Have you ever had the feeling like you were being watched, ogled, or stared at?
The entire gym was all eyes on me the other night as I was skillfully desperately trying to use the stair stepper for the first time. I saw several people using the dang thing as I was running on the treadmill, so I decided to give it a go after my run. It looked easy enough–get on and get to steppin’. Looks can be deceiving, because it’s not as easy as it looked, and, well, I’m not what you would call gym savvy. The treadmill is the extent of my gym knowledge.
So, what do you do when you clearly don’t know what you’re doing? You pretend. You fake it until you make it. You ignore the gawking eyes and continue on as if what you’re doing is the correct way to do it. So, I kept workin’ it.
Clearly people were staring at me because I resembled an old dog strenuously wading through rough waters. The darn machine just wouldn’t cooperate. As if looking like a drowning old dog wasn’t bad enough, my effort to operate the machine was futile. The weight of my body kept making the peddles sink. I looked like a total loser standing on the peddles, which were now on the ground, and me looking up at the screen with my arm extended over my head frantically pushing any button within reach in an attempt get the machine to work so people would stop staring. I had no choice, though. I had to keep going so it wouldn’t appear like I didn’t know what I was doing, even though it was clear I had no clue. So, I continued pushing buttons from the ground. Getting off would have meant defeat, and there was no way I was going to be defeated by a robot. So, I puffed my chest out and got to steppin’ like the stair stepper and I were old pals. Eventually, by the grace of the universe taking pity on me, the stepper began to rise. Thank you, Gym Gods! I managed to do a total of 10 minutes, thankyouverymuch!
This story clearly has nothing to do with food. I just had to share a day in the life of Jennie.
Today is my day to post and easy meal for #WeekdaySupper. I’m bringing my favorite taco recipe to the table, smoky chipotle chicken tacos.
If you don’t make any other recipe on this blog, fine, but you have to make these. Yup, they’re that good.
Tender chunks of chopped chicken take a swim in smoky chipotle infused tomatoes, onions, and green peppers. The entire mixture is seasoned with earthy cumin, citrusy coriander, and smoky ancho chili powder. The result is taco perfection.
Squirrel puts in a request for these tacos every week. They’re so good, that I don’t mind eating them on a weekly basis.
Enjoy!
- 2 large chicken breasts
- 3 tbs. canola oil, divided
- 1 medium onion, diced
- ½ cup green pepper, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 14.5 oz cans tomatoes w/ chiles (such as Rotel), undrained
- 2 tbs. chipotle in adobo
- ½ tsp. coriander
- ½ tsp. cumin
- ½ tsp. ancho chile powder
- ¼ tsp. cayenne (optional)
- 5 dashes Tabasco
- salt & pepper
- 12 flour tortillas
- Toppings:
- Cheese
- Sour cream
- Lettuce
- Avocado slices
- Tomatoes
- Lime wedges
- Heat 2 tablespoons of canola oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat.
- Place your chicken breasts between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Using a meat mallet, pound the breasts, starting in the center and working your way to the edges, until they are a ½-inch thick. Salt and pepper each side.
- Place the chicken in the hot sauté pan. Cook on each side for 4-5 minutes, or until the juices run clear and the internal temperature reads 160 degrees F. Remove the breasts from the pan and place on a cutting board to rest for 5 minutes. Chop the meat into ¼-inch cubes.
- Turn the heat down to medium, and add 1 tablespoon of oil to the sauté pan you just cooked the chicken in. Add the onion and green pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, chipotle, coriander, cumin, chile powder, and Tabasco. Allow the sauce to cook and reduce slightly, about 10 minutes. Stir in the chopped chicken and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Scoop a generous amount of the chicken mixture onto the tortilla and add your favorite toppings. Enjoy!
Hi and welcome to my flour-dusted kitchen! The name's Jennie. I'm a lover of cupcakes, an avid spatula licker, and a huge fan of sprinkles. Baking is my passion, but you'll find some savory dishes scattered amongst copious amounts of frosting and chocolate. I love hearing from ya, so feel free to leave me some love. Thanks for stopping by my little piece of the interweb.
