CHIPOTLE CHICKEN & BLACK BEAN SALAD

I’ve discovered that beans you make yourself taste way better than beans from a can. So I’ve adapted this Alton Brown recipe for black bean salad to more closely meet my single needs. Also, I invented this chicken recipe! Which is probably why it didn’t work so well, but I can definitely see it working in more competent hands. This is pretty simple when you cook the beans and set up the marinade the night before.

Black Bean Salad (serves 2)

1/2 cup black beans, dry
1/4 red onion, diced
1 small tomato, or 1/2 a small red bell pepper, diced
1 small jalapeno, minced (optional)
1/2 lime, juiced
1/4 cup of chopped cilantro
1 tbsp olive oil
1-2 bay leaves
1/4 tsp. ancho chili powder
1/2 tsp. salt and more to taste

Put the beans and the bay in a pot, cover with agua, and simmer for 30 mins, and add the salt. Add more water if the beans aren’t covered, and simmer for about another hour, or until the beans are tender. Cool in the fridge. You can do this a day or two in advance, or make more and do other things with your tasty beans. Then just mix the beans with the rest of the ingredients, and salt to taste, and you’re done. Takes two seconds once the beans are done.

Chipotle chicken

1 serving of chicken (a cutlet, a leg, two thighs, etc.)
2-3 tbsp yogurt
1 tsp olive oil
1 dried chipotle pepper (if you want it good and hot, otherwise go for 1/2)
2 cloves garlic
pinch of salt
chopped cilantro, just a few tbsp.

Put the pepper in a cup and cover it with boiling water. Let it re-hydrate for 30 mins, then put it and the rest of the ingredients (sans chicken, a-durh) in a food processor or a blender and puree. Toss the chicken and the marinade in a bowl or plastic bag and leave it in the fridge for at least an hour, if not over night. Then cook it as you please. I tried broiling a leg, skin on, which took forever (half an hour!) and the skin was charcoal. If broiling, I’d recommend something thiner, or just roast it, or brown it on the stovetop and roast it. Grilling/broiling chicken is just hard in general, I think. However, my little piece of coal still tasted pretty good underneath.