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Sunday, April 21, 2013

Pollo Asada and Chipotle Cinnamon Sweet Potato Hash

Had this for lunch yesterday, and it totally blew my mind.  This dish combines all the best flavors: sweet, spicy, salty, fatty & savory.  We make Pollo Asada and Sweet Potato Hash pretty regularly, but this is the first time we've ever put them together.  When we eat Pollo Asada, the only veggie side that ever comes to mind is either a basic salad or sauteed peppers & onions.  Its funny, because sweet potato is a totally Mexican ingredient.  I'm shocked I never thought of marrying the two until now.  Make the marinade tonight and have it for dinner tomorrow!

Asada Marinade (for Chicken)
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup lime juice
1 jalapeno, ribs & stems included
1/2 small onion
2-3 cloves garlic
1 cup fresh cilantro (lightly packed)
2 tbsp roasted cumin
salt & pepper to taste

Sautee the jalapeno, onion & garlic (the unholy trinity) in a pan with the 2 tbsp olive oil.  When everything is nice & charred, dump it into the food processor.  Add remaining olive oil, vinegar, lime juice, cilantro cumin, salt & pepper.  Puree until it reaches a soupy consistency.
Put 2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts in this marinade for up to 2 days, but NO LESS than 4 hours.  For better results, assault the chicken mercilessly with a fork, or score with a knife, or beat thin with a food mallet.
Put the chicken in a pan and sear the top side until it's beginning to char.  Flip it over, move the pan into the oven and bake at 350 until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 in the thickest part of the breast.  If you pounded your chicken, this will happen fast, you might want to skip the oven and just stick to stove top.  Personally, I'm in love with the pan-to-oven method, it's gentler and easier.

Sweet Potato Hash
2 medium sweet potatoes
1 jalapeno, ribs & seeds removed
1/2 small onion
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp chipotle chili powder
salt & pepper to taste

While the chicken is baking, cut 2 sweet potatoes into 1/2 inch cubes.  Dice the onion and jalapeno pretty fine, maybe 1/4 inch.  Add the oil to the pan, and once it's hot, add the onion and jalapeno.  Sautee until they're just starting to get some color, then add your sweet potato.  Give it a good stir, making sure everything gets a good coat of oil.  Cover pan with a lid for about 5 minutes, to let sweet potato soften.  When that's done, remove the lid and add the cinnamon, chipotle powder, salt & pepper.  Stir often for about 5-10 more minutes, or until the potatoes have some char on them.  Remove from heat.

Optional Toppers
Avocado
Lime Juice
Cilantro

By now, your chicken is probably done.  Pull it out of the oven, and while it rests, chop up some cilantro and slice an avocado into cubes or strips, whichever you prefer.  Plate the sweet potato hash, cut the chicken into thin slices, place on top of the hash and top with cilantro, avocado and a squeeze of lime.

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