chicken tonight, tonight

i ate more chicken tonight, tonight...sounds like it could be an old Sinatra song. I was tired & hungry after working out, and this turned out to be a nice light but tasty dinner. Incidentally, I bought 5 jars of Trader Joe's Sun Dried Tomato Pesto because it's so good just slathered on baguette slices or as part of an appetizer. The chicken turned out nice & spicy with a hint of Garlic.

Tonight's Quick Chicken Dinner:

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper oil
1/2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tbsp. Emeril's Essence
1 boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 3/4 inch cubes.

5 baguette slices, about 1/4" thick
2 tbsp tbsp sun-dried tomato pesto from Trader Joe's
2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 c. frozen green beans
1/2 c. water

In small saucepan, heat water to boiling, add green beans & cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and drain.

Spread sun-dried tomato pesto on baguette slices. Top with 1 tbsp. grated Parmesan, and toast under a broiler or in a toaster oven for 4-5 minutes, watching carefully. Remove & set aside.

In a large pan, heat oil, add garlic & saute for 10 seconds. Add chicken cubes, and season with Essence, and cook for 5-6 minutes, until brown and cooked through. Don't overcook. Remove from heat, and mix in 1 tbsp Parmesan cheese.

Plate, serve & enjoy. Yum!

You can find the recipe for Emeril's Essence on FoodTV.com. You can find the Cayenne Pepper Oil in the "China Moon Cookbook" by Barbara Tropp, which is available on Amazon.com. Speaking of Barbara Tropp, I was lucky enough to visit her China Moon Restaurant in the mid-1990's on two occasions on two separate trips to San Francisco. I remember the food was excellent. It's unfortunate that she passed away from cancer; her memory lives on in the Chinese food I like to cook & eat. Her "China Moon Cookbook" was the first Chinese cookbook I ever owned. In fact, it was the 2nd cookbook I ever bought.