Soft Tacos With Chicken and Tomato-Corn Salsa

This was a fantastic taco recipe and a nice change of pace from the typical ground beef tacos with lettuce, tomato, avocado, cheese and salsa that we usually have. The Tomato-Corn Salsa is a delicious medley of fresh flavors. We used a mixture of grape and yellow pear tomatoes from our garden, sliced in half. It made for a beautifully colored salsa that was quite filling.

The original recipe called for poached chicken, but I knew I wanted to grill the corn - it really brings out the sweetness - so I figured that marinated, grilled chicken would taste so much better. The Cilantro-Lime marinade kept the chicken moist and tasty and added another dimension of flavor to the dish.

I like to cook vegetarian once a week. It's cheaper and faster, usually. So I started thinking how I could change this for a faster, weeknight meal. I think that garden zucchini cut in large strips (brushed in olive oil and seasoned to taste with salt, pepper, and cumin) or black beans would be great substitutions for the chicken if you're in a bit of a crunch and don't have time for marinading the chicken, or if you'd simply rather a meatless meal.

Soft Tacos With Chicken and Tomato-Corn Salsa
adapted from The New York Times

• 1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 ear of corn, grilled
• 1/2 pound ripe grape tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 pound ripe yellow pear tomatoes, halved
• 2 jalapeño, seeded if desired and minced
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• Salt to taste
• 3/4 lb. chicken tenderloins
• Cilantro Lime Marinade, recipe follows
• 8 flour tortillas
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Prepare the marinade. Place chicken in marinade and refrigerate for 2 hours, or up to 24.

Preheat the grill. Toss together the tomatoes, minced jalapeño, cilantro, and onion. Season to taste with salt, and add 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice.

Rub corn with butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Wrap in foil and put on the grill, turning every 4 minutes. Grill until tender, golden, and slightly browned.

Remove chicken from the marinade and grill over medium-high heat until a thermometer reads 160 degrees F. Remove chicken from the grill, wrap in foil and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes before cutting into strips.

Cut corn off the cob and add to tomato mixture. Slice chicken into strips, place in a bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon of lime juice.

Warm tortillas in a tortilla warmer or by wrapping in damp paper towels and microwaving for 30 seconds on high heat. Place one or two on each plate, top with shredded chicken and a generous spoonful of the salsa, and sprinkle cheese on top. Serve, passing additional salsa if there is any at the table.

Cilantro Lime Marinade
a goodLife {eats} creation

• 1/2 c lime juice
• 2 Tbs white wine vinegar
• large handful of cilantro
• 1 jalapeño, halved and seeded
  
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/4 c olive oil

Put all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Pour over chicken in a resealable plastic bag and let marinade in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or up to overnight.