Cilantro Lime Chicken

This evening as I was getting my whirlwind kitchen whipped back into some semblance of  home....after carpooling, homework, supper and basketball....well, my uncle came in the kitchen door, took a deep breath and said it smells good in here!  "Welcome to MOE'S" was said! 

 Can I just interject here that the restaurants that yell out their welcome....like CiCi's and MOE's....well, it annoys me.  It is kinda like in customer service orientation someone was told to greet their customers in an enthusiastic manner....and this was some smarty-pants idea of a joke...and it stuck!  What would these restaurants do if everyone started replying in the same way...

This cilantro laden meal is a keeper....FYI sources say that cilantro is one of the few detoxing agents capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier....so eat lots and lots of it and keep a healthy brain!  OLE!

This is what we had for supper tonight!

Marinate Chicken:


1 TBS lime juice
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, slightly flattened (abt. 1 lb)
Soak in Lime marinade for at least 10 minutes.
Heat 2 TBS olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Saute chicken until lightly browned on both sides. 
Remove to a baking dish.

chop....chop...chop
1 medium onion
1 small sweet green pepper
1 clove garlic

In hot skillet  heat another TBS of olive oil.
Add the onion, green pepper and garlic.
Saute until tender, but not browned...abt 4 minutes.
Remove from heat and add.....
1/4 cup of chopped cilantro

So now your kitchen is smelling fine!!!!  You have your lime marinated chicken cooked, and cilantro has made your onion mixture complete!
Simply place a generous spoonful of cilantro onion mixture on each chicken breast.

Slice tomato thinly and each breast gets a tomato slice.

At this point you make a decision.  If for reasons prescribed to you by your caring doctor you have been told to avoid dairy...then look no further....

BUT....if you still enjoy the pleasure of MOZZARELLA cheese....then feel free to sprinkle it on at this time!  (Everything in moderation...if you want a long and healthy life)

Place into a preheated 400 degree oven for 15-20 minutes.  Garnish with cilantro!


This dish always gets great reviews...and is sooooo loved by my carnivorous man clan....It took a double batch to satisfy...with only 1 serving reserved for an indulgent lunch.

INGREDIENT LIST

3 TBS olive oil
1 TBS lime juice
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, slightly flattened (abt. 1 lb)
1 medium onion
1 small sweet green pepper
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup + 3 TBS of chopped cilantro
1 large tomato, thinly sliced
1/2 cup cheese of your choice (optional)

Ricotta and Ham Stuffed Chicken Breast

There are some folks that have a real aversion to touching raw meat. I promise you that this recipe is worth the therapy it may require to overcome your aversion!

I admit, we all have our issues. I can cut up raw meat without any hesitancy...good grief, during my days in Honduras, on some of my village excursions I got to pluck feathers from warm chickens. Splitting a chicken breast from the grocery store is really no big deal.

My bigger issue would be touching dirty socks...Ok, I have admitted it. There is nothing rational about it. Yep, dirty socks belonging to my beloved "man clan" give me such heby gebies....
Sorry for such an unappetizing departure from the recipe. Just proving a point that we all have our issues...if yours is raw meat, please do get over it. I am working on my issue and I believe there may be some hope for healing.

The first time I prepared this, the family was very pleased. I rate this delicious entree as a $12-$14 restaurant dinner...for sure!!!
I found this recipe in February 20, 2009 All You magazine, on pg 86. I recommend the magazine. It can be found on the magazine rack near the check out at W-Mart. It is one of the less expensive magazines and is full of great coupons and I am finding some great, easy recipes as well!
My only revision to this recipe is that I use chopped ham instead of deli slices. I just envisioned the "thinly sliced deli meat" sliding out of the chicken with all the cheese on the first cut. With kids, things like this can seem like a real crisis. So avoid a dinner time crisis and chop some ham and add it to your filling.


THE FILLING:
½ cup Ricotta
¼ cup grated Parmesan
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh basil leaves
1 clove garlic, minced
4 thin slices deli ham (I used ¼ cup ham finely chopped)


4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
Salt and pepper
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 TBS olive oil
1 TBS butter

In a small bowl combine ricotta, Parmesan, basil and garlic.
Rinse chicken and pat dry. Cut a slit along the thick edge of each breast half, forming a pocket.
Open breast halves like a book and place a spoonful of the ricotta / ham mixture inside of the breast.

Close the chicken and “pin” with a toothpick.
Season chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken on both sides with flour until well coated.
In a large skillet, warm oil and butter over medium-high heat until butter melts and begins to foam.
Add chicken to pan and cook 5 minutes: turn and cook on second side for an additional 4-6 minutes depending on the thickness of the chicken breasts. Cook until no longer pink. (May have to cut to test.)
Serve hot. We have enjoyed it over rice!

This recipe is a sure winner!

Spicy Chicken Thighs

This I found on an excellent cooking site: The Wednesday Chef.
This is an absolutely wonderful exotic use for .39/lb chicken quarters!!! Talk about an inexpensive impressive and flavorful meal. Serve this with rice of your choice...I prefer jasmine rice, but any type will do. Also, I prepare a simple tossed salad with ginger dressing.

Spicy Roasted Chicken Thighs
Serves 4
8 chicken thighs, with skin, pierced all over with a small knife
5 cloves garlic, peeled
1 2-inch piece fresh ginger root, peeled
1 small jalapeño pepper, seeded
Juice and zest of 1 whole lemon
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon coriander seeds or ground coriander
1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Put chicken thighs in a bowl. Mince garlic, ginger and pepper. Toss with all remaining ingredients or put in a small food processor, and grind to a paste. (It is O.K. if the coriander seeds are not fully pulverized. They will add a little crunch.)
2. Rub mixture thoroughly into chicken. At this point, you can cover, and refrigerate for up to a day.
3. Put thighs, skin side up, in a roasting pan. Roast for 45 minutes or until done.

Chicken Lasagna

My dear friend, Zerilda, gave me this recipe back in March during our visit to Kentucky. While I was there one of her neighbors called asking for it. It is her standard recipe to take families that have just brought home a new baby. She said inevitably, she always gets a call requesting the recipe! Those are the kind to keep and catalog. So, I finally had a chance to try it out on my supper co-op. It was a hit! I was told to now include this monthly!

4 chicken breasts
1 can cream of chicken soup
6 TBS butter
2/3 c flour
1& 1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
3/4 c mayo
3/4 c sour cream
9 lasagna noodles
3 cups of shredded cheddar cheese

Bake chicken with cream of chicken soup and 1-1/2 cans of water @ 350 for 1 houf. Set aside chicken to cool and reserve soup and broth mixture.

Cook lasagna noodles

Cut chicken into small bites.

Sauce: While noodles are cooking melt butter in large skillet and mix in flour. Add soup mixture from baked chicken and milk. Add salt, pepper, garlic and onion powders. Bring to a boil then allow to simmer for 1 minute. Remove from heat and add mayo and sour cream.

To assemble the lasagna, pour about 1 cup of sauce in bottom of casserole dish, then add noodles, chicken shredded cheese and then sauce. Do all layers twice, topping with remaining cheese. Bake @ 360 for 35-40 minutes or until it is heated through and cheese is hot and bubbly.