Blackened Chicken and Grilled Avocado Tacos

The avocado will dry slightly in the pan, intensifying its flavor. Choose a ripe but firm avocado so it will hold its shape as it cooks. For a piquant variation, try adding a blend of 1 1/2 teaspoons of Hungarian hot paprika and 1 1/2 teaspoons of smoked Spanish paprika to the spice rub for a more intense flavor.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 2 tacos)

Ingredients

• 4  (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1  tablespoon  paprika
• 1  teaspoon  ground cumin
• 1  teaspoon  dried oregano
• 3/4  teaspoon  sugar
• 3/4  teaspoon  garlic powder
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 1/2  teaspoon  dried thyme
• 1/4  teaspoon  ground red pepper
• 1  tablespoon  fresh lime juice
• 1  ripe peeled avocado, cut into 16 slices
• Cooking spray
• 8  (6-inch) corn tortillas
• 2  cups  shredded romaine lettuce
• 1  cup  bottled low-sodium salsa (such as Green Mountain Gringo)
• 1/4  cup  fat-free sour cream
• 1/4  cup  finely chopped red onion

Preparation

Place chicken between 2 sheets of plastic wrap; pound to 1/2-inch thickness using a meat mallet or small heavy skillet. Combine paprika and next 7 ingredients (through pepper) in a small bowl. Sprinkle paprika mixture evenly over chicken; let stand 10 minutes.

Combine juice and avocado in a medium bowl, tossing to coat. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Grill avocado 2 minutes on each side or until well marked; remove from pan.

Place chicken in pan. Cook 4 minutes on each side or until done. Let chicken stand 5 minutes; cut chicken crosswise into (1/4-inch-thick) slices.

Warm tortillas according to package directions. Divide the chicken evenly among tortillas; top each with 2 avocado slices, 1/4 cup lettuce, 2 tablespoons salsa, 1 1/2 teaspoons sour cream, and 1 1/2 teaspoons onion.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

423 (25% from fat)

Fat:

11.6g (sat 3g,mono 5.1g,poly 2.6g)

Protein:

45.2g

Carbohydrate:

38g

Fiber:

5.7g

Cholesterol:

100mg

Iron:

3mg

Sodium:

675mg

Calcium:

158mg