EverGreen Farm Recipes

Spice Rubbed Chicken Fingers with Cilantro Dipping Sauce

This recipe comes from my friend Rene, a CSA Member and Workshare.  She made the Cilantro Sauce and brought it to the farm with tortilla chips for us to munch on while working.  It makes an excellent chip dip!  It would also be great on chicken, pork or fish.

1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp salt
1 pound chicken
1/2 cup cilantro springs
1/4 cup parsley springs
1/4 cup blanched slivered almonds
1 clove garlic
1 Serrano chili pepper, seeded (wear plastic gloves when handling)
1/8 tsp salt
2 Tbsp lime juice
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp water
Sprig cilantro, for garnish

Coat grill rack or broiler-pan rack with cooking spray.  Preheat the grill or broiler.

In a cup, combine the chili powder, cumin, and salt.  Cut two 1/2 inch deep slashes in each side of the chicken tenders.  Rub the spice mixture over the chicken, pressing into the slits.  Place the chicken in a baking pan and coat completely with cooling spray.  Let stand for 10 minutes.

In a food processor, combine the cilantro, parsley, almonds, garlic, chile pepper, and salt.  Process until chopped.  While the processor is still running, add the lime juice and oil through the feed tube, stopping the machine once or twice to scrape down the sides of the container until the sauce is smooth.  Pour the sauce into the bowl.  Stir in the water, cover, and chill until ready to serve.

Place the chicken on the prepared rack and grill or broil 6 inches from the heat, turning several times, for 15 minutes, or until a thermometer inserted in the thickest portion registers 170 degrees F and the juices run clear.  Serve with the sauce and garnish with cilantro.

Makes 4 servings.

Per serving:  248 calories, 13 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 28 g protein, 4 g carbohydrate, 1 g dietary fiber, 66 mg cholesterol, 324 mg sodium

Freezing Herbs

If you ever find yourself with "extra" herbs and don't want them to go to waste, I have a helpful hint for freezing them.  This tip works especially well with parsley and cilantro.  Just place the herb in a blender  (stems can be removed first if you desire) and puree with as little water as necessary to get the leaves to chop.  Then pour the mixture into ice cube trays.  Once solid, the herb cubes can be frozen in a freezer bag and used as needed.  The herb's true flavor is maintained incredibly well, it smells and tastes so fresh.  Just pop a cube into a soup, mashed potatoes, spaghetti sauce, or whatever.  Or you can put a cube in a strainer and allow the water to melt off, then add the herb to your cooking.

Jill's Totally Headie Hummus

1 can black beans or kidney beans
1 can garbanzo beans
1 Tablespoon cumin
juice of 2 lemons
bunch fresh cilantro
1 small purple onion or 4 green onions
4 cloves garlic (or garlic scapes)
2 Tablespoons sesame tahini
splash olive oil (optional)
splash sesame oil (optional)
splash plain yogurt (optional)
salt, pepper, cayenne, dill (all to taste)

Blend in a food processor on high speed until creamy.  Eat with fresh veggies, crackers, pita or on top of a green salad.  Garnish with Kalamata olives.  Flavor is best if it sits in the fridge overnight or longer.

Thai Grilled Chicken with Cilantro Dipping Sauce

1 1/2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 packed cup plus 1tbsp of chopped cilantro leaves and stems
2 Jalapeño peppers (seeds and ribs removed)
4 cloves of garlic, 2 smashed, 2 minced
2 tbsp of Asian fish sauce (nam pla or nuoc mam)
1 tbsp of cooking oil
1 tsp sesame oil
6 tbsp rice-wine vinegar
1 1/2 tbsp water
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp dried red-pepper flakes

Light the grill or heat the broiler. Puree (in a food processor or blender) jalapeños, smashed garlic cloves, 1/2 cups of cilantro leaves, fish sauce, cooking oil, sesame oil, and 1/4 tsp of salt. Put the chicken in a dish and coat with cilantro puree.

Grill chicken over medium/high heat or broil for 5 minutes.  Turn and cook for another 5 minutes.

In a saucepan bring the vinegar, sugar and remaining 1/4 tsp of salt to a simmer (simmer for two minutes). Pour the liquid into a small bowl and cool. Add the minced garlic and 1 tbsp of cilantro, red pepper flakes, and water, whisking until combined. Serve the chicken with a small bowl of dipping sauce