Southwest Grilled Chicken and Avocado Melts

Avocado, cheese and peppers.  What's not to love?  The creaminess of the avocado and the spiciness of the peppers and cheese.  Too me, the chicken served as a vehicle to get all that in my mouth.  D might disagree. I'm not sure.

Would have again. We had with a black bean salad.

Southwest Grilled Chicken and Avocado Melts

Even within the same variety, chiles can vary greatly in heat. If you like yours mild, pull out the inner membrane when seeding them; that's where a lot of the heat-producing capsaicin is concentrated.

Yield: Serves 4
Total:30 Minutes

Ingredients
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
4 Anaheim or poblano chiles
4 boned, skinned chicken breast halves (about 8 oz. each)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Lime wedges
1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and sliced
1 cup shredded jack cheese

Preparation
1. Prepare a grill for high heat (450° to 550°; you can hold your hand 5 in. above cooking grate only 2 to 4 seconds). Rub 1 tbsp. oil over chiles. Cook chiles, turning often, until skins are browned. Put chiles in a bowl, cover, and let cool. Seed chiles and rub off skins.

2. Meanwhile, rub remaining 1 tbsp. oil over chicken. Combine cumin, cayenne, and salt and sprinkle evenly over each breast. Grill chicken, turning once, until browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes total.

3. Squeeze a little lime over chicken, then top each breast with a few avocado slices, a reserved chile, and about 1/4 cup cheese. Grill, covered, until cheese melts, about 4 minutes.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 586; Calories from fat: 42%; Protein: 62g; Fat: 28g; Saturated fat: 8.6g; Carbohydrate: 18g; Fiber: 7.4g; Sodium: 760mg; Cholesterol: 150mg

Sunset MAY 2010