Tequila Lime Chicken with Grilled Pineapple Salsa

I had to be crazy to grill today.  It  literally poured the entire day - even the dogs had no interest in going outdoors.

However, yesterday my husband and I returned from a mini vacation to Arizona.  The weather was perfect and the food, spectacular!   I was so inspired that I couldn't wait to get home and cook. 

Although I had something specific in mind to prepare this evening, my daughter begged me to make something using a salsa.   I decided on Tequila Lime Grilled Chicken Breasts with Grilled Pineapple Salsa.  For a side dish I prepared Roasted Golden Beets with a Citrus Vinaigrette, both were light and delicious.  The salad was inspired by a restaurant we dined at in Arizona.  I'll share that recipe on my next post.

I started by marinating my chicken breast halves this morning so they'd have plenty of time to absorb the flavors.  My salsa I whipped together this evening while the grill was fired up.  This dish would be fantastic with grilled chicken, sea bass or halibut.  I hope you like it.......

Tequila Lime Chicken

serves 6

1/8 cup tequila

1/3 cup fresh squeezed lime juice (approximately 2 limes)

1/8 cup fresh squeezed orange juice (I used Clementines since I had an abundant amount)

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced

1 clove fresh garlic, minced

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

Directions:

Combine all ingredients except chicken breasts in a large zip lock baggy and blend.  Add chicken breasts, seal, and swish around to coat all the chicken breasts.  Set bag in a bowl and place in refrigerator for 2-24 hours.

Preheat grill, then remove chicken breasts from marinade sprinkling with additional salt and pepper if desired.   Place breasts on grill what would be skin-side down, even though they're skinless, for approximately 5 minutes.  Flip chicken and grill for another 7-10 minutes or until just cooked through. (Check out my tips for Grilling the Perfect Chicken) Remove from grill, cover tightly allowing to rest for about 5 minutes.  Serve hot or at room temperature with Grilled Pineapple Salsa.

The Tequila Lime Chicken was adapted from Ina Garten Barefoot Contessa Family Style.  I did change the recipe slightly by adding olive oil and reducing the ingredients by two-thirds.

Grilled Pineapple Salsa

serves 6

Ingredients:

1 large fresh pineapple, peeled and cut into 10 rounds

1 large orange bell pepper, seeded and diced

3 Roma Tomatoes, diced

1/2 small red onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 jalepeno, minced

1/3 cup cilantro, minced

juice of 1 lime

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Grill pineapple rounds until nicely charred on each side.  Remove from grill and dice 4 of the rounds.

Add all ingredients to a medium size bowl and blend.  Cover and set aside until ready to use.

To Serve:

Place a round of grilled pineapple onto each plate.  Top with grilled Tequila Lime Chicken Breasts.  Spoon salsa over the top, and garnish with additional cilantro.  Serve.

Note: I created the salsa recipe as I do most of the ones I make.  Making your own salsa is so easy - simply use ingredients on hand and use spices that will compliment your dish.  You really can't go wrong.

Enjoy!!!

Yummy Ojai Pixie Tangerines PLUS 2 Recipes!

I have always loved oranges.  In fact, if you've been following my posts for a while you'll remember how I ate them daily when coming home from school as a child.  I shared this in my post The Art of Eating an Orange.  So when Melissa's Produce sent me a bag of these adorable tiny seedless Ojai Pixie Tangerines I was so excited.  Their skins, are easy to peel like a tangerine, with each segment of these tiny morsels so sweet and juicy with a hint of mandarin in every bite. YUM!  Fortunately there was more than enough to enjoy eating them in the raw, while still having plenty to play with in recipes.

My first thought was to make Dreamsicles, a childhood favorite of mine, a blend of vanilla ice cream and orange sherbet. I loved those little push-ups?  Do you remember them? 

Since I had a large batch of plastic push-up containers this would be the perfect recipe to create, except for one thing.  I knew if  I made them full fat, like I had as a child, they would sit in my freezer.  Since we try desperately to watch our calories and fat intake these would have to be modified and waistline friendly. 

My low-cal Dreamsicle version recipe is posted below, an adaptation of Orange Popsicle Ice Cream from The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz.  If you are looking for the real deal I have David's version in blue print.

Don't forget to also check out the second recipe I posted, Sea Bass with Strawberry Tangerine Salsa, following the Orange Popsicle ice Cream Push-Ups below.

Orange Popsicle Ice Cream Push-Ups
(adapted from The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz)

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons agave nectar  ⅔cup sugar

Grated zest of 3 Ojai Pixie Tangerines (oranges)

1¼ cups freshly squeezed Ojai Pixie Tangerines (approx. 7 tangerines) orange juice (from 4 or 5 large oranges)

2 cups 0% Greek Yogurt  or 1 cup sour cream and ½ cup half-and-half

2 teaspoons Grand Marnier or another orange liqueur

Directions: (if doing the full fat version substitute with the red print)

In a blender or food processor, combine the agave and  tangerine zest; pulse the mixture until it's well blended and zest is pulverized. Add  tangerine juice, greek yogurt, and orange liqueur. Blend well until the mixture is smooth. Chill thoroughly in the refrigerator. Freeze in an ice cream maker (for about 10 minutes if placing in push-up containers) or according to the manufacturer's instructions if making regular scoop ice cream.

Spoon into pastry bag,

then twist the top and cut the tip, squeezing ice cream into push-up containers.

Place lids on top and place in freezer until frozen and ready to serve.

 
Note: If pouring in push-up containers it's easier, in my opinion, if you swirl ingredients in the ice cream maker to firm slightly before adding to push pops.  However, if you don't have an ice cream machine you can simply add directly to containers and freezer until firm.

Adding the liqueur is necessary.  This insures that the ice cream doesn't freeze solid. You can substitue vodka as well or whatever you prefer.

What I'd Change:  I found the zest of the Ojai Pixie Tangerine to be more bitter than that of a regular orange.  I was very careful when zesting however the skin is so thin that I think the bitter flavor comes right through.  When making the next time I will omit the zest.

Although I thought my low-cal version was delicious, it still doesn't compare to the full fat Dreamsicle version but hey it's a fraction of the calories!


Alternative:  If you don't have push-up containers pour ice cream into small paper cups; cover with foil, poking popsicle sticks through center of foil to keep upright and centered.  Freeze until firm. Peel off the paper cups before serving.) 

Yields: About 1 quart or 8 Push-Up Pops

Sea Bass with Strawberry Tangerine Salsa

In addition, one of my all time favorite recipes is my Sea Bass with Strawberry Orange Salsa.  Our local newspaper posted an article several years ago about "At Home with Vicki Bensinger" sharing this recipe.  Since I planned on making Sea Bass the other night, I decided to make this dish using some of my Ojai Pixie Tangerines in place of the traditional oranges. I liked the flavor they brought to this dish even better.

This recipe is perfect for your upcoming BBQ, Father's Day or Memorial Day celebration.  It's light quick to prepare and delicious.  I know you'll love it, especially using the Ojai Pixie Tangerines.  Remember to check here, in the lower left, for a store that carries them near you.  If they don't carry them, Melissa's says to ask the produce manager and they will get them for you.

Sea Bass with Strawberry Tangerine Salsa
Serves 6

Ingredients:

2 pounds Sea Bass fillets, cut into 6 pieces (with skin on if grilling)

Strawberry Orange Salsa

4 Ojai Pixie Tangerines, segmented and diced
1 cup fresh strawberries, stemmed and diced
1/2 - 1 jalepeno chili, stemmed, seeded and minced
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint or fresh basil leaves
2 Tbsp. lime juice
1-2 tsp. honey
salt

Peel the Ojai Pixie Tangerines  and remove all the white pith (it has a bitter taste). Section the tangerines and dice. Transfer the diced tangerines to a bowl with the strawberries, jalapenos, onions, mint (or basil) and lime juice. Add honey and salt to taste, then blend together. Cover and chill for at least an hour to let the flavors come together.

Grill Method:

Heat grill to medium heat and place Sea Bass, skin side down on the grates. (If the skin has been removed be sure to rub the fish with oil before placing on grates).  Cover and cook for approximately 20 minutes.  You'll know it's done when you place the tip of a knife or fork into the meat and it separates easily - the center will be opaque.

Poaching Method:

Rinse the fish in cold water. Measure the thickness of the fish and pour water into a deep skillet or saute pan to measure twice that thickness. Bring the water to a boil, add the sea bass, cover the pan and remove it from the heat. Let stand until the fish is opaque in the center approximately 20 minutes.

Lift the fish from the pan with a slotted spatula and drain, arrange on individual plates. Spoon the salsa with its juice over the fish and serve immediately.

For those of you that have a fear of cooking fish, this method is tried and true. It always comes out perfect.

I hope you will try both of my recipes using the Ojai Pixie Tangerines, but don't forget to try the in the raw as well.  They're simply delicious!

Enjoy!!!

Grilled Sea Bass with Black Bean & Corn Salsa

This past weekend I had a dinner party and again the requested dish was my Sweet and Sour Brisket.  We were having a Pot Luck dinner and I was the host so everyone brought a dish.  It was fun getting together with everyone but as always I made more brisket than needed which meant leftovers.  Leftovers are great if it's fruit or vegetables but when it's meat it can be dangerous.  That's why last night fish was on our dinner menu. Light, healthy, and nutritious was what my body was craving.

Whenever I'm in that super healthy  mood I head over to Whole Foods Market.  The produce section alone gives me energy - it's incredible!  Bright colors of every fruit and vegetable you can imagine.  My mind goes crazy trying to come up with dishes I can create. 

Monday evenings meal was going to be Grilled Sea Bass with a Black Bean and Corn Salsa with Sugar Snap Peas.  This simple dish was tossed together in all of 30 minutes.

I love Sea Bass for it's mild yet buttery flavor.  People always ask me how much butter I added to the dish and I smile and tell them none.  It's hard to believe because of the delicate, buttery flavor but it's true.  Of course if you don't like fish or are allergic to it like my blogger friend Ann then go ahead and use chicken or any other meat that strikes your fancy to go with the salsa.

Speaking of the salsa - this was just a matter of slicing and dicing veggies that I felt like adding. You can do a rough chop or do a nice brunoise cut.

Brunoise is a precision cut where the food is first julienned (cut into thin match sticks), then turned a quarter turn and diced again, producing tiny cubes with equal sides (typically under 3mm). This cut is commonly used as a garnish for Consomme, or salsas.

Below is an example of a brunoise cut:

Yellow Pepper

Cut into match sticks

Turn match sticks 1/4 turn and line up ends evenly

Slice ends into even cubes, size can vary depending upon the

effect you are trying to achieve

The sugar snap peas were rinsed, and steamed for all of about 4 minutes until they turned a bright green color.  Remove from heat and serve immediately or plunge in an ice water bath to hault the cooking process to maintaian their bright color.

Grilled Sea Bass with Black Bean and Corn Salsa
serves 4

Ingredients:
4 - Six to Eight ounce Sea Bass, skin on if possible

1 can Black Beans, rinsed to remove salt
1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn
1/4 red onion minced
1/2 red pepper, brunoise cut
1/2 orange or yellow pepper, brunoise cut
1/2 Pablano Pepper, seeded and cut brunoise style
juice of 1 lime
1 tablespoon Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
salt and pepper to taste

Sugar Snap Peas

Instructions:

Turn grill on to preheat.  Rinse Sea Bass, pat dry and place skin side down on a medium hot grill.  Cover and cook 15 minutes.  No need to flip.  After 15 minutes using a metal spatula, place between the bottom of the fish and top of the skin.  Glide gently to remove Sea Bass from the skin.  Repeat with all Sea Bass and place on a platter.  Then remove the skin with the spatula from the grill and disgard.

The Salsa can be made an hour or two in advance.  Place black beans in a mesh strainer and rinse to remove salt and liquid.  Drain and place in a bowl.

Add corn, onion, and peppers to the bowl.  Add juice of a lime and olive oil.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Blend then cover and place in the refrigerator to chill for later.

Just before removing the Sea Bass from the grill steam the Sugar Snap Peas by simply adding about an inch or two of water to the bottom of a saucepan with a steamer insert.  Add the sugar snap peas, cover and steam approximately 4 minutes or until they turn bright green.

Place Sea Bass on a plate, spoon generously with the salsa and place sugar snap peas along side.  Simple, easy and very nutritious.

Enjoy!

Watermelon Lime Salsa!

Summer is the time to bring out all the fresh fruits and vegetables and create dishes that are refreshing and healthy.  Although we should do this all year, it appears that during the summer we think about it more.  Maybe because we're getting into our bathing suits or because the weather is warmer and heavy foods just don't sound appetizing.

At any rate, I wanted to grill some fish last night with a fresh salsa but unfortunately when I arrived at the grocery store where we are vacationing, in the mountains of Colorado, their selection was marginal.  So I opted for chicken breasts instead.

Since my husband is a maniac about watermelon, which is packed with lots of nutrition, I decided that I would make a Watermelon Salsa.  It sounded good to me so I figured I would use watermelon in place of the usual tomatoes and add other similar ingredients like the salsas I've made in the past.  I do that a lot, do you?

I wanted to make sure that the salsa was colorful so this is what I came up with.  It was so delicious that I almost ate the entire bowl.  Unfortunately, I wasn't able to since my family ate the rest.  So much for leftovers!

Speaking of leftovers - a fresh salsa will last covered and refrigerated for only 5 days.  If you prepare a cooked salsa it will last up to 6 months in the refrigerater, covered.

Watermelon Lime Salsa
serves 4 (because you'll gobble it all up)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 -2 cups watermelon, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
1/2 cucumber, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch cubes
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
1 jalepeno pepper, seeded and minced (be careful not to touch your eyes or skin after removing the seeds.  It will burn severely)
2 green scallions, thinly sliced
2 limes, juice of both and zest of one lime
1 Tbsp. minced cilantro

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to chill and let the flavors meld together.

Serve with chicken, fish or alone as a side dish.  It's that good.

I love salsa recipes.  So if you have one that you love, I'd welcome you to share it with everyone in my comments section below.  Then I'll try it and post about it.

If you like watermelon like we do you might enjoy this link that shares a lot of watermelon recipes.

Also, here's my post for the Grilled Watermelon Salad with Goat Cheese and Balsamic Reduction in case you missed it.

Enjoy!