The key to this delicious quesadilla recipe is the zippy make-ahead chicken that's stewed with charred tomatoes and smoky chile powder, though canned tomatoes (especially the fire-roasted kind) and chipotles in adobo will do in a pinch. The spice level is up to you, so feel free to season to taste with chipotle.
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Traditionally, Chongqing chicken is made by encasing the meat in crunchy batter, like popcorn chicken but better. To make it at home, we decided to mimic the effect with a simple cornstarch dredge and just a little oil, sparing you both time and the stress of deep-frying. Practiced eaters focus their chopsticks on the meat, avoiding the many chiles and Sichuan peppercorns that give the dish its tongue-tingling character, but we encourage you to risk the lovely agony.
Empanadas usually are served hot and blistered from the deep fryer, but home cooks will be glad that these baked healthier handpies offer similar pleasures without a trip into a vat of bubbling oil. The simple dough, similar to pie crust, comes together in a jiffy in the food processor. For a fun tweak, make the recipe into mini empanadas with 3-inch, rather than 6-inch, rounds of dough.
The key to cooking juicy chicken without a spit in this healthy recipe is high heat and dark meat. The yogurt in the marinade gives the chicken both its tender texture and its alluring char. More yogurt in the sauce, along with crunchy cucumbers and herbs, keeps the flavors bright.
We cut down the cooking time for this healthy chicken stew by fortifying store-bought broth with chicken and aromatics and then using the flavorful liquid to both simmer the rice and make the gravy. Try subbing 5 fresh curry leaves if you can't find the Indonesian bay leaves.
Perhaps the most famous dish in the Filipino repertoire, chicken adobo has as many versions as there are cooks in the Philippines. Some recipes omit garlic, others add coconut milk, some feature brothy sauce, and others reduce that liquid to an intense glaze. Try this healthy recipe first (with plenty of white rice), then the next time around, go wild.