Chipotle Chicken Kabobs with Avocado Cream Sauce

I was looking for something light to make for dinner one night and this chipotle chicken kabob recipe looked like it would be perfect. The only problem was that none of the grocery stores within 5 miles of my house had chipotle chilies in adobo sauce. (I think I need to have a chat with the grocery manager and give him my list of items the store needs to start carrying because this isn't the first thing I haven't been able to find.) Since I couldn't find the chipotle chilis the night I wanted to make it, I improvised and just used chipotle chili powder instead. We ate the chicken in tacos and it was delicious! I didn't bother making the avocado dipping sauce though. We liked the chicken so much that the next week I decided to make it again when I finally found the chipotle chilis in adobo sauce at another store. The chicken was good with just the chipotle chili powder, but I think the chilies in adobo made it even better. This time I also made the avocado sauce. Yum! I could have eaten that by the spoon fulls!

The only change I made to the original recipe was I used plain non-fat yogurt instead of Greek yogurt because I don't care for Greek yogurt. I made some extra marinade since I had left over chipotle chilies and froze it with chicken. The chicken will marinade as it thaws.

Chipotle Chicken Kabobs with Avocado Cream Sauce

For the Chicken:
Juice of 2 limes
1/2 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon chili podwer
3/4 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
1 chipotle chili in adobo sauce, seeded and minced
2-3 chicken breasts, cut into 1 1/2" to 2" inch pieces
Minced fresh cilantro, for serving

For the avocado cream sauce:
1 avocado
1/2 cup non-fat plain yogurt
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
juice of 1 lime
salt and pepper, to taste

In a medium bowl or baking dish/pie plate, combine the lime juice, oil, spices, garlic, brown sugar, and chipotle. Whisk together to combine. Add the chicken pieces to the marinade and mix well to ensure that they are all coated and mostly submerged. Cover, refrigerate, and let marinade for 30-60 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat a grill to medium-high and oil the grates. When the chicken is done marinading, thread the pieces onto skewers for grilling. (If using wooden skewers, be sure to soak them in water first to prevent charring/burning.) Dispose of the excess marinade. Place the kabobs on the grill and cook, turning once or twice, until all sides are slightly browned and cooked through. Remove to a plate and let rest 5-10 minutes. Sprinkle with minced fresh cilantro, if desired.

To make the sauce, combine avocado, yogurt, garlic and lime juice in the bowl of a food processor or a blender. Process until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve alongside the kabobs for dipping.

Enjoy!

PF Changs Lettuce Wraps

I have been in a funk lately when it comes to dinners. Probably because my husband has been working late and is not home for dinner most nights. So I have been looking for new recipes again to get me out of this rut. I came across a recipe for PF Chang's lettuce wraps. It has been a long, long time since I have eaten at PF Chang's. Like when the hubs and I were dating. So I can't really remember what their lettuce wraps taste like, but I do remember that I really liked them. I was not expecting these to taste anything like PF Chang's, but I was pleasantly surprised when I tasted them and they were super delicious! I made some changes to the original recipe when I made it, only by doubling the sauce since I had a little more than 1 pound of ground turkey. The original recipe follows, if you want to double the sauce you can.

Lettuce Wraps

1 lb ground chicken or turkey
1/2 medium onion, minced
salt and pepper, to taste
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 inch nob of fresh ginger, peeled and minced (I used ginger I had frozen and then grated)
1 Tablespoon sesame oil (I used the toasted sesame oil, which I think has a slightly stronger flavor)
2 1/2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 Tablespoon water
1 Tablespoon peanut butter
1/2 Tablespoon honey
1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce
dash of fresh pepper
3 green onions, chopped
1 (8 ounce) can sliced water chestnuts, chopped
10-12 large outer lettuce leaves, rinsed and patted dry

Heat a large, non-stick skillet on high. Add chicken, onion, salt and pepper. Cook until chicken is nearly done, stirring often to break up the meat. Add minced garlic and ginger, and continue cooking until chicken is no longer pink.

Meanwhile, in a microwave safe bowl, combine sesame oil, soy sauce, water, peanut butter, honey, rice vinegar, chili garlic sauce and pepper. Microwave for 20 seconds, then stir until smooth. Add to the chicken and stir to combine.

Add green onions and water chestnuts to the chicken mixture and cook for 1-2 minutes more, until the onions are soft and the water chestnuts are heated through.

Serve with cold lettuce leaves.

Next time I think I want to put those crispy rice noodles on them. You know, the ones they serve on the PF Chang's lettuce wraps? I don't know where you can get them, but I did find this recipe on how to make them.

Enjoy!