Sometimes, we just need an easy dish. Something so simple that we can create the dish completely absent-minded; because after a long day, we could all use a break – not to mention, a glass of wine or three. And admittedly, while the kitchen always has a place in my stomach, er… heart (it really is my de-stress zone), I’ve recently been in a cooking rut; you know, that feeling when you simply don’t know what to make (yes, exactly – similar to when you don’t know which bottle of wine to open…) and you find yourself perusing recipes on pinterest and can’t seem to find anything inspiring? Well okay, bad analogy, wine is always inspiring! But just before I’m about to come home and put on sweatpants, pour myself a healthy glass of wine and heat up cold soup, I’m always reminded by how happy it makes me when my sous chef is reveling in a delicious homemade dinner full of yummy goodness! 🙂
So naturally, I want to think up something quick that we can throw on the grill to eliminate dishes; yet something that still has deliciously bold flavors – because food is meant to be enjoyed! So what’d we come up with? A southwest grilled chicken, plated over a creamy avocado, with a chipotle crema (because we all need a condiment, right? Or maybe that’s just me) and simple grilled peppers and onions. And if you’re feeling spunky, throw some salsa on that plate, too! Just too easy, friends. And so delicious. So much so, it was motivation in itself to create more yummy recipes (coming soon!); and I just had the leftovers for lunch… and wow. SO good! Well, enough babble, let’s dig in:
Southwest Grilled Chicken with Avocado, Chipotle Crema and Vegetable Kebabs:
(Serving size: 4-6)
- 4 chicken breasts, sliced in half lengthwise
- 1/4 cup southwest seasoning + 3 extra tablespoons (we use McCormick’s Perfect Pinch Southwest)
- 3 tablespoons of water
- 2 ripe avocados
- 8 ounces of sour cream
- 4 tablespoons adobo sauce (or less, if you prefer less spice)
- A splash of salsa (optional, strongly recommended for condiment-crazed fools (like myself))
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 yellow bell pepper
- 1 orange bell pepper
- 1 red onion
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- 4-5 kebabs
Rewind to the night before: clean and slice your chicken breasts in half lengthwise and place in a large ziploc bag. Add 1/4 cup southwest seasoning and 3 tablespoons of water to create a paste-like marinade. Let refrigerate overnight. Game-time: Let’s fire up our grills to 375 degrees. Next, let’s add our adobo sauce to the sour cream and whisk away.
Then, let’s remove the chicken breasts from the bag and sprinkle the remaining three tablespoons of southwest seasoning all over each slice.
Next, let’s chop our peppers – creating squares (or close to it) about 1.5 inches by 1.5 inches. The point is simply that we don’t want them too small.
Then, place in a bowl. Slice the red onion into chunks with about three pieces per chunk – like below:
Add to the bowl with the peppers. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Next, skewer the peppers and onions, in no particular order, until all vegetables have been used up.
Once the grill is preheated, place the vegetables on the grill for about 8-9 minutes on either side (so 16-18 minutes total). Then, since our chicken has been sliced thin (but depending on what size you actually have), we are only  going to let our chicken cook for about 5-7 minutes on each side – longer if they’re thicker. Remove both the vegetables and chicken from heat once finished.
Thinly slice half an avocado for each plate, add your chicken, a dollop of chipotle crema – and salsa if desired – and serve with your gorgeous skewers!
And call me crazy, but I think delicious dish deserves an ice-cold beer. So reach into the refrigerator and grab your favorite frosty one and dig on in.
Cheers!
