Description
All the fresh Mexican flavors done light with delicious salsa verde, seasoned chicken breast, high protein ancient grain quinoa topped with pineapple/avocado salsa all on a flaky phyllo “tostada”. Your new favorite for sure!
Ingredients
12 sheets Athens® Phyllo Dough (9″ x 14″), thawed
1 cup pineapple, small dice
1 Haas avocado, small dice
1/2 cup red bell pepper, small dice
2 medium jalapeños, seeded & and finely diced, divided
3/4 cup cilantro, chopped, divided
2 limes, juice and zest, divided
3/4 pound tomatillos, husked and rinsed (approximately 6 medium)
3/4 cup olive oil, divided
1/4 cup onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, smashed
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt, divided
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-2″ wide strips
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 poblano pepper
2 cups quinoa, cooked
1 cup queso fresco
1/2 cup pepitas
1/2 cup cotija cheese or parmesan cheese, grated
Directions
Thaw one roll of phyllo, following thawing instructions on package.
Make Pineapple Salsa:
In a medium bowl gently toss to combine pineapple, avocado, red bell pepper, 3 tablespoons jalapeños, 1/2 cup cilantro, juice and zest from one lime. Cover and chill.
Make Salsa Verde:
Preheat oven to broil. Place tomatillos and 1 jalapeño on rimmed baking tray and drizzle with a little oil. Broil 6-7 minutes or until charred in spots. Use tongs to turn over the tomatillos and jalapeño after 3 minutes of broiling. Allow to cool enough to handle. Remove stem and seeds from jalapeno. Using a food processor or blender, combine tomatillos, jalapeño, onion, garlic, 3 tablespoons cilantro, juice of 1 lime and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Pulse until combined.
Reduce oven to 375F. Place chicken strips on baking tray. Rub with 1-2 tablespoons olive oil, chili powder, cumin, paprika and 1 teaspoon salt. Place poblano chili on baking tray with chicken and drizzle with oil. Bake 15-18 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Remove from oven, allow to cool then shred chicken. Discard stem and seeds from poblano then thinly slice. In a small bowl combine chicken, 1 cup Salsa Verde and poblano slices.
Unroll and cover phyllo sheets with plastic wrap, then a slightly damp towel to prevent drying out. Place one sheet of phyllo on work surface. Lightly brush with olive oil and sprinkle with some Cotija cheese. Layer and repeat with 3 more sheets. Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut stack in half lengthwise and in thirds horizontally. This should yield 6 squares approximately 4″- 4 1/2″ each. Repeat process two more times so you have a total of 18 squares. Place one square on baking tray, brush with oil and top with another square slightly askew so it resembles a star. Repeat process with remaining squares yielding a total of 9. Bake 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.
Place phyllo star on serving plate. Top with a scoop of quinoa then chicken and pineapple salsa. Sprinkle with Queso Fresco and pepitas. Serve at room temperature.
Nutrition
Serving size: 1 tart (190g), Amount per serving: Calories 330, Total Fat – 20g, Saturated fat – 2.5g, Trans Fat – 0g, Cholesterol –- 25mg, Sodium – 460mg, Dietary Fiber – 4g, Total Carbohydrate – 24g, Total Sugars – 4g, Protein – 16g, Vitamin D – 0%, Calcium 4%, Iron 15%, Potassium 6%
Tips
-Queso Fresco is a fresh Mexican style farmer’s cheese. Fresh Mozzarella may be substituted if necessary.
-Try making a larger batch of salsa verde to use in other recipes as well. The light fresh taste is worth the time and will keep refrigerated in a sealed container for a week.
