Chicken And Poblano Quesadillas With Guacamole Recipes

CHICKEN AND POBLANO QUESADILLAS WITH GUACAMOLE

Steps:

• In a food processor, mince the garlic and jalapeno. Add the remaining paste ingredients, process until smooth. Smear the paste on all sides of the chicken breasts. Cover and refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours.
• In a medium bowl, mash the avocado with the back of a fork and immediately add the lime juice; mix well. Roughly chop the garlic,
• then sprinkle the salt over the garlic and, using the side of a knife, crush the garlic with the salt until you create smooth paste. Add the
• garlic mixture, cilantro, and pepper to the bowl. Mix well.
• Grill the chicken breasts over direct medium heat (350°F to 450°F), until the juices run clear and meat is opaque in the center, 10 to
• 15 minutes, turning once and swapping their positions as needed for even cooking. At the same time, grill the poblano chiles over direct medium heat until evenly charred on all sides, 7 to 9 minutes, turning as
• needed. Remove from the grill and allow to cool. Cut the chicken breasts into thin slices. Peel away the charred skins from the chiles; roughly chop the flesh.
• Lay the tortillas a single layer on a work surface. Evenly divide the chicken, chiles, and cheese over half of each tortilla. Fold the empty half of each tortilla over the filling, creating a half-circle, and press down firmly. Grill the quesadillas over direct medium heat until well marked
• and the cheese has melted, 4 to 6 minutes, turning once and swapping their positions as needed for even cooking. Allow the quesadillas to cool for a minute or two before cutting into wedges.
• Serve warm with the guacamole spooned on the top of each wedge.

CHICKEN AND ROASTED POBLANO QUESADILLA WITH AVOCADO CREAM

Steps:

• Prick the chicken all over with a fork and put in a medium bowl. Rub the cumin and 3/4 teaspoon salt into the chicken. Add 1/4 cup of the sour cream and half the lime zest and juice and mix until the chicken is coated. Let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes.
• Blend the avocado, remaining 1/4 cup sour cream, remaining lime zest and juice, 3 tablespoons water and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a blender until very smooth; refrigerate until ready to use.
• Meanwhile, preheat the broiler. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.
• Put the poblanos skin-side up on the prepared baking sheet and broil until the skin is wrinkled and charred in spots, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the poblanos to a medium bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let steam for 5 minutes. Run the poblanos under cold water and remove and discard the skin. Cut the poblanos into small bite-size pieces and return them to the bowl.
• Transfer the chicken to the baking sheet and broil, turning once, until browned in spots and cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Let cool for a few minutes. Cut it into small bite-size pieces. Add the chicken and half of the scallions to the bowl with the poblanos and toss to combine. Combine the cheese and garlic in a small bowl.
• Top 4 tortillas with 1/4 cup of the cheese mixture, one-quarter of the chicken-poblano mixture then 1/4 cup more cheese mixture. Top each with 1 of the remaining 4 tortillas and press lightly.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add 1 quesadilla to the skillet and cook, turning once, until it is golden and the cheese is melted, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a baking sheet or large plate and repeat with the remaining oil and quesadillas. Cut each quesadilla into quarters and sprinkle with the remaining scallions. Serve with a dollop of the avocado cream, lime wedges and salsa on the side.

ROASTED POBLANO GUACAMOLE WITH GARLIC AND PARSLEY

Steps:

• The poblanos, tomatoes, and garlic: Lay the poblanos, tomatoes, and garlic on a baking sheet and set 4 inches below a very hot broiler. Roast, turning every couple of minutes, until the chiles and tomatoes are soft, blistered, and blackened in spots and the garlic is soft, 12 to 13 minutes. Place the chiles in a bowl, cover with a towel, and let stand for 5 minutes, then wipe off the blackened skin. Pull or cut out the stems, seed pods, and seeds; rinse quickly to remove any stray seeds and bits of char. When the tomatoes are cool, peel off and discard their skins. Slip the papery skins off the garlic. In a mortar or food processor, make a coarse puree of the roasted garlic and poblanos (with both mortar and processor, it's best to start with the garlic, then add the poblanos); place in a large bowl. Chop the roasted tomatoes (for this recipe, it's best not to use any of the juice from the baking sheet) and add to the poblano mixture along with the parsley.
• Finishing the guacamole: Cut the avocado lengthwise in half around the pit, twist the halves apart and remove the pits. Scoop out the flesh into the bowl with the flavorings. Using a potato masher or the back of a large spoon, coarsely mash everything together. Taste and season with salt, usually a scant teaspoon, then add enough lime juice to enliven all the flavors. Cover with plastic wrap, placing it directly on the surface, and refrigerate until you're ready to eat.
• To serve, scoop into a decorative bowl or Mexican mortar, sprinkle with the queso anejo and stud with radish slices.