to taste

 - 2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Sort the beans by hand to remove small rocks, bad beans, and bits of organic debris, and clean thoroughly, rinsing under running water. Soak beans over night and stock pot, covering beans with 1 inch of water or do quick soak. To do quick soak, cover beans with 1 inch of water in stock pot, bring to full boil. Boil 1 minute. Remove from heat and let beans sit one hour. Drain beans.

Add all ingredients to stock pot, cover with 2 inches of water. Cook on low uncovered for approx 4 hours, checking water level and re-adding water when necessary. When done the beans should be tender, but not mushy and the broth should look like slightly thickened vegetable stock and very lightly cover the back of a spoon.houldn't be watery or watery with a grainy texture. To make vegetarian beans, you can leave out the pork and add a little more garlic and salt to taste.

 

Fajita Vegetables

We start with whole green bell peppers and red onion, slice them, and then sauté them in a bit of soy oil with chopped, fresh oregano until bright and slightly crisp.

 

Meats

Chicken:

- 1 (2 oz.) package dried ancho chiles, soaked at least 12 hours

- 1 (7 oz.) can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

- 1 red onion, coarsely chopped

- 6 cloves garlic

- 2 tsp. cumin

- 2 tsp. dried oregano

- Salt and freshly ground black pepper

- ½ c. canola oil, divided

- 5 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed

1 Split open each softened ancho chile and rinse the inside to the stem and all seeds (wearing gloves is recommended). Place in the bowl of a food processor or blender.

2 Strain adobo sauce into a small bowl, discarding peppers or reserving for another use. Press down on the peppers to extract as much liquid as possible (you should have at least ¼ c.). For an especially spicy dish, add chipotle pepper seeds to taste. Add strained liquid to the food processor.

3 Add onion, garlic, cumin, oregano, 5 tsp. salt, and 2 tsp. pepper to the food processor. Pulse several times until a coarse paste develops.

4 With the motor running, pour ¼ c. canola oil through the feeding tube and continue to process until smooth. You should have two cups of marinade. Reserve one cup for immediate use and freeze the remaining for future use.

5 Meanwhile, place half the chicken in a large freezer-safe plastic bag. Spoon in half the marinade, close the bag, and mash around to distribute. Add in remaining chicken, remaining ½ c. marinade, and repeat the mashing until all chicken is evenly coated. Place the plastic bag in a dish and refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight.

6 To cook, preheat a grill, indoor grill pan, or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Coat with 2 T. canola oil. Grill the chicken in batches, turning occasionally until the internal temperature reaches 160°F on a thermometer and bits of caramelized fond have begun to cling to the outside of the chicken, 10 to 15 minutes. Add 1 – 2 T. oil to your grilling surface between batches.

7 Remove to a cutting board and chop into small pieces. Season to taste with salt. Serve on tortillas or in bowls with additional toppings as desired.

 

Steak:

- 1 (2 ounce) package dried ancho chiles

- 1 teaspoon black pepper

- 2 teaspoons cumin powder

- 2 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped

- 6 cloves garlic

- 1/2 red onion, quartered

- 1/4 cup vegetable oil

  - 4 Small Steaks (6 ounces each)

Soak dry chilies overnight in water, until soft. Remove seeds. Add all ingredients except meat in food processor. Puree until smooth.

Spread mixture over chicken, or other meats and refrigerate at least one hour, up to 24 hours.

After marinating, heat grill to about 400 degrees F, or if cooking inside, heat small amount of oil in skillet or grill pan over high heat. Salt meat to taste (optional), and grill lightly, turning only once, until done. 8-10 minutes per side for 3/4" thick steak.

 

Sofritas:

- 16 oz. extra-firm tofu (the firmest you can find; I used Trader Joe's super-firm)

- ~2 tb. grapeseed oil (or other neutral, high-heat oil)

     For the spice blend:

- 1 and 1/4 tsp. cumin seeds, lightly toasted

- 1 tsp. coriander seeds, lightly toasted

- 1/4 tsp. black peppercorns, lightly toasted

- 1/2 tb. dried oregano leaves

- 1 tsp. raw sugar or coconut sugar

- For the spicy adobo sauce:

- 1 medium poblano pepper

- 2 tb. chopped chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

- 2 tb. additional adobo sauce

- 1/2 c. water or salt-free vegetable broth, divided

- 1/2 white or yellow onion, finely chopped

- 3 cloves garlic, minced

- 1 and 1/2 tb. tomato paste

- 2 tb. soy sauce (or tamari)

- 1 tb. cider vinegar

- (optional) 1 tsp. nutritional yeast (for added umami)

- 1/4 tsp. salt + more to taste (I personally went up to almost 1/2 tsp.)

Instructions

1 Prep the tofu:

2 Press the tofu using a heavy object & towels, or your tofu press, for at least 5 minutes to remove any excess moisture. Slice the tofu into about 8 slices.

3 In a skillet, add 1 tb. or so of grapeseed oil over medium-high heat, until shimmering. Add as many slices of tofu as you can fit without crowding.

4 Cook the tofu for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until evenly browned all the way around the outside. Remove from the heat and repeat with remaining slices of tofu. Set aside.

5 Once the tofu has cooled, chop it into very small pieces, or to the size desired.

6 Prep the spice blend:

7 In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, and peppercorns just until they start to smell fragrant. Add them to a spice grinder or mortar & pestle, along with the oregano and sugar. Grind into a fine powder.

8 Char the poblano pepper:

9 If you have a gas stove, then turn on a burner and use metal tongs to hold the pepper over the flames. Rotate frequently until the pepper is blackened all the way around. You can also grill the pepper, or roast it at a very high heat in the oven until fully browned.

10      Remove the skin, stem and seeds from the pepper.

11      Prep the sauce and braise the sofritas:

12      In a blender or food processor, combine the poblano pepper, chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, about half of the water or broth, onion, garlic, tomato paste, soy sauce, vinegar, and optional nutritional yeast. Process until completely smooth.

13      Add the sauce to a large skillet or saucepan along with the chopped, fried tofu. Bring to a gentle boil and then reduce the heat to medium.

14      Add the rest of the water/broth, the salt, and about half of the prepared spice blend. Cover the pan, and cook for 5-7 minutes.

15      Taste for seasoning and add more salt and/or more of the spice blend as desired. Stir, cover again, and cook for about 5 more minutes, or until most of the liquid is absorbed and the raw onion and garlic taste is gone.

16      Enjoy in a burrito bowl, or anywhere else with Mexican-inspired flavors!

 

Barbacoa:

- 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

- 4 teaspoons minced garlic cloves

- 4 teaspoons cumin

- 2 teaspoons oregano

- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

- 1 teaspoon salt

- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

- 3/4 cup chicken broth

- 3 bay leaves

- 3 tablespoons lime juice

- 3 -4 chipotle chiles in adobo

- 4 -5 lbs chuck roast

• To make the adobo sauce combine vinegar, limejuice, chipotles, garlic, cumin, oregano, black pepper, salt and cloves in a blender or processor on high speed until smooth.

• Remove most of the fat from the roast and then cut into large chunks (approximately 6).

• Pour oil into a frying pan and sear all sides of roast on medium-high heat until browned.

• Place meat into Crockpot and pour adobo sauce over meat.

• Pour in the chicken broth and add bay leaves.

• Cook on high heat 6 hours or on low all day.

• While still in the Crockpot, shred the meat with two forks and turn the heat to warm. Serve with hard or soft tortilla shells when ready.

• Typical sides include tortillas, rice, black or pinto beans, cheese, pico de gallo, guacamole, and sour cream.

• Don’t forget to make my 5 Minute Guacamole to go with it.

 

Carnitas:

- 1 (5-6 lb) boneless pork shoulder

- 2 tablespoons olive oil

- 1 onion, chopped

- 4 medium tomatoes

- 4 -6 cloves garlic

- 1 teaspoon cumin

- 2 -4 sprigs fresh oregano

- 2 whole cloves

- 2 bay leaves

- 2-3 tsp dried chipotle flakes or 1-2 dried chipotle peppers (depending on how hot you like it)

- ¾ cup water

- 1 tsp chicken or beef bouillon

- 1 teaspoon salt

- 1 teaspoon pepper

1 Heat olive oil in large pan over medium-high heat. Add pork and brown all sides.

2 Let rest 10- 15 minutes while preparing other ingredients.

3 Chop tomatoes, garlic and oregano. Place pork in slow cooker and add all ingredients on top of pork

4 Cook on low 6-9 hours.

5 Remove bay leaves and whole cloves (and chipotle peppers if you used whole peppers). Remove pork to cutting board, leaving juices in crock pot. Shred meat and return to juices in the crock pot.

6 Serve your pork carnitas in a burrito, atop rice, in a salad, or any other way you can come up with. Top with shredded Monterey Jack cheese, sour cream, fresh corn salsa, guacamole, salsa, etc.

Salsas

Tomato Salsa:

 - 6 vine ripened TOMATOES, diced

 - 1/2 RED ONION, finely chopped

 - 1/3 cup fresh CILANTRO, chopped

 - 2 JALAPENOS, finely chopped

 - 1 tablespoon fresh LIME JUICE

 - 1/2 teaspoon SALT (or to taste)

 - PEPPER to taste

Corn Salsa:

 - 1 12-ounce bag of frozen sweet yellow corn, defrosted and drained

 - 2 medium-sized jalapenos, seeded and chopped (leave in some seeds for more heat if desired)

 - 1/2 red onion, finely chopped (about 1/3 cup)

 - 3/4 cup fresh cilantro, torn or chopped

the juice of 2 (juicy!) limes

 - 1/2 teaspoon salt

 - 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Green Salsa:

 - 2 MEDIUM TOMATOES, QUARTERED

 - 6 medium tomatillos (use 12 if they are very tiny)

 - 1 small red onion, quartered (for a milder taste use a vidalia onion)

 - 2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced

 - 2 jalapeno peppers (seeded, roasted (or broiled)

 - 2 limes, juice of

 - 1/4-1/2 cup fresh cilantro

 - 2 tablespoons ground cumin

 - 1 pinch red pepper flakes (add more if more heat is desired)

 - 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

 - 1 teaspoon TABASCO® brand Chipotle Pepper Sauce (more for a hotter salsa)

 - Sea salt (to personal taste)

 - Fresh ground pepper (to personal taste)

Red Salsa:

 - 10 to 20 grams dry Arbol chiles (choose based on desired heat)

 - 1 tablespoon of sesame seeds, toasted

 - 1 tablespoon white vinegar

 - 2 cloves

 - 1 clove garlic

 - 1 teaspoon Mexican organo

salt

1. Combine all ingredients, in blender and blend on low speed

for ten seconds.

2. SLOWLY drizzle 1 tsp olive oil into blender on low speed. Add more vinegar to taste if needed

3. Chill for at least an hour.

Yield: ~1/2 of a cup

 

Guacamole:

 - 2 Hass Avocados

 - 1/2 of a Jalapeno pepper, seeded, and minced

 - 1/4 of a red onion, finely chopped

 - 2 heaping Tablespoons of Cilantro, finely chopped

 - 1/4 of a lime, juiced

 - 1/4 teaspoon salt

Combine all of the ingredients into a bowl, and mash together until smooth. Add additional lime juice or salt to taste. For extra spicy guacamole, you can leave in the jalepeno seeds!