Last night I had to work until midnight at the Civic Center for a UCSF hospital benefit concert. It was a really long day, but I met a lot of new people and we had fun. Even though I slept in today, I still felt sleepy most of the day. I decided to turn to my spicy chicken recipe for lunch today, one of my go-to recipes when I am not really in the mood for cooking a difficult meal. I love this spicy chicken recipe because it is really easy to make, but incredibly flavorful at the same time – just a pinch of cayenne pepper really makes the whole dish. Its always nice to have a meal on the table in no time, especially on days when you get home late or are really busy with other things. I used free-range organic chicken breasts, and I always use fresh ones when I make this recipe because for some reason I never have luck with frozen chicken breasts. I just don’t. They always turn out dry, no matter what I do. One last tip: if you don’t like too spicy, use a little less cayenne pepper at first. This dish definitely has a kick to it 🙂
I have absolutely no plans this weekend, and I love it! No school, no studying…just freedom! It feels great. What is everyone up to this weekend? Have a good one!
Oh yeah, and here is a picture from day 5 of our trip…
Day #5: Arches National Park {my nerdy jumping picture at the beautiful Landscape Arch}
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- ¼ tsp paprika
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- Add salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, and paprika to a shallow bowl and mix together with a whisk or fork.
- Slice chicken breasts in half so you have four pieces and roll each one in the seasoning mixture, rubbing it evenly all around the chicken. (note: in the photo I decided not to cut my chicken breasts into smaller pieces and kept them whole)
- Heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat (do not let it get to the smoking point) and add chicken breasts once hot.
- Fry each side for about 7 minutes, checking with a small incision from a knife in the center to ensure it is no longer pink. Juices should run clear when done.
Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart’s Cayenne-Rubbed Chicken with Avocado Salsa, 2008.
See this post on weekend potluck!
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