It's HATCH season!! ...one of my favs! I really love spicy foods - which is interesting because I've grown into that somehow. I have a client who LOVES jalapenos! Every time I ask him about what he's eaten there are always jalapenos involved. So I put them on a salad one day and fell in love! Ever since, I've been a spice queen.
Unfortunately the same is not true for Mo! Ha! Poor guy - I've definitely, on accident - truly - smoked him out before. It's kind of funny though because we'll be eating and I'll look over and he's literally sweating bullets. I am laughing just thinking about it! He's such a trooper though! So without fail, he always ends up picking out the jalapenos or hatch peppers and putting them on my plate! Spice and funky cheeses are about the only two things he'll turn his nose up at - otherwise, he's truly the easiest person in the world to cook for!
You can buy Hatch Chilies hot or mild. For this recipe, I used one hot and one mild. I honestly didn't find it to be that spicy. But if you're sensitive to spice at all, I would stick with only mild. And if you're not senstive to spice, I would do two of the hot ones!
Hatch season only lasts about 2 months, so I try to take as much advantage as I can. Many people will roast huge batches and then freeze them to use throughout the year! I've never tried that but if I get the time this year I might! They are absolutely delicious and add so much flavor to foods! And I'm always down for anything hanging on the verge of tasting like tex-mex!
I also like to add these to burgers and salads for some added punch!
Hope you enjoy!
First, roast the hatch chilies. While they cool, make the remaining ingredients.
Pour the avocado oil into a large sauté pan and swirl the pan to coat (or spray with avocado oil cooking spray). Turn heat to medium; once warm place the bell peppers into the pan with a pinch of salt. Let cook until softened and slightly caramelized – approx. 8-10 minutes.
Then, move the bell pepper to the sides of the pan and place the ground chicken in the middle and break up with a wooden spoon. Let cook 2 minutes and then continue to break apart and stir. Add cumin through salt and stir to combine the chicken, bell peppers and seasonings. Be sure chicken is cooked through but breaking apart a larger piece and making sure it is white/not pink in the middle. Remove from heat and add in hatch chilies. Toss to combine.
Spoon chicken and pepper mixture into lettuce pieces in desired amounts.
Top with grated manchego or goat cheese crumbles and serve.
NOTES:
- If Hatch Chiles are not in season, feel free to substitute with 1 fresh Jalapeño – remove the seeds and ribs if you don’t want it to be too spicy...
- During Hatch season (August - October) you can find Hatch Chiles already roasted. Central Market is great about this. But, if you want to roast your own, click the link in the Ingredients section and you will be taken to the directions I use for roasting my own.
- Feel free to use romaine, green leaf, red leaf, kale, etc. in lieu of butter lettuce, if you prefer.
#alixbarthnutrition, #glutenfreetacos, #grainfreetacos, #holisticnutritionist, #holisticrecipes, #instafood, #justeatthefood, #lettucetacos, #linkendurancerecipes, #paleo, #primal, #spicychickentacos, antiinflammatory, cleaneating, dairyfree, easytomake, easyweeknightdinner, glutenfree, grainfree, hatchgreenchiles, leftovers, linkendurance, moderation, Nutrition
Ingredients
Directions
First, roast the hatch chilies. While they cool, make the remaining ingredients.
Pour the avocado oil into a large sauté pan and swirl the pan to coat (or spray with avocado oil cooking spray). Turn heat to medium; once warm place the bell peppers into the pan with a pinch of salt. Let cook until softened and slightly caramelized – approx. 8-10 minutes.
Then, move the bell pepper to the sides of the pan and place the ground chicken in the middle and break up with a wooden spoon. Let cook 2 minutes and then continue to break apart and stir. Add cumin through salt and stir to combine the chicken, bell peppers and seasonings. Be sure chicken is cooked through but breaking apart a larger piece and making sure it is white/not pink in the middle. Remove from heat and add in hatch chilies. Toss to combine.
Spoon chicken and pepper mixture into lettuce pieces in desired amounts.
Top with grated manchego or goat cheese crumbles and serve.
