Tomatillo Chicken

This was my first recipe using tomatillos, to be frank, it was not what I expected. I thought tomatillos would be more like green tomatoes... they are not. And maybe it was just the ones I bought so I can't speak for all tomatillos. But they were sticky on the outside and smelly on the inside and textually they were much more fruit-like than the tomato. I thought the strange smell would be in the food after I cooked it. Gratefully, it wasn't there. It came out mild and flavorful and very delicious with a tangy-ness to it I really liked. I would definitely make this recipe again but I would do so with much different expectations and much more confidence that I am not making and smelly, sticky mess in my kitchen for nothing; because I know how good the end results are.

Serves: 4 servings
Start-to-Finish: 30 minutes
Recipe By: Audrey Kinne

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
4 slices provolone cheese
1 medium onion, chopped
1 TBSP olive oil
6 tomatillos, husks removed, chopped (time process is time consuming and sticky)
1/4 cup lime juice
6 pickled jalapeno slices, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Hot cooked rice

Directions:

1. Prepare all your vegetables and ingredients by washing, cutting, and measuring. (I recommend this as the first step because the recipe moves fast once you start cooking and the prep work takes some time.)
2. Set your oven to broil and adjust your oven racks so the top rack is 8-10 inches from the heat.
3. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly spray with cooking spray.
4. Broil the chicken on the baking sheet for 4 - 7 minutes on each side or until a meat thermometer reads 170°F.
5. Top each chicken breast with a slice of cheese and cook 1 minute more.
6.  Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute onion in olive oil until tender.
7.  Add tomatillos, lime juice, jalapenos, and garlic and cook 3 minutes longer.
8.  Stir in cilantro, cumin, salt, and pepper.
9. Serve tomatillo mixture and chicken with rice.