How do you solve a problem like tomatillos? Make salsa! In my case, I had about five, sad tomatillos sitting in my crisper, quietly veering toward death. I couldn’t let such a wretched fate befall my green pals; so I recruited them to service via my trusty Spring cookbook, Mexican Everyday by Rick Bayless. I quickly found a recipe I could make with the ingredients I had on hand — Toasty Guajillo Chile Salsa — and got to work.

But what’s the fun of salsa if you’ve got nothing to slather it onto? Enter Rick Bayless’s Spicy Baked Chicken with Mango. A few grimy pics after the jump…

Making the salsa is a breeze. Naturally, I neglected to photograph nearly the entire process. First, I heated up a little oil and toasted some dried guajillo chiles in it for about thirty seconds. I then removed the chiles to my (crappy) blender and wiped the oil out of the skillet. Next came the above process: browning tomatillos and garlic. A thrilling time indeed.

Anyhoo… the salsa experience came to a thrilling climax as I pureed the garlic, tomatillos, and chiles together with some water and salt. The result: ¡SALSA!

Moving on to the mango chicken, our first ingredient: mangoes! Normally I would buy a full mango, but fearing that I would have to wait days upon days for my mango to ripen, I splurged a hefty $4 on mango spears (which I then diced) from Fresh & Easy. For the record, they weren’t that ripe. Money = wasted.

While the Fresh & Easy mango spears were a bit disappointing, their bone-in chicken breasts were A DELIGHT. These giant slabs of poultry bosom cost me a total of $8. I think they weighed about thirty-five pounds. Nevertheless, here they are seasoned with salt, pepper, and chili powder. FOR THE RECORD, this was my doing. Rick says nothing of seasoning the chicken in his book. Do yourself a favor, and season away.

I really want you all to take in my expert seasoning job.

And there’s the aforementioned salsa, all poured on top of the chicken. Trust me when I say it’s a delicious, smokey, tangy sauce, not baby poop.

The mango makes it look better.

At this point, the dish goes into a 400 degree oven for what is supposed to be only 20 to 30 minutes, according to RICK. Let’s cut the bullshit. It took 55 minutes. Maybe it was because of my giant breasts, but there was no way this chicken would be done in half an hour (and sure enough, it wasn’t).

Eventually, this is what the chicken looked like when it was done.

I then attempted to spoon off the fat from the sauce, which I am always so bad at. I did my best and then added some honey and tried to mash the mango into the liquid. Once again, the unripened mango came back to haunt me. It simply would NOT mash. You’d think for having been roasting away for nearly an hour, the mango would be a prime candidate for some casual fork mashing, but no! NO! It refused. The few pieces I did attempt to mash eventually sprung out from beneath my fork and found asylum in the dark crevice between my oven and my fridge, never to be seen again…

THE VERDICT:

Actually, really good! This is a simple recipe, but it had a lot of flavor. It’s definitely not something that will blow away company or reign supreme at a potluck. But for a simple weekday dinner, it totally fits the bill. I do wish I had been able to mash that mango more, but instead I simply ate a few chunks with each bite, which worked just fine. Another upside: this dish yielded HELLA chicken. In fact, I repurposed one of the breasts today into BENCHILADAS with some leftover sauce from the previous BENCHILADAS experience, which means that now I have about three more meals that have stemmed from this simple dish.

Easy, easy, easy, especially if you’ve made the salsa in advance.

Hot in Cleveland just got a lot colder with the arrival of Heather Dubrow on this week’s episode of Real Housewives of Orange County. Yes, the former sitcom star (or perhaps appear-er) made her triumphant return to THE STAGE with a guest role on the TV Land sitcom seemingly tailored for her. Heather played some lady who was hellbent on landing a gig on The Real Housewives of Tampa, which of course is fictional — and yet I’d watch it.

Nevertheless, the whole gang headed up to LA for the second week in a row. This is like when black bears invade suburbia and everyone panics. I truly fear an infestation. Maybe we should erect a fence on the Orange Couny line. Sounds cruel, but you know 75% of the county voted to barricade Mexico; so they should be fine with it.

Anyway, Heather did just fine in her guest gig, and in the end, all was well with her and Terry (not to mention Vicki and Tamra, who seemed to lightly bury the hatch). In other news, Lauri Waring Peterson emerged from her money crypt to tell Tamra that she didn’t like Vicki anymore. Slade, meanwhile, surprised Gretchen with a very special birthday present: a new Rolls-Royce! And wait, there was a second surprise: Gretchen would have to pay for it! Oh, and a third surprise: it’s only a lease! Gentleman of the year!

“I swear to God, if I see Betty White eating just the smallest onion ring, I will walk off the set.”

“Yeah, things have been great for me. My son is sober, my daughter is taking selfies, and I’m still in a relationship with the love of my life: MONEY.”

“Hey Lydia, don’t harsh my buzz, man! I’m just a hippie! You know, the type of hippie that gets plastic surgery, buys $3,000 of designer clothes, and lives in Dana Point!”

“Hello! I’m Heather DuBrow. I’m an actress, a singer, a tutor, a mother, a tutor, a tutor, and a tutor.”

“Wow! This acting thing sounds as easy as jumping on a trampoline! Although, for the record, I don’t know how to jump on a trampoline.”

“Hey kids, who wants to have onion rings for dinner? I’M THE COOL DAD!”

“I’m furious at everything: Terry, onion rings, Betty White, and this HIDEOUS VASE ON MY KITCHEN ISLAND.”

Slade: “I’m the host of a one hour radio show that airs in the 117th largest radio market in the country. Kind of a big deal.”

“A Rolls-Royce? If I trade that in, think of all the rooster tapestries I could get at TJ Maxx!”

“Slade, this is amazing! I can’t wait to decorate the inside with fluted candlesticks and antique globes!”

Slade: “Enjoy it now because I’m taking it back to the dealer tomorrow.”

Eddie: “I miss my bike seat.”

“Remember that time I made love to my bike seat for eight hours? I loved that leathery, broken-in sensation wrapped around my manhood. Oh wait. That was Tamra.”

“So this is how the Olsen twins did it. Now I just have to clone myself, and I’ll be a millionaire!”

“Okay, Alexis, we’re going to do a scene. Are you ready?”
“Yes: Reporting live from an acting class, this is Alexis Bellino for Fox San Diego.”
“No, we’re not doing a news piece.”
“Got it. Reporting live from an acting class, this is Alexis Bellino, and that was the weather report.”
“No. We’re acting. We’re not doing weather or headlines or sports.”
“Great. Understood.”
“Shall we start?”
“Yes. Good evening ladies and gentlemen, I am coming to you live from General Hospital. There’s been a fire, but everyone is safe.”
“I can’t work likes this.”
“And this just in: one of the firemen has quit, which means all the babies will die inside. For Fox San Diego, I’m Alexis Bellino.”

Director: “Aaaand ACTION!”
Guy: “I can change your oil if you want.”
Alexis: “Ummm… I’m confused.”
Director: “Just say your line.”
Alexis: “But he wants to change my oil.”
Director: “And you say ‘Really?’”
Alexis: “But I just changed my oil.”
Director: “You’re in a scene.”
Alexis: “Ohhhh okay. So should we tell the gas attendant to leave?”
Director: “He’s an actor.”
“Then why does he want to change my oil?”
Director: “It’s his line.”
“Oh. Got it.”
Director: “Top of the scene.”
Guy: “I can change your oil if you want.”
Alexis: “Seriously, please stop offering to change my oil. I’m trying to do a scene here.”

Vicki: “Sorry I’m late. I wanted to make sure I was covered with Valerie Bertinelli Insurance.”

“Oh look! Someone brought me a pristine cake bow!”

Lydia: “Wow. This is the most realistic 3-D movie I’ve ever seen.”

Gretchen: “Okay, if you can’t pay for the Rolls-Royce, show me what you can pay for.”
Slade: “Here. It’s a tricycle with a Toyota Yaris sticker on it.”

Vicki: “YOU DON’T HAVE APPETIZER INSURANCE!”

What did you think about the episode? Thoughts on the Rolls-Royce? Thoughts on Lauri? And what about Heather’s acting?

Over the weekend, my friend Nic treated me to an afternoon at Disneyland, an experience teeming with thrills and adventure — and that was before we even stepped on a single ride, thanks to the exhilarating people-watching. The populations roaming about were thoroughly fascinating, and our new guessing game (“Valley, Inland Empire, or Orange County?”) kept our wits about us. Of course, analyzing the geographical nature of a bad dye job can be exhausting, especially if you’ve been just shaken about like a craps die in the Tower of Terror. And thus we had to indulge in some Disney sustenance.

When it comes to amusement park food, things can get a little hairy (both figuratively and literally, unfortunately). Luckily, we kept the cuisine simple and the quality high. Pics after the jump…

The first snack of the day was actually a chocolate chip cookie from La Brea Bakery, located just outside both the Magic Kingdom and California Adventure. Definitely a solid snack and a legitimate cookie, especially if warmed up. Clearly, I enjoyed it as I had already decimated most of the cookie before I even remembered to take a picture of it.

Roller coasters abounded.

Grimaces ensued.

In California Adventure, we encountered this beaut of a ferris wheel. It’s name: “Mickey’s Fun Wheel.” So charming and inviting!

As you can see, the gondolas (also warmly regarded as CAGES OF DEATH by my friends and me) dangle from oblong tracks within the ferris wheel…

Those oblong tracks cause some funky movements, and because the cruel people of Disney offer no handrails, seat belts, or bars to clasp, you truly feel like you will be ejected from your seat and sent crashing into the people sitting across from you (in my case, two frightened old Asian ladies). Note the unnatural angle of the gondola in this picture.

It’s official. Mickey’s Fun Wheel is the most terrifying ride in all of Disneyland. Not even joking.

Less terrifying (and less interesting for that matter) was the much-hyped Cars ride. As single riders, we were able to board within 40 minutes. Other people in groups waited 2 hours or longer. I would have been livid. This is not an amazing ride, people.

Look how unenthused I am.

The Cars ride did afford me a glimpse of this curious sign, which perhaps signals that we were now entering a Jesus-healing zone. ARE YOU READY FOR A MIRACLE? READY AS I CAN BE!!

Finally, time for lunch. Look no further than Corn Dog Castle! This simple yet SOVEREIGN structure in the heart of California Adventure serves up immaculate corn dogs. Perfectly crisp on the outside, sweet and fluffy on the inside — it’s exactly what you want and need from a corn dog.

Image via Disney Food Blog

Here are things you should know about the Corn Dog Castle.

1) There are no historical tours. Sorry, Mom.

2) According to the signage, “Corn Dogs Rule,” and in fact, the king of the castle does appear to be a corn dog. However, please don’t confuse his cutesy smile for good leadership. After all, what sort of KING offers up his own PEOPLE to humans for CONSUMPTION? This is some dark, Lord of the Rings Denethor shit going on here.

3) There are only three things on the menu: original corn dog, hot link, or cheese stick. Three things. If you haven’t figured out what you’re going to order by the time you get to the window, you should be flogged in the knights’ quarters and dumped in a moat of ketchup and deep fryer run-off. I can’t tell you how many times we watched idiots ask a million questions at the window as if they were embarking on a tasting menu at The French Laundry.

4) There are TWO windows. This is perhaps the most frustrating part of visiting the corn dog kingdom. People never see the second window, and so the line moves slowly. Oh so slowly. And it’s not like the window is hidden. This past time there were two parties at each window, clearly indicating that there were two windows to order from. The couple at the far window (a.k.a. the window that people never see) received their corn dogs and then walked off. One would think the two idiots in Morrissey t-shirts at the front of the line would therefore move to the now-available window and place their order. But no. Instead they just stood there like two piglets waiting to suckle on the teat of window #1. I was so annoyed that I couldn’t even enjoy the irony that staunch vegan Morrissey had two fans lining up for corn dogs at Disneyland. Nevertheless, I offered up a stern and perhaps frosty “There’s a second window open,” which you’d think would be enough to prod these idiots towards window #2, but apparently they couldn’t hear me above the glockenspiels playing inside their brains. It took two other people — one of whom actually had to poke the man — to get them to waddle over to the far window. Don’t be these people.

5) Corn dogs come with apple slices or potato chips. Have this sorted out before you order.

6) Enjoy!

The happiest place on Earth, obviously.

New episode is up!

This week on “Watch What Crappens,” Ronnie Karam (TVgasm.com), Matt Whitfield (Yahoo!), and Ben Mandelker (bsideblog.com) talk about Heather DuBrow’s return to acting on “Hot In Cleveland.” But Heather’s not the only actress on “Real Housewives of Orange County.” Enter future thespian Alexis Bellino and her brilliant future in the theatre. The guys talk about her and all the other crazies from the OC as well as the kooky dames of “Married to Medicine.” Then it’s on to “Newlyweds: The First Year,” “Million Dollar Listing: New York” and the RHoNJ special. Plus, lots of gossip (Jill Zarin vs. a kayak, anyone?) and more tangents than you can shake a TJ Maxx decorative stick at. Come on in!

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For a few years now, I’ve been hearing about the Hwe Dub Bap at A-Won Japanese Restaurant here in Los Angeles. This Korean dish, which is basically sashimi piled on top of lettuce and other veggies, has been thoroughly documented by the local media, blogs, and various Yelpers over the years. However, I’d never actually tried it before. I certainly had come close — going so far as to actually sitting down at the restaurant with every intention to order the dish. The thing is that A-Won also specializes in albap, a rich rice bowl topped with a beautiful assortment of caviar, and try as I may, I simply am not one who can ever resist a giant bowl of fish roe.

This weekend, however, I finally decided to MAN UP and go for the much-heralded Hwe Dub Bap. I had spent much of Saturday afternoon ambling about Disneyland (as one does), and while there had been a midday corn dog to stave off a wave of violent hunger pangs, the shocking truth is that it simply was not enough to sustain me. By the time dinner at A-Won rolled around, I knew a meager bowl of fish roe simply would not due. Delicious, yes. But enough to counter a ravenous post-Disneyland appetite? Hardly. And thus, the landmark decision by me to eschew my beloved albap for hwe dub bap was made.

This was a good thing.

The bowl of hwe dub that arrived in front of me was so large that I momentarily wondered if it were on loan from Shamu’s permanent residence at Sea World. I’m not sure if the photo above truly conveys the size of this thing (I placed my hand in the shot for scale; however, my hands are somewhat large so that really doesn’t help), but it was probably the size of a small hubcap. At least it felt like it.

Inside the bowl was a beautiful array of vegetables — lettuce, shredded carrots, onion, microgreens, seaweed — and of course, fish. Lots and lots of fish. Now let’s make something clear: this was not the most tender, luscious, sublimely dreamy haul of sashimi in Los Angeles. But it was perfectly fine, especially given the context of the dish. Had I wanted to savor each morsel of albacore and yellowtail, chances are I would have opted for a traditional Japanese sushi restaurant where the fish truly is presented as the star (although, A-Won does offer more conventional sashimi plates too).

Nevertheless, the presentation of the colorful sashimi sitting on a perky nest of greens was almost too pretty to disturb. But I was a hungry man with needs, and so after snapping a photo of the bowl, I quickly got to work mixing up the hwe dub bap like a pro. The process was a rigorous one, and it involved incorporating a bowl of rice as well as the aforementioned gochujang sauce and sesame oil. It was all very tactile and exciting, and I know my dining companions, Sly and Abe, were equally enthralled by the process.

Eventually, my bowl looked like this:

Note the banchan and miso soup that comes with this already significant serving of food.

Anyway, once everything was mixed, I ate. And ate. And ate. The sheer volume of food was astounding. Every mouthful was bursting with sashimi — no skimping on the fish here. The flavors were bright and fresh with just a tinge of heat from the gochujang sauce and a lovely nuttiness from the sesame oil. About midway through her bowl, Sly threw in the towel and began her traditional post-meal process of sighing and moaning in pleasure. As for me, I somehow managed to eat everything in my bowl, at which point I was so full I could hardly believe there was a time when I wasn’t stuffed. Oh, and did I mention the whole thing cost only $15.95?

I was happy.

I didn’t think it was possible to eat again. But then there was talk of dessert, and suddenly, we found ourselves at Café Mak, a neat little Korean gem tucked away on Shatto Place in Koreatown. With cozy chairs, Ikea bookcases full of random manuscripts and Library Fair rejects, the place was cutely inviting and served as the perfect coda to our sashimi gorging. As I was about 93% yellowtail at that point, I opted not to indulge in dessert but instead a simple mochaccino, which clocked in at a relatively steep $5.95.

Despite the high price tag (perhaps thanks to the LAMill coffee used), I greatly enjoyed this mochaccino. It was kind of the perfect post-sashimi treat — chocolatey but light, and with enough caffeine to combat the food coma without keeping you up all night.

Abe and Sly, however, opted for shaved ice, which arrived looking like an alabaster breast:

The pile of virtual snow was topped with a single, perfectly scooped melon ball that managed to at first enchant Sly and then later disgust her when she actually ate it (the melon ball was NOT well received). Under the ice was a variety of fruity things: fruit, custard, mochi, red bean. It wasn’t really my thing, but they enjoyed it the experience quite a bit. Abe, however, noted that there should have been more fresh fruit involved.

In the end, we were all quite happy. Well, perhaps not Sly who ordered a lemon tea at Café Mak that was purportedly so sweet she had to ask for two cups of water just to dilute it to palatable levels. Stick to the mochaccino, people.

A-Won Japanese Restaurant
913 S Vermont Ave
Los Angeles, CA
(213) 389-6764

Café Mak
612 Shatto Pl
Los Angeles, CA
(213) 252-9898

You guys — this was a fun one!

This week on Banter with Ben and Lisa, Ben Mandelker (bsideblog.com) talks about his experience going to the live finale taping of American Idol. Observations about Mariah Carey and Colton Dixon ensue. Then Lisa Timmons (wherelisalives.com) spills the tea about her brush with a big time, real deal celebrity. Finally, the two break down the whole Amy’s Baking Company / “Kitchen Nightmares” fiasco. This is definitely one to listen to. For real, yo!

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Los Angeles is not a city brimming with Greek food. In fact, I can only think of about six or seven Greek restaurants total — Le Petit Greek in Larchmont Village, The Great Greek in the Valley, Tony’s Taverna in Malibu, Ulysses Voyage at The Farmer’s Market, Petros in Manhattan Beach, and Joseph’s Cafe in Hollywood, which I think is probably closed by now, and I wouldn’t eat there anyway. But I digress.

Supposedly at the top of that Aegean totem pole is Papa Cristo’s, located in the Byzantine-Latino Quarter of Los Angeles. And yes, LA does have a Byzantine-Latino Quarter. It’s basically Koreatown. Anyway, Papa Cristo’s has earned raves from newspapers, magazines, and of course, lowly blogs. I’ve wanted to visit the place for some time, but annoyingly, the restaurant closes at 8 PM, which is highly inconvenient for me.

Nevertheless, the other night I managed to finally make my way into the BLQ an snuck into Papa Cristos with just under 25 minutes left before the doors shut. Did the place live up to the hype? A few grainy pics after the jump…

Here I am with the colorful menu. You actually order at a counter. The people are very helpful and friendly. The only thing missing was Nia Vardalos.

Me futzing with aforementioned menu. The woman behind me is giving me a look like “Poor thing. Doesn’t know how to use a menu.”

Got it open!

Some of the decor.

My friend Jenny gets the gyro plate. DEEElish.

All our food. I ordered basically a heap of shrimp, which arrived covered in garlic, butter, and who knows what else. NO COMPLAINTS.

Taramosalata. While I greatly appreciated the smiley-face presentation, I have to admit that this was not my favorite taramosalata in the world. It was actually a huge disappointment. You see, I love taramosalata. Whenever I crave Greek food, I’m basically just craving taramosalata. This one simply did not do it for me. I mean, it was good. I definitely ate it all. But my itch was not scratched. SARRY.

Here’s a charming photo of me about to eat a SCRIMP.

Jenny was aghast that I would suck the juices out of the shrimp head. Then again, she was aghast at the shrimp head in general.

Clearly, I had no qualms about this. The shrimp were great. The big container of sauce in the foreground, however, was the real star. It was so good that I took it home with me. Now I have it in my fridge. I don’t know what I’m going to do with it. Maybe sauté something in it? Or find some bread to dunk in it? I dunno. I better act fast though.

Tasty meal? Absolutely.
Overhyped? Maybe just a touch.
Worth racing down to the Byzantine-Latino Quarter by 8 PM? Probably not. But if you’re in the neighborhood, it’s a solid option. Plus, there’s a whole Greek market attached. Oh, and Papa Cristo is adorable — like a little Keebler elf that you just want to hug.

Papa Cristo’s
2771 W Pico Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90006
(323) 737-2970 • papacristos.com

Sweet potatoes, I’ve been told, are chock full of nutrients. Plus, they taste good (I wasn’t told that — I already knew that). And thus when I saw that Rick Bayless had a recipe for “Sweet potato salad with caramelized onions, watercress, and guajillo chile dressing” in Mexican Everyday, I figured I might as well try it out. And that’s exactly what I did.

Pics of this latest culinary adventure after the jump…

Inevitably, we begin with sweet potatoes.

A hefty dose of olive oil enters the picture. It looks like a lot, but remember we have three potatoes to deal with. And some cress forthcoming. Never forget the cress.

A little garlic and two dried guajillo chiles. The latter had been sitting around in my pantry for about three years. Their time, I’m proud to say, has come.

There’s that oil again, heating up on my CLEAN stovetop.

The garlic and chiles enter their oil bath for a scant 30 seconds or so. Just until fragrant, etc.

The aromatics are promptly transferred to my Magic Bullet where they shall be pureed to a pulp.

Oh woops. The garlic is supposed to stay in the hot oil off the heat. To perfume it, I suppose.

Well hello, white wine vinegar.

In a sterling display of man’s dominance over nature, I puree the chiles with the vinegar and some salt.

And here we are.

Take in the glory.

Meanwhile, I’ve chopped my sweet potatoes into a very uniform 1/2 inch dice. Well, semi-uniform.

Next, I do the same with a red onion. For the record, I think they should be called purple onions, but that’s just me.

Hey, remember the oil? Well, I’ve now poured the oil and the garlic into the Magic Bullet with the chili mixture. This leaves a thin slick of olive oil in the pan, which I heat up again.

There’s the oil in the Bullet.

Time to make a suspension.

Ladies and gentlemen, we now have a vinaigrette.

I then dump the red onions in the leftover oil and let them sauté and caramelize.

About ten minutes later, it all looks like this.

The beautifully chopped sweet potatoes go in next.

Also joining the fray is some salt and half a cup of the dressing.

I then mix it all together. It’s no easy endeavor. As you can see, one piece of potato has escaped the pan while another seems ready to fly the coop.

I then cover the whole thing and wait ten or twelve minutes.

Ta-da! The sweet potato is now tender and ready for consumption.

Onto a bed of cress it goes with a drizzle of vinaigrette.

Purdy.

THE VERDICT:

Very good! This is a solid recipe that yields QUITE a lot, perfect for entertaining, potlucks, or just a veggie that lasts the week. The sweetness of the potatoes and caramelized onions is nicely offset by the sour, savory dressing. And the cress serves as a great backdrop to it all. I will say that this salad does err on the oily side, but I found the more cress involved, the less oily it feels. The whole thing is easy enough to throw together, and as an added bonus, it’s fairly beautiful. Make it!

Square One Dining has hands-down the best French toast in Los Angeles. Canelé and The Griddle come close, and BluJam has its oh-so-tasty crunchy variety, but Square One still takes the crown with its brioche french toast with bourbon-pecan topping and vanilla whipped cream. This is the stuff dreams are made of, people. It’s also, however, the stuff that love handles are made of too, and we don’t want those.

Luckily, Square One offers up some pretty amazing salads too. Take the Cobb salad, for instance. Square One does a mean Cobb salad. I am aware that one does not often use the word “mean” when describing a salad, let alone a boring Cobb salad, but people, this is truly a MEAN Cobb salad. I’m surprised it didn’t arrive at my table on a motorcycle with a blaring electric guitar signaling its presence. And then the salad can take off its helmet, and we discover that it’s really a hot lady, maybe even Claudia Schiffer, and as she wags her head back and forth in slow-mo, her blonde hair cascades down and our jaws drop. Yeah, that’s pretty much sums up this salad. It’s awesome.

And as a healthy alternative to French toast, it’s an excellent choice. Although, buyer beware: this salad does feature bacon, humbolt fog cheese, and a buttermilk dressing; so it’s not like the pinnacle of low-cal dining… But you will feel much less guilty when you see restaurant regulars / professional beanpoles Adam Levine and Jake Gyllenhaal at the next table over…

Square One Dining
4854 Fountain Ave Los Angeles, CA 90029
(323) 661-1109 • SQUARE ONE DINING

I’m a little concerned that over five hours have passed since I’ve posted something pertaining to Mexican Everyday, but don’t worry: I’m back with yet another Rick Bayless adventure. This time around I’m tackling “Chipotle Chicken Salad Tacos with Avocado, Red-Skin Potatoes, and Romaine.” Basically, it’s salad in a tortilla.

Pics after the jump…

Things start off on an unglamorous note: two chicken thighs in the toaster oven for twenty minutes.

While the chicken cooks away, I slice up a humble red potato.

The slices go into a bowl with a quarter cup of water. The next part is slightly shocking: I then microwave the whole thing. Craziness.

While the potatoes go ’round in circles in the microwave, I chop up two chipotles. ¡Caliente!

After four minutes, the potatoes are done.

I remove the potato slices to the cutting board and then place the chipotle as well as some oregano, apple cider vinegar, and diced onion into the bowl with the potato water.

A quick whisking session and ta-da! We have a dressing!

Oh look! The chicken’s done!

As for the potatoes, they get diced up and placed in a big bowl.

The chicken, now also diced, soon follows.

In goes the dressing. Mid-tempo stirring ensues.

Romaine lettuce arrives on the scene.

It’s not a party until the lettuce shows up. Heeeeyyyy!!! Oh, and some avocado too.

Two tablespoons of olive oil enter the fray. Mixy mixy!

My tortillas have been warmed in the microwave and are ready to receive filling. Also, spoiler alert: that corn on the cob woudn up being absurdly awesome.

We have achieved TACO.

Macro shot!

Time to get my nomnom on…

THE VERDICT:

People, make this recipe. Even if you don’t have tortillas, make this recipe. Not only is it healthy and simple, it is packed with flavor. I mean packed. This is right up there with Bayless’s mango-avocado salad, but significantly easier to pull off. I mean, the only cooking happens in the microwave.

Once again, Bayless gives us a great texture balanced between crunchy romaine, creamy avocado, and starchy potato, all set off by the bright and eye-opening dressing. It’s so very good. So very, very good.

Plus, this recipe adapts well to modifications. I threw it together a second time just two nights ago, but alas, I had no chicken or potatoes. Not a problem. Instead of chicken, I tossed in some bacon. Instead of potatoes, I opted for fresh corn and some Bulgarian feta cheese. Oh, and some toasted pepitas. It may have been better than the original recipe.

Definitely bookmark this recipe if you’re in need of a fast, simple, healthy, and flavorful weeknight meal. And remember, whole wheat tortillas make a great alternative to the corn variety (or you can ditch the tortillas altogether, as Bayless himself suggests).

Full recipe here.