Chopped Picked Chicken Cheese-Chile Tacos, Cilantro Couscous, and Cheesy Bacon Beans

Chicken Cheese-Chile Tacos, Cilantro Couscous, and Cheesy Bacon Beans

Yield: 4 servings (as pictured)

Prep: 10 min
Cook: 30 min

Total Time: 40 min (30 min if you prep/chop while you cook)

Ingredients

2 lbs chicken tenders, quartered, cut along nerve, then cut width-wise, remove as much nerve as possible

4 cups (1 pound) shredded Mexican Cheese

4 chiles poblanos, washed and dried

12 corn tortillas

2 cans 15.5 oz cans of pinto beans, drained , and rinsed (or 4 cups of homemade cooked pinto beans)

8 slices of premium thick cut bacon

1 ½ cups couscous

½ cup cilantro, chopped

2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

½ Tbsp. fresh lime juice

16-oz jar of mild salsa

4 cloves of garlic, chopped

¼ cup red onion, finely chopped

½ cup mango, cubed into pea sized pieces

2 avocados

1 cup crema mexicana

1 cup cabbage, chopped

2 Tbsp. butter

4 Tbsp. vegetable oil

Salt

Directions

1. Take out 3 large skillets. Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in one skillet over medium-high heat. Add chiles poblanos. Put bacon in cold skillet, turn on a low-medium heat. Heat 3 Tbsp. oil in final skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, garlic and ½ tsp. salt. Periodically, turn all these things as you do step 2.
   (After chicken is browned, take out, place in a container and cover. Keep chicken drippings in skillet on stove, with no heat. After chiles are blackened, take them out and put in plastic bag and close. Turn off empty chile skillet, but keep on stove. After bacon has rendered, place pieces on top of plate covered with a paper towel; keep grease in skillet on warm.)
2. Meanwhile, pour salsa in a large serving bowl. Stir in mango, red onion, lime juice, ½ tsp. of salt and ¼ c. of cilantro. Taste, add more salt if desired. Set aside. In a blender puree avocado, ½ c. crema, ¼ tsp salt and 1 Tbsp. lemon juice. Taste, add more salt if desired. Place mixture in a squeeze bottle with small opening. In another squeeze bottle place ½ c. crema. (If you don't have bottles, you can use a zip lock bag with a corner cut or use serving bowls.)
3. In chicken drippings place butter, ½ tsp. salt and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil. Add couscous. Turn off heat. Cover for 5 minutes. Fluff. Add ¼ c. cilantro and 1 Tbsp. lemon juice. Taste, add more salt if desired. Cover and keep on warm.
4. Increase heat on skillet with bacon grease to medium-high, pour beans into this hot skillet. Stir for 2 minutes. With immersion blender, puree beans. Once beans are smooth, turn heat to warm and stir in 2 cups of cheese. Set aside 2 slices of bacon and cut in half width-wise. Crumble the rest and put them in beans. Stir. Taste, add salt if desired. Cover and keep on warm.
5. Return the empty chile skillet to a medium heat. Peel skin off chiles. Cut off tops. Open with one slit and take out seeds. Place flattened chiles on heated skillet. Put ½ cup cheese in the middle of each one. After cheese has melted, turn over. Once cheese is slightly browned, place chiles on plate cheese side up. Cut each chile in thirds length-wise.
6. Heat tortillas. (Slightly blackening over flame, if you'd like). Place tortillas in tortilla warmer or inside a clean kitchen towel. Place 4 or 5 pieces of chicken inside tortilla, place a cheese chile slice on top, add cabbage, salsa, avocado puree, and crema. Serve with beans topped with bacon half and couscous. Enjoy!