i have been cooking for others for a very long time. food is love, and i’m a very loving person. 🙂 i have posted my recipes online for others, but i had never thought about actually putting a recipe in my blog… but why not? cooking for others is as much a part of me as photography, design, cats, and social media; it is just another extension of my creativity.
evidently, not many people painstakingly plate their food so that it looks delicious before it tastes delicious. really? it takes all of five seconds longer to arrange things on a plate instead of dumping them unceremoniously in a pile. if we care about what goes in our bodies, why not pay attention to form and color and how it looks, too?
so you want this colourful riot of tasty on YOUR dinner table, too, eh? well, you’re going to need these:
- chicken breasts or tenders, thin. marinate in lime juice for an hour.
- one red bell pepper and one orange bell pepper, sliced in thin strips.
- one onion. sliced in thin strips.
- one avocado: dice half into small bits, and slice the other half into presentable slices.
- one generous handful of cilantro, chopped fine.
- one generous handful of Cotija cheese, crumbled.
- rice, cooked.
- jalapeño, seeded and sliced into rings. optional.
- salt, pepper, and spices to taste.
- olive oil, for the pan.
get everything all sliced and ready to go, because this is a fast-assembled dish once you get the chicken cooked! cook the rice and keep warm (i’m assuming you have a rice cooker). while the rice is cooking, slice up the peppers, onion, and jalapeño (if using), and set aside. Also slice up the avocado and cilantro and set aside as well.
sauté the peppers, onions, and jalapeño in a drizzle of olive oil in a skillet on medium heat until slightly soft, about five minutes. set aside in a bowl to keep warm. in the same skillet, turn the heat to medium-high and add a little more oil. Add the marinated chicken and cook until done, about two minutes per side. At this point, feel free to add any additional seasonings you would like on the chicken. Definitely add salt and pepper. The lime will add a lovely kick to the chicken, and i often just leave it unspiced.
Once the chicken is almost done, turn the heat to low, and throw the veggies back into the skillet to keep warm. Now turn your attention to the rice.
Throw the chopped avocado and half the cilantro in the rice. Stir it up to incorporate the green into the rice.
Once the rice is mixed, you’re ready to assemble the dish. Start with a bed of rice with avocado and cilantro. Grab your veggies and chicken and arrange on top. Below: bed of rice, topped with veggies, and about to pile on the chicken.
Finally, in a passionate fit of flair, sprinkle some cilantro and Cotija cheese on top of the pile. Stand back and marvel at your beautiful work of art. If you have warmed some tortillas to serve alongside, go ahead and put them on the table, present your dishes to your lucky dinner companions, and enjoy. Let me know in the comments how you liked this dish!
rubicat 