Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Cilantro and Lime Glazed Chicken



It's become one of my little experiments to see if I can make the food I used to dislike into something I will like. It sounds simple, but it can be a challenge with certain ingredients. My post about the Brussel Sprouts was one example of this, but it goes back to when I was a kid. Instead of focusing only on things that I didn't like when I was little, I'm also focusing on things that I disliked recently.

One of those things was cilantro. I couldn't stand it. I even hated salsa that had a lot of cilantro in it. It was just a flavor that I couldn't get past and I can't even describe why. Maybe it was bitter? Maybe it was too strong? All I know is that I just didn't like it one bit.

Well, I decided to give that cilantro another try a couple months ago. But instead of jumping right in to the rawness of it, I decided to go slow. I used it in a glaze for some chicken breasts and I'm sure glad I did because it is now one of my favorite things. This particular chicken is light, healthy and turned out to be the perfect compliment my Black Beans with Corn Salad. (The love of this chicken dish actually brought about the use of cilantro in that bean salad.) 

The lime and cilantro combination in this glaze was in perfect ratio and the garlic added a little depth to the flavors. Using a broiler (or grill because the weather is confused and it's apparantly summer-time) is so easy that this is perfect for a quick, weeknight dinner.

You can also make the glaze a day or two ahead and refrigerate it in an airtight container. Bring it to room temp before basting the chicken.




Cilantro and Lime Glazed Chicken


4 chicken breasts


glaze:
1/4 c lime juice
3 TB olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tsp honey
1/4 c cilantro, chopped


1. Preheat broiler.
2. Season chicken with salt and pepper.
3. Spray a foil-lined baking sheet with non-stick spray and place chicken in center of sheet.
4. Broil on low for 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, blend all the glaze ingredients together and set aside.
5. After 10 minutes, flip chicken and broil for another 5 minutes.
6. Turn chicken over again and baste with sauce.
7. Broil on high for about another 5 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink and sauce is starting caramelize. 
 

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