This was Em’s Mexican food at its finest.  Grilled and spiced barbecued chicken on a bed of creamy braised black beans, laced with corn, fresh tomatoes and coriander.  The cheesy corn tortillas were the perfect accompaniment to scoop up the flavour packed beans and soak up all the juicy goodness.  The spice blend is one I keep in the pantry and is in the ‘Basics’ section of the website but to save you from flipping back and forth I will pop it in the recipe.  Because I am nice 🙂

 

Prep time:  25  Minutes              Cooking time:  25  Minutes + Minimum 1 Hour Marinating            $$  Medium Budget

 

Serves 4

 

For the Spice Blend:

 

2 tbs of sweet paprika

1 tbs of ground cumin

1 tbs of ground chillies  (less if you prefer it less spicy)

1 tbs of garlic powder

1 tbs of onion powder

1 tbs of dried oregano

1 tsp of ground black pepper

1 tsp of sea salt

1/2 tsp of ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp of ground cloves

 

Place all the spices in a screw top jar and give a really good shake until combined.  It really is that simple amigos!

 

For the Chicken:

 

4 x 150gm chicken breast fillets, scored lightly on the diagonal about 1cm apart

1/4 cup of olive oil

2 tbs of Mexican spice blend

Juice of 2 limes

4 tbs of sour cream

Green chilli slices and coriander sprigs for garnish

8 corn tortillas

1 cup of grated tasty cheese

 

For the Beans:

 

Olive oil for frying

2 cloves of garlic, finely minced

1 red onion, peeled and diced

1 green capsicum, diced

1 punnet of mixed grape tomatoes

1 tbs of Mexican Spice Blend

2 x 400gm tins of black beans, 1 drained

1 cup of chicken stock

1 fresh corn cob

1/2 a bunch of fresh coriander, roughly chopped

Juice of 1 lime

Sea salt and cracked pepper

 

Place the ingredients for the marinade in a small bowl and whisk to combine.  Lay the chicken in a shallow dish and pour over the marinade.  Give it a bit of a toss to make sure the chicken is completely coated, cover and marinate for at least 1 hour or overnight if you wish.

 

Heat a large frypan and add a little oil.  Fry the onion until soft and then add the garlic, tomatoes and capsicum.  When the capsicum is beginning to tenderise, add the spice blend and stir until aromatic before adding the beans.  I like to add one undrained as the starch in the juices of the beans help to make them nice and creamy.  Pour in the stock, season with a little salt and pepper and stir to combine.  Allow the mixture to simmer, stirring occasionally for approximately 20 minutes.

 

Heat a BBQ grill or plate (or a fry pan) until nice and hot.  Grill the corn until starting to char on one part of the Barbecue.  On the other, grill the chicken on both sides for approximately 8 minutes or until cooked through.  If you have a hood on the Barbie this will help the chicken to cook all the way through.  If not, once charred (but not burnt) remove from the Barbecue and place in a 180° oven for 5-10 minutes.  Remove from the oven and allow to rest for a couple of minutes before slicing the chicken on the score marks just before serving.

 

To cook the tortillas, place a small handful of cheese on one and top with another.  Place on the BBQ grill (or a frypan) and cook either side until starting to brown for 2-3 minutes.  Pop on a plate and cover with a tea towel or piece of foil to keep warm

 

Hold the corn upright and run your knife down the sides to remove the kernels.  Add the corn to the beans along with the coriander and lime juice and stir through.

 

To serve, divide the beans between the plates and top with a sliced breast fillet.  Spoon over any pan juices and top with a dollop of sour cream, coriander sprigs and sliced green chilli.  Serve with the tortillas.

 

Em’s Mexican Spice Blend is perfect for this dish:

http://emsfoodforfriends.com.au/mexican-chicken-tortilla-lasagne-with-avocado-salsa/