Cooking Solo-Roasted Chicken and Peppers

I'm a simple home cook that enjoys big flavors, 

easy recipes, and tummy satisfying results.

My cooking style and flavor profiles have not changed, but my reason for cooking has, and from here forward my blog will focus on my new beginnings.  Here is little backstory:  After 32 years of cooking for my family, I find myself facing the challenges of cooking for one.  At first I used it as an excuse to eat whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted, and to get take-out whenever I felt like it, after all take out IS much cheaper for just one person.  After a while I began tiring of the grab whatever is in the fridge mentality, which is almost always cheese and tortillas, and although I love these things, I need REAL FOOD!  So my stale brain kicked in the other day at the supermarket when I became hungry while shopping.  I hit the frozen food isle telling myself buying from the market is cheaper than buying take out, and these days you can get just about anything from the freezer section that you can from your favorite take out joints and a heck of a lot cheaper.  I cruised to the "healthier" section trying to bypass all the sodium ladened goodies and landed my eyes on a Beef Stew frozen dinner, single serving.  As I stood there drooling the old burnt out light bulb came on.  Do what you use to do, cook how you use to cook, only cook with the idea of dividing the meals into single servings and freezing them once done.  Well duh!!  So I hit the poultry department and the produce department and knowing I was headed to Sam's Club I waited to get my Chuck roast there because I knew I'd get a better price.  Now with one meal behind me and a couple more planned in the next few days, I should have a nice variety of heat and eat meals that will fill my belly and keep me satisfied, AND being nutritious, with my focus being largely on reduced fat and sodium.  One other note, I can now make meals specific to my cravings and desires instead of trying to make a meal that would please several different tastes.  So off I go on my newest adventure.  I often say, the only thing you can count on in life is change, and I've learned you either fight it or you embrace it!  Let's cook!

This dish was cooked in an electric roasting pan with the lid on.  If roasting in a conventional oven I would personally leave the chicken uncovered.

My mind always goes straight to the tortilla and cheese mode, so a lot of my "eats" are intended for tacos, burritos or quesadilla.  That's the direction I was going with this, but it would be delicious over rice or pasta, or just a reduced carb meal served by itself.

Ingredients:
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 Tbsp Mrs. Dash original blend
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp granulated garlic
1/2 tsp granulated onion or powder
2 tsp crushed pepper flakes, opt
2 Tbsp worcestershire sauce, reduced sodium
1 tsp liquid smoke
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 c olive oil or more
2 Tbsp finely chopped cilantro
1 large sweet onion, or 2 small ones
2 red bell peppers, can use orange or yellow
2 green bell peppers, can use anaheim instead or poblano
6 small mushrooms, opt

In a small bowl add all the dry spices including pepper flakes.  Add wet ingredients except olive oil.  Mix together well.  Now add enough olive oil to make a mixture the is somewhere between a rub and a liquid consistency.  After mixing that together add the cilantro and then you will need to add a little more Olive oil.  Note:  if you don't have apple cider vinegar you can sub lemon juice.

Pat chicken dry and give each piece a good rub and place in your roaster or a baking dish.

Bake or roast at 325º.  Typically in an oven that would take approx. one hour.  Internal temp needs to be 165º before serving.  In my roasting pan (this one is a 20 qt) I find that things cook much quicker so I checked mine at 45 minutes and it was already to temp.
While the chicken was cooking I placed the veggies in a bowl and drizzled with olive oil and seasoned with some McCormicks seasoning.  You can use whatever seasoning  you like or skip this step altogether, but I LOVE the extra flavor so I like to season mine, I would suggest using Mrs. Dash if you are watching your sodium.  Set these aside while the chicken is cooking.

Since I like a little texture left in my peppers, I chose to wait until the end of cooking time to add them.  I placed them on and around the chicken, turned the heat off, placed the lid back on and let them"steam" for 10 minutes.  If roasting in an oven, I'd cover the chicken uncovered but, cover the dish for the last ten minutes after the vegetable were added, or you could add the vegetables about 20 minutes before end of cooking time and leave uncovered.

Remove chicken and veggies and allow to cool for a few minutes before slicing chicken.

Today's meal was soft tacos, big surprise!!!  I used cilantro to garnish and salsa verde to pour over them.

There are many ways to make salsa verde but one of my go-to recipes is super simple and so delicious, it tastes like the salsa my favorite burrito shop here in town serves.

Ingredients:
28 oz can of tomatillos
1-2 red or green jalapeno or any hot peppers, I also use habaneros
1 tsp granulated garlic  
Salt to taste; be sure and taste your salsa at completion before adding any!
NOTE: You can also use dried chiles such as Chile d Arbol or Japones.

Place the peppers or dried chiles in your food processor with one or two tomatillos.  Whiz until pureed.  Add more tomatillos a few at a time and puree.  You may need to add a little juice from the can as you go.  Once all are pureed add the rest of the juice from the can and the granulated garlic.  Give a good whiz then taste.  There is a good amount of sodium in the juice so be sure to taste before adding additional salt.  If you don't like heat but love salsa, just leave out the peppers or dried chiles.  The tomatillos themselves have no heat.

This is a simple recipe, cooked in one hour, for under $10, of course this depends on the cost of chicken breasts in your area.  It will feed six to twelve people depending on how you serve it.  This chicken was tender, juicy and very nicely flavored with a medium amount of heat.  Want more heat, add more red chile flakes.  

Now time for me to bag my "leftovers" into single serving portions an pop in the freezer for another delicious heat and eat meal.

For a true authentic salsa verde recipe go to Just a Pinch and check it out: https://www.justapinch.com/recipes/sauce-spread/salsa/roasted-tomatillos-salsa.html?r=3