Cayenne Rubbed Chicken Breasts with Avacado Lime Salsa
Cool, buttery avocado makes a soothing salsa -- a palate-pleasing contrast to spicy meats, such as these cayenne-rubbed chicken breasts.
Prep: 10 minutes
Total: 30 minutes
I think I will make this; serve it with Spanish Rice and Mango Margaritas!!! Yum
Read more at Marthastewart.com: Cayenne-Rubbed Chicken with Avocado Salsa - Martha Stewart Recipes
Ingredients
Serves 4
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (6 to 8 ounces each)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium red onion, finely diced
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 Hass avocado, pitted and cut into chunks
Directions
In a small bowl, combine 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and cayenne; rub all over chicken.
In a large skillet, heat oil over medium. Add chicken, and cook until browned on the outside and opaque throughout, 8 to 10 minutes per side.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine onion and lime juice; set aside. Just before serving, fold avocado chunks into onion mixture; season with salt and pepper. Serve chicken topped with salsa.
Read more at Marthastewart.com: Cayenne-Rubbed Chicken with Avocado Salsa - Martha Stewart Recipes
Spinach and Brie Chicken with Tomato Orzo
Prep: 20 minutes
Total: 25 minutes
Ingredients
Serves 4
Coarse salt and ground pepper
8 thin chicken cutlets (1 1/2 pounds total)
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 package (10 ounces) frozen leaf spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
4 ounces Brie cheese, cut into 8 slices
1 cup orzo
2 plum tomatoes, cored and chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Directions
Set a large saucepan of salted water to boil. Heat broiler, with rack set 4 inches from heat. Place chicken on a large rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Dividing evenly, spread one side of each cutlet with mustard; top with spinach, then cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Starting at short end, roll chicken up tightly, and arrange, seam side down, on sheet.
Season rolled chicken with salt and pepper. Broil, without turning, until tops are lightly browned and chicken is cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook orzo in boiling water until al dente. Drain well; return to pot. Add tomatoes, parsley, butter, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper, and toss to combine. Serve stuffed chicken with orzo.
Read more at Marthastewart.com: Spinach-and-Brie Chicken with Tomato Orzo - Martha Stewart Recipes
Chicken and Basil Stir Fry
Often used in Thai cooking, Thai basil is also called holy basil. It has sharp-pointed leaves and tastes of mint, cinnamon, and licorice.
I am going to try and pair this dish with either Alsace Tokay Pinot Gris and other Pinot Gris or Witbier/bière blanche.
Prep: 40 minutes
Total: 40 minutes
Ingredients
Serves 4
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices (longer pieces cut crosswise in half again)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Coarse salt and ground pepper
6 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 small onion, halved and cut into 1/4-inch-thick wedges
2 bell peppers (red, green, or a mix, ribs and seeds removed), cut into 1/4-inch-wide strips
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 cups fresh Thai (see note) or other basil leaves, larger leaves torn in half
Cooked white rice, for serving (optional)
Directions
Pat chicken pieces dry with paper towels. In a medium bowl, toss chicken with cornstarch until coated; season generously with salt and pepper.
In a large nonstick skillet, heat 2 teaspoons oil over medium-high. Cook half the chicken, turning once, until browned, but not completely cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes total. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with another 2 teaspoons oil and remaining chicken. Transfer chicken to plate. Set aside. Wipe out skillet with a paper towel.
To skillet, add remaining 2 teaspoons oil, onion, and bell peppers; cook over medium-high heat, tossing often, until beginning to brown, 3 minutes. Add garlic; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add 1/4 cup water, vinegar, soy sauce, and chicken to pan; cook, tossing, until chicken is cooked through, about 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in basil leaves. Serve immediately, over white rice, if desired.
Read more at Marthastewart.com: Chicken and Basil Stir-Fry - Martha Stewart Recipes
Chicken Breasts stuffed with Cheese, Tomato, and Basil
Cooked on the bone, the delicate white meat of chicken breasts stays moist.
Prep: 25 minutes
Total: 1 hour
Ingredients
Serves 4
4 bone-in chicken breast halves (14 ounces each)
1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves
1/3 cup drained oil-packed sun-dried tomato halves, about 8
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 ounces Fontina or mozzarella cheese, cut into four pieces
2 teaspoons olive oil
Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil; set aside. With a paring knife, cut a 1-inch-long slit in thick side of each breast. Insert knife, and without enlarging opening, carefully work around inside to form a pocket (make sure you do not go through the other side).
On a cutting board, pile basil, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, zest, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; finely chop. Divide mixture evenly, and spoon into breast pockets, spreading it around. Insert one piece of cheese in each breast pocket.
Close pockets, using 2 to 3 toothpicks per breast; arrange, skin side up, on baking sheet. Rub with olive oil, and season generously with salt and pepper. Roast until well browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part of breast (avoiding bone) reads 165 degrees, 30 to 35 minutes. Let chicken rest 5 minutes; remove toothpicks before serving.
Read more at Marthastewart.com: Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Cheese, Tomato, and Basil - Martha Stewart Recipes
Chicken with Sage and Prosciutto
Very little effort is needed to prepare this dish, and it is an easy recipe to double for a large group. The pleasant mustiness of the sage permeates the chicken hot from the oven. Any leftovers are delicious served cold the next day, when the distinctive flavor of the prosciutto predominates.
Ingredients:
6 chicken breast halves, each about 6 oz.
6 chicken drumsticks, each about 4 oz.
6 chicken thighs, each about 5 oz.
18 thin slices prosciutto
18 fresh sage leaves, plus sage sprigs for garnish
1 1/2 to 2 Tbs. olive oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Directions:
Preheat an oven to 400°F.
Rinse the chicken pieces and pat dry with paper towels. Trim the excess fat from the prosciutto, then cut the slices to the dimensions of the chicken pieces.
Carefully slide your fingers under the skin on each chicken piece, separating it from the meat but leaving it attached on one side. Place a slice of prosciutto directly on the meat and top it with a sage leaf. Carefully pull the skin back in place and press gently with your palm to secure it.
Arrange the chicken pieces in 1 or 2 shallow baking dishes or in a roasting pan large enough to hold them in a single layer. Brush the skin with the olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.
Roast until the skin is brown and crispy, and the juices run clear when a thigh is pierced at the thickest part with a fork, about 55 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Transfer the chicken pieces to a warmed platter and garnish with sage sprigs. Serve immediately.
Serves 10 to 12.
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Lifestyles Series, Everyday Roasting, by Janeen Sarlin (Time-Life Books, 1998).
Chilled Lobster with Mango and Mint
You can cook the lobster and remove the meat up to a day in advance. Place the meat in an airtight container and refrigerate. The lobster-mango molds can be prepared 30 minutes in advance; refrigerate until ready to serve.
Ingredients:
1 live lobster, about 1 1/2 lb.
1 ripe mango
2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. minced green onion
1 Tbs. finely slivered mint leaves
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Directions:
Bring a large pot three-fourths full of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the lobster, headfirst. Cover and cook until the lobster is red, about 7 minutes. Transfer the lobster to a large bowl filled with ice water and let cool completely. Remove the meat from the claws, knuckles and tail, and discard the shells. Cut the tail meat in half lengthwise, then cut each piece crosswise on the diagonal into slices about 1/4 inch thick.
Peel and seed the mango. Slice the mango into strips about 1/4 inch thick but no more than 2 inches long.
In a bowl, combine the sliced lobster tail meat and knuckle meat, all but a pinch of the mango, the olive oil, lemon juice, green onion, half of the mint, salt and pepper. Toss gently until just combined.
Place half of the mixture in a lightly oiled 4-oz. ramekin, or pack half of it in a 2-inch-wide ring mold set on a chilled salad plate. If using the ramekin, invert the filled ramekin onto a chilled salad plate. Remove the ramekin or ring mold, repeat with the remaining lobster-mango mixture and top each salad with meat from a lobster claw. Add the remaining mango and mint to the bowl, mix with your fingers and garnish each serving with a little mango-mint mixture.
Serves 2.
Williams-Sonoma Kitchen.
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