Peach-Jalapeño Grilled Chicken

Peach-Jalapeño Grilled Chicken
Peach-Jalapeño Grilled Chicken

We got a grill. WE GOT A GRILL! 

Over the last two years, I've slowly but steadily growing a list of "things I'll make when we get a grill," but we held out, looking for a good deal. And, after two years of waiting? Not once did we spot a grill on sale that was also a grill we wanted. But earlier this month, we finally got a grill off of Craigslist -- a steal, really. 

And oh have we been grilling. Chicken. Sausages. Fish for tacos. Even brussels sprouts. This Peach-Jalapeño Grilled Chicken is one of the highlights for me so far, something that I started working on B.G. (before grill 😏) but couldn’t get quite right until we had a grill. Nothing like cooking over an open flame! 

I have been super crazy for peaches lately, gobbling them up fresh every day. This recipe uses peach preserves, so you can make it any time of year, though if it is peach season, fresh grilled peaches make for a sweet side. Jalapeños add some zing, along with a bit of fresh ginger. It's a sticky, spicy, sweet, savory combo that screams summer, Perfect with a side salad or grilled veggies. 

(And, it’s fast to make and EASY. If you know how to stir, you can make this glaze — because that’s all you have to do, stir it together. 🙌)

Peach-Jalapeño Grilled Chicken
Peach-Jalapeño Grilled Chicken

Peach-Jalapeño Grilled Chicken

Published July 31, 2018 by
   Print This Recipe

Serves: 2-3   |    Active Time: 20 minutes



Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup peach preserves
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 1-1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 jalapeño, minced
  • 1 pound chicken breasts (about 2 large breasts)
  • For serving: 1-2 peaches, cilantro for garnish, lime wedges, fresh jalapeño slices

  • Directions:

    1. Whisk together the peach preserves, soy sauce, rice vinegar, ginger, garlic, and jalapeño in the bottom of a medium-sized mixing bowl.
    2. Place chicken in the bowl with the sauce, and turn to coat.
    3. Heat grill with a medium-high flame. When the grill is hot, place the chicken on the grate and close the lid. Allow the chicken to cook for 3 minutes with out moving to get good sear marks. Then, flip to the second side.
    4. Cook chicken breasts until they reach an internal temperature of 165°F or the juices run clear (I use this Instant Read Thermometer, and it’s great (affiliate link!))
    5. If serving with grilled peaches: slice peaches in half and remove the pit. Lightly oil the fleshy side of each peach (use a high-heat oil such as coconut) and place on the grill. Grill for 4-5 minutes, undisturbed.
    6. Remove chicken from heat, and sprinkle with cilantro. Serve hot with lime wedges and fresh jalapeño slices.

    Comment

    Parma Rosa Chicken

    Parma Rosa Chicken

    Some kids go through a mac 'n' cheese phase (it's something they can cook themselves), and some kids go through a cereal phase (doesn't require cooking at all). Me? Knorr Instant Parma Rosa Sauce was a childhood fave. It’s embarrassing but true.

    To this day, I'm not sure what is even in those packs of instant pasta sauce. And frankly? I don't want to know. What I do know is that it's addicting. Back then I called it "pink sauce." 

    Even though I ate many (many!) packets of pink sauce as a kid, it's not what I was thinking about when I started working on this recipe. Nope, I just thought I was making a creamy chicken parmesan. It wasn't until my first bite that my memory sprang into action: 

    I know this flavor! This tastes like pink sauce! 

    What was that called? Parma Rosa, a Google search told me.

    Parma Rosa Chicken
    Parma Rosa Chicken

    And it does taste just like Parma Rosa -- a bigger, bolder, fresher, real parma rosa. A grown up pink sauce. And instead of a soft creamy pink color, it's a rich creamy orange-red, evidence of real tomatoes in there. 

    You can eat this dish as-is (that's what I did, with a side salad), or you could serve it over pasta. It goes great with a glass of white wine, and the leftovers are just as good the next day. 

    Between this recipe and this lasagna, I've been on quite the Italian kick lately! (Is pink sauce Italian? I don't think so, but it seems Italian). 

    Parma Rosa Chicken

    Parma Rosa Chicken

    Published July 26, 2018 by
       Print This Recipe

    Serves: 4   |    Active Time: 30 minutes



    Ingredients:

  • 4 small chicken breasts (or 2 large cut in half)
  • 1-2 tablespoons coconut oil
  • 1/2 yellow onion, finely diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 16 ounce can tomato sauce (Note: this is in the canned tomato aisle; it is puréed tomato -- not a pre-made pizza or pasta sauce, which will already have herbs, garlic, etc)
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh rosemary, minced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh basil, minced, plus more for garnish
  • 3/4 cup half-and-half
  • 1/2 cup grated parmesan

  • Directions:

    1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 10-inch oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil glistens, place the chicken in the skillet. Cook on each side for 5 minutes, until browned. Move to a plate and set aside.
    2. If pan is dry, add additional tablespoon of coconut oil. Add onions and garlic, and sauté until transparent. Reduce heat to low. Pour in tomato sauce and stir.
    3. Add thyme, rosemary, and basil to sauce, and then stir in the cream. Place chicken back in pan, immersing it in the sauce. Allow sauce to simmer lightly for 1-2 minutes, and then top each piece of chicken with parmesan. Place skillet in oven and turn to broil. Allow to cook for about 5 minutes — until cheese is bubbling. Remove from oven, top with additional basil for garnish, and serve hot.

    Comment

    Citrus Cumin Mojo Chicken with Peppers

     It’s like a trip back in time. Old roads, old cars, and old buildings. The walls of the Cuban houses in Viñales crumble but no one seems to notice. Or they do, but it’s all they know. It’s a part of this country, a part of life. The adobe on churches—which haven’t hosted a mass since the Cuban Revolution- has been chipping off for more then a decade, and they continue to go un-repaired. In town, the good roads have cobblestone laid down from before the war, and the big interstate is a two-lane paved road. The other roads are just dirt. Regardless, people smile and dance and enjoy life.

               When the sun shines in Viñales, Cuba it hits the crops of the local farms and the animals bathe in its warmth. The farmers that tend these small chunks of land still use classic horsepower (that is, horses and oxen) to turn the land and pull the hoes. Barns are full of drying tobacco, which is regulated through the government, along with anything else produced in the country. Wage is rations. 

                Despite the heavy regulations, there is plenty of tobacco enjoyed on the streets. In the evenings, especially during a feriado (holiday), the air is think with it: smokey, sweet, unmistakable. I don’t much enjoy it, but for how very Cuban it is. 

    Citrus Cumin Mojo Chicken with Peppers

                I’d like to tell you Cuban food was just as distinct: full of Caribbean flavor, fresh from the sea. I’d like to tell you that tables were covered in a cornucopia, as a continuation of the beautiful scene laid out above, but that isn’t always the case. Tourists may get that experience: I myself was treated to some mighty fine and generous meals, but it was hospitality and should not be mistaken for habit. Lunch was the hardest thing to track down— I remember lunching on personal sized pizzas, if you could even call it that (the cheese was off, the sauce not quite right, and they were served folded in half, like a plump taco). There was also a rather memorable ice cream cone, filled with the best scoop of chocolate ice cream I have had (fifteen years later and I haven’t found one that comes close). And here were two feasts, on one Christmas Eve and one on New Years Eve. But in between, we knew we were eating like tourists.

             I say all of this to explain that while Citrus Cumin Mojo Sauce is considered something of a Cuban classic, it’s is not a dish I experienced while in the country. Rather, it’s a marinade I started experimenting with years later. I say all of this to keep it real, and also to remember. It’s far to easy to day dream about beaches and pine coladas made with local rum; it’s far to easy to forget how things were as time moves on. 

               This marinade is bright and cheery, sunny and fresh. This recipe calls for chicken, but you could use the sauce with shrimp too. 

    Want more from the Caribbean? Try this 30-minute ropa vieja.


    Citrus Cumin Mojo Chicken with Peppers

    Published June 12, 2018 by
       |     Print This Recipe

    Serves: 4   |    Active Time: 45 minutes



    Ingredients:

  • 1 pound chicken breast cutlets
  • 1 red onion
  • 1 medium sweet potato
  • 2 red bell peppers
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil

  • For marinade:
  • Juice 1 orange
  • Juice 1 lime
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon high mineral sea salt

  • For serving:
  • 1/4 cup minced cilantro
  • Optional: lime wedges

  • Directions:

    1. In a 8-ounce jar, combine orange juice, lime juice, garlic, cumin, oregano, oil, and salt. Place lid on jar and shake to combine.
    2. Place chicken in an air-tight container and pour marinade over chicken. Place in fridge and allow to marinate for 8-12 hours.
    3. When ready to cook, preheat oven to 450°F. Slice red onion and bell pepper into strips, and dice sweet potato into 1/2-inch cubes. Spread out on a baking sheet (optionally, line baking sheet with parchment or a Silpat. (affiliate link!)). Drizzle oil over veggies. Now, using tongs, pull each piece of chicken from the marinade, letting access drip off. Place chicken on sheet pan with veggies.
    4. Bake for 20-25 minutes, brushing extra marinade over chicken every 5 minutes or so, until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F and potatoes are cooked through. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve hot with a lime wedge.

    3 Comments