Make a Meal: Cilantro-Lime Chicken with Avocado Salsa and Saffron Rice

I came across this pairing in the Cooking Light Quick and Easy Low-Calorie Recipes magazine and had to share! Making both of these together was a 30 minute process which is always a win on a "school night" (we still call it a school night as working adults now, right?). 

We both really enjoyed this meal and added in a pre-made squash dish from Whole Foods that included corn, red onion, poblano pepper and melted cheese. It was exactly like the sweet potato hash I had made with squash instead of sweet potato. I like to cook to the seasons and this felt very summery, with plenty of flavor and freshness. This was my first time to use saffron in a recipe and it takes very little to create big flavor. 

Nutritional facts for chicken: 289 calories, 13.2g fat, 35.6g protein, 6.6g fat, 3.6g fiber, 94mg cholesterol, 1.6mg iron, 29mg calcium per serving (serving size, 1 chicken breast with 1/4 cup of avocado salsa)

Nutritional facts for rice: 196 calories, 0.1g fat, 287mg sodium per serving (serving size 3/4 cup)

Grocery List:
for chicken and salsa:

• 2 tbsp. minced fresh cilantro
• 2 1/2 tbsp. fresh lime juice
• 1 1/2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. chili powder
• 1/2 tsp. Adobo seasoning
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (again, I used cutlets, then cut them in 1/2 for 4 thin pieces of chicken)
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• Cooking spray
• 1 cup chopped tomatoes (recipe suggests Plum, I used grape tomatoes to use up what I had)
• 2 tbsp. onion, minced
• Juice of 1 lime (about 2 tbsp.)
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1 avocado, peeled and finely cubed

for saffron rice:

• 1 cup diced onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup, uncooked basmati rice
• 2 cups fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 tsp. saffron threads

Combine the first six ingredients in a large bowl; toss and let stand for about 30 minutes. Remove chicken from marinade and discard the liquids.

Now for the saffron rice: You will want to start the boiling for the rice as the chicken is marinating to time the end result perfectly. Heat a medium sauce pan over medium heat and coat with cooking spray. Add the diced onions and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes or until browned, stirring frequently to keep from burning.

Add basmati brown rice, chicken broth and the saffron threads.

 the saffron threads

Bring all to a boil then cover and reduce heat. Let simmer for 20 minutes.

Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees, then heat a grillet (grilling skillet) over medium-high heat and coat with cooking spray. Place the chicken on the grillet and cook for about 5 minutes on each side, then place in the oven for another 5 minutes. 

 

While your chicken grills, combine your diced tomatoes, onion, lime juice, salt, pepper and avocado into a bowl and stir gently.

Once chicken is cooked through, spoon your salsa over your chicken, fluff your saffron rice with a spoon and you are ready to serve! Garnish with any additional chopped cilantro.