Monday, November 8, 2010

Citrus Basil Chicken

This is probably more of a summer dish than a cold, autumn evening dinner, but I had a random selection of food before grocery day, and decided to find a way to use them up!

It's a very simple dish, and the whole time we were eating it, Jesse kept remarking on how "confusingly delicious" it was.  I guess I can take that as a compliment!

(We were too hungry to take pictures...sorry!)

I think it took about 20 minutes from start to finish.  Serves 2.

All you need:

♥ vegetable oil

♥2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts OR 4 skinless, boneless chicken thighs

♥1/2 small red onion

♥1/2 cup orange or mango juice

♥1 tsp each dried basil leaves and ground cumin

♥1/2 tsp salt

♥1/2 lime 

♥1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil

Lightly oil a large frying pan and set over medium heat.

When hot, add chicken and cook until lightly golden, 3 to 4 minutes per side.

Meanwhile, thinly slice red onion.

When chicken is golden, scatter onion around chicken.

Pour in orange juice.

Sprinkle with dried basil, cumin and salt.

Using a wooden spoon, scrape up and stir in any brown bits from pan bottom.

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low.

Cover and simmer, turning chicken halfway through, until chicken is springy when pressed, 6 to 8 minutes.

Squeeze juice from lime overtop.

Remove chicken and place on dinner plates.

Increase heat to high.

Boil pan juices, stirring often, until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.

Stir in fresh basil.

Drizzle over chicken.

Serve on top of jasmine rice, and enjoy!