Gettin' the BBQ fired up!

Alex FINALLY broke down and bought a gas grill this summer.  I have been harassing him for years to get a gas grill because of the convenience of being able to light it up and start cooking.  He refused because he feels charcoal tastes better than gas.  That might be the case, but it isn't as versatile as a gas grill because you can't control the temperature of the grill.  I won and Alex is happy to have been on the losing end of this disagreement. :)

I've been on a Bobby Flay kick lately.  I think I just need to use up the spices in my cupboard.  I don't know how he figures out how to combine so many different flavors that compliment each other so well and layer the tastes.  He must waste a TON of spices!

Spice Rubbed Chicken Tacos:

Grilled Poblanos:

• 3 large poblanos
• Canola oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Coleslaw:

• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon celery seed
• 3 tablespoons apple-cider vinegar
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 small head cabbage, cored, finely shredded
• 2 carrots, finely shredded
• 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced on the diagonal

Chicken:

• 2 tablespoons ancho chili powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons light brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 4 boneless, skinless Chicken Breasts (8 ounces each)
• Canola oil
• 8 flour tortillas
• 2 grilled sliced poblanos
• Barbecued onions
• Coleslaw
• Guacamole, recipe follows

For the poblanos:

Heat the grill to high.

Brush the poblanos with oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the chiles on the grill and cook until charred on all sides, about 10 minutes. Remove from the grill, place in a bowl and cover with plastic for 10 minutes. Remove the skin, seeds and stem and cut into thin slices.

For the Cole Slaw:

Whisk together the mayo, sugar, celery, celery seed, vinegar and salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add the cabbage, carrot, onion and scallion and stir to combine, season with more salt and pepper, if needed. Let slaw sit at least 15 minutes before serving.

For the Chicken:

Heat the grill to high.

Whisk together the ancho, cinnamon, cumin, brown sugar, 1 teaspoon salt and black pepper in a small bowl.

Season top side of the breasts with the rub mixture, turn over and season the back with the remaining salt. Drizzle with some of the oil and place on the grill, rub side down and grill until lightly golden brown and a crust has formed, about 3 minutes. Turn the chicken over, close the lid and continue cooking until just cooked through, about 6 minutes longer. Remove from the grill and let rest 5 minutes before slicing.

Grill the flour tortillas briefly, just to mark and heat. To build the taco, fold each tortilla around some of the chicken, poblanos, onions, coleslaw and guacamole.

These tacos were a HIT!!!  So yummy and flavorful!  Despite all the steps and ingredients involved in making these tacos, they were surprisingly easy to make!  The left over chicken made for GREAT quesadilla's the next day too!