Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Grilled Lime Chicken with Black Bean Sauce

We had this for dinner last night and really liked it. I was surprised that even Elisa liked it since she dislikes cilantro. The photos don't show the salad on the other side of the plate which made it even better, and there was something else I didn't have, but was craving to eat with it. Fried plantains! Yummmmmmm. This is an easy meal that I cooked up on my indoor grill. I like the lime flavor. I just mashed the beans a little instead of putting them in the food processor. I found this at Simply Recipes.
Grilled Lime Chicken with Black Bean Sauce
Juice of 4-5 limes
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 c.+ (more to taste) chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 t. dried oregano leaves
1/2 t. coarsely ground black pepper
1/2 t. kosher salt
1 1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 red onion, halved then sliced into 1/4” strips

Black Bean Sauce:
1 (15-oz.) can black beans, drained, rinsed
1 quart filtered water
2 bay leaves
2 cloves garlic, minced and chopped
Stems from one bunch of cilantro, chopped into 1/4” bits (approx. 1/2 cup)
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Combine the lime juice, olive oil, cilantro, oregano, salt and pepper in a glass bowl and mix well. Trim the chicken breasts, then add to the marinade. Cover lightly and marinate, turning the chicken occasionally, for 2 hours at room temperature (or overnight in the fridge).
Prepare Black Bean Sauce while chicken is marinating. Place beans in a large sauce-pan or soup pan, and add all remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 1 1/2 hours. Add additional water if needed. Remove bay leaves, then transfer the bean mixture to a food processor. Process well, adding water if needed to make desired consistency.

Preheat oven to 350° F, and prepare grill (gas or hot coals). Place the red onion slices in the bottom of a shallow, oven-proof dish, then cover with chicken breasts and marinade. Cover the dish loosely with aluminum foil, then bake for 15-20 minutes (only until the chicken is opaque). Remove the chicken breasts to a platter and set aside. Continue to cook the onions in the marinade (covered) for 10 minutes. Save the marinade for grilling.

Place the chicken breasts on the grill over very hot coals or gas flame, and grill until they are thoroughly cooked but still moist (approximately 2 minutes on each side). Drizzle with remaining marinade while cooking. Remove to platter when grilled.
Serve the grilled chicken with the red onions, drizzle with the black bean sauce. Garnish with sour cream, guacamole, tomatoes or fresh cilantro - or serve with a leafy green side salad, as desired.

8 comments:

  1. Mmmm...looks good! I'm in the mood for some new recipes to try!

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  2. Oooo, Valerie, this looks fantastic. I'm a big cilantro and lime fan. Thanks for sharing the recipe.

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  3. Nummerlicious!
    You are a fantastic cook.
    I'm not a fan of cilantro, but it makes it looks so pretty.

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  4. You are a great cook! This looks really good.

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  5. Awesome! I love something new!

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  6. That looks really good...and doesn't take too much heating. I'll give it a go.

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  7. This sounds delicious- and I've always wanted to try fried plantains!

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