It's not as intimidating as it sounds! I get lots of requests from friends to "teach them my ways" on how to cook. But really, cooking is not a special skill that some people are born with and others aren't. I promise you: anyone can cook, and anyone can learn to cook with simple and fresh ingredients to whip up meals fast like nobody's business.
If you're trying to cook more often, I just encourage you to get in the kitchen and let go of all fear of messing up and just have fun! Are you wondering if a certain spice or sauce would taste good and add some pizzazz to a delicious dish? Will this vegetable taste good mixed with that vegetable in one dish? Try it! You might just create your next favorite go-to meal that frequents your dinner table every week.
For this recipe, I had some chicken strips thawing in the fridge and needed to figure out what to cook with them to create a decent dinner. I decided to cut the chicken up into cubes and marinate it in some spices in the fridge for a couple hours. I found some corn on the cobs in the freezer and some leftover kale in the fridge. I decided to use the corn with the kale and some chopped onion to mix together as a sort of salsa that could be used either as a side dish to the chicken or even a topping to some chicken tacos. My parents and I loved it, and I even saved some for the next day to use as leftovers. Mission accomplished!
Spicy Chicken Tacos with Corn, Kale and Onion Relish
1 lb. chicken (strips or breasts)
1-2 tsp. olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp. oregano
pinch of salt and pepper
2 Tbsp. ground flaxseed
1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
For the salsa:
1-2 tsp. olive oil
2 cups corn kernels (cooked)
2 cups kale (cut into small strips)
3/4 cup onion (diced)
1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
pinch of salt and pepper
Cut the chicken into roughly 1 in. X 1 in. cubes. Place the chicken cubes in a large plastic freezer bag. Drizzle the olive oil into the bag with the chicken. Add all spices to the bag with the chicken as well, but reserve the flaxseed and lime juice for later.
Make sure the bag is well sealed! (<<<that's important!) Then gently shake and move around the chicken in the freezer bag to coat it with the oil and spices. Place the chicken in the freezer to marinate for 2-3 hours.
When chicken is done marinating, heat a pan over medium-high and add the olive oil. Add the chicken to the pan and continue to stir occasionally until no longer pink and thoroughly cooked. While the chicken is cooking, you could start the salsa as well. Once the chicken is done, turn off the heat, add the flaxseed and lime juice, mix well.
For the salsa: Start by adding the olive oil to a pan and heat over medium-high. Add the diced onion to the oil and cook until the onions just start to get soft and translucent. Add the kale to the pan and 1/3 cup of water, then cover the pan and reduce the heat down to medium-low. Let simmer for 2 minutes, then uncover. The kale should start to be wilted. Continue to stir the onion and kale together until the kale is completely wilted. Add the corn kernels and mix together until the whole dish is thoroughly heated. Turn off the heat and squeeze 1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice over the salsa with a sprinkle of salt and pepper.
Like I said, this was made by just using a little creativity and whatever ingredients I had on hand. It's a great way to get more comfortable with cooking homemade meals. Another fun thing to do is to make a game out of it! Have you ever seen the show Chopped on Food Network? The chef contestants have to open up a basket of random ingredients and make whatever dish they can in a limited amount of time.
Master this skill of using ingredients on hand to throw together a random yet delicious dish and you can be the own Chopped winner of your kitchen.
Healthy Recipe Makeover Ideas
- I added ground flaxseed to the chicken for some extra nutrients. Ground flaxseed is a rich source of micronutrients, dietary fiber, manganese, vitamin B1, and the omega-3 essential fatty acid. Flaxseed has been shown to help lower risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer. Plus, the flaxseed adds a nice touch of nutty flavor to the chicken.
- Use whole wheat tortillas or even lettuce cups for your tacos
- Top your tacos with diced tomatoes
- Add bell peppers or a jalapeno for some extra spice to the relish while preparing