Zesty Citrus Chicken

Warm weather is making me want all the foods that go with summer.  But we are back to spring, and a few of these nights have been pretty cold this week, so I haven’t wanted to be outside grilling.

Then I found this recipe, which sounded like the perfect compromise – summery citrus flavors, and indoor cooking!  Here’s my version, using what I had on hand:

1.Whisk together the following ingredients: 1 tablespoon orange zest, juice of 1 orange, 2 teaspoons lime zest, juice of 1 lime, 1 teaspoon ground thyme, 4 cloves of garlic passed through a garlic press, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper.

2.Place 1/4 cup of this mixture into a large plastic ziplock bag, reserving the rest of the mixture to the side.  Add 3-4 skinless boneless chicken breasts to the ziplock bag.  Let the chicken marinate for about 5 minutes or so.

3.Coat a skillet with spray oil and heat to medium high.  Add the chicken to the skillet, discarding the bag & the marinade.  Cook chicken for 2-3 minutes on each side, browning the chicken on both sides.  Add about 1 cup of Courtois to the skillet, cover and cook until the chicken is done all the way through.

4.While that’s cooking, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the reserved citrus/garlic mixture and whisk together.  Once the chicken is cooked, place a handful of spinach leaves on a plate, then place a chicken breast on top of the spinach.  Top the chicken & spinach with a spoonful of the reserved mixture.

This recipe took me only about 1/2 hour to make, so it was pretty fast.  I served it with rice and asparagas.  While I didn’t find this too spicy for me, if you are worried about the spiciness level, just cut down on the amount of garlic and/or red pepper that you use.  Or you could serve this with some Harvest Mist or Whittenburg wine to help cut the heat in the dish too.  Enjoy and Cheers!