Photo by Tom McCorkle and food styling by Gina Nistico; for The Washington Post
Place juicy slices of spice-rubbed chicken breast atop a salad of char-grilled (or broiled) corn and poblano peppers, mounded on a creamy bed of mashed avocado for this a three-tiered tower of healthy deliciousness. Spiked with lime, scallion and pickled jalapeno, it’s an alluring meal that comes together quickly and can be served warm or at room temperature.
Storage:
The poblanos and corn can be charred and prepped up to 4 days in advance. Refrigerate the chicken and corn-poblano salad separately for up to 4 days. The avocado mash is best eaten as soon as it’s made.
Grilled Chicken With Charred Corn and Poblanos
Ingredients:
Oil for the grill
3 ears of corn, shucked
2 poblano peppers
1 teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon granulated garlic or garlic powder
½ teaspoon fine salt, plus more to taste, divided
Pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
1 ¼ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, pounded to an even ½-inch thickness
3 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
½ cup cilantro, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped, jarred pickled jalapenos, plus more to taste
2 tablespoons avocado or olive oil
1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving
2 medium, ripe avocados, pitted and peeled
Directions:
Prepare a grill for direct heat. If using a gas grill, preheat to medium-high (450 degrees). Lightly coat the grill rack with oil and place it on the grill. (Alternatively, you can broil the corn and peppers and cook the chicken may be cooked on the stove. See note below.)
Place the ears of corn and the poblano peppers directly on the grate and cook, uncovered, giving the corn a quarter-turn about every 2 minutes until the kernels have begun to char in spots, about 10 minutes total. Set aside until cool enough to handle, 10 minutes.
Grill the peppers until their skin is blackened and blistered, turning once or twice, for 10 minutes total. Then place the grilled peppers in a covered bowl or paper bag to steam for 10 minutes.
In a small bowl, combine the chili powder, garlic, 1/8 teaspoon of the salt and the cayenne pepper. Taste to assess the level of spiciness and add more cayenne if desired. Sprinkle the spice mixture all over the chicken breast, rubbing it in so it adheres, then grill the chicken until it is cooked through and grill marks have formed, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and allow to rest for 5 minutes before slicing it against the grain into ½-inch thick slices.
Cut the corn kernels off of the cobs and place them in a large bowl. Peel off and discard the charred skin of the poblano peppers (it’s OK if some still lingers), then remove the stems, seeds, and membranes. Cut the peppers into ¾-inch pieces and add them to the bowl with the corn. Add the scallion, cilantro, pickled jalapenos, oil, the lime zest, 2 tablespoons of the lime juice and ¼ teaspoons of the salt and toss to combine. Add additional salt and jalapenos to taste.
In a medium bowl, mash the avocado with the remaining 1 teaspoon lime juice and 1/8 teaspoon salt.
To serve, spread about 1/3 cup of the avocado mash onto the center of each serving plate. Mound each with a heaping cup of the corn-pepper mixture, then top each with a quarter of the chicken slices. Serve, warm or at room temperature, garnished with lime wedges.
Makes 4 servings
Serving size: about 5 slices of chicken, 1 heaping cup of corn-pepper salad, and 1/3 cup avocado mash
Per serving
Calories 424 ; Total Fat 22 g (Sat Fat 3 g); Protein 36 g; Carb 24 g; Fiber 8 g; Cholesterol 103 mg; Sodium 513 mg; Total Sugar 7 g (including 0 g added sugar)
Note:
To broil the corn and peppers: Preheat the broiler on high. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil for easy cleanup and place the corn and poblano peppers on top. Set the pan in the oven so the vegetables are about 5 inches from the broiler flame. Turn the vegetables every 3-4 minutes until the skin of the peppers is blackened and blistered and the corn is tender and beginning to char in spots, about 10 minutes total.
To cook the chicken in a skillet: heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a skillet over a medium-high heat. Add the chicken, then reduce the heat to medium and cook until cooked through and browned on the outside, 5-6 minutes per side.
