Chicken & Poblano Chilaquiles

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Wash and dry the fresh produce. Cut the lime in half. Peel and finely chop the shallot, then squeeze the juice of ½ the lime on top. Pit, peel, and slice the avocado. Squeeze the juice from the remaining lime over the avocado to prevent browning. Peel and mince the garlic. Small dice the poblano. Peel and small dice the red onion. Roughly chop the cilantro and escarole. Cut the tortillas into ½-inch strips.

In a large pan, heat a couple teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper, then add them to the hot pan. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes per side, or until browned and cooked through. (Loosely cover the pan with aluminum foil to help the chicken cook through faster.) Transfer the chicken to a plate to cool, leaving any drippings in the pan. When cool enough to handle, use your fingers or 2 forks to shred the chicken.

While the chicken cooks, bake the tortilla strips. Toss the tortilla strips with 1 tablespoon of olive oil until well coated. Place them in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for 13 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown, stirring halfway through. Remove from the oven and season with salt.

In the pan used for the chicken, heat a little olive oil on medium until hot. Add the onion, poblano pepper, and half the garlic. Season with salt and pepper and cook for about 2 to 3 minutes, or until the vegetables start to soften, stirring occasionally. Stir in the tomato sauce, Meixcan spice blend, shredded chicken, half the cilantro, and ½ cup of water. Season with salt and pepper and simmer for 9 to 11 minutes, or until heated through and slightly reduced in volume.

While the chicken-tomato mixture simmers, add the remaining garlic to the shallot-lime mixture. Slowly whisk in about 2 tablespoons of olive oil until combined and season with salt and pepper to taste. Just before serving, combine the escarole, half the avocado, and all but a pinch of the remaining cilantro in a large bowl. (Reserve the rest of the avocado and cilantro for garnish.) Add some of the dressing (you may have extra dressing), and toss to coat.

Also just before serving, toss the baked tortilla strips with the chicken-tomato mixture until combined, then divide between 2 plates. Crumble the queso fresco on top and garnish with the remaining avocado and cilantro. Serve with the escarole salad. Enjoy!