I hit the mother lode.....

I have always said I wanted a Chipotle restaurant in my house - can you imagine?  Oh man...  So I thought to myself, how can I make this wish come true?  For obvious reasons, I was not able to find a way to put an actual Chipotle restaurant in my house, but I did think of another good idea: make. your. own.  *Bing* <-- light bulb goes off  Brilliant, I know...  So I embarked on a journey to find the source of a certain wonderful Chipotle creation = the Chicken burrito with the works.  First, I went through the seven levels of the Candy Cane Forest. Then, I went past the twirly, swirly gumdrops. And after that: I went through the Lincoln Tunnel...... waait... sorry... sidetracked.  I was hoping there was a way you could go to the actual Chipotle factory and stand next to the main Chef while he makes the food. (Like Herr's or Willy Wonka... how cool would that be??!)  But alas, this was not possible.  My next option = INTERNET!  You would be surprised how many Chipotle fans have, like me, desired to learn how to make their own Chipotle.  There is even a site called "I Love Chipotle Mexican Grill.com!"  (Glad to know I am not the only crazy fan...)  After gathering a bunch of recipes, doing some comparing and modifying, I finally found the recipes I wanted to use...  Warning: reading the following may make you want to run to your nearest Chipotle Restaurant and buy everything off their menu.  If that is the case, Chipotle owes me money for advertising....

1. Chipotle Chicken

(I doubled the recipe, so if you don't want to make this much, just divide it by half...) 

2 (7 ounce) can chipotle pepper in adobo sauce (discard most of the chipotle peppers, skim out seeds)
2 teaspoon black pepper
4 teaspoons cumin powder
4 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped 
12 cloves garlic
4 teaspoons salt
2 red onions, quartered
1/2 cup oil (canola/vegetable/olive)
6lbs of boneless, skinless chicken (I used breasts, but thighs work ok too) 
Add chilies and rest of the ingredients in blender or food processor. Puree until smooth.

Spray a baking pan that will be able to hold all chicken comfortably (not squashed together)
Place chicken in pan and spread marinade over chicken, refrigerate for one hour or up to overnight. (Stab the chicken with a fork a few times to let marinade sink in.. but don't overkill with the stabbing.  ;D) 
After marinating, bake the chicken at 350 F for about 15-20mins (depending on size of chicken) and then grill each chicken quickly to get that crispy outside.  

2. Chipotle Rice (using a rice cooker)

4 Cups of White Rice

4 Cups of water
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro
2 teaspoons salt
3 Limes (or 6 tablespoons of Lime Juice) 

(All of the above is to taste)

Cook rice per rice cooker instructions and then add the rest of the ingredients after rice has cooked...

3. Chipotle Corn Salsa (a personal favorite because of lack of tomatoes) 

4 Cans of Sweet White Corn Kernels
1 Red Onion
3 Green Jalapenos (remove seeds)
3/4 Cup Chopped Cilantro
1 Tablespoon Lime Juice

1 Tablespoon of Lemon Juice
Salt and Pepper to Taste

Rinse and drain corn, set aside

Chop onion and jalepenos into small bits 

Combine all of ingredients into one large bowl and season to taste

3. Extras (what you will need to complete the perfect burrito) 

White tortillas 

Black Beans

Cheddar Cheese

Sour Cream

Hot Sauce

Lettuce

Here are some pictures from the epic day that I first made a Chipotle Burrito.... 

 Jalapenos - careful, they love to pretend they are just plain old green peppers.  But when you absentmindedly place a handful in your mouth....well, you learn they aren't just plain old green peppers

Starting to make the salsa... Look, even the spoon looks happy to see Chipotle being made!  Must be a sign. 

One of my favorite herbs.  Have you ever smelled fresh cilantro?  Nothing like it... And man, can it pack a punch in an everyday meal.  Love it!

Finished Salsa... */mouth starts to water/*

The main ingredient = la poulet!  Doesn't it look perty?  It tasted perty good too. :)