Keeping it weird

The best 5 minute dinner hack is to rub your meat of choice with your favorite spices of the moment, add some sides, and call it a meal.

Of course, the best spice blends are full of flavor and border on a little weird, because life is too short to have a boring dinner!

This particular blend is like a mole cheat in which a cocoa base is blended with herbs and heat to create warm, intricate layers of flavor that wrap around the chicken as it bakes.


If you're nervous about how well chocolate and spice go with chicken, don't worry, it's not as different as it sounds!  The cocoa flavor is really mild and acts as a blanket to help the spices stand out, but isn't overwhelming in the recipe.  Top it with mango pico and quick-pickled onions, and serve with some cheesy, chile polenta for the perfect week-night meal when you're looking for a delicious sort of different.

Recipe notes:  This was a one tissue meal for me, but if you don't have a high spice tolerance try reducing the chipotle to 1/2 a teaspoon, adding 1 1/2 teaspoons of smoked paprika, and omitting the cayenne completely.  For the chile polenta, cooking the chiles a little longer will ensure that their heat is reduced keeping it enjoyable.

Chocolate Blackened Chicken

Ingredients

For the chicken:

• 1.5 lbs of chicken breasts
• 1 1/2 T light, unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 t onion powder
• 2 t chipotle, see notes.
• 1 t oregano
• 1 t chili
• 1/2 t cumin
• 1/4 t cayenne, see notes.
• 1/4 t coriander
• 1 T olive oil
• Salt as needed

For the salsa:

• 1 mango, diced
• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
• 1/4 c cilantro leaves
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 lime, juiced

For the pickled shallots:

• 3 small shallots, thinly sliced
• White vinegar to cover
• 1 t salt
• boiling water

For the polenta:

• 2 small poblano peppers
• 2 large cloves garlic
• 3/4 c polenta
• 2  T oil
• 3 T cotija
• 1 can of red beans, rinsed well

Combine

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Bring water to a boil.  Put the shallots in a small glass container with the salt, cover with vinegar, then add about 1/2 cup of boiling water and set aside.
3. Toss together the ingredients for the salsa and set aside.
4. Stir together the spices for the chicken.  Clean the chicken, drizzle with just enough oil to lightly coat, sprinkle with a little salt on each side, then coat liberally with the spice mix.
5. Bake the chicken for 15 to 20 minutes until the internal temperature is 155 degrees Fahrenheit, then remove from the oven and let sit for 1-2 minutes.
6. While the chicken cooks, heat the oil in a small pot with tall sides until in shimmers then add the garlic and peppers and saute for 5 minutes.  Add the polenta to the pot and 3 cups of water, bring to a boil while whisking constantly then reduce to a simmer until most of the water is absorbed.  Stir in the cheese and continue whisking until cooked through adding more water if needed.  Note: the raw polenta will look distinctly spotted, when it is done cooking it will be more uniform in texture and color.
7. Plate a scoop of the polenta, top with red beans, top with a piece of chicken, garnish with mango salsa and pickled onions, and enjoy!