Thursday, April 10, 2008

Blackened Chicken and Avacado Tacos


The avocado will dry slightly in the pan, intensifying its flavor. Choose a ripe but firm avocado so it will hold its shape as it cooks. For a piquant variation, try adding a blend of 1 1/2 teaspoons of Hungarian hot paprika and 1 1/2 teaspoons of smoked Spanish paprika to the spice rub for a more intense flavor.

Ingredients
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
3/4 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 ripe peeled avocado, cut into 16 slices
Cooking spray
8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
2 cups shredded romaine lettuce
1 cup bottled low-sodium salsa (such as Green Mountain Gringo)
1/4 cup fat-free sour cream
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion


Preparation
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)

Nutritional Information
CALORIES 423(25% from fat); FAT 11.6g (sat 3g,mono 5.1g,poly 2.6g); PROTEIN 45.2g; CHOLESTEROL 100mg; CALCIUM 158mg; SODIUM 675mg; FIBER 5.7g; IRON 3mg; CARBOHYDRATE 38g



David Bonom , Cooking Light, MAY 2006

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