Cilantro Lime Chicken

Cilantro Lime Chicken served with rice and asparagus

I got this recipe off Sally's Baking Addiction ages ago, and it's truly one of my favorites--even if I haven't made it in a while. It's a little creamy, a little spicy, perfectly savory, and so good served with rice and asparagus. And it tastes great the next day as well. 

It's surprising how quickly this dish comes together, so it's a delicious and satisfying weeknight meal that I need to remember to put into my rotation. 

The only reason I'm putting it here on the blog now is because 1. I am tired of having other search it up I my Pinterest account each time I make it and 2. I'm afraid it will go missing on the internet and then I'd have to make the recipe up myself.

At any rate, it's a great meal. You should try it.

Cilantro Lime Chicken 

     Adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction 

Ingredients:

• 2 large chicken breasts
• 1/4 teaspoon salt 
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cups chicken broth
• juice of 1 lime
• 3/4 cup red onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1/2-3/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 5 tablespoons butter
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• more cilantro for garnish, if desired

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Cut the chicken into about 1/2-inch filets. I cut a filet off the thicker end of the breast, and then I cut the larger bottom piece in two. The original recipe called for pounding the chicken, so that is also an option.

Sprinkle both sides of the cut chicken with a bit of salt and pepper.

Heat an oven-proof frying/sauté pan over medium high heat. Add the olive oil and tilt the pan to evenly coat the bottom with oil.

Add the chicken and sauté until the bottom is nice and golden brown. Turn and brown the other sides. Once both sides are browned, remove chicken to a dish/plate and cover with foil until the sauce is ready.

Add the chicken broth, lime juice, onion, cilantro, & red pepper flakes to the hot pan. Allow liquid to simmer until it's reduced by about half or a little more. Turn off the heat.

Add the butter, and. heavy cream and stir until butter is melted completely. Then add back the chicken, turning to coat.

Place the pan into the oven and cook for about 10-15 minutes uncovered at 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Remove from oven and serve with rice and vegetable of your choice.

Liege Waffles

Liege Waffles

Liege Waffles: a buttery yeasted dough studded with Belgian pearl sugar and baked on a waffle iron. I've been wanting to taste these and make them for years. I finally tasted them maybe two years  ago(?) at waffle truck at a bar in Marietta, GA, on St. Patrick's Day. Then a trivia teammate shared with me ones she had made. That was the clincher. I had to make them--and here they finally are, in all their glory. The waffle dough isn't sweet at all, but the sugar pearls add just the right sweetness and crunch on the outside. 

Be sure to read the cleaning note at the end. These make a mess of your waffle iron. 

Shoutout to the blog Whipped for sharing the recipe.

Liege Waffles
Adapted from Whipped

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
• 1/3 cup warm water
• 3 eggs, room temperature
• 1 cup butter, melted and cooled
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup Belgian pearl sugar

Instructions:

• To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add the flour, sugar, salt, and yeast. Then stir ingredients with whisk to blend completely.
• Add the water and mix on low. 
• Add eggs, one at a time until they are all completely incorporated. 
• Slowly add the melted & cooled butter, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally to make sure it's evenly mixed.
• Tidy up the dough by scraping the sides with a silicone/rubber spatula.
• Cover with a tea towel, plastic wrap, or a clean plastic grocery bag, and allow to sit and rise for about 1 hour.
• Once dough has doubled, add the pearl sugar and fold it in gently, making sure to evenly distribute the pearls.
• Allow dough to sit again for about 15 minutes. 
• After dough has sat for 7-10 minutes, plug in your waffle iron (a Belgian style waffle iron is best for this because you get the thick waffles).
• When the dough and waffle iron are ready, scoop 1/4 to 1/3 cup blobs of dough onto the hot waffle iron. Close and allow to cook until medium golden brown, or browned to your liking. My waffle iron has number settings, and I set mine to 3.5 out of 5. It beeps when they're perfectly browned. 
• Use tongs or two forks to carefully move the cooked waffles to a cooling rack to cool. The sugar pearls have melted and you don't want to burn your fingers on the molten sugar.
• Allow waffles to cool about 5 minutes before enjoying. Repeat waffle cooking until all dough is cooked.
• Store uneaten cooled waffles in an airtight container in the fridge. You can also freeze these. Reheat by toasting on a light setting. 

Makes about 19 smaller waffles or 9-10 medium sized waffles

Re: Cleaning the waffle iron

While the waffle iron was still hot, I unplugged it and then I poured in water to cover the melted sugar and go up the sides about halfway.

After a few minutes I started using a paper towel held by my pair of mini-tongs to wipe it. I then used the same paper towel to soak up the water. I had to wring out the paper towel several times, but it was sturdier than I thought.

The waffle iron has never looked cleaner.