Chicken Skewers with Cool Avocado Sauce and the Meal Plan 7/18- 7/21

I'm just now catching up on my weekend posts. This was our dinner on Friday night. When I found this recipe in Taste of Home magazine I was curious about how the flavors would work together. Lime, balsamic vinegar, and chipotle pepper in adobo sauce? Hmmm. The two reviews that I read on the website stated the that flavor was "unremarkable" and "needed work". I have to say that I disagree. The flavor of the chicken skewers was unique. Definitely tangy- probably due to the acid in the lime juice and vinegar. We grilled ours over charcoal which I think added another dimension to the flavor. And I really enjoyed the avocado sauce. My whole family, kids included, ate this without complaint. I personally really enjoyed it.

Here's how it came together:

First, I zested a lime for the sauce using my awesome microplane grater.

Then I squeezed a couple of limes for the marinade and the sauce with my favorite juicer.

Next, I seeded and chopped a couple of chipotle chilies in adobo sauce.

With all of the zesting, juicing, and chopping finished I went about the "pounding" step. Place 1 lb. of boneless, skinless chicken breasts in a large, resealable plastic bag and pound to 1/4" thickness.

Cut the flattened chicken into 1" strips and place them in a large, resealable plastic bag.

Add 1/2 cup of lime juice to the bag with the chopped chipotle peppers, a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, and salt. Refrigerate for 30 minutes-2 hours. (Mine marinated for two hours).

Thread the chicken strips onto skewers. I recommend soaking wooden skewers in water for 20 minutes before skewering the meat.

While the grill heats, make the avocado sauce. I just tossed all of the ingredients into my immersion blender mixing cup. This is sour cream, avocado, a couple teaspoons of lime juice, a teaspoon of lime zest, and a little salt. I added extra cilantro. I'm digging the fresh taste of cilantro lately.

Blend until smooth.

This made a thick, creamy sauce. I really loved the flavors. Later that night, I mixed some chopped tomato and diced red onion into the leftover sauce for a quick snack of chips and guacamole.

Grill the chicken as directed. It cooks fast. Just 4 minutes per side. You don't want to overcook the chicken. In my opinion, dry, overcooked chicken is every bit as disgusting as undercooked chicken. Both are inedible.

Here they are hot off the grill.

While my husband grilled the skewers, I cut and washed the first crop of lettuce from our garden. It was delicious served with just a drizzle of salad dressing alongside our chicken. Oh how I love my garden!

With the addition of some cheesy rice, this was dinner. I'm still not sure why the recipe received poor reviews. The combination of chicken and sauce was yummy! Maybe ours was tastier because I added just a little more salt and allowed the chicken to marinate longer?

Here's the recipe from Taste of Home:

Chicken Skewers with Cool Avocado Sauce

Ingredients
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons minced chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
1/2-1 teaspoon salt

SAUCE:
1 medium ripe avocado, peeled and pitted
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
2 teaspoons lime juice
1 teaspoon grated lime peel
1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions
•Flatten chicken to 1/4-in. thickness; cut lengthwise into sixteen
1-in.-wide strips. In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the
lime juice, vinegar, chipotle pepper and salt; add the chicken. Seal
bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for 30 minutes.

•Meanwhile, for the sauce, place remaining ingredients in a food
processor; cover and process until blended. Transfer to a serving
bowl; cover and refrigerate until serving.

•Drain chicken and discard marinade. Thread meat onto four metal or
soaked wooden skewers. Using long-handled tongs, moisten a paper
towel with cooking oil and lightly coat the grill rack.

•Grill, covered, over medium heat or broil 4 in. from the heat for
8-12 minutes or until no longer pink, turning frequently. Serve with
sauce. Yield: 16 skewers (3/4 cup sauce).

Nutrition Facts: 1 skewer with about 2 teaspoons sauce equals 59 calories, 3 g fat (trace saturated fat), 17 mg cholesterol, 74 mg sodium, 3 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 6 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 1 lean meat, 1/2 fat.

And now for the meal plan....

This is a short week of meals for us. I only need to come up with 4 meals (Monday-Thursday) and then I'm leaving town. Wednesday we will have out-of-town company, so we're planning a cook out. For those of you who are fans of my "Posts from the Farm" series, stay tuned! I'll be posting from "the farm" (my parent's house in Indiana) all next week.

Here is my abbreviated meal plan:

Monday July 18th

Farmers Market Salad (bumped from last week)

Tuesday July 19th

Weeknight Ravioli Bake

Wednesday July 20th

Burgers on the Grill (try Totally Edible Turkey Burgers)
BLT Macaroni Salad
Banana Split Cake

Thursday July 21st

Barbecued Brisket from the freezer

Grocery List (does not include Barbecued Beef Brisket ingredients)

Produce

1 lb. green beans
3 zucchini
2-3 tomatoes
lettuce and onion (if desired for the burgers)
green onions
celery
6 bananas
strawberries

Meat

2 lbs. bacon
hamburger patties

Dairy

light sour cream
milk
eggs
8 oz. shredded Italian blend cheese
Parmesan cheese
butter
2 blocks cream cheese

Canned Goods

1 jar spaghetti sauce
1 can diced tomatoes
vinegar
mayonnaise
crushed pineapple
chocolate syrup

Dry Goods

1 packet ranch dressing mix
hamburger buns
elbow macaroni
graham crackers or graham cracker crumbs (1-1/2 cups)
sugar
2 packets instant vanilla pudding

Freezer
2 lbs. fresh (in the refrigerator section in the deli) or frozen cheese ravioli
1 tub whipped topping

I hope that you all have a wonderful week!

Oh, and if you missed it, don't forget to enter my giveaway for a very cool apron HERE.

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