Your grocer's Latino foods aisle offers a bounty of weeknight cooking shortcuts.

The most obvious choice is salsa, which can go on and in so many things, effortlessly adding tons of flavor. Spoon it over baked haddock or cod, as well as baked potatoes with cheese. Or use it to spike pasta or pizza sauce.

Refried beans are another great choice. They add delicious body to soups, can be heated and spooned over eggs and even make a delicious sandwich spread (try it with cheese and tomato in panini).

For real flavor, try canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. Chipotle peppers are jalapenos that have been dried and smoked. Packed in adobo sauce (a dark, thick vinegar and herb sauce), they lend a smoky, medium heat.

Chipotles are best pureed into sauces and soups. You could also slip some under the skin of a chicken breast before roasting or grilling. Or dice them and mix with tomato sauce to use as a barbecue baste.

In this recipe, they are pureed with tomato sauce, lime juice, cocoa powder and cinnamon, producing a thick, smoky and spicy coating for grilled chicken.

The chicken could be eaten as is, but it's also excellent thinly sliced and served in wheat tortillas with avocado, greens, cheese and salsa.

For even easier dinner prep, make the sauce and place the chicken in it in the morning, then refrigerate until dinner. But this sauce is so flavorful and thick, marinating is a convenience, not a necessity.

Chipotle chicken tortillas

Start to finish: 30 minutes

Servings: Four

Half of a 7-ounce can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

8-ounce can tomato sauce

Juice of 1 lime

1 tablespoon cocoa powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1-1/2 pounds chicken breast tenders

4 large flour tortillas

2 cups chopped iceberg lettuce

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

1 avocado, pitted, peeled and sliced

1/2 cup salsa

Lightly coat the grates of a grill with high-heat cooking spray. Heat the grill to high.

In a blender or food processor, combine the chipotle peppers, tomato sauce, lime juice, cocoa powder, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Puree until smooth.

Transfer the mixture to a large, zip-close plastic bag. Add the chicken, seal the bag, then gently knead and shake the bag to thoroughly coat the chicken.

Remove the chicken tenders from the bag and place on the grill. Cook, covered, turning once, until cooked through and an instant read thermometer inserted at the thickest part of the meat reads 165 degrees, about four to five minutes.

Use tongs to remove the chicken from the grill, then place the tortillas on the grill for about 30 seconds, or until just warmed through.

To assemble, place a tortilla on each serving plate. Top with 1/4 cup of shredded lettuce.

Cut the pieces of cooked chicken into thin strips, and divide them among the tortillas, arranging the chicken over the lettuce. Top each with a bit of the cheese, avocado and salsa. Serve immediately.

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