Chicken Tinga Tacos

Makes 4 to 6 servings

• 1 pound chicken tenders
• 1 celery stalk, halved
• 1 carrot, halved
• A couple sprigs of parsley
• About 10 peppercorns
• Olive oil
• 1/2 of an onion, diced
• 3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 chipotles in adobo, finely chopped
• 2/3 cup canned corn, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
• Sea salt and pepper (if needed)
• 6 to 8 tortillas (corn or flour)
• 1 avocado, chopped
• Handful of chopped cilantro
• 3 to 4 tablespoons goat cheese, crumbled
• 2 to 3 limes, cut into wedges

1. Poach chicken tenders: Put chicken, celery, carrot, parsley and peppercorns in a saucepan. Cover with water, put on the stove over medium-high heat, and cover. When it boils, reduce heat to a simmer and set the timer for 10 minutes. Let the chicken cool in the pot if you have time; if you don’t, shred chicken and proceed to the next step.

2. Drizzle a little olive oil in a large skillet, add onion and garlic and turn heat to medium-low. Cook just until the onion is translucent, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add chipotles, corn and black beans and stir. Add shredded chicken and let mixture cook 10 to 15 minutes. Add tomatoes and let it go for 5 minutes more. Taste and add seasonings if necessary. Serve on warmed tortillas with avocado, cilantro, goat cheese and limes.

Ellise Pierce is the Cowgirl Chef and author of “Cowgirl Chef: Texas Cooking With a French Accent” (Running Press). Read her blog and watch her cooking videos on www.cowgirlchef.com. You can also follow her on Twitter, @cowgirlchef.