Tacos with Tangy Cilantro Chicken

Seems like along with salmon, I'm making some kind of tacos at least once a week.  Generally the tacos are fish or shrimp, but I ran across this recipe last week and thought I'd try chicken again, just for the heck of it.  Now it's the double-shell thing that has me hooked.  I take a soft-shelled corn tortilla (flour, if you prefer) and spread it with refried beans (black or regular) and lay a hard-shelled taco shell so it's glued to the other.  It's a wonderful texture.

I served this with my new favorite Mexican-style quinoa (see post on 2-13-13) and some refried beans (see post on 3-2-13).  I can't wait to see what recipe I find next!

TACOS with TANGY CILANTRO CHICKEN (Serves 4)

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, quartered
S&P
2 Tbsp vege oil
1 medium white onion, diced small
1 1/4 tsp ground cumin
1 serrano chili, diced small (optional.....I used about 1/2 of a pepper)
1/2 pound tomatillos, diced large
3/4 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro
12 crisp taco shells
12 soft taco shells, optional
refried beans, optional (if using double shells)

1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese (6 oz)
2 cups shredded lettuce

Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with S&P.  In a large heavy pot, heat oil over medium-high.  Add chicken and cook stirring occasionally, 5 minutes.   Add onion, cumin, and chile, if using, and cook 3 minutes.

Add tomatillos and 1 cup water, scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon; season with S&P.  Bring to a rapid simmer and cook, stirring occassionally, until mixture is thick and meat can be shredded with a fork, 25 minutes (add up to 1/2 cup more water, if necessary).  

Shred chicken, add chicken, and season with S&P.  Serve chicken mixture in taco shells with cheese and lettuce.