Cooking Lights Blackened Chicken And Grilled Avocado Tacos Food

GRILLED CHICKEN TACOS

Steps:

• Prepare a grill for medium heat.
• Mix the oil, chili powder and 1 teaspoon salt together in a small bowl to make a paste. Pound the chicken breasts between 2 pieces of plastic wrap to about 1/2-inch thick. Rub the chicken all over with the chili paste.
• Lightly oil the grill grates. Grill the chicken until firm to the touch and cooked through, flipping once, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Set aside to rest for 5 minutes, then shred the meat into bite-size pieces or cut into strips. Warm the tortillas on the grill and wrap in a kitchen towel to stay warm.
• Serve the chicken tacos with shredded cheese, pickled jalapenos, shredded lettuce and/or salsa for topping.

BLACKENED CHICKEN AND GRILLED AVOCADO TACOS

Steps:

• Place chicken between 2 sheets of plastic wrap; pound to 1/2-inch thickness using a meat mallet or small heavy skillet. Combine paprika and next 7 ingredients (through pepper) in a small bowl. Sprinkle paprika mixture evenly over chicken; let stand 10 minutes. Combine juice and avocado in a medium bowl, tossing to coat. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Grill avocado 2 minutes on each side or until well marked; remove from pan. Place chicken in pan. Cook 4 minutes on each side or until done. Let chicken stand 5 minutes; cut chicken crosswise into (1/4-inch-thick) slices. Warm tortillas according to package directions. Divide the chicken evenly among tortillas; top each with 2 avocado slices, 1/4 cup lettuce, 2 tablespoons salsa, 1 1/2 teaspoons sour cream, and 1 1/2 teaspoons onion. Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 2 tacos)

LIGHTER CHICKEN TACOS

Steps:

• Mix the oil with the cumin and paprika on a large plate. Sit the chicken on the plate and rub the spiced oil all over it. Season with pepper and a pinch of salt, then cover and set aside while you prepare the salsa.
• Heat the grill to high for 10 mins. Meanwhile, line a large baking tray with foil and lay the tomatoes (cut-side up) on it, along with the pepper and red onion. Brush the oil over the onion, and season the tomatoes and onion with pepper. Grill for 12-15 mins, turning the tomatoes and onion halfway through, until well charred. Remove (leaving the grill on) and set aside to cool - put the pepper in a bowl and cover with cling film so that it's easier to skin later.
• For the guacamole, put the avocado in a bowl and briefly mash with a fork, leaving some chunky pieces for texture. Gently mix in the lime juice, spring onions, coriander and chilli flakes. Season with pepper and a pinch of salt.
• Re-line the baking tray with foil and lay the chicken on it, plump-side up. Grill for about 10 mins until cooked - there is no need to turn it. Meanwhile, scoop out and discard as much of the seeds and juice from the tomatoes as you can (so the salsa isn't too wet), leaving the pulp and charred skin. When the pepper is cool enough to handle, peel off and discard the skin. Chop the tomatoes and onion, and dice the pepper. Combine in a bowl with the lime juice, cumin, chilli flakes, some pepper and a pinch of salt.
• When the chicken is cooked, remove from the grill, cover loosely with foil and set aside for 5 mins.
• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Cut the chicken into chunky slices and spoon over the juices. When ready to serve, lay the taco shells on a baking sheet and warm through for 2-3 mins. Serve the chicken, taco shells, yogurt, lettuce, coriander and lime wedges in separate bowls, so that everyone can build their own tacos.

BLACKENED CHICKEN WITH AVOCADO CREAM SAUCE

Steps:

• Bring chicken broth to a boil in a saucepan. Stir quinoa into the broth and bring again to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until quinoa is tender and broth has been absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Stir scallions and 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice into the quinoa.
• Mix paprika, cumin, onion powder, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and sea salt together in a small bowl; rub onto chicken breasts to season completely.
• Prepare a large skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat.
• Lay chicken breasts into the hot skillet, cover skillet with a lid, and cook until chicken is no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, about 7 minutes per side. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).
• Blend avocado, yogurt, 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice, and garlic powder in a food processor until smooth.
• Spread quinoa onto a serving platter. Arrange chicken breasts onto the platter. Drizzle avocado cream sauce over the chicken breasts.

GRILLED CHICKEN TACOS WITH AVOCADO CREMA

Steps:

• In a small bowl mix together 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, cumin, and chili powder. Sprinkle cumin mixture over chicken and massage well.
• Preheat grill on medium-high. Lightly brushed grill with oil. Place chicken on grill and cook for 5 minutes. Flip chicken and cook for 5 minutes more. Continue to flip chicken in 5-minute increments until internal temperature is 165 degrees F, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a clean, medium-sized mixing bowl and cover loosely with foil.
• In a medium mixing bowl add 1 chopped avocado, mayonnaise, zest of 1 lime, 1 tablespoon lime juice, and cilantro; mash together using a fork and whisk until smooth. Remove foil from chicken and shred into bite-size pieces using 2 forks.
• Warm tortillas in a dry skillet. Transfer to a clean kitchen towel and wrap to keep warm. Continue to warm remaining tortillas. Assemble tacos; in each tortilla layer shredded cabbage, chicken, pico de gallo, remaining avocado cut into slices, chopped jalapeños, and cilantro. Serve with remaining limes cut into wedges and side of avocado-cilantro crema.