Sweet Chicken Barbacoca Salad for the Holidays

Photo courtesy Cafe Rio

I've lived in Utah most of my life and love to try new restaurants, but it wasn't until this year that I was introduced to Cafe Rio (thanks Robert) even though it's been around for almost 15 years.  It was refreshing to find a causal dinning restaurant that actually makes all their food from scratch (even the tortillas).  My favorite is the Sweet Pork Barbacoa Salad.

So when we decided to have some friends over tonight, (friends we get together with almost monthly for dinner), I wanted to do something new but that wasn't too expensive, had a seasonal twist (it's Christmas time of course) and would perhaps knock their socks off. So I decided to make a holiday variation based on one of my favorite new restaurants.

Tonight's menu will be Sweet Chicken Barbacoa Salad served with a Cilantro Lime Rice, Black Beans and accompanied by a Cranberry Salsa. So here is the recipe I've adapted.

Sweet Chicken Barbacoa Salad for the Holidays

INGREDIENTS


Sweet Barbacoa Chicken
4 lbs Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
20 oz Coke (not diet, but you can use caffeine free)
1/2 c Brown Sugar
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 cup Water
Barbacoa Enchilada Sauce (see below)

Put the chicken, Coke, brown sugar and garlic in a dish and marinade at least 2 hours (or over night).
Place the chicken, marinade and water in a crock pot and cook on high for 4 hours.  Drain. Shred meat when done.  Place the shredded chicken and Barbacoa sauce back in the slow cooker and continue cooking on low for 2 more hours.

Barbacoa Enchilada Sauce

2 cups Coke
2 cans (4 oz size) Diced Green Chilies.
2 cups Red Enchilada Sauce
1 cup Brown Sugar

Place all ingredients in a food processor or blender and mix until smooth.

Black Beans

1/4 cup Olive Oil
4 cloves Garlic, minced
2 tsp. Ground Cumin
2 (16 oz) cans Black Beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups Tomato Juice
1 tsp Salt
1/4 cup Fresh Chopped Cilantro

Saute Garlic and Cumin in Olive Oil.  Add remaining ingredients and simmer until heated.  Just before serving add the Cilantro.

Cilantro Lime Rice

2 cups uncooked rice (long-grained, white)
2 Tbsp Butter
4 cloves Garlic, minced
2 tsp Fresh Lime Juice
4 cups Chicken Stock
2 cups Water

2 tsp Lime Juice
4 tsp Sugar
1/3 cup Fresh Chopped Cilantro


In sauce pan combine rice, butter, garlic 2 tsp Lime Juice, Chicken Stock and water.  Bring to a boil, cover and cook on low for about 15-20 minutes, until the rice is tender.  Remove from heat.
In a small bowl combine last three ingredients and pour over cooked rice.  Mix as you fluff the rice.


Cranberry Salsa

1 pkg (16 oz) Fresh or Frozen Cranberries
1 Cup Water
1 Cup Sugar (or Splenda)
2-3 Jalapenos, Minced
1 Anaheim Pepper, Minced
1 Red Onion, Minced
1 clove Garlic, Minced
1/3 cup Cilantro
1 (16 oz) can Diced Tomatoes
Pinch of Salt

Bring Cranberries with Water and Sugar to a boil and cook for 5 minutes.  Let cool.
Combined all ingredients in a food processor and let fly until desired consistancy.  (This is really best if made ahead).

To Assemble

Place a heated tortilla on a deep plate or pie pan.
Add a scoop each of Cilantro Lime Rice, Black Beans and Barbacoa Chicken.  Add Chopped Lettuce, Diced Tomatoes, Fresh Cilantro, Fried Tortilla slices or chips.  Sprinkle with shredded cheese of your choice.  Top with Sour Cream, Guacamole and Cranberry Salas.


Enjoy

Cranberry Salsa

I love the holidays. The food, the presents, the food, the spirit of the season, time with family, the food and more food. One food that screams Christmas is cranberries. The humble cranberry is one of the original American "superfruits". Packed full of nutrients and antioxidants, the cranberries have often be relished just to an accompaniment of turkey in the form of canned cranberry sauce.

Growing up I never appreciated the delightful native berry. It ether came from a can or in the from of my grandmas "cranberry salad" that was sour and crunchy. I guess growing up during the depression, sugar was a luxury not to be wasted. But when I meet my wife, she introduced me to a whole new side to cranberry. The fresh berries, cooked with sugar to bring out the flavor of the berry without much of the tartness. Her "cranberry salad" has now become a tradition that many of my own family have learned to appreciate.

Since then I've experimented with the cranberry in other forms. A cranberry chutney, a cranberry aoili, cranberry cheesecake among others, and today, Cranberry Salsa. The sweetness of the cranberry sauce is a great complement to the spice of the peppers and really brightens up the salsa and ads a southwest touch to the northeast cranberry.

Cranberry Salsa

Salsa

2 Jalpeno Peppers, finely diced

1 Anaheim Pepper, finely diced

1/3 bunch fresh Cilentro, chopped

2 Tbsp Minced Garlic

1/2 Red Onion, finely diced

2 Tbsp Lime Juice

2 pinches Salt

2 - 14 oz cans Diced Tomatoes

1 Tbsp Crushed Red Peppers

1 Tbsp Orange Zest

Cranberry Sauce (see below)

Cranberry Sauce

1 pkg fresh Cranberries (about 4 cups)

1 cup Water

1 cup Sugar (or Splenda for us diabetics)

Directions

1. Prepare cranberry sauce by cooking cranberries with water and sugar until cranberries burst (about 10-20 minutes). Let cool 10 minutes

2. Combine all ingredients (including cranberry sauce) in a food processor and pulse until well blended.

3. Refrigerate 30 minutes and enjoy.