Vaquero Chicken Recipes

CHICKEN VESUVIO (ITALIAN BAKED CHICKEN AND POTATOES)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degreeas F. Set an XL cast iron sauté pan (or another deep 14 inch oven-safe pan) over medium heat. Set the frozen peas out at room temperature to soften.
• In a small bowl, mix the oregano, salt, garlic powder, and pepper. Sprinkle the seasoning blend over the chicken pieces and potatoes.
• Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet. Once the oil is hot, place chicken pieces in the skillet, skin-side-down. Brown the chicken skin for 4-5 minutes, then flip and cook another 4-5 minutes. Move the chicken pieces to a holding plate.
• Wipe the skillet out with a paper towel (if needed) and add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Place half the potatoes in the skillet, cut-side-down. Sauté until golden then move to the holding plate. Add the remaining potatoes, cut side down, and sauté until golden.
• Now add all the potatoes back to the skillet. Add in the garlic cloves and crushed red pepper, mix well. Place the chicken pieces over the potatoes. Then pour in the wine and chicken stock.
• Place the skillet in the oven for 30 until, until the chicken is crispy on top and cooked through, and the potatoes are soft.
• Once the skillet comes out of the oven, sprinkle in the peas and parsley. (The peas will warm quickly.) Serve the baked chicken and potatoes with a good portion of wine sauce, and lemon wedges if desired.

COWBOY SOUP

Steps:

• In a large pot, add ground beef and onion. Cook until ground beef is cooked through and onions are translucent. Add garlic and tomato paste (if using vegetable broth) and cook for 1 - 2 minutes or until garlic is fragrant and mixture is well combined. Add corn, green beans, Ro*Tel, rice, vegetable broth (or stewed tomatoes), cream style corn & kidney beans. Mix well and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and let simmer for 30 minutes or until rice is cooked through. Serve immediately.

TOSTADAS WITH SMASHED BLACK BEANS OR VAQUEROS

Steps:

• Heat oil over medium heat in a large, heavy pan (I use a heavy nonstick pan for this) and add cumin. When it is sizzling, add beans with their liquid and turn up heat to medium-high. Cook beans, mashing with the back of your spoon and stirring often, until they are thick but still fairly moist, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Every so often a layer of thick broth should begin to stick to the pan. Stir that into the beans - it has a lot of flavor. The smashed beans will continue to dry even after you remove from the heat.
• Toast the tortillas. For really crisp tortillas, heat one at a time (2 if you have a large enough microwave to fit 2 without the tortillas overlapping) in a microwave for 1 minute on full power. Flip tortilla over and microwave for 30 seconds to a minute more on full power, until crisp. You can also toast them in a dry pan or directly over the flame, but this will not crisp the tortillas, it will just char them.
• In a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, chiles, onion, and cilantro. Season to taste with salt. Stir in lime juice and the avocado. Let sit for 15 to 30 minutes for the best flavor.
• Spread about 1/2 cup of the refried beans over each tortilla. Top with a generous spoonful of salsa. Place a handful of shredded lettuce or cabbage on top and if desired a little more salsa on the lettuce. Sprinkle on some white cheese, and serve.