Saturday, June 20, 2009

Tequila Garlic Chicken & Winter Summer Christmas Salad from Jenny Derry Gilroy Dispactch


Barbecued chicken

Use this marinade when you want a quick and zesty chicken dinner on the barbecue. You can't taste the tequila, but it helps tenderize the meat. And, the quick grilling keeps it juicy.

The original recipe is from the cookbook by Ina Garten, "Barefoot Contessa Family Style", but I added the beans, corn and polenta to make it a full meal. Make sure to use boneless chicken breasts with the skin on because the skin adds to the flavor.

Tequila Lime Chicken

1 cup of gold tequila

1 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

2 oranges, sliced into rings with rind on

1 Tbsp. chili powder

1 Tbsp. minced fresh jalapeno pepper

1⁄4 cup chopped fresh garlic

2 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. black pepper

6 boneless chicken breasts, skin on

6 Tbsp. chopped cilantro

- Combine the tequila, lime juice, oranges, chili powder, jalapeno, garlic, salt and pepper in a large Ziploc bag. Add the chicken breasts.

- Refrigerate 2 hours or overnight. Heat a grill to medium high heat and brush the rack with oil. Remove chicken breasts from the marinade and grill them skin side down for about 5 minutes, until nicely browned.

- Turn the chicken and cook for another 10 minutes until just cooked through. Remove from the grill to a plate and cover tightly with foil; allow to rest for 5 minutes.

- To serve, slice chicken breasts diagonally. For each serving, place a dollop of polenta in the bottom of a bowl. Top with salsa, bean stew and chicken breast slices. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro.

Salsa Bean Stew

1 14.5 oz. can of black beans

1 14.5 oz. can corn

2 cups salsa

- Mix all ingredients in a small saucepan on the stove. Bring to a boil and simmer for 3 minutes.

Basic Polenta

1 cup polenta

4 cups water

1Tbsp. butter

1⁄2 tsp. salt

- Bring water, butter, and salt to a boil in a saucepan. Add polenta slowly, stirring constantly. Lower heat to simmer and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Winter-Summer Salad

This is called Christmas Salad because of the colors, but it's just as good in the summer. Don't skimp on the marinading time.

Christmas Salad

1 English cucumber sliced

3 green onions, chopped

4 plum tomatoes, quartered

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

Dressing

2 shallots, peeled and minced

1 egg

3⁄4 cup Bloody Mary mix

1⁄2 cup olive oil

1⁄4 cup red wine vinegar

2 tsp. Tabasco (or to taste)

salt and pepper

2 Tbsp chopped dill

2 cloves garlic, chopped

- Marinate all for half an hour in refrigerator.

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