baked chile relleno

so, so good!  i absolutely love poblano peppers.  especially stuffed.  i made these for my clients on cinco de mayo!  i could really give a darn about that holiday, but i sure do love a reason to eat and cook mexican food!  these peppers are so easy to put together and the flavor is to die for.  start by roasting the peppers,  i do this by placing the peppers directly over my gas flame on the stove until they get black.  once charred all over, put them in a bowl and cover with foil.  this allows the skin to peel away from the flesh.  after 10 minutes, remove the charred skin.  for the filling, i started with a rotisserie chicken.  i took the skin off and shredded the meat.  i added fresh corn kernels, sauteed onion and garlic, cumin, cilantro, monterey jack cheese, and tomatillo sauce.  to make it you simply wash and cut in half about 10 tomatillos, one onion, one jalapeno, 2 cloves of garlic.  drizzle olive oil all over.  pop in a 425 degree oven and roast for 15 minutes.  throw everything in a food processor with a little salt and pepper.  add about 1/2 cup of tomatillo sauce to the chicken mixture and combine.  cut a slit down the middle of the poblanos and remove all the seeds.  stuff each pepper to the max!  top with a bit more cheese and bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.  sprinkle with some chopped cilantro and serve.  

sesame chicken

this beats any chinese takeout.  it's simple and full of flavor, and less fat.  i served it with steamed broccoli and brown basmati rice.  it was well received by my clients.  i love when they go out of the way to compliment a meal i made them.  i pretty much think all my meals i prepare are wonderful - that's the goal after all.  but, when one strikes them in a way, i love to hear about it.  i found this recipe on martha stewart.  it's called lighter sesame chicken.  give it a try, i'm sure you'll love it too!

chicken with mushroom sauce

i absolutely love mushrooms.  love, love, love them.  i made this quick and simple meal for my clients and got great reviews.  i have finally come around to realize that all chicken breasts need to be either pounded thin, or cut in half horizontally.  their just so stinkin' big.  if you don't get them uniform in size, the thin end always gets over cooked.  by pounding or halving, you get a nice even breast, and it's actually more tender. so, after you have cleaned and pounded your chicken breasts, salt and pepper.  get a skillet heated over medium high heat with some olive oil, and cook each breast for about 3-4 minutes per side.  you want a nice golden crust.  after they have cooked through, remove to a plate.  add a few more tablespoons of olive oil to the pan and through in a ton of sliced mushrooms and about 3 sliced shallots, sauté for 4 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. add 2 cloves of minced garlic, sauté for 1 minute. stir in 1/2 cup of white wine, scraping pan to loosen browned bits; bring to a boil. cook until liquid almost evaporates. sprinkle mushroom mixture with a bit of salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons flour.  i have been using whole wheat flour lately, and really like it.  i can't detect the difference in taste, and it's healthier for you, so, why not?  add 3/4 cup of low sodium chicken broth to the pan, bring to a boil. cook 2 minutes or until slightly thick. remove pan from heat and add 1 tablespoon of fresh thyme.  aren't mushrooms and thyme just meant to be together?  if you like mushrooms like i do, you will love this simple dish.  i served it over polenta, but brown rice would be great, too.

chicken piccata

i'm back!  the reason i haven't posted in the last month is because i couldn't get my photos to upload.  just one day out of the blue my blog stopped accepting my photos.  i have no idea why.  and then, just out of the blue (today), my blog decided to accept my photos.  i have no idea why.  i hate technology.  it's always gotten the better of me.  i am the type of person to give electronics a try, and if i get any resistance, i walk away.  i'm a very patient person, but computers, scanners, copiers, phones, no thank you.  i like simple.  i think i am the only person without an iphone.  so, i made this last night for dinner and it was fantastic.  light and simple.  i had a nice glass of white wine that rounded the meal out.  the weather in georgia is so wonderful, this was the perfect meal to enjoy on my deck.  i have several bird boxes and i think i am becoming a bird watcher.  i never got the fascination with bird watching, but it's so incredible. i guess these are the kind of things you do when you get older?  i have one blue bird box that 2 carolina chickadees worked on for well over 2 weeks.  the would carry feathers, trash, pine straw, whatever they could get to make a nest for their babies to be. well, the blue birds came along and took over.  it sort of broke my heart.  i wanted to intervene and shoo the blue birds away, but i decided to let nature runs its course.  poor chickadees.  i wonder where they are?  i also have a cardinal in one of my leyland cypress's.  a poor choice to set up home base.  it is right at head level so if i ever walk by the nest i get squawked at.  it's a bit unsettling.  so anyway, where was i?  oh, yes, this meal.  i made chicken piccata with a simple arugula salad.  for the chicken, i halved a chicken breast in half horizontally, so they basically became cutlets.  sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides and dredge in flour.  heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 1-2 tablespoons of butter and 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil.  add the chicken and cook for 3 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through.  remove the chicken to a serving platter.  in the same skillet add 1/2 cup of chicken broth, 1/2 cup of white wine, 1/4 cup of fresh squeezed lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon of capers.  whisk mixture together and scrape up any brown bits on the bottom the pan.  pour sauce of chicken and sprinkle with fresh parsley.  for the salad i just shaved some fresh parmesan and dressed with a drizzle of olive oil, and big squeeze of lemon juice and pepper.  so good and so easy.  

greek stuffed chicken

i got so many compliments on this meal.  spinach, feta, garlic, panko....seriously.  how bad could that be?.  sad thing is, i never even tasted it.  this stuffing mixture would go great with a pork chop, as well.  start by heating a pan with a little olive oil.  add 1/2 of a onion, diced.  saute for 5 minutes, until soft, then add 3 gloves of minced garlic.  cook for one minute.  transfer to a bowl.  in the same pan, add 4 cups of fresh spinach and saute until wilted, about 3 minutes.  drain and squeeze out the excess water.  add to the bowl with the onions and garlic.  sprinkle with salt, pepper and fresh grated nutmeg.  again, using the same pan, add 1 cup of whole wheat panko and 2 tablespoons of olive oil, one small glove of minced garlic, and a teaspoon of dried oregano.  toss and set aside.  now the unpleasant part.  clean the chicken breasts.  ugh.  once clean, and i mean clean - no signs of anything but meat!  split each chicken breast across, but not all the way through, and open it like a book.  pound out  the breast carefully, you don't want to make them too thin, or create any holes in the meat.  sprinkle with salt and pepper, and stuff 1/4 of the mixture in each breast (4 total).  put the chicken breast in a baking dish and top with the panko mixture.  bake in a 425 oven for 23 minutes.  serve this with a salad and you have got a really well balanced meal.

grilled fajita nachos

i made these nachos for sunday nights super bowl.   the photo does not do them justice, they actually looked better in person - and i am not a photographer, so there.  as cheesy and decadent as they look, they really weren't over the top fatty.  seriously.  i bought this 4oz. block of queso melt at whole foods, shredded it and mixed it with some milk and got this fabulous cheese dip.  truth is, i wish i had bought two packages of cheese.  the queso didn't ooze all the way down to the bottom of the pile, like i hoped it would.  i was going to top these babies with avocado, diced tomato, jalapeno, black beans, sour cream, cilantro, etc.  but at the last minute (and because i just didn't want to go through the trouble), i decided to keep it simple.  sometimes simple is best.  (but, not in this case - they would have been over the top with the extras!).  i grilled one onion, one green pepper and at the last minute threw in some frozen corn.  put all that aside and in the smae pan grilled a sirloin, just salt and pepper.  for the chicken, however, i did marinate it overnight in a wonderful marinade.  in a food processor i added two chipotle peppers, 3 gloves of garlic, the juice of one lime and olive oil.  mixed it all together and threw everything in a zip lock bag overnight.  the flavor was outstanding.  i bought blue corn chips and topped one side with chicken and the other with beef.  there wasn't a crumb left over.

homemade chicken stock

this is a big pot of chicken broth in the making.  i just recently started making my own, and let me tell you, store bought broth can't touch this stuff.  it is fantastic, and easy to make.  i use a lot of rotisserie chicken's, for either tacos, enchiladas, stuffed peppers, chicken salad, etc., and i have started saving the carcasses for broth.  here's how you make it.  i used 3 carcasses for this big pot.  put the chickens in, fill with water to cover.  add 4 carrots, 4 celery stalks, 2 onions, 6 gloves of garlic, a big handful of fresh parsley, about 8 thyme sprigs, salt, and black pepper.  don't over salt, the chickens have a good bit of sodium in them.  bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce for 4 hours.  remove all the large pieces and then strain the broth.  keep in the fridge for 5 days or freeze.  next time you have some leftover bones, make your own broth - you will love it!

chicken orecchiette soup

i'm going crazy!! i have not cooked for my clients in 4 days!  the weather in atlanta is still so icy.  it is unbelievable what the storm has done to this city.  it has absolutely crippled it.  there have been so many of the interstates that have been completely shut down, and the secondary streets are like skating rinks.  so, i have been stuck inside trying to come up with things to pass the time.  and no, cleaning is not one of those things.  so, i have been taking walks up to the grocery store and returning with bags of food to pass the time.  i made a big pot of chicken noodle soup that was so delicious.  i used orecchiette pasta for the noodle instead of the traditional egg noodle.  it was perfect in this soup.  instead of using an egg noodle that slides off the spoon with every bite, the orecchiette captured  drops of broth, and peas, and carrots.  and the orecchiette almost has a texture close to a dumpling.  i just loved it.  try a smaller pasta next time you make chicken noodle soup, you'll be glad you did!

herb roasted turkey breast

i love roasting.  whole chickens, pot roasts, stews (expect for the crappy beef and butternut one i made a few weeks ago), vegetables, etc.  the smell of something roasting in the oven just makes the house smell incredible.  as soon as the weather turned, i turned to this recipe.  a boneless, skin on, turkey breast with fresh herbs.  i also made an apple cider pan gravy to go along with it.  it's super easy to put together because you use a food processor to do all the chopping for you.  start by adding one small white onion in the processor.  once that is chopped fine, add a big handful of parsley, 12 sprigs of fresh sage, the zest of one lemon, salt and pepper.  process again.  then slowly add about 1/4 cup of olive oil to incorporate.  gently pull back the skin on the turkey breast and smear the herb mixture under and all around the breast.  drizzle a little olive oil, salt and pepper on top of the skin and rub all over.  have your oven pre-heated to 450 degrees.  in a roasting pan add two fresh bay leaves and lay the turkey breast, skin side up on top of the bay leaves.  put the pan in the oven and immediately turn the oven down to 400 degrees.  roast for 20 minutes, then drizzle a bit more oil over top.  continue roasting for an additional 20-25 minutes or until a thermometer reaches 170 degrees in the thickest part of the breast.  remove the turkey to a platter to rest while you make the gravy.  using the same roasting pan, set it over the burners at a medium heat.  add 2 tablespoons of flour.  whisk to combine.  add  1/4 cup of brandy, and continue to stir for 2 minutes.  next add 2 cups of apple cider and allow to thicken.  season with salt and pepper, and serve alongside the turkey breast.  i served acorn squash and brussels sprouts with the meal.  very tasty.  and ya know, thanksgiving is right around the corner. so, if it you don't want to be bothered with a whole bird, please do yourself a favor and at least make this.  it's thanksgiving after all.

pan seared chicken legs

i make chicken legs every tuesday for one of my clients. she loves them.  i can honestly say that i have never much been into dark meat.  i always lean towards boneless, skinless breasts.  well, this weekend i wanted to try the recipe that i have been making every week and see what all the "hype" was about.  now i know.  i went to whole foods on sunday and sorta just wondered around looking at all of the new produce.  i decided to roast fall vegetables with the chicken, and boy was it good.  for the chicken, i bought chicken legs.  some refer to them as chicken quarters.  it is basically the drumstick and thigh together.  start by chopping some fresh rosemary and garlic.  toss it in a zip lock bag with the chicken and add some olive oil.  let marinate for a few hours.  make sure to get the garlic and rosemary up under the skin.  (you'll thank me for this).  with about an hour left before you are going to cook the chicken, squeeze one lemon into the bag and mix to incorporate.  pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.  in a non stick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat.  salt and pepper the chicken.  once the pan good and hot, add the chicken legs, skin side down, and brown for 5 minutes.  turn the chicken over and pop in the oven for 25 minutes, or until a thermometer reaches 165 degrees.  i decided to add the vegetables into the pan with the chicken and roast them alongside.  i used a combination of purple potatoes, turnips, parsnips, carrots, black radish (yum), cipollini onions, and a few whole garlic cloves.  i also tossed in some green olives during the last 5 minutes of roasting.  outstanding.  give this meal a try.  it is perfect for these fall nights upon us.

chicken marsala

i love chicken marsala.  i grew up eating it a good bit as a child.  it was another one of those "special" meals that my parents made us.  this weekend in georgia was absolutely gorgeous.  fall is officially here.  this meal reminds me of fall, so i thought i would kick off the first brisk evening of the new season with this dish.   i think one of the reasons i love this meal so much is because while cooking it, the house smells amazing.  this is also a great dish for company because you can prep everything before hand (actually, you could cook it earlier in the day and reheat when guests arrive - not preferable, but doable).  start by either slicing your chicken breasts in half, horizontally, or pound one breast out.  chicken breast are so darn big these days that i find slicing them in half gives a healthier, more reasonable portion.  pounding it out will sometimes leave you with a chicken breast the size of a dinner plate.  but, it's your call.  slice a ton of mushrooms,  however many you like.  i used 2 pounds to serve with 4 breasts.  heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with olive oil.  you could add a tablespoon of butter if you like ( i like, but i don't).  while the oil is heating up, salt and pepper the chicken and dredge in flour.  coat evenly, but lightly.  put the chicken in the skillet and cook 3 minutes per side.  remove the chicken to a plate.  add a bit more oil and add the mushrooms.  cook until they get nice and brown - about 5-6 minutes.  now the good stuff.  marsala wine.  add 3/4 cups of marsala wine and reduce by half.  this should take about 5 minutes.  scrap down any brown bits.  once the wine has reduced, add 1 cup of low sodium chicken broth and let thicken for 3 minutes.  add the chicken back into the pan.  make sure to nestle the chicken in the mushroom mixture.  reduce the heat to medium and continue to cook until the chicken is cooked through, another 4-5 minutes.  garnish with fresh, chopped chives.  i served these with mashed red new potatoes.  chicken marsala has to be served with mashed potatoes.  no ifs, ands, or buts about it!

spicy chicken

i  am always on the hunt for new recipes.  this one has been on the radar for a while now, so i decided to make this for my clients this week.  i had one chicken breast leftover, so i also made it for myself.  so, i can testify, it's delicious!  the original recipe can be found here.  gotta love giada!  it's pretty simple to put together, once you get all your chopping out of the way.  the recipe wants you to make a chili oil, which is very easy to do, but if you don't want to go through that step, i think just adding olive oil and red pepper flakes on their own would be just as delicious.  the ingredients are kalamata olives, green olives, capers, garlic, white wine, and fresh parsley.  the flavor of the chicken had somewhat of a smoky flavor to it, and i can't figure out where it came from.  could of been the green olives i used.  i paired the dish with a side of fiery angel hair pasta which can also be found here.  (thanks again, giada!).  the only thing i did differently with this dish, was use whole wheat angel hair.  give this one a shot everyone, it is awesome.

pork posole

i had a pork tenderloin in my fridge that i needed to use and it being a lazy saturday afternoon, i decided on staying in and making soup. the first thing i thought of was posole. it is generally made with a pork shoulder, but the soup i was making wasn't necessarily traditional.  i am really getting into making soups. i haven't always had an appreciation for them until recently.  they really are a wonderful one pot meal.  after all the chopping and prep work is done, you literally toss it all in a pot and carry on with your life.  to make this soup,  heat your oven to 400 degrees. then season the pork tenderloin with salt, pepper, and cumin.  heat a large pan (preferably cast iron) over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons olive oil.  when its good and hot add  the tenderloin and sear on all 4 sides until brown, about 8 minutes total.  then throw it into the oven for 15 minutes.  take it out and let it cool (just enough to handle).   next, dice 1 onion, 3 cloves of garlic, minced, and dice 1 jalapeno.  in a large sauce pan, heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil and add the onion and jalapeno.  saute for 5 minutes, then toss in the minced garlic.  next, rinse and drain a 28 oz. can of hominy and add it to the pot.  add 1 can of diced tomatoes, 1 tablespoons of oregano, and 1 teaspoon of cumin.  at this point, you should be able to dice the pork tenderloin and add it to the pot.  cover and simmer for 1 hour.  when you are ready to serve, top with diced avocado and chopped parsley.  this had such an nice, hearty, unique flavor to it.  hominy has a very prominent flavor.  try it, i think you will like it.  do you have any wonderful, light, soup recipes you can share with me.  after all,  soup season is around the corner! 

big daddy's chicken

this is such a delicious, comforting meal.  the chicken recipe comes from my dad.  i remember growing up having this.  it was always such a wonderful surprise to know we were having this chicken for dinner.  it seems we had it mostly on sundays, or when a lot of company came over, or when there was a birthday.  we always got to request our birthday meal, and this one showed up often.  my parents were so good about us always sitting around the dinner table together and enjoying a home cooked meal with each other.  i'm very lucky to have parents that found that to be important.  okay, i'm done reminiscing about my childhood.  (but, thanks mom and dad for a good one!).  i made this the other night for my clients and actually got a text the next morning from her saying "dinner was so yummy - probably my favorite - i love that chicken".  it's nice when i get messages like that.  to make this chicken you mix 1 part dijon mustard to 1 part fat free plain yogurt.  okay, i have to make a disclaimer - my dad makes this with mayo instead of fat free yogurt.  i hope he doesn't read this post.  but, i try to cut fat and calories for my clients when i can.  sorry dad, you version is better!  mix the yogurt and dijon together.  in a separate bowl add pepperidge farm herb seasoned stuffing - you know the stuff you make stuffing with.  dip the chicken breast in the yogurt/dijon mixture, coating evenly and completely, then coat the chicken in the stuffing.  put it on a baking sheet and bake in a 350 degree oven for 35 minutes.  the flavor of this chicken is awesome.  it is a great dish for the cooler weather that is ahead of us.  you could pair this meal with mashed potatoes, twice baked potato, cauliflower mash (for a healthier version), corn,  green beans, pole beans, okra.  just make sure it's comforting.  by the way, this was a meal that brian and i shared, not what i served my clients...just the chicken.

stuffed

i am usually disappointed, wait, back up.  i usually disappoint brian when i make stuffed chicken breasts for dinner. i don't really know why. i don't know why because i have never asked him why. it doesn't make sense to me, so i just brush it off as if he is just saying it to say it. never taking in to account that he really may not like stuffed chicken breasts.  he'll come around.  when i got home from cooking one night this week, he asked me what i made for my clients. i told him that i made stuffed chicken breast with feta, spinach, and pine nuts. he said nothing.  well, that's not entirely true, i would almost swear i heard a groan.  not a "yum" or a "ooh", more of a "eh".  shortly followed by a "you want to go to sushi tonight for dinner"?  go figure.  so i can't sit here and tell you how delicious this chicken was - but it did smell really good.  to make this, cut a pouch in the side of 4 chicken breast.  i find a paring knife works best for this. preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  saute 10 oz of spinach, drain it well in a colander and then chop it and put in a small bowl.  add 4 tablespoons of toasted pine nuts, and 1 cup of crumbled feta.  mix together.  season the chicken with salt and pepper.  heat a large skillet over medium high heat with 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  while the pan is getting hot, stuff the breasts and secure the open side with tooth picks.  put the stuffed breasts in the skillet and cook for 3 minutes per side.  make sure you pan is good and hot so you will get a nice golden brown color on each side.  pour about 1/2 cup of low sodium chicken broth in the skillet, cover it, and pop it into the oven for 15 minutes.  there you have it.  a quick, delicious, satisfying meal.  unless, of course you are brian.

leftovers

i love leftovers.  i haven't always, but the past few years or so i have begun to understand their importance.  for one, if it was good the first time you ate it, it will be good the next.  they also allow you to skip all the preparation for a meal.  it's is essentially already made for you.  i also like that you can really have a completely different meal with your leftovers than what you had previously made.  got all that?  i made individual turkey meatloaves the other night for my client and miraculously had two left over.  that is a rarity.  brian and i split one meatloaf for dinner and had this turkey pita for dinner the next night.  just as good as the night before.  the fact that the pita i used is probably the best pita i have ever eaten, helped in the creation of this delicious impromptu meal.  i love sandwiches, probably my favorite "go to" meal.  you can have it all in a sandwich:  protein, veggies, carbs.  you can throw anything you have in your fridge on a sandwich and make it that much better.  i was a bit limited with my turkey pita, but i also like to keep meatloaf sandwiches simple.  why do people have a problem with eating meatloaf, by the way?  many turn their noses up to it.  it is absolutely no different than a burger, in essence.  so what's the problem here?  i make my turkey meatloaf by adding egg, bread crumbs, garlic, fresh parsley, oregano, grated parmesan, salt and pepper.  who wouldn't like that?

trust me on this one

i try to post photos of food that not only taste good, but look good. this one fails on looking good. but trust me when i say that this has to be one of my favorite mexican dishes i have ever made. truly. it's a chicken enchilada with roasted tomatillo chile salsa. it is so easy to put together and it's not loaded with fat. there are very specific flavors in this dish that go so well with each other. i made a big dish of these enchiladas for a client to have over the weekend. i had a bit of the filling left over and a few tortilla shells, so i made a small batch for myself.  i didn't have any salsa left over which is meant to be poured over top.  i can't even imagine how much better they would have been with it.  here is the recipe.  don't be turned off by the length of the ingredient list, most of it goes in a blender.  the only thing i did differently to the recipe is add corn.  when you check out the recipe, look at the photo too, it will represent the dish much better than the pitiful looking photo i took!

spaghetti squash and meatballs

ever want a big bowl of pasta and meatballs, but don't want that big gut bomb afterwards?  you know what i'm talking about, don't you?  i love, love, love pasta, but try to be sensible about it.  i have pretty much switched over completely to whole wheat, and i almost never use anything other than my homemade tomato sauce, or a simple olive oil and garlic mixture.  never a cream based sauce.  don't get me wrong, i adore cream sauces, so much so i practically lick my plate clean.  but, i have noticed as i age, it just doesn't come off like it used to.  damn aging.  i made this the other night for my clients and they all loved it.  like me, my clients like to eat clean and simple foods.  i rarely ever cook pasta for them, so this was quite a joy for them when i showed up, with what looked like, a big bowl of spaghetti and meatballs!  a few (the kids) were a bit skeptical about eating squash, but they actually really liked it.  i started by making a big batch of tomato sauce.  saute one small diced onion, and 3 gloves of garlic in about 2 tablespoons of olive oil, for 10 minutes or so.  then add one diced celery stalk, one diced carrot, a pinch of salt and pepper and cook for another 10 minutes.  once all the vegetables are nice and soft, add (2) 32oz cans of whole, peeled tomatoes, 6 basil leaves, about 1 tablespoon of dried oregano, and 2 bay leaves.  cover and simmer for 1 hour.  in the meantime, cut one spaghetti squash in half,  horizontally, and scoop out the seeds.  drizzle a bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper on the flesh.  place cut side down on a baking sheet and bake in a 400 degree oven for 50 minutes.  once cool enough to handle, grab a fork and scrape out the strands into a bowl.  there you have it . .  a bowl of look-alike pasta!  once the tomato sauce has cooked for an hour, remove the bay leaves and  pour sauce into a blender. blend until smooth.  be careful and not over fill the blender, do this in stages.  also, be careful when blending hot liquids - trust me on this one, it will explode in your face.  been there, done that.  my turkey meatballs are made with 1 pound of ground turkey (not breast- it's too dry),  2 eggs, 1/4 cup of bread crumbs, 2 tablespoons of fresh parsley, 2 garlic gloves, 1/4 grated parmesan, 1 tablespoon of dried oregano, 1 tablespoon of italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.  that's it, you can make yourself a delicious, healthy, figure friendly meal this weekend.  have a good one, see you monday!

tequila-lime chicken

this turned out to be a fantastic meal.  a very comforting meal, packed with flavor.  i am always on the lookout for new chicken recipes.  i feel like i've cooked them all.  so when i came across this recipe, i knew i had to try it.  i adore mexican food, so this chicken dish was right up my alley. it's best to allow the chicken to marinate over night, but i may not want chicken tomorrow. . . . so, a few hours is sufficient.   in a food processor, throw in 5 peeled cloves of garlic, one jalapeno, a big handful of cilantro, 1/2 cup of tequila, the juice of 3 limes, and pulse until combined.  with the motor running, drizzle about 3 tablespoons of olive oil.  put 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts in a zip lock bag and add the marinade.  side note***  i almost always pound my chicken out when i am making breasts -  they cook more evenly.  or you could half the breast horizontally to achieve the same goal.  what is the deal with the enormous breasts these days?  no, not those breasts.  chicken breasts.  seriously, even organic, free range, hormone free boobs are big too, goodness.  so when it is time to start making dinner, take chicken out of the bag and place on the grill over medium high heat.  i pretty much use my indoor grill pan these days.  i think i've gotten a bit lazy about outdoor grilling.  besides, it's too hot.  grill each side for about 4-5 minutes until cooked through.  towards the end of cooking, top with some monterey jack cheese and let it melt.   once the cheese has melted, top it with some chopped tomatoes, and cilantro.  oohh, avocado would be good, too.  i served it with black beans and rice, that i added one can of diced tomatoes and one can of green chiles.  my home version of rotel.

peach mango salsa

this salsa is so wonderful.  i made it last night for two clients.  one i served with grilled chicken breast that was marinated in olive oil, dijon mustard, honey, and lime juice. the other i served with mahi mahi.  the peaches in the market right now are to die for.  pick the ones that are soft but still firm and that give off their fragrant peachy odor.  i like yellow peaches as opposed to white.  i just do. don't know why really.   to make the salsa i diced up 4 peaches, two mango's, one jalapeno, about 1/4 cup of fresh cilantro, and the juice of one lime.  toss all together and top on fish, chicken, tacos, or pull out a spoon and dig in!