Mmmm... Tacos. Do I need to say anything more?

When it comes to eating out, great tacos are plentiful. Just check out District Taco, Taqueria National, or -- my all time favorite -- Taco Inn. (Sorry D.C. dwellers. That last one's in Lincoln, only).

When it comes to home-made Tacos, the options are limited. No one in my family or Cliff's family is versed in authentic Mexican cooking or cuisine, and those stale, Old El Paso taco-in-a-box kits aren't going to cut it. Seriously, I lose my appetite just thinking about them.

So, after reading a few articles and trying a few things, I came up with my own recipe for chicken tacos. It took me a few months to perfect this, but the final product is pretty much magic in your mouth. The trick is simplicity. This entire recipe involves just seven ingredients, including those soft corn tortilla shells. 

Like any good home-cooked meal, it takes a little time to make these, but they're so worth it. This is also a perfect recipe to make with kids, too. Those little fingers are great at pulling apart tender chicken meat. Just remember to refrigerate the meat after it cooks.

​Enjoy!

People always asked me about the differences between Nebraska, where I'm from originally, and Washington, D.C., where I live now. There are many, but one of the most striking differences is the food scene. Back home, every stereotype about the Midwest rings true: it's a meat and potatoes kinda place, with the occasional Americanized Chinese restaurant thrown into the mix. Larger cities like Lincoln and Omaha are starting to bridge the cultural food divide, but out in the country, where my husband is from, even eating sweet and sour chicken is taboo in some circles.

So, imagine the surprise when I moved out to the DMV area and found food from all over the world. It was like a door to a whole knew universe had been opened!  Just in my neighborhood alone, I can walk down the street and eat everything from Ethiopia's famous injera to Japanese sashimi to  Swiss raclette. (Is anyone else's mouth watering yet?) Over the years, I've come to adore food from all parts of Asia, but am especially fond of Korean bipimbap.

I was first introduced to this Korean comfort food dish by a friend who's somewhat of a Korean food conissour. From kimchi to Korean BBQ, she's all over it! For those who don't already know, bipimbap literally means "mixed rice," and is a warm rice dish served traditionally with vegetables, beef and a fried egg. I have to admit, I was a little weirded out by the egg at first, but one bite and I was in love!

I'd tried to make a simplified version of bipimbap at home a few times, but it never turned out that great--there was just too much going on between steaming the vegetables, cooking the rice and frying the egg. All that changed when another friend gave me a rice cooker + vegetable steamer as a Christmas gift last year. (Yes, folks, it's true. I lived for 30 years without knowing the wonders of an electric rice cooker). Since then, I've been a bipimbap-makin' fool! The rice cooker and veggie steamer makes it so easy!! 

Technically, bipimbap should be served in a hot stone pot called a dolsot. The dolsot helps keep the dish warm and also crusts up some of the rice to give it a great, crunchy texture. I don't own one (yet) but I learned that if I leave the rice in the cooker for an extra minute or two, the cooker will crust up the rice for me.

I love this dish because of how versatile it is. I generally make it with traditional Korean vegetables -- bean sprouts, zucchini, spinach, carrots and garlic -- but it can be made with just about any kind of vegetable and customized to fit specific tastes or dietary needs.

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup white rice
• 1 cup water
• 2 large eggs, optional
• 4 teaspoons soy sauce (use Tamari for GF option)
• Sriracha, optional
• salt and pepper to taste

Any 4 - 5 of the following vegetables:

• 1/2 cup matchstick carrots
• 1/2 bell pepper, sliced into julienne strips
• 1/2 cup spinach
• 4 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1/2 zucchini, cut into matchsticks
• 1 cup broccoli
• 1/2 cup soy bean sprouts
• 1/2 cup asparagus, diced
• 1/2 onion, sliced into julienne strips

Cooking instructions:

1. Cook rice according to package instructions. 
2. Steam vegetables on stove top or with rice cooker, and season with salt and pepper.
3. Meanwhile, heat a non-stick skillet with medium-high heat. Gently break eggs one at a time in the skillet, so the egg whites and yolk stay intact. Reduce heat to low and let the eggs cook for 2 - 3 minutes each. If you prefer sunny-side up, leave the eggs as they are for a few minutes longer, until the egg whites have set. If you prefer an over-easy egg, gently flip each egg over and let cook for another 2 - 3 minutes.
4. When rice is cooked, vegetables are steamed and egg is fried, combine all ingredients by placing the rice into a bowl, carefully arranging steamed vegetables on top of the rice, and placing the egg on top of the entire dish. Serve with soy sauce or Sriracha. 

p.s. If you're looking for a more authentic version of bipimbap, check out this recipe from My Korean Kitchen.

Anyone who knows me well will tell you that food is always a top priority. I love eating and I love cooking! I love it so much that I've tinkered with the idea of starting a food blog, but, let's face it -- I already have too much going on and there are like a gazillion food blogs out there! So, one of my New Year resolutions is a compromise! I'm going to start sharing recipes here, on Jonna Michelle Photography! 

Before I get to the recipes, I figured I'd share a little about my cooking style and food influences:

• I taught myself cook. My mom does the cooking in my family, but because she was very particular about her kitchen, she never took me under her dinner-making wing. Instead, she gave me the advice "if you can read, you can cook" and I just went with it. I started cooking for myself in college, but it wasn't until after I graduated that I really began exploring with different spices and flavors.

• I'm not fancy. As much as I like to pretend I'm a five-star chef running a swanky Las Vegas bistro, I'm not one to fool myself. I definitely fall into Chef Ramsey's "donkey" category. But that doesn't matter. What matters is that I love what I make (and I've been told by others it's not too bad). To be clear, those who are masters in the kitchen looking for a challenge aren't going to find much here. Rather, I'd like to think the recipes I share are great for beginners.

• Onion, garlic, olive oil & fire-roasted tomatoes are my BFFs. Seriously. Our family practically lives on these four items, primarily because nearly everything I make involves at least one of them. If you want to make any of the recipes I'll post here, get stocked up now. 

• I don't measure, I taste: This drives Cliff crazy! Rarely do I measure spices -- I cook by tasting my food as I go along. Obviously, that's a habit I'm going to have to break in order to meet this challenge. 

• V is for Vegetarian and that's good enough for me. Right around the time I started to cook for myself, I experimented with vegetarianism. I'm not full-on vegetarian at this time, but those influences -- healthy dishes with bold flavor -- definitely stuck around. Not every recipe I share will involve meat, but all will be incredibly flavorful!

• I tweak recipes. This is another habit that drives Cliff crazy. I don't always follow recipes as they come to me. I use recipes I find online and in books as a base, then tweak to my own tastes and preferences. Because I don't stick to original ingredients, I don't expect anyone else to, either. In fact, I encourage it! Readers, if you make something listed here, don't be afraid to put your own spin on it. And don't forget to share! I'd love to see the outcome!