Rub Down

Whew, sorry it took me so long to get back. I had a real rhythm going, keeping up with posting, but then a busy weekend came right along and interrupted everything. I guess it's not that bad though, since at least I have a couple of things to post about while I'm making repeat recipes this week. Last Thursday for dinner I whipped up the cover meal from January's Everyday Food. Well, with a little alteration. A certain grocery store wanted me to pay more than $7 for less than 2 pounds of chicken breast. I wasn't okay with that, but I was also in a rush so I grabbed the breast tenderloins which were slightly cheaper. Makes no difference, as Josh and I both really, really liked this dish. I wasn't sure how he would feel about the salsa, as he typically doesn't go for things like it. I told him that I thought it was really good, but put it on the side of his chicken all the same. He surprised me by saying that it was really delicious and eating all of the salsa with this chicken. Obviously I'll add this recipe to the rotation.

Cayenne-Rubbed Chicken with Avocado Salsa
Recipe from Everyday Food; Serves 4












Coarse salt and ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (6 to 8 oz. each)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium red onion, finely diced
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 Hass avocado, pitted and cut into chunks

• 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.

My notes: I didn't worry about how finely I diced my onion. After last week I was just trying to get it cut and be done with it. I also mixed all my spices in a pie dish, then dumped the chicken in and coated them that way, much easier if you ask me. Aside from that everything else is pretty much by the recipe.