Chicken Tacos

Here is another easy one!  These chicken tacos were inspired by the recipe from the Homesick Texan.  I adapted it to include more of my favorite ingredients (cilantro, fresh organic grape tomatoes, and lime) and made it a little less spicy than the original recipe.  It was a hit at my house!

Chicken Tacos

1 whole chicken, cut into quarters
4 cloves garlic, peeled and whole
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and cut into quarters
1 stalk of celery, cut in half
1 leafy stem of cilantro
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon of peppercorns
1 tablespoon of kosher salt

Ingredients for the sauce

1/2 cup chicken broth
1 pint organic grape tomatoes
1 chile -canned chipotle chiles en adobo
1/4 medium yellow onion
2-3 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 - 1/3 cup fresh cilantro
1 lime - juice from 1/2 or 1 lime
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Tortillas, lime wedges, avocado, and sour cream for serving

Place the chicken in a large pot along with the garlic, onion, celery, cilantro, bay leaf, pepper and salt. Cover with water, bring the pot to a boil and then simmer 1 hour. Remove the chicken from the pot and when cool enough to handle, remove the skin and shred either with your hands or two forks. This can be done a day or two in advance.

Strain the broth (can also be stored in frig for a few days.).  Reserve 1/2 cup of chicken broth.  Place remainder in quart-size freezer bags, in 1 or 2 cup increments, for future use!

Place 1/2 cup of the chicken broth into a blender. Add to the blender the tomatoes, chipotle chile, onion, garlic, cumin, cilantro, and lime juice. Blend until smooth. In a medium-sized pot, heat sauce and chicken over medium low heat.  Cook while occasionally stirring for 15 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste and adjust seasonings. With the heat still on, add the shredded chicken to the pot and stir until the chicken is well coated and has been re-heated.

Serve chicken with warmed-up corn or flour tortillas, sour cream, avocado, cilantro, and  lime.