Roasted Corn and Poblano Chili Salsa

One of the salsas I've recently discovered at Chipotle is their roasted corn salsa. My Chipotle Burrito Bowl night just wouldn't be complete without it, so this is my attempt at recreating it. I'd say it's a pretty good attempt!

I used the broiler to roast the corn and poblano. When roasting, you should watch your pepper and corn very closesly, turning frequently so that you don't have any overly-roasted spots. If fresh sweet corn isn't available, I would use frozen corn in its place.

I halved the recipe I found online, and it made a couple cups of salsa. Plenty of leftovers!

Here's the recipe from Chiptolefan.com - Chipotle Corn Salsa Recipe

Ingredients (I halved this and still made a ton!)

• 6 Ears Sweet Yellow Corn
• 2 Poblano Chilies
• 1/2 Red Onion
• 2 Jalapenos
• 1/3 Cup Chopped Cilantro
• 1 Tablespoon Lime Juice
• Salt and Pepper to Taste

Directions:

1. Roast the corn and Poblano chilies on a grill or BBQ and let cool. (I used my broiler, watching them closely for 5-10 minutes)
2. Cut the corn off the cob.
3. Dice the Poblano chilies, onion, and red jalapenos.
4. Combine all the ingredients and season to taste.

Spicy Red Tomato Salsa

This salsa is not meant to be a copycat recipe to Chipotle's Red Tomatillo Salsa. However, this salsa makes a good enough of a substitute and went perfectly on my recreated Chipotle Burrito Bowls! This recipe comes to me courtesy of the Pioneer Woman. I've had this one bookmarked for months. I figured that I had some time to kill on a lazy Sunday, and with pre-season football on, I could make a ton for us to snack on all day, as well as eat for dinner.

This recipe is very similar to my favorite salsas at mexican restaurants. Great tomato flavor, nice kick with a touch of garlic. Not too much onion or cilantro. Give it a whirl! But maybe cut it in half if you don't want an entire vat full of salsa to work through.

Here's the recipe: Restaurant Style Salsa from the Pioneer Woman

Ingredients:

• 1 can (28 Ounce) Whole Tomatoes With Juice
• 2 cans (10 Ounce) Rotel (diced Tomatoes And Green Chilies)
• ¼ cups Chopped Onion
• 1 clove Garlic, Minced
• 1 whole Jalapeno, Quartered And Sliced Thin
• ¼ teaspoons Sugar
• ¼ teaspoons Salt
• ¼ teaspoons Ground Cumin
• ½ cups Cilantro
• ½ whole Lime Juice

Directions:

1. Combine whole tomatoes, Rotel, onion, jalapeno, garlic, sugar, salt, cumin, lime juice, and cilantro in a blender or food processor. Pulse until you get the salsa to the consistency you’d like.
2. Test seasonings with a tortilla chip and adjust as needed.
3. Refrigerate salsa for at least an hour.

Chipotle Mexican Grill Burrito Bowl Night

I think that my husband and I have eaten at Chipotle once a week for the last six weeks. The extremely fresh and flavorful ingredients makes it irresistible. Well, I thought that I'd try to create our Chipotle experience at home, and tonight, I think I landed pretty close!

Here is what this meal consisted of:

Spicy Red Tomato Salsa
Roasted Corn and Poblano Chili Pepper Salsa
Pico De Gallo Salsa
Guacamole
Cilantro Lime Rice
Spicy, Smoky Black Beans
Monterrey Jack/Cheddar Cheese
Romaine Lettuce
Tortilla Chips

There are a few things in that list that I pulled together without a true "recipe" and I'll give a brief overview of my approach below. The other recipes are linked above. Enjoy!!

Guacamole:
I often make Guacamole with just an Avocado, Lime, and salt (sometimes I even use seasoning salt). But, to emulate the Chipotle restaurant guacamole, you should mash avocado, add in chopped red onion, minced jalapeno, lime juice (typically 1/2 lime per avocado) and a little cilantro. Salt to taste. I didn't add measurements because key to this is add as much or as little of each ingredient as you like. Taste as you go!

Cilantro Lime Rice:
Cook Basmati or Texmati rice according to the directions. Once cooked, fluff, add in 2-3 TBSP of vegetable oil, juice from 1/2 a lime, and 1 TBSP of chopped cilantro. Salt to taste.

Spicy, Smoky Black Beans:
For convenience, I opt to use canned black beans. To prepare for this use, I pour the entire can, juice and all, into a small pot and heat it up. Season with 1/4 to 1/8th tsp of Chipotle Chili Pepper.

Mexican Chicken Soup from Ina Garten

I've made this soup multiple times now, and am always amazed at how easy it comes together and how delicious it tastes. You can play with the ingredients a bit...I like to add frozen corn to mine, and want to try adding a can of drained and rinsed black beans. In fact, I could see making this a vegetarian soup by using vegetable stock, and black beans as the protein source.

I topped mine with cheddar, sour cream, and diced avocado, and a few crushed tortillas. A yummy soup that I make, even in the summer.

The recipe as written makes a LOT of soup. I typically halve mine, otherwise I end up with bowls and bowls that I can't consume. Here's the recipe in its original proportions, courtesy of the Food Network, and Ina Garten.

Ingredients:

• 4 split (2 whole) chicken breasts, bone in, skin on
• Good olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups chopped onions (2 onions)
• 1 cup chopped celery (2 stalks)
• 2 cups chopped carrots (4 carrots)
• 4 large cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 1/2 quarts chicken stock, preferably homemade
• 1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes in puree, crushed
• 2 to 4 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander seed
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves, optional
• 6 (6-inch) fresh white corn tortillas

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Place the chicken breasts skin side up on a sheet pan. Rub with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until done. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, discard the skin and bones, and shred the meat. Cover and set aside.
3. Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the onions, celery, and carrots and cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, or until the onions start to brown. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the chicken stock, tomatoes with their puree, jalapenos, cumin, coriander, 1 tablespoon salt (depending on the saltiness of the chicken stock), 1 teaspoon pepper, and the cilantro, if using.
4. Cut the tortillas in 1/2, then cut them crosswise into 1/2-inch strips and add to the soup. Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 25 minutes.
5. Add the shredded chicken and season to taste. Serve the soup hot topped with sliced avocado, a dollop of sour cream, grated Cheddar cheese, and broken tortilla chips.