Mango-Chipotle Chicken and Smoked Potato Salad

I made this chicken tonight and loved it.  I used to hate chicken... and I love this chicken!  The kids liked it too.  They ate it without the extra sauce on it.  We loved the sauce and loaded it up.  The picture shows the chicken with a chimichurri sauce that I made to go with it.  It was good, but it wasn't necessary and almost distracted from the mango-chipotle flavors.  Next time, I'm not bothering with  the chimichurri, so I'm not even bothering with that recipe.  Anyway, tonight's dinner was heavily inspired by some in Food Network Magazine.  I changed the chicken one a bit to reduce how much it made and I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead of chicken on the bone with skin.  I get a little grossed out by chicken on the bone, which doesn't really make sense since I eat steaks and pork chops on the bone.

Mango-Chipotle Chicken

2 mangoes, peeled, pitted, and chopped
3/4 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro, not chopped
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce plus 1 teaspoon sauce from the can
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
3 cloves garlic
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
2 teaspoons canola oil, plus more for the grill
1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs

Put the mangoes, cilantro, chipotles, adobo sauce, vinegar, garlic, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and canola oil in a food processor and puree until smooth.  Toss half of the mango mixture with the chicken in a resealable plastic bag and massage the chicken to coat with the sauce.  Refrigerate at least 6 hours to marinate.

Put the other half of the mango mixture in a small saucepan and simmer over low heat until slightly thicker, about 15 minutes.

Preheat a grill to medium and brush the grates with canola oil.  Remove the chicken from the marinade and grill for about 20 minutes total turning until cooked through.

Transfer the chicken to a platter and serve with the reserved mango sauce.

2-3 servings (the four of us, two adults and two young kids, finished it off in one sitting)

Smoked Potato Salad


2 tablespoons canola oil, plus more for the grill
2 1/2 pounds yukon gold potatoes
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
3 stalks celery, finely chopped
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons cilantro, minced
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sour cream
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 1/2 teaspoons chopped capers
juice of half a jumbo lemon

Preheat a grill to low.  Oil the grates.  Slice the potatoes into 3/4-inch thick slices.  Place potatoes in a bowl and add 2 tablespoons canola oil, paprika, salt, and pepper.  Toss to coat.  Place the potatoes on the grill.  Cover and cook 5 minutes.  Rotate potato slices 90 degrees and cook an additional 5-10 minutes.  Flip the potatoes and repeat on the other side.  They should be slightly puffed and golden brown.  Remove and allow to cool completely.  Cut into 3/4 to 1-inch pieces.

In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, celery, red onion, and cilantro.  In a smaller bowl, combine the sour cream, mayonnaise, mustard, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, capers, and lemon juice.  Fold the mayonnaise mixture into the potato mixture until coated.  Cover and refrigerate 20 to 30 minutes.  Stir and adjust seasoning as needed.

4-6 servings