Blackened Chicken with Avocado Pasta and Corn
Do you clip coupons? My mother always clipped coupons. She shopped at Ross and Marshalls. She taught me how to haggle at flea markets and antique shows. She always believed in getting the best deal possible and that a price was never final until the seller said it was. I’m the same way. I mean, why pay full price when you don’t have to? It’s the reason I still haggle when I go to antiuqe shows and swap meets. It’s the reason I get emails from Groupon and shop at Marshalls. It’s the reason I have those discount cards from various grocery stores. I love a good deal.
But I also love a good recipe. See, one of the benefits of getting those little grocery discount cards is that every so often I’ll get a magazine full of articles and recipes from the store. Some of them are things I would never make in a million years, but then there are other recipes that sound so good I run right out and get the ingredients I need to make it. This chicken dish is one such recipe.
It’s quick and easy, can be made on the grill or in the oven and best of all, the ingredients are in season right now! I love it when a recipe calls for fresh fruits or vegetables that are in season. It just makes the dish so much better. The flavors just are richer, the colors are brighter and the final result is out of this world, delicious.
While you can usually find avocados year round, corn is a little bit harder to come by. I have good news, though. Turns out we’re right in the middle of corn season, so now is the time to strike and whip up as many recipes as you can with those sweet little yellow and white kernels.
See, summer and fall are prime time for fresh, sweet corn, and those little kernels add a wonderful crunch to this dish. But that’s not all. Since the chicken is blackened, (a savory spice mixture that’s used to cover meat, chicken and fish) that sweet white corn pairs well with the savory, spicy chicken. Add the creamy avocado to the pasta and you have a wonderful, rich dinner that’s full of flavor.
So, if you’re not big fan of coupons, I want to know why? Not only do you get a discount on the food you buy regularly, you occasionally get recipes that are out of this world. Recipes that you’ll be making for years to come.
Notes
Adapted from Ralphs Magazine
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoons ground thyme
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne powder
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked sea salt
- 8 ounces spaghetti
- 4 chicken cutlets
- 1 cob of corn
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 ripe avocados
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 ounces lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat a grill to 350 degrees F.
- While the grill heats up, mix together the first nine ingredients, through the salt, in a bowl. Coat the chicken generously with the spice mixture.
- Oil the grill. Cook the chicken and corn for about 8 minutes, flipping them occasionally, so it doesn't burn.
- While the chicken and corn cook, mash the avocados with the olive oil, lemon juice and garlic. Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.
- Cook the spaghetti according to package directions, drain and toss with the avocado sauce.
- Strip the corn kernels from the cob and stir into the avocado pasta. Slice the chicken, top the pasta with it and serve.
