Sunday Rewind: What’s for dinner?

As The Rantings of an Amateur Chef has been going since February of 2012, there are quite a few readers that have joined along the way. In an effort to bring back some great recipes that they may have missed, I will dedicate Sundays to re-posting a favorite that is at least two years old. I hope you enjoy! – The Ranting Chef

What do you want to do for dinner for tonight? A question which is common to too many households. Let me tell you that if you are asking that question after a long day at work, you are just as likely to order in a pizza as you are to making anything good.

A number of years ago, I was at the end of a work week and my wife and I looked back at our meals: three nights with a frozen dinner, one dinner that ended with the word “Helper” and a delivery pizza. We decided we wanted to make a change and that is when we began to menu plan in earnest. Typically on a Friday evening (if not busy) or Saturday, I will sit down and plan a menu for the week. This includes dinners for all seven days and weekend lunches. The next critical step is I then go grocery shopping and buy all I need to make every menu item for the week.

While I don’t always stick to the menu, I typically do about 90-95% of the time. I may trade a menu item from one day to another as the week goes on, but it usually all gets made. Why? Because it is sooooooo easy. I never have to spend the mental energy at the end of the day to figure it out. I know that I will have everything I need and will not need to run out to the store to complete my ingredient list. Try it for several weeks and you’ll never go back.

Spicy Garlic Lime Chicken

This recipe for Spicy Garlic Lime Chicken is so quick and so delicious. I served it with Quick Blue Spinach.

I had everything in my kitchen already (except for the lime). I always keep boneless skinless chicken breasts in the freezer and the rest is just spices.

Pre-mix all the spices, so you get a nice even coverage of all the flavors on each piece.

A quick tip on getting the most juice out of your citrus. Before cutting it open, roll it with your hand, pressing hard with the base of your palm. This will break apart the tissue on the inside releasing the most juice. Only after rolling it (it should deform a bit), do you slice it and squeeze the fruit.

Fry it up and you are done.

Spicy Garlic Lime Chicken

Prep Time: 5 Min | Cook Time: 20 Min | Servings: 4 servings | Difficulty: easy

Ingredients:

• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/8 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 3 tablespoons lime juice

Directions:

In a small bowl, mix together salt, black pepper, cayenne, paprika, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, onion powder, thyme and parsley. Sprinkle spice mixture generously on both sides of chicken breasts.

Heat butter and olive oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Saute chicken until golden brown, about 6 minutes on each side. Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons garlic powder and lime juice. Cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently to coat evenly with sauce.

Nutritional Info:

Amount Per Serving Calories: 220 | Total Fat: 10.7g | Cholesterol: 84mg Powered by ESHA Nutrient Database

Source: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Spicy-Garlic-Lime-Chicken/Detail.aspx?ms=1&prop25=77640069&prop26=DailyDish&prop27=2012-02-19&prop28=DailyRecipe&prop29=FullRecipePhoto&me=1