Chicken Tacos with Mashed Black Beans and Avocado-Sweet Corn Relish

Sorry for disappearing for the past week and a half! I've been busy planning a fifth birthday party for Andrew, which was (nearly) flawlessly executed this past Saturday. Between soccer, birthdays and birthday parties, preschool graduation, and kindergarten orientation, my oldest son has kept me extremely busy this month. But he's more than worth it, obviously, and we've had so much fun this entire month, even as busy as we've been.

Let's talk tacos today. I was originally going to pile all of this stuff on a tostada shell, but guess who turned off the oven when the tortillas were finished crisping, and then forgot to actually take said tortillas out of the oven, resulting in tortillas that were blackened and inedible? That's right, this girl!As delicious as a crispy tostada would have been, flour tortillas were a nice stand-in.

Honestly, I think I would eat this combination of ingredients on just about anything, though. I can't say enough good things about this recipe. The mashed black beans and chicken are so flavorful, and that relish! Seriously, it's only five ingredients (and one of them is just salt!), and I think it's probably one of the most delicious things I've ever eaten. Ever. I can't wait to make it again later in the summer, when sweet corn is at its peak. This was such a delicious, light, and refreshing late spring meal, and one that I'll be making a lot going forward.

Chicken Tacos with Mashed Black Beans and Avocado-Sweet Corn Relish

For the chicken:

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast tenders

1 teaspoon each salt and chili powder

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon each garlic powder and oregano

For the mashed black beans:

1 onion, finely diced

Salt to taste

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 can black beans, partially drained

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon cumin

For the avocado-sweet corn relish:

6 ears fresh sweet corn

2 roma tomatoes, diced

1 avocado, diced

Salt to taste

Juice of 2 limes

For the tacos:

Flour or corn tortillas, warmed

Queso fresco cheese, crumbled

Sour cream, if desired

1. Heat about a tablespoon of olive or vegetable oil in a large skillet. Coat chicken tenders evenly with spices. Add to skillet and cook, turning once, until browned and cooked through. Move chicken to a plate and cover with foil to stay warm.

2. In the same skillet, add the onion and season with salt (you can add a bit more oil if needed). When onion is softened, add garlic and cook and stir for 30 seconds. Add black beans, chili powder and cumin and heat to bubbling. Mash beans roughly with a potato masher. If they look too dry or thick, you can thin them out with a bit of water or chicken stock. Remove from heat.

3. To make the relish, cut kernels from ears of corn. Add kernels to a bowl along with diced tomato and avocado. Season with salt and sprinkle with lime juice.

4. To serve, spoon some of the black beans into the center of a tortilla. Top with chopped chicken, the avocado-sweet corn relish, and a sprinkling of queso fresco. Serve with sour cream.