Ingredients
1 pound chicken breast, 4 pieces, skinless, boneless
Directions
Sauce:
1/2 pound black beans
4 cups chicken broth
1 thick lemon slice
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 small onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons canned chopped mild green chilies
2 tablespoons dried tomatoes (in oil or reconstituted in a little warm water), chopped
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon wine vinegar
Yield: 4 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes to cook chicken; overnight for beans, plus 1 hour simmering
Have black bean sauce made ahead of time; this recipe will produce more than is needed for the chicken. Cool the prepared sauce as quickly as possible by placing pan bottom in cold water. Freeze or refrigerate the excess for later use; or make the extra sauce into black bean soup the following day by diluting with chicken broth and reheating. Add chopped fresh tomatoes and a scoop of cooked rice to garnish the soup.
To prepare the black bean sauce: Soak the beans overnight in cold tap water. Drain and simmer the beans with chicken broth and lemon slice until the beans are tender.
In oil, saute the onion, garlic and cumin a few minutes. Add the cooked onion mixture to the beans with the canned chilies, dried tomatoes, oregano, and salt and cook bean mixture 15 minutes.
Remove lemon slice and puree about 1/3 of the beans. Add puree back into the bean sauce; stir in wine vinegar to finish sauce.
To serve with chicken breasts, cook chicken as desired. Grill the boneless, skinless breasts over medium coals about 4 minutes per side (or broil, saute or poach).
To assemble, place a cooked half-breast of chicken on an individual serving plate. Top with about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of black bean sauce; spoon Roasted Corn with Zucchini alongside.
Party tip: If serving the chicken to guests, expand the menu with cheese quesadillas: Brush a flour tortilla with mayonnaise. Sprinkle with grated Monterey Jack cheese. Top with another flour tortilla. Cook as for a grilled-cheese sandwich in a tiny amount of melted butter or margarine on a nonstick griddle. Turn once to make both sides golden brown; cool, then cut into triangles to serve.