Tequila Lime Chicken with Cilantro Rice. Served with Skillet Corn, Edamame, and Tomatoes with Basil

While I love Mexican food, in our house I don’t make it often, as it’s not one of Craig’s favorites, and most of the “original” flavors aren’t entirely my favorites either.  I’m not a fan of spicy, and years ago I had a VERY bad hangover involving tequila and cilantro, but I won’t get into that.

I have been coming around to the taste (and smell) of cilantro, and thought I’d try a new creation I’ve been working on. In addition to this great recipe, I recently came across an recipe for a new side dish, that would go great with this “Mexican style” dish.

Tequila Lime Chicken with Cilantro Rice

with Skillet Corn, Edamame, and Tomatoes with Basil

3 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, diced

The rind of 3 limes

The juice of 3 limes

1 Cup Tequila

2T Mexican Oregano

Salt and Pepper

Mix together the last 5 ingredients, set aside.  Dice the raw chicken and place in the tequila marinade. Marinade for a couple of hours, stirring occasionally.

Drain chicken, and saute until thoroughly cooked, and all moisture has evaporated.

Make rice:

For this recipe I use Basmati Rice.  I usually measure about 2 cups of rice and rinse the rice with cold water until water runs clear.  Bring to a boil, and boil for about 10-15 minutes, check rice for doneness. (when you split the rice kernel in half, you will see a dot in the center-Al dente) When rice is done (al dente), pour the rice into a strainer, and rinse with cold water. Put the pan back on the store, and add a small amount of oil (3-4T) and the rinsed rice, in a mound. Sprinkle about 3-4 T water over the rice, and place a folded towel (make sure there is not fabric softener in the towel) over the top of the pot and place the lid on the pot. Allow to steam for about 20 minutes on medium low heat.

Add 1/2 stick of butter to the rice, mix we  ll.  Add ½ bunch cilantro, diced, to the rice and mix well.

Skillet Corn, Edamame, and Tomatoes with Basil Oil

Ingredients

1 cup fresh basil leaves

¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1 ½ teaspoons coarse salt, divided

¼ cup finely sliced scallions (from 4 scallions)

1 ½ teaspoons minced garlic (from 3 small garlic cloves)

3 ¼ cups corn kernels (from 3 ears)

2/3 cup frozen shelled edamame, thawed

½ pound cherry tomatoes, halved (1 3/4 cups)

2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar

Directions

Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Add basil; cook 10 seconds. Transfer basil to a bowl of ice water, then drain, and squeeze dry. Puree basil, 1/4 cup oil, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a blender or food processor until smooth.

Heat remaining oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add scallions and garlic; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add corn, edamame, and remaining salt. Cook, stirring, until starting to caramelize, about 10 minutes (reduce heat to medium if overbrowning). Add tomatoes and vinegar; cook until tomatoes start to collapse, about 8 minutes.

Drizzle basil oil on vegetables, and stir. Serve immediately.