Spicy chicken poblano stew with polenta puts a Mexican spin on Italian food. With only 389 calories per serving, this hearty weeknight dish is amazing!
2tablespoonsadobo sauce from canned chipotle chiles in adobo
kosher saltto taste
1tablespoonfresh lime juice
4 to 6ouncesboneless, skinless chicken breastgrilled or roasted and shredded
3cupswhole milk
1cupuncooked polenta
cilantrofor serving (optional)
Instructions
ROAST OR CHAR POBLANO PEPPERS: The poblanos can be prepared a day or two ahead of when you plan on making this dish. They refrigerate well!
Roast the poblanos under a broiler, turning every 2 to 3 minutes for a total of 10-15 minutes, or until charred and tender. Once charred and hot place them in a bowl covered with plastic wrap or you can place them in a plastic bag, close it tightly and let them sweat for 10 to 20 minutes. Unwrap; remove skins and seeds. Coarsely chop peppers.
In a large pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the onion, oregano, garlic and a pinch of salt; sauté for 3 to 5 minutes, or until onions are soft and translucent.
Add the diced tomatoes, adobo sauce, and season with salt, to taste; simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in peppers, cooked chicken and squeeze in the lime juice; cook 2 to 3 more minutes or until slightly thickened.
Pour the milk into a saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; add polenta and season with salt, to taste. Whisk constantly, cooking for 2 minutes, until thickened.
To serve, divide the polenta equally into 4 shallow bowls; top each bowl of polenta with a ¼ of the chicken mixture. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro (optional).
Notes
Roasting Poblanos: The poblanos can be prepared a day or two ahead of when you plan on making this dish. They refrigerate well! There are three methods for charing a poblano, you can either place the poblano chili pepper on a tray under the broiler, directly on the grill or directly on an open flame.Roasting poblanos over an open flame is the traditional way to cook and char poblanos, in Mexico. I prefer this method. The charring really brings out the sweetness of the pepper. (If you don’t have a gas stove, a charcoal grill works great!)Roasting them under a broiler is a significantly more convenient way to prepare multiple poblanos simultaneously. Whatever method you choose for roasting the poblanos, turn them every 2 to 3 minutes for a total of 10 to 15 minutes.They must be charred and blistered on the outside but the flesh inside should remain soft. Remember the pepper is to be cooked but not burnt, think of it as roasting marshmallows in a fire.Recipe adapted from Cooking Light Magazine
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