Fire-Roasted Corn Guacamole

Guacamole is by far my favorite condiment. I've made many different versions, but decided to share this fire-roasted corn edition. The sweet smokey punch of the roasted corn works very well with the freshness of the avocado, tomatoes and cilantro. In my very biased opinion, it goes great with anything!

Fire-Roasted Corn Guacamole

Servings: 3 (more or less depending on how liberal you are with it)
Total Time: 5 minutes

Components
1 avocado
1 ear fire-roasted corn, kernels removed
1/2 white onion, chopped
1 small roma tomato, chopped
2 tbls. cilantro, chopped
Juice and zest of 1/2 lime
Salt and pepper to taste

Method
1. Scoop out the avocado into a medium sized bowl and mash.

2, Add the remaining ingredients and stir.

3. Serve immediately or refrigerate.

Comentary
1. To roast the corn, either preheat a grill, or broiler. Remove the husk and rub the corn with canola oil. Season with salt and pepper. Grill or broil, rotating the corn so the kernels brown evenly.

Chipotle-Lime Rice

This side dish accompanied my Inside Out Chicken Taquitos, and features noticeable flavor parallels. My dire desire for food fire inspired the chipotle additions. The rice is not, however, too hot to handle. It features a nice spice that dances around on the back of your tongue for a moment before gracefully exiting and leaving your palate craving more.

Chipotle-Lime Rice

Servings: 3
Total Time: 15 minutes (assuming rice is already cooked)

Components
2 c. cooked brown rice
1/2 white onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped
2 tbls. cilantro, chopped
1/4 c. beer
Juice and zest from 1/2 lime
1 tbl. olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Method
1. Heat oil in skillet and sweat onions for about 3 minutes.

2. Add the garlic, season with salt and pepper and continue cooking until onions begin to brown.

3. Toss rice into skillet and saute for a couple minutes. Allow any excess moisture to evaporate. Don't worry if the rice sticks to the pan.

4. Deglaze the pan with the beer and stir the rice to scrape off the bits of flavor stuck to the pan. Immediately add the chipotles and stir again.

5. Allow most of the beer to reduce. If the rice looks too dry, add a little more beer.

6. Once the beer has reduced and the moisture level is to your liking, add the lime juice and cilantro. Stir one last time and serve.

Commentary
1. It is important to give the onions a head start so the garlic doesn't burn.

2. Adjust the  heat level by adding more or less chipotles.

Inside Out Chicken Taquitos

I'll be honest, I can't remember the last time I ordered taquitos anywhere. The little rolled, filled and fried tortillas that tantalize the tongues of millions just don't do it for me. Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge connoisseur of Mexican cuisine, but to me taquitos have always been lost in the shadows of many other much more desirable dishes. You just can't pack enough protein into a tiny corn tortilla to satisfy my masculine desire for meat. My sister, however, drives the taquito bandwagon, so I thought I would put a twist on the dish in her honor. To ensure that my taquitos were served with enough meat, I just decided to use chicken instead of a tortilla. Yes, I said chicken. Beat a chicken breast enough with a frying pan and it will become flat enough to mimic a tortilla's wrapping ability...kind of. Another major difference...the taquitos aren't fried, they're baked. Oh yeah, and you're gonna need a fork!

Inside Out Chicken Taquitos

Inside Out Chicken Taquitos with Chipotle-Lime Rice and Fire-Roasted Corn Guacamole

Servings: 4

Total Time: ~ 1 hour (plus an additional 30 minutes for marination)

Components

4 chicken breast halves

1 c. beer

2 green onions, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2 tbls. cilantro, chopped

1 can refried pinto beans

1 c. shredded jack and cheddar cheese (plus more for garnish if desired)

Juice of 1 lime

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Pound out each chicken breast half to 1/4 in. thickness and place in a marinade bag.

2. For the marinade, combine beer, green onions, garlic, cilantro, lime juice, salt and pepper. Pour contents into marinade bag over the chicken. Allow to marinate in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

4. After the chicken has marinated, heat up the beans. This is not completely necessary, but will make them easier to spread.

5. For each breast, lay the chicken out flat. Spread some beans and cheese onto the breast (leaving about 1/2 in. between filling and edge of chicken) and roll as if rolling a tortilla around filling for a taquito. Place the chicken onto a shallow baking pan lined with foil and cooking spray (to facilitate cleaning and serving duties respectively). 

6. Season the top of the taquitos with salt and pepper bake for 30 minutes.

7. Remove taquitos and garnish with more cheese. Return to oven and bake until cheese is melted and bubbly. 

Commentary

1. If you're pressed for time, the marinade can be skipped. However, I found that it really added a nice depth of flavor and helped keep the chicken moist during the cooking process.