Cajun Chicken
Jalapenos are the most popular chile peppers in the US. This is probably due to the availability and versatility of the chile. Jalapenos have a balanced combination of flavor and heat.
The demand for these have caused breeders to develop a broad range of varieties. You can now get jalapenos with various heat level and sizes. These can be used in salsas, stuffed, or eaten straight with cheeseburgers (my personal favorite).
Ingredients:
Chicken:
2 lb chicken breast, skinned and boned (4 half breast pieces)
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
1 tsp hot red chile flakes
1/2 tsp sea salt
Sauce:
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup yellow onion, chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup green bell pepper, seeded, diced
2 jalapeño chiles, stemmed, minced
2 bay leaves
1 14-oz can diced tomatoes
1/2 tsp Worchestershire sauce
1 tsp paprika or red New Mexican chile powder
1/2 tsp Mexican oregano
1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
1/2 tsp sea salt
Instructions:
Place chicken in a large bowl and season with lemon juice, pepper, chile flakes and salt. Set aside.
Heat oil in a heavy skillet over medium high heat. Saute onion, garlic, and celery for 4 minutes, or until tender. Stir in bell pepper, jalapeños, bay leaves and tomatoes. Once mixture starts to bubble, stir in remaining seasonings.
Add chicken, cover with sauce, reduce heat to medium low. Cover and cook for about 15 minutes.
Turn chicken pieces over and cover again with sauce and cook for another 15 minutes or until cooked throughout. Remove bay leaves. Serve with red beans and rice, salad and warm corn bread.
From Larry Noggle’s Chile Peppers calendar.