Meal Two

Apparently cream is the theme of our menu this week.  Well, for the first two meals at least.  But, man, cream is so good!  As is garlic... Mmm...

Anyhoodles, last night I made Chipotle-Buttermilk Chicken with rice and broccoli.  The chicken recipe is adapted from the "Chile-Buttermilk Baked Chicken" recipe in the December 2010 Southern Living.  I couldn't find fresh green chiles, so I used chipotles we smoked in my husband's grandfather's smoker at Thanksgiving.  The recipe also called for a can of cream of mushroom soup, so I ad-libbed fresh ingredients.  Normally, husband and I split a chicken breast, but this was so good, we each ate a whole one.  Pigs. 

Chipotle-Buttermilk Baked Chicken

2 tbsp olive oil
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (I used 3)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1-1/2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup cream
1 chipotle, minced
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1/4 cup fresh cilantro

The recipe wanted me to do the typical two-plates thing and dip the chicken first in the buttermilk, then in the flour, but I said poppycock to the extra dishes and just dumped the spices, buttermilk, and flour on the chicken in like turn.

Then I placed the breaded chicken breasts in an oiled baking dish and baked at 425° for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, I stirred together the mushrooms, onions, garlic, cream and chipotle.

When the timer sounded, I poured the mushroom mixture over the chicken, then popped it back in the oven for another 10 minutes.

During this time, I steamed the broccoli (I use a steamer basket set in a small stockpot) and cooked the rice (I used Basmati... we have a 10lb bag of the stuff!).

For the final touch, I sprinkled the cheese on the chicken and put it back in the oven for about 5 minutes, just to let the cheese melt.

The taste: phenomenal!  I wasn't happy with the appearance of the chicken-- I thought it needed a little more color variety in the sauce.  Next time I make this (and there will be a next time... just not this year...), I'll add some green and red bell pepper, maybe, to add visual pop (and a little additional nutrients).

Oh, and I'd remember to sprinkle the final dish with the cilantro.  Oy!