Verde Chicken Tacos

Recipe No. 1
Verde Chicken Tacos

Serving size for this recipe: 5-7 people

Average cost: $15 or less

I love the flavors that are spicy, sweet, crunchy, soft... you know, All the pairs of mouth feelings or tastes that contrast but match up so seamlessly when we eat! This is one of those dishes. Great as an appetizer or the main thing.
Okay, start with:

5 Boneless skinless chicken breasts (frozen is fine)

You're going to put on a deep pot of water to boil, once boiling add in all the chicken. This will cook for 10 to 12 minutes if frozen- and as little as 8 minutes if fresh. Once cooked, drain the chicken in a colander and set it aside.

Now its time for the salsa Verde!
you'll need:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium red onion chopped
1 jalapeno diced
8 tomatillos, husked and chopped
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Heat the oil in a large pan over med/high heat. Add the onions and jalapeno and cook them till they're soft. Add the tomatillos and cook them until they're soft,(10 to 15 minutes) Transfer the mixture to a blender, then add the lime juice, honey and cilantro, and then blend it till its a smooth consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

by this time the chicken should be cool enough to handle. shred the chicken and combine it with 1 and 1/2 cups of the salsa- mix it thoroughly. (you can save the remaining salsa in a mason jar for up to a 2 weeks)

Get your tortillas- because we are making a crispy taco shell with flour tortillas!
the small sized flour tortillas are good for this. you can use white corn if you want.

In a skillet- heat on medium; 1 and 1/2 cups of vegetable oil to 350 degrees.
one at a time!- add a tortilla for about 12 seconds then flip it. the other side for about a count of 5. Place on a plate with a paper towel to drain any excess oil.

Once these are done- they'll be crispy, but not firm- you should be able to fold them in half to eat as a taco.

Fill with the Verde chicken, some cilantro, and a little sour cream or crema and enjoy!
I hope you enjoy these tacos. They're one of my favorite things to eat.

Don't be afraid to cook and try new recipes- even the pro's started at home.

Thinking Italian?

Critique No.2
Restaurant:
Original Pizza and Italian Restaurant
905 NW Chipman Rd
Lees Summit, MO 64063
(816) 554-1322

Cuisine: Italian/Buffet
Max. Seating Occupancy: 55
Price Point: $5.99 for all you can eat buffet, average prices off menu- $10+

When you drive down Chipman Road heading north you'll find the run of the mill fast food places. With all that you see you can kind of miss the stand alone building that Original Pizza and Italian Restaurant occupies. When I first walked in I wasn't sure if they were open because it was very dark inside- only natural light coming from the wrap around windows and a few fluorescents. It looked a typical buffet with a salad bar and hot bar. A few TVs playing sports and 10 or so tables with no one sitting at them. I was the only one there at lunch time on a week day. The overall atmosphere was kind of awkward. Now the food! I first tried their claim to fame- Pizza. It was a thin crust with the large pepperoni and sausage pieces. It was very tasty- good sauce, nice bite from the thin crust, and good mouth feel from the cheese. I then went to the spaghetti and meatballs; an all time favorite of mine. I was disappointed when I saw pasta that was dry and hard on top and somewhat mushy underneath. The sauce with a dark black film on top and meatballs in a separate pan. The meatballs were sitting in what looked like tomato flavored water, about 3/4 of the way up. I did taste it, and it was pretty much tasteless. The meatball was very bland and mushy.
Perhaps they should consider dropping the Italian restaurant part and stick to the pizza? Its unfortunate that my visit was like this, and they do have other locations...
Speaking for the Lee's Summit location, The pizza, I'd give an 8 out of 10, but I have to say I was quite disappointed in the quality of the other food offered on the buffet; salads included.

Overall Rating: 1 out of 5

Please visit this locally owned business and see if you agree!

Flavors of India in Lee's Summit, MO

Critique No.1
Restaurant:
Bombay Palace
1313 NE Douglas St
Lees Summit, MO 64086
(816) 525-2300

Cuisine: Traditional Indian
Max. Seating Occupancy: 40
Price Point: $9.00 for all you can eat buffet, average prices off menu- $7 to $12

I first tried Indian cuisine at a young age and fell in love with it. Full of deep, intense flavors, it offers an experience that is distinct and delicious.
Highlights- Kheer(rice pudding) was spot on, Very good Masala chicken, complimentary chai tea after your meal was nice.
Opportunities for Improvement- Some of the dishes (mixed veggies, and chutney) seamed to have an overuse of the curry. It overpowered the main ingredients leaving them indistinguishable.

There are other options in the area for Indian food, this was in my humble opinion the best bite for the buck!

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5

Please visit this locally owned business and see if you agree!

Eat.Drink.Live.

Welcome to Cibo. This is a blog devoted to Food in all its forms; from fast food to sit down dinners, raw to pan seared, you'll find it here. Be sure to follow this blog for great Recipes, Restaurant Critiques, dining out suggestions and more. There will also be a monthly Top 5 list that will explore the many different cuisines out there. This is my project that I can't wait to dive into- I hope you enjoy this.

-Luke