I’ve heard it said that you either love cilantro or you hate it. I think there’s even a cilantro haters society! Our family loves the stuff. A quick review of the fridge showed that I had chicken breasts, some cilantro and a few colorful bell peppers. I was hankering for something with a Southwestern American feel –my favorite these days.
After my recent walnut taco experience (see previous post), I was ready to return to a more simple approach to meal preparation. I’m sure I could have done a quick internet search and found several recipe ideas, but I was in a creative mood so I made a list of what I’d need and got to work!
Ingredients:
2 boneless chicken breasts, sliced into 1/4″ strips
2 Tablespoons coconut or olive oil
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2″ pieces
1 green bell pepper, cut into 1/2 ” pieces
1 orange bell pepper, cut into 1/2 ” pieces
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 red onion, roughly chopped
2 Tablespoons ground cumin
1 Teaspoon chili powder (or more to taste)
1/2 Teaspoon sea salt
Juice of 1/2 lime
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 avocado, sliced
Optional: 1/4 teaspoon each onion and garlic powder
Heat oil over medium-high heat in large skillet (preferably cast iron). Add chicken and cook until no longer pink, 5-7 minutes. Add about 5 cups of the vegetables (except avocado or cilantro), the cumin, chili powder and salt; saute until tender crisp, about 5 minutes. Stir in the lime juice and cilantro and heat through.
Check the seasoning. Garnish with avocado slices and serve with a big salad — I used the remaining stir fry vegetables in our salad. This dish would work well with beans or tofu too!
Note: Remember that lists of ingredients are usually only suggestions. If you don’t have the exact items just try using what you have and create something interesting! This approach does not work for baked goods though — there’s not a lot of room for experimentation there.
