Saturday Night Improv: Chorizo-stuffed chicken breast

I spent the afternoon in the kitchen making homemade butter and pickling kumquats, so when it came time for dinner, I wanted to improv something quick and tasty.

The result was good enough that Jessie said I should blog it. That doesn’t happen very often with my improvisations.

Here’s a hard and fast rule: If you have chorizo, cilantro and a lime, you have 90 percent of what you need for a fantastic meal. That flavor combination works with so many things and is quick to put together. It’s also pretty tough to mess up.

Here’s what I used:

• Two boneless and skinless chicken breasts
• 4 ounces of chorizo, cooked and drained
• 2 Tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 2 Tablespoons of a bold cheese (I used a jalapeno cheddar, though any cheddar will probably do)
• 1 lime
• All-purpose flour
• Olive oil

Here’s what I did:

• Make a pocket in the side of each chicken breast large enough to fill the breast with stuffing.
• Combine cooked and drained chorizo, cheese, half of the cilantro, and a dusting of lime zest. Stuff the chicken breast with the mixture.
• Coat your chicken with the flour (this will help dry out the outside to promote proper browning).
• Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a saute pan. Cook the chicken thoroughly, turning once.
• Garnish with the remaining cilantro, shred a little more of the cheese on top, and squeeze the juice from a quarter of a lime over each chicken breast.

Start to finish, about 30 minutes (including prepping everything and cooking the chorizo). See, I can make a 30-minute meal too, Rachael Ray, and I can do it without saying “yummo” once.

Related posts:

1. Quick chicken tacos with salsa verde
2. Panko-breaded chicken breast with honey-mustard sauce
3. Homemade pizza
4. A night at Bellisio’s…
5. Mac ‘n cheese with bacon