My in-laws came to dinner recently and I wanted something that I could do a lot of prep for in advance and which wouldn’t be something too weird and outrageous. Grilled chicken is always a safe bet, so I dug out a recipe I saved from May 2007 Bon Appetit and tweaked it a bit. This turned out beautifully! It was flavorful and colorful and also amazing as leftovers the next day.

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

2 garlic cloves

6 garlic scapes

1 tbsp cumin

1 tbsp paprika

1 tsp salt

Pinch cayenne pepper

1/2 cup olive oil

1 cup plain yogurt

1/4 cup lemon juice

3 chicken breasts and 4 chicken leg quarters (substitute any parts you prefer)

2 cups jasmine rice

3 cups water

1/2 cup pine nuts

1 mango, peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch cubes

Fresh cilantro for decoration

Put the cilantro, garlic, garlic scapes, cumin, paprika, salt, cayenne and oil in the food processor. Process until combined. Add the yogurt and lemon juice and pulse until combined. Reserve 1/3 cup of this mixture.

Place the chicken in a glass baking dish and cover with the mixture, turning to coat. Cover and marinate at least an hour (I left mine for about 6 hours).

Heat your grill to medium and cook the chicken until done. While this is cooking, combine the rice, water and reserved yogurt mix in a pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover. Allow to cook about 15 minutes until the liquid absorbs. Fluff with a fork and add in pine nuts and mango. Serve with chicken. Serves 6.

 

My in-laws came to dinner recently and I wanted something that I could do a lot of prep for in advance and which wouldn’t be something too weird and outrageous. Grilled chicken is always a safe bet, so I dug out a recipe I saved from May 2007 Bon Appetit and tweaked it a bit. … Read more →