Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are one of my favorite meats to cook with because it is so versatile and doesn't take long to cook. When I buy them, I always wrap them individually in plastic wrap and toss them in the freezer for quick and easy defrosting when I need one. It's perfect for me because I only use one breast when making any given dish.
Now about this recipe, I actually found the marinade for the chicken via google and the rice recipe on a food forum. The original recipe was for a cold rice salad (with white rice) but for my meal I wanted hot rice so I threw it in a skillet and added Parmesan because what isn't better with cheese? Now the cheese is totally optional so feel free to leave it out if you want. I also used my own homemade salsa which helps out with the calories, even though store bought salsa isn't too bad calorie-wise. The avocados were only added because the first time I made this I had half of one in the fridge that I needed to get rid of so I chopped it up and tossed it on the plate.
This has become one of my favorite (and quickest) meals to make during the week that I never get tired of it, so here's my Frankenstein recipe that I hope you'll add to your meal rotation....
For the chicken:
1 boneless skinless chicken breast (cut in half)
1 T cooking oil
Seasoning (I use Tony's)
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup salsa
1/2 avocado in chunks
Chopped cilantro for garnish (optional)
For the marinade:
Juice of one lime
1 T oil (I use olive or canola)
~1 T cilantro (I use fresh but I'm sure dried will do, I also use more than 1 T but only bc I reallyyyyy like cilantro)
For the rice:
2 cups cold rice (I used brown)
*all these I add to taste: chopped cilantro, hot pepper sauce or vinegar, Parmesan (optional) and a little Tony's (or salt and pepper) -- if you're unsure, you can start with 1 T of everything except the seasoning (do maybe 1/4 t) and adjust to your liking
Directions:
1. Whisk ingredients for marinade together in a bowl and marinate chicken for three minutes (that's literally all it takes, you can do longer if you want)
2. Heat a skillet over med-high heat, pour in cooking oil and when oil is hot add chicken while the chicken is in the skillet sprinkle seasoning on one side then when you flip it season that side as well
3. Brown chicken on both sides and cook through. When chicken is done set aside on a plate and top with mozzarella, the heat from the chicken will melt it
4. Over med heat, add cold rice to the skillet and stir in oil, vinegar, cilantro and seasoning; heat throughout
5. When rice is done divide it evenly between two plates and place a piece of chicken on each rice bed then top with salsa. Chop avocados and scatter evenly on plates then garnish with additional cilantro and/or Parmesan if desired.
And that's it, simple enough eh? If you're wanting a bit more substance, you can add black beans (or your favorite beans) to your rice mixture without adding much more calories, tweak it to your tastes. I do that with just about every recipe I try, mostly because I'm always combining recipes! But anywho, I hope if you try this one you'll love it as much as I do! Eating healthy doesn't mean eating bland and the best way to continue eating healthy is to make awesome, flavorful healthy dishes! Til next time... =)
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