Thursday, April 30, 2009

Chicken Avocado Skillet Chilaquiles for Cinco de Mayo


This week I'm giving you a recipe from http://cincodemayo.avocado.org/ that I think you'll like.

From a press release: "Cinco de Mayo creates the ideal opportunity to enjoy delicious Latin-inspired foods. Just in time for this year's celebrations, premium California avocados will be available in the market to supply revelers with the avocados essential for their party menus. It is estimated that 51.2 million pounds of avocados will be consumed during this year's fiestas, making Cinco de Mayo one of the largest avocado consumption days of the year.

"To celebrate the flavors of Cinco de Mayo, renowned chefs and restaurateurs Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger, known together as the "Too Hot Tamales," have worked with the California Avocado Commission to create two tantalizing avocado recipes."

The press release goes on to say, "Milliken and Feniger have a bold, hip cooking style that has influenced the signature dishes at their critically acclaimed Border Grill restaurants in Santa Monica, Calif., and Las Vegas, Nev., as well as at Ciudad in downtown Los Angeles.

"Much like the uniquely delicious dishes at Milliken and Feniger's restaurants, their original recipes for Chicken and California Avocado Skillet Chilaquiles and California Avocado Enchiladas Frescas are modern twists on traditional Latin favorites."

So without further ado, here is their delicious recipe for Chicken and California Avocado Skillet Chilaquiles.

Chicken and California Avocado Skillet Chilaquiles

Serves: 4

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients
  • 1 cup tomato salsa, medium heat
  • 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup half-and-half
  • 1 cup shredded cooked chicken
  • 6 cups corn tortilla chips
  • 1 cup cubed panela cheese
  • 2 ripe, fresh California avocados, seeded, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
  • 1/2 small red onion, finely diced
  • 1 jalapeño pepper, stemmed, seeded, if desired, and minced
  • 1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
  • Salt, to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1 lime, cut into wedges
  • 1/4 cup sour cream

Instructions

1. In a wide skillet, bring salsa, chicken broth and half-and-half to a boil. Add chicken and tortilla chips, mixing gently to coat each chip while simmering for 1 to 2 minutes.
2. When some of the chips have moistened and begun to break up, but others are still holding their shape, add cheese. Continue stirring gently for another minute to distribute cheese evenly.
3. Add avocado, onion, jalapeño pepper and cilantro; stir well to distribute. Cook for 1 minute, just to heat through. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Remove from stovetop and divide evenly among warmed plates. Top with a squeeze of lime and a dollop of sour cream, and serve immediately.
    Nutrition Information Per Serving: Calories 770; Total Fat 43 g (Sat 11 g, Trans 0 g, Poly 2.1 g, Mono 10.2 g); Cholesterol 50 mg; Total Carbohydrates 72 g; Dietary Fiber 12 g; Protein 29 g

For this and other recipes that feature fresh California avocados, including additional original recipes developed by chefs Milliken and Feniger, visit the California Avocado Commission Web site at www.CaliforniaAvocado.com

Buen Provecho and happy Cinco de Mayo!
Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. -Mark Twain