This recipe is a great lunch salad.

Ingredients

• 2 chicken breasts, blackened
• 1/2 cup Champignon Montanolo cheese, diced
• Few dashes balsamic vinegar
• Small drizzle olive oil
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• Few spinkles season-all salt
• Few dashes hot sauce
• Salad greens

Instructions

Saute the chicken breasts until cooked thoroughly. Dice into about 1-inch cubes and place in a large salad bowl. Add the cheese and stir. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir until thoroughly mixed. Place the greens in a bowls and serve the chicken mixture over them.

Freelance chef Alejandra Montero created this recipe that was distributed by the Hortus Botanicus. It is usually served with rice that is fried in oil and garlic before it is cooked.

Alejandra suggests adding a half cup of fresh or frozen garden peas during the last 5 minutes.

Ingredients

• 8 chicken legs

• 2 tablespoons cinnamon

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 3 shallots, chopped

• 2 large tomatoes, peeled and chopped

• 1 cinnamon stick

• 2 red bell peppers, seeds and stems removed, chopped

• 1 teaspoon red chile powder

• Water as needed

• Salt to taste

Instructions

Sprinkle the chicken legs with cinnamon and let them marinate, covered, for 30 minutes. Add the oil to a deep skillet and heat it. Sear the chicken legs over medium heat for about 8 minutes, turning often. Remove the legs to a plate, add the shallots and saute them until golden brown. Return the legs to the skillet, add the tomatoes and cinnamon stick, and a little water. The legs should be just covered by the liquid.

Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove the cover, add the bell peppers and chile powder, and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Adjust the salt and stir just before serving.

Since capsaicin breaks up nasal congestion and gives us the “salsa sniffles,” try this quick chicken soup cure for your next cold.

Ingredients

• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dried epazote (optional)
• 1 cup chunky-style tomato based salsa
• 2 14-1/2-ounce cans chicken broth
• 1 ½ cups frozen whole kernel corn
• 1 cup cooked rice
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
• Vegetable oil spray

Instructions

Spray a heavy saucepan with cooking oil. Heat, and add the chicken, chili powder, and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes over medium heat.
Add the epazote, salsa, broth, corn, and rice. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and cook for 10 minutes or until the chicken is no longer pink.
To serve, stir in the cilantro and garnish with additional fresh cilantro.

Be sure to serve this dish right out of the oven for the best taste.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound boneless and skinless chicken thigh meat
• 1 ¾ cups diced tomatoes
• ½ cup Red Chile Sauce
• Kosher salt to taste
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• 4 large poblano peppers, roasted and peeled
• 2 cups (about 8 ounces) grated Monterey Jack
• ½ cup (about 2 ounces) goat cheese, crumbled

Instructions

To prepare the chicken stuffing, heat the oil in a saute’ pan and add the chicken. Saute’ the meat over medium heat, turning it several times, until it is cooked through. Remove the chicken from the heat and allow it to cool. Coarsely chop the meat, and put it in a bowl. Add the tomatoes, chile sauce, salt and pepper. Mix gently.

To prepare the rellenos, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put one quarter of the chicken mixture in each pepper, with the cut side facing up. Place peppers on a lightly oiled sheet pan. Mix together the Monterey Jack and goat cheese and divide it evenly among the peppers, piling cheese on top of the chicken mixture. Bake the peppers for 20 minutes or until filling is heated through and cheese is melted and bubbling. Serve at once.