Weeknight Meal- Prudy Style

I love grilling this time of year and this meal was excellent. Mexican food is at the top of my list and this is a meal I will be making again. The chicken was moist and juicy with fabulous citrus flavor and a little kick from the jalapeno. The Spanish rice was just how I like it and so much better than the store bought packets. Just about as easy too. The best part though was the corn and black bean salad. I have made a similar recipe from Ina Garten but I actually preferred this one because it tasted much lighter. I added in some avocado and made mine into a rice bowl. I sliced the grilled chicken and then mixed in the rice and salad. I am seriously hoarding the leftovers for lunch tomorrow. Added bonus- this meal is so healthy. Most of the fat comes from the olive oil and avocado which are the good kind of fats. A great, light Mexican meal that is going to be showing up again on my menu really soon.

All recipes are courtesy of Prudence Pennywise

Cilantro Honey-Lime Grilled Chicken

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast (I doubled this for a family of 6) 1/3 c. lime juice plus 1 tsp. lime zest 4 tbsp. olive oil 4 cloves garlic minced or 1 tsp. garlic powder 1 chopped jalapeno or Serrano pepper, optional 1 tsp. each salt and black pepper 2 tbsp honey 1/3 c. chopped cilantro Rinse chicken and pat dry. (I also pounded mine in between two sheets of wax paper. This makes for more even cooking). In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, zest, olive oil, garlic, jalapeno, salt, pepper and honey. Set aside two tablespoons of mixture. Pour remaining mixture into Ziploc bag. Add chicken and cilantro and squish to coat. Marinate for at least 1 hour and up to 12 hours. Grill or broil chicken over medium high heat, about 4 minutes per side. Let rest for 5 minutes. Drizzle with reserved marinade and serve.

*I doubled the meat and just used one recipe of the marinade. I left all the chicken in the marinade and skipped the drizzling.*


Corn and Black Bean Salad with Cumin Lime Vinaigrette

1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed well
2 cups corn kernels, (frozen and thawed, or canned, or cut off the cob)
2 tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup red onion, minced
1 cup chopped cilantro
1 jalapeno pepper, minced-or less if you like it wimpy
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
juice and zest of one lime
1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper
1 avocado, optional

Combine beans, corn, tomatoes, onion, cilantro, jalapeno and avocado, if desired in a medium bowl. Sprinkle cumin and salt and pepper over the top. Drizzle with oil, lime juice and zest; taste for salt and pepper and adjust seasonings if necessary. Toss and serve.


Classic Mexican Red Rice

1 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 white onion, minced
1 cup long grain white rice
1 and 3/4 c. chicken broth, stock or bouillon
6 tbsp. salsa divided

Heat oil in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and rice and saute until rice is toasted, about 5 minutes, stirring often. Add broth and 3 tbsp. of the salsa. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in remaining 3 tbsp. salsa. Let rest for 5 minutes. Fluff with fork and serve.

*I used Costco medium Salsa and the rice was very mild.*

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