Let’s TACO-bout Food.
Who doesn't love a taco? If you don't like tacos, I might question our friendship. Old El Paso Taco boxed kits were my father's go-to meal on nights when my mom was working—either that or hamburger helper. I can tell you the very moment when I fell in love with cooking for my family. When I was sixteen and my older brother was twenty, he suffered a debilitating stroke. He had been playing baseball on a scholarship at East Carolina University when his world and our whole family came to a world-flipping halt. Dinner and family time began to look different. My working mother had to become a dedicated caregiver all over again to her son, who was supposed to be in his independent twenties. My cousin Hailey and I came up with Family Dinner Fridays.
I think everyone in my family needed a shift for joy in that time of our lives.
Hailey and I began cooking at either my parent's house, my grandmother's house, or her house and we made reasonably elaborate dinners for us to be in high and middle school. If you know us, you know our love to boojie foods. Our first meal was far from hamburger helper and El Paso boxes. No sir, we weren’t about to do something boring. We made shrimp tacos. While that might not be earth-shattering to you it was waaay different from the taco kits I was familiar with. Everyone loved them and went back for seconds and thirds. The camaraderie we had, the belly laughs that filled the house, and the feeling of such togetherness at the night's end was so comforting... which is always my goal when I cook and make for my family and friends. After that night, my cousin and I decided to expand our culinary world, whatever that meant for two small-town NC girls. No wonder my cousin and I get excited and dance happily for charcuterie platters, new flavors, and foodie experiences.
So, in this blog post, I will give you a snippet of a Magnolia Cookbook Volume 3 recipe, Chicken Street Tacos. Ever since Fixer Upper, I've slightly gravitated toward Joanna Gaines. Ok, ok, ok, I'm somewhat obsessed. It's not just her aesthetic and her all-around amazing homemaker skills, but her wholesomeness, work ethic, and commitment to beautifying and bettering the community around her that draws me in. I chose Chicken Street Tacos because tacos are very relatable, and again, who doesn't like tacos?
The Magnolia Table recipe
What I love about these tacos also is it called for everything I love:
bold spices
cotija cheese
pickled red onion
fresh lime
I think the next time I make this deliciousness, I may include some radish because I think it would add a nice crunch!
I especially like the chicken prep of this particular recipe because it's super easy. I'm not gonna lie; some of Joanna's recipes can get complicated. But the ease of this dish makes it a breeze. I had tons of corn cobs that I had frozen. I loved being able to use stored produce for future recipes like this as well. I always feel like a successful adult when my homesteading works out.
This chicken was the best, no joke!
One of my favorite parts of any recipe is the cooking process. The smells that fill the house, from autumn-ly apple-baked anything to cheesy Italian dishes, kind of give your five senses some foreshadowing for what's about to come. The seasoned chicken baking in the oven and the spice and corn mixture aromas made my mouth water. My most favorite part, of course, of any recipe is the final step: enjoying. It's simple this one: combine the chicken and corn mixture on a warm tortilla and call it dinner.
If you can't find or just don't like pickled red onion, you can substitute regular red onion.
With a bit of imagination, you can smell it!
It's too easy not to try. If you do, please let me know what you think. Also, tell me your favorite childhood recipe and share if you have it on hand. Maybe I can attempt to create those as well.
K Bye
Megan
Doing life… the best I know how…
