Cilantro Stuffed Chicken Breasts With Poblano Chile Sauce Recipes

CHICKEN WITH POBLANO CREAM SAUCE

Steps:

• Roast chile over a gas burner or under the broiler, until charred all over. Wrap in paper towel; steam 5 minutes. Rub off skin; remove seeds and ribs. Chop coarsely.
• Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in a small saucepan over medium heat; add onion and garlic; cook until soft, 5 to 7 minutes. Add chile and cream.
• Puree in blender; add water if too thick. Season with salt and pepper.
• Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Heat remaining tablespoon canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken until golden and juices run clear, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Serve with sauce.

CREAMY POBLANO CHICKEN

Steps:

• Slice one poblano pepper into thin strips.
• Roast the other pepper: If you have a gas stove, turn the burner on and keep the pepper over the flame until it chars - you want it black on all sides. If you don't have a gas stove, turn your broiler on and roast the pepper on the top rack until it is blackened on all sides. Once the pepper is roasted, transfer to a large plastic baggie or a bowl covered with plastic wrap and let steam while you sear the chicken. Once they've sat for about 10 minutes, pull them out and peel the skin off. Take out the membranes and seeds as well.
• While the peppers steam: Heat a large skillet over a medium heat. Add two tablespoons butter or olive oil. Season the chicken on both sides with salt and pepepr. Once the skillet is hot, add the chicken. Sear until golden brown, about 4-5 minutes. Flip and do the same on the other side. Sear until cooked through, another 3-4 minutes. Take the chicken out and set aside. Don't worry if the chicken is not cooked through, it will simmer in the sauce later to finish cooking.
• Once the chicken is seared, remove from the pan, and add remaining tablespoon of olive oil or butter to the pan. Add the onions and sliced peppers (the sliced peppers you did not roast and steam). Saute for about 5 minutes until softened. Season with a little salt . Add the garlic and cook another minute.
• While the veggies cook, transfer the ROASTED poblano pepper to a blender along with cilantro, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 cup chicken stock. Blend until smooth. Pour the pureed pepper mixture back into the skillet with the sliced peppers, onions, and garlic. Stir in the remaining 1/2 cup chicken stock, cream, lime juice, honey, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Add the chcken breasts back to the skillet with the sauce, cover and simmer until the chicken is cooked through. It should read 165 degrees on an instant read thermomter. If needed, add a little bit more chicken stock to loosen the sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve over rice pilaf, pasta, or mashed potatoes.

POBLANO AND PEPPER JACK-STUFFED CHICKEN BREASTS WITH ANCHO CHILE CREAM SAUCE

Steps:

• For the poblano and pepper jack-stuffed chicken breasts: Roast the poblano peppers over an open flame until completely charred, transfer to a plastic bag and seal for 10 minutes. Peel the charred skin, remove all the seeds and cut each pepper in half.
• Meanwhile, put chicken breasts on a cutting board and pound with a meat mallet to 1/4-inch thickness. Season with salt and pepper.
• Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the oil, heat, then add the chicken and cook until the first side is golden-brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip and cook until the second side is golden-brown, another 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast until just cooked through, about 8 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the ancho chile cream sauce: Bring the cream to a simmer in a small saucepan and cook until reduced by 1/3. Add the Cajun spice and ancho chile powder and simmer for another minute or so. Keep warm.
• When the chicken is done, cut each piece into 2 equal halves. Lay one piece in the centers of 2 dinner plates and top each with 2 poblano halves, 1 piece of pepper jack, and another piece of chicken. Pour half of the Ancho Chile Cream Sauce over the tops and serve immediately.

CHICKEN WITH TOMATILLOS AND POBLANOS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Roast peppers for about 25 minutes, until the skins can easily be removed. Remove skins, and chop peppers.
• In a medium saucepan, combine chopped peppers with tomatillos, onion, red pepper, green onion, and garlic. Stir in chicken broth. Heat to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Dredge chicken in flour, then saute briefly. Pour tomatillo mixture over chicken. Season with oregano, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Simmer for 25 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink. Stir in the cilantro just before serving.

CHICKEN STUFFED CHILES (POBLANO PEPPERS)

Steps:

• I like to cook the chicken breasts in a crock pot as they are tender and easy to shred.
• Roast the poblanos either under the broiler on the grill until at least half of the skin is charred black.
• Place the chiles in a zip-lock bag and let steam for about 20 minutes.
• Prepare enchilada sauce.
• Carefully remove the outer skin from the chiles.
• Cut a slit in the chiles and carefully remove the seeds. Don't be overly concerned about the peppers splitting.
• Mix the chicken with 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce, salt, pepper, onion powder and one half of the cheese.
• Stuff the chiles.
• Spray a casserole dish with vegetable spray and place the peppers in the dish.
• Cover with remaining sauce and cheese.
• Bake in a 375°F oven until the peppers are heated through and the cheese is melted (about 20 minutes).

POBLANO CHILE SAUCE

Steps:

• Lay whole peppers (chiles or bell peppers) on their sides on racks of gas stove burners (preferably 1 to a burner) and turn flame on high. Roast peppers, turning them, until skins are blistered and have brown patches, 3 to 6 minutes. Do not overchar bell peppers; they will lose their bright color. (Alternatively, peppers may be roasted in same manner on rack of a broiler pan under a preheated broiler about 2 inches from heat.) Transfer peppers to a bowl and let stand, covered, until cool enough to handle. Peel peppers (wear rubber gloves when handling chiles). Cut off tops and discard seeds and ribs. Chop peppers. Peppers may be prepared 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.
• Chop garlic and chop enough onion to measure 1 cup. In a nonstick skillet cook garlic and onion in oil over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened. Skim fat from broth. Stir in broth and peppers and simmer 1 minute. In a blender puree mixture until completely smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids) and season with salt.

CILANTRO-STUFFED CHICKEN BREASTS

Steps:

• Make 3-inch-long cut in one long side of each chicken breast to form pocket, being careful to not cut all the way though to opposite side of chicken. Place chicken in bowl; drizzle with 1/4 cup dressing. Refrigerate 30 min. to marinate.
• Heat oven to 375°F. Combine cracker crumbs, 1/4 cup cilantro, garlic and remaining dressing. Remove chicken from marinade; discard marinade. Spoon about 3 Tbsp. crumb mixture into pocket in each chicken breast; place on foil-covered baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray.
• Bake 25 min. or until chicken is done (165ºF). About 5 min. before chicken is done, cook tomatoes just until warmed.
• Combine cheese and remaining cilantro. Top chicken with tomatoes; sprinkle with cheese mixture.

CILANTRO-STUFFED CHICKEN BREASTS WITH POBLANO CHILE SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat broiler and lightly brush a shallow baking pan with some oil. Finely chop garlic and in a small bowl stir together with cilantro and salt. Pat chicken dry and trim any fat.
• To form a pocket in chicken for cilantro filling: Put a chicken breast half on a cutting board and, beginning in middle of 1 side of breast half, horizontally insert a sharp thin knife three fourths of the way through center, moving knife in a fanning motion to create a pocket. (Opening will only be about 1 inch wide.) Make pockets in remaining chicken breast halves in same manner. Put about 1/2 tablespoon filling into each pocket and with finger spread evenly. Transfer chicken to baking pan and brush with remaining oil. Season chicken with salt and pepper and broil 5 to 6 inches from heat 7 minutes. Turn chicken over and broil until just cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes more.
• Serve chicken with sauce.