Avocado Salsa Chicken
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp coriander
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup fresh hot salsa
1/2 cup avocado, cubed (about 1/2 of an avocado)
1/3 cup fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped
juice of 1 fresh lime
salt & pepper to taste
Heat oil over medium-high heat in a skillet until hot. Combine cumin, garlic powder and coriander. Rinse chicken & pat it dry. Sprinkle spice mixture generously on both sides of chicken. Place chicken in hot skillet and sear on one side for 5 minutes. Flip chicken, add salsa to the pan, reduce heat and cook covered for 15 minutes. Make sure that chicken is done cooking and remove from pan to individual dishes, leaving salsa in the pan. Add avocado, cilantro, lime juice, salt and pepper and saute until avocado is heated through. Top chicken breasts with salsa and serve immediately.
The changes I have made to this recipe are not insignificant. It originally did not have the lime juice or coriander (two additions that I thought were real flavor boosters). It also originally called for 1 lb of chicken and served 4 people. I found that the amount of salsa in the recipe was not enough to stretch for 4 servings so I've kept the amount of salsa the same and changed the amount of chicken and total servings... so that you can have salsa with every bite of chicken! Instead of counting the calories from the avocado as part of my "protein", I list the 1/4 cup avocado as my "healthy fat" for the day. The salsa, spices and lime juice have very few calories overall so I do not "count" them as anything. Of course, this is only possible if you're using a similar salsa. Jarred salsas are high in sugar and additives, so I like to avoid those. I use salsa that is found in the produce section of my supermarket and is 5 calories for each 2 Tbsp serving. I buy the hot salsa but mild works just as well. I also know that some people are not fond of cilantro, so it's good to note that fresh parsley works just as well in this recipe.
Helpful Hint: The easiest way to tell if your chicken breasts are done cooking (without cutting them in half) is to touch the top of the thickest portion and test the resistance. If it feels similar to the middle of your outstretched palm then it should be done. This is a trick I learned from a friend of mine who is a professional chef.
Enjoy!