Tex-Mex—Santa Fe Lime Chicken

Tex-Mex Entree

Santa Fe Lime Chicken
(Serves 6)

Tart'n smart. Lime lends this chicken a delicious, piquant flavor.

4 T oil (divided)
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. salt
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 C fresh lime juice
1 tsp. lime zest (grated)
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Lime Picante Sauce
4 tomatoes (seeded and chopped)
1 medium onion (diced)
1 small clove garlic (minced or crushed)
1/4 C cilantro (chopped)
2 jalapenos (finely diced, with seeds) (see sidebar)
juice of 4 limes
1 T oil
salt & pepper

Marinate: combine 2 T oil with next 3 ingredients. Rub the seasoned oil mix on the chicken breasts, wrap in plastic, and chill 2 hours.

Grill: Combine remaining 2 T oil with lime juice and zest, and brush on chicken breasts. Place on grill or under broiler, turning twice, and brushing with lime juice mixture. Cook for 15-20 minutes till chicken is cooked and juices run clear when pricked with fork. Serve with the Lime Picante Sauce.

Lime Picante Sauce: combine all ingredients together in a bowl, chill, and serve as an accompaniment to the Sante Fe Lime Chicken.

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Tips & Glossary

Plenty of heat! For many that’s the pleasure of Tex-Mex food. But if you’re sensitive to throat-burning, eye-popping peppers, then turn the heat down—just reduce the peppers.

• Chili Powder: dried ground chili peppers typically mixed with cumin, garlic powder, and oregano. You can make your own blend, adding cinnamon, cloves, coriander, paprika, and nutmeg. Briefly heat dried peppers in a skillet to release flavors, then grind them into powder.

• Chorizo: a spicey pork sausage. OurTex-Mex recipes use the Mexican version—fresh pork ;which is cooked before eating. Spanish Chorizo is cured, ready to eat like pepperoni. If unavailable use a hot Italian sausage.

• Chili Pepper: any small hot pepper, as opposed to larger, milder bell peppers; includes, cayenne (red), chipotle (smoke-dried jalapeños), habanero, jalapeño, paprika, poblano, serrano, and tabasco.

• Chimichanga: a deep fried tortilla, filled with rice, beans, cheese, or meat, and folded into a rectangular packet. It's thought to have originated in Arizona.

• Coriander: also known as cilantro and Mexican or Chinese parsley. Both fresh leaves and dried ground seeds are used in Mexican, Mid-East, Asian, and Indian cuisines.

• Cumin: an aromatic kin to the parsley and carrot plant; an important ingredient in chili powder. Used especially in Indian curries, but also in Mexican, Thai and Asian dishes. It has an earthy, peppery flavor.

• Enchilada: made using corn tortillas, dipped in a sauce, filled and rolled up. They are placed in a casserole dish, topped with sauce and cheese, then baked.

• Quesadilla: (kay-sa-dee-ya), literally, “little cheese thing.” In Tex-Mex cooking it has come to mean a sort of grilled cheese sandwich, using two tortillas filled primarily with cheese, grilled in a skillet or griddle, then cut into wedges.