The Chicken Toss

Here’s a fun summer recipe! The chicken part is easy to throw on a grill, although I follow the skillet method in the instructions. I love the smells of grilling. A neighbor of mine uses his barbeque every night, making the outdoors smell so summery as the scents from his barbeque mix with the blooming trees and fresh air. Sometimes there’s even the smell of mosquito repellent, but that’s not so nice.

The music I’m really digging right now in these hot temperatures is by Jungle. They released a single last year called “The Heat”, which blew my mind. I hardly ever feel satisfied with other songs by an artist who comes out of the gates so strong, but Jungle is certainly an exception. All their music is the coolest, including this track, “Busy Earnin’”:

Doesn’t that make you want to dance? Have you ever had those moments when you’re listening to some music and you find yourself bopping your head and swaying your hips? Well, that’s me every day. Sometimes I’ll be taking a walk, listening to some tunes, and I’ll find my walk take on the beat as my hips start to sway. I love when I see other people in their groove. Music certainly has a powerful force.

Of all birds out there, I don’t think I’ve seen a chicken actually in its groove, despite the song called the Chicken Dance. I’ve seen the cockatoo, Snowball, pull some sweet moves and a baby owl get into the groove, but never a chicken… and that’s why we eat them… right?

Well, do a dance while you’re tossing up this recipe. It’ll make it taste better, because that’s what dancing does to food. Enjoy!

The Chicken Toss

(Adapted from recipes at Simply Scratch and Kathy at food.com)

Good as light portions for a 12 person potlucks

2 raw chicken breasts, deboned and skinless, cut into strips
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced

Marinade

1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon lime juice (1/2 a lime)
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon crushed chicken bouillon cube
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon cumin

Rice

1 cup brown rice, dry
1 3/4 cups water
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup parsley, minced
2 pinches kosher salt
1 teaspoon lime juice (about ½ a lime)
1 cup corn, fresh or frozen (thawed)
1/2 of each red, orange and green bell pepper, sliced into strips
1/2 red onion, sliced

Place the raw chicken in a medium bowl. Add the parsley and chipotle peppers. In a small bowl, whisk together the marinade ingredients. Add the mixture to the chicken and stir together so the chicken is coated. Put in the refrigerator for an hour.
While the chicken marinates, combine the rice, water and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce the heat. Simmer for 40 minutes then remove from the heat and allow to sit for at least 10 minutes.
In a large bowl, combine the cooked rice, black beans, parsley, salt, lime juice.
When the chicken is done marinating, heat a skillet (cast iron if you have it) and pour the chicken and marinade into the pan. Cook the chicken for about 7 minutes on each side, keep flipping until cooked through. Remove the chicken from the skillet and cut into cubes. Add the cubes to the rice.
With a paper towel, carefully wipe up any browned bits in the skillet. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and put in the corn, fry until browned and starting to pop. Add the corn to the rice.
Add another tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet. Add the peppers and onions. Sauté the vegetables until they’re soft (about 10 minutes). Remove them from the skillet and add to the rice.
Toss all the ingredients together, transfer to a nice serving bowl and bring to the potluck.