Ancho Chicken With Warm Corn, Zucchini and Tomato Salad

From the Washington Post - Ellie Krieger's Nourish column,
http://www.washingtonpost.com/pb/recipes/ancho-chicken-warm-corn-zucchini-and-tomato-salad/14233/

My son was home one weekend, and we love to cook together.  In classic fashion, I set out about 20 recipes that I wanted to make and had him make the final decision.  He was a winner - as were we all - as he chose for us to make this chicken recipe with the Golden Lentil with Soft, Sweet Onions on the side, also from the Washington Post.  Maybe an overdose on protein between the two dishes, but a great combination of tastes.  Small portions are filling, but it's hard to stop at just one serving.

Since I don't tend to like to watch chicken cooking on the stove, we used the spice rub, then baked the chicken at 375 for about 24 minutes, and cooked the vegetable mixture on the stove, lightly sprinkling in more of the same spices.

NOURISH SEP 10, 2014

This is the perfect recipe to bridge summer and fall. Its focal point is a bounty of colorful summer produce, cooked just enough to retain fresh appeal but warmed and softened enough to comfort.

It also happens to be good year-round made with frozen corn kernels. If you don't have ancho chili powder on hand, substitute any mild chili powder or even paprika.

A finishing touch of buttery avocado seals the deal.

Make Ahead: This dish may be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Allow it to come to room temperature or warm it in the microwave, and slice the avocado and add cilantro, right before serving.

SERVINGS:

Tested size: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

1 teaspoon ancho chili powder (may substitute mild chili powder or paprika)
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
4 thin-cut boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 5 ounces each)
4 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 small onion, diced
1 medium zucchini (about 8 ounces), diced
1 pint grape tomatoes, each cut in half
1 1/2 cups corn kernels (from 1 large or 2 small ears fresh corn)
1 clove garlic, minced
Flesh of 1 ripe avocado, sliced
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves


DIRECTIONS

Stir together the chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and the cayenne pepper in a small bowl. Sprinkle the spice mixture on both sides of the chicken, rubbing it in a little with your fingers.

Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the chicken pieces; cook for a total of about 6 minutes, turning them over as needed, until lightly browned on both sides and cooked through. Transfer the chicken to a plate.

Add the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil to the skillet; once the oil is quite hot, add the onion and stir to coat. Cook for about 2 minutes or until softened, then add the zucchini, tomatoes, corn and garlic; cook until all of the vegetables are softened but they still retain their shape, about 3 minutes. Season with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt.

Divide the vegetable mixture among individual plates. Top each with a piece of chicken and a few slices of avocado. Sprinkle with the lime juice and cilantro, and serve.