Soaked and blended walnuts are the secret ingredient for a heart-healthy twist on rich, creamy sauce made WITHOUT any cream.
Watch Culinary Producer Grant Melton make it with Rach in the video above.
- 1 cup walnuts
- 1 ½ cups chicken stock
- 4 to 6 poblano peppers, or about ½ pound
- 1 jalapeño or serrano pepper
- ½ cup loosely packed cilantro leaves
- ¼ cup lime juice
- 1 tablespoon agave
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon whole coriander seeds
- ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ¼ teaspoon Mexican oregano
- Olive oil
- 6 chicken breasts
- Salt and pepper
- Thinly sliced red onions
- Serrano pepper, thinly sliced
- Cilantro
- Chopped walnuts
- Warm corn tortillas
- Rice
For the sauce, place walnuts and chicken stock in blender bowl and let soak for 15 minutes.
Using the flame from the stovetop or a preheated broiler, char the poblano and serrano peppers all over. Place peppers in a covered bowl to cool. Once cool enough to touch, remove the peppers and, using a paper towel, rub away the charred skin. Slice the peppers open and deseed.
To the blender bowl, add deseeded peppers, cilantro, lime juice, agave, salt, coriander, cumin and Mexican oregano. Puree until smooth and set aside.
For the chicken, place a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil a few turns of the pan. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, add to the skillet and cook until browned for 6 to 8 minutes. Turn and cook until chicken is cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes more. Remove chicken from the pan and place it on a cutting board to rest.
Add the poblano sauce to the pan and bring to a slight boil, stirring, then lower heat to simmer until sauce thickens slightly, 5 to 10 minutes. Slice the chicken. Turn off heat under sauce and add sliced chicken to the pan with the sauce. Top with red onion, serrano pepper, cilantro and chopped walnuts.
Serve with warm tortillas or rice.
