Chile & Cheese Stuffed Chicken

Here is a quick and easy recipe I whipped up one night using a few chiles I had on-hand:

4 chicken breasts, sliced lengthwise down the middle and pounded flat (for stuffing)

1/2 cup chopped roasted green chiles (I mixed Anaheims and Big Jims)

1/2 cup shredded cheddar

1 small tomato, finely chopped

1 Tbsp red onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 tsp ground cumin

a pinch of salt

a pinch of black pepper

Toothpicks or skewers to close the chicken for grilling

Lay the chicken breasts open on a pan. Mix chiles, cheddar, tomato, onion, garlic, cumin, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Spoon equal amounts of mixture on to chicken breasts. Skewer chicken breasts so that they stay closed during grilling. Grill until chicken is cooked through (this won’t take long), but be sure not to overcook the chicken as they will dry out quickly.

Serve with rice (spanish or cilantro lime) and refried beans (pinto or black – homemade is always best!)

Dig in!

(We devoured this one too fast for a photo, but I will be sure to get one the next time I make it.)

Costillas and Margaritas at Efrain’s in Boulder

We have some friends in Boulder who insisted that we break for lunch at Efrain’s after a busy morning helping them move furniture into their new condo. Hmmm… chile on a hot day? Sure thing! The menu features a spice meter and every block on the meter is filled on anything that features green chile at Efrain’s in Boulder (and Lafayette), Colorado. That is because Efrain’s only makes one kind of green chile. It’s spicy hot! I sampled the Costillas with fried potatoes and a margarita. Costillas are ribs smothered in Efrain’s green chile. Wow! That was a tasty spice bomb for the senses! The potatoes take off some of the heat, but it is best to take this dish slowly, chasing it with a tart swig of the Premier Margarita (limit 2 per customer and they aren’t kidding).

What’s so great about chile?

Before moving to Colorado, I didn’t give any thought to red or green chile. I didn’t really like Southwest or Mexican style cooking. That’s because I hadn’t had *Good* Southwest or Mexican style food. Once I found good food though, there was no going back, and before you know it I learned to cook it myself.

One of my favorite influences is Rick Bayless. He is an amazing chef. He has travelled extensively in Mexico and really taken the time to learn the nuances of Mexican food. He owns the restaurants Topolobampo and Frontera Grill in Chicago. I recently had a serendipitous opportunity to eat at Frontera Grill. It was an experience I will never forget. I nearly passed out with the excitement that, “I am here! I am REALLY HERE!” Of course the food was divine, straight from the kitchens of the gods. My only souvenirs were my satisfyingly full belly and this picture: