Recipe: Chicken in Salsa Verde, Grilled Citrus Chicken, Pollo En Nogada (Chicken in Nut Sauce), Mexican Rice, Mexican Green Rice (Arroz Verde), Red Rice - Some ideas for Susie.

First I will provide several Mexican Recipes for Chicken. You will need an aluminum serving plate. You can use a disposable Lasagna or Turkey oven roasting pan to serve the dish.

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CHICKEN IN SALSA VERDE
Yield: 6 servings

2 tsp canola oil
1 lb chicken pieces, skinned, & boned
1/2 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 lb fresh or 12 ounces canned tomatillos
3 whole roasted green chilies, chopped
1/2 cup apple juice
1 tbsp fresh chopped cilantro

Spray a non-stick skillet with vegetable cooking spray. Heat oil and saute chicken. Add onion and garlic, stirring until limp. Add remaining ingredients. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer about 20 to 25 minutes, depending on the amount of chicken. Change to the roasting pan so that guests can serve directly from it buffet style.

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GRILLED CITRUS CHICKEN
Servings: 4

4 boneless chicken breast halves
1 cup purchased salsa or picante sauce
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon lime or lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/2 teaspoon dried leaf oregano, crumbled
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon chili powder

Flatten chicken breasts; place each chicken breast between sheets or plastic wrap or food storage bags and pound gently with flat side of meat mallet until about 1/4-inch thick.

Cut each flattened chicken breast into strips about 1-inch in width. Place chicken strips in a glass baking dish or nonreactive shallow container.

Combine remaining ingredients; pour over chicken. Cover and chill chicken in marinade for 1 to 2 hours.

Thread chicken onto metal skewers or well-soaked wooden skewers. Grill over hot coals for 6 to 8 minutes, turning a few times and basting with remaining marinade. Serve with additional salsa, if desired.

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POLLO EN NOGADA (CHICKEN IN NUT SAUCE)
Source: RECIPES USING ANCHO CHILES (by Diana Kennedy)
Yield: 6 Servings

3 ancho chiles; toasted and soaked
2 tbsp oil
2 tbsp butter
1 3-1/2 lb. chicken; cut into serving pieces
salt and pepper
2 c chicken stock
1 clove garlic; chopped
1 large onion; chopped
1/8 tsp each cinnamon and cloves
1 tsp oregano
1/2 cup peanuts
1/2 cup pecans
1 slices white bread; broken up

Heat oil and butter in skillet and saute chicken until golden. Remove to flameproof casserole which has a lid, and season with salt and pepper. Save fat in pan. Add stock; cover and simmer gently until tender, about 45
minutes.

Meanwhile, combine prepared chiles, onion, garlic, spices, nuts, bread and a little stock in the blender and blend to a coarse puree, blending in 2 batches.

Heat oil and butter remaining in skillet, adding enough to make 2 Tbsp. if necessary. Cook the puree for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

Pour the stock off the chicken; add to the sauce; and cook, over low heat, until it is the consistency of heavy cream.

Pour over the chicken in the casserole, and simmer gently for 5 minutes or until heated through. Serves 6.

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To accompany the chicken I suggest a Mexican Rice. Here is the recipe:

MEXICAN RICE
Anyone who knows anything about Mexican rice knows how well it goes with other dishes. This is the perfect side dish for practically anything.

1 cup uncooked rice your choice
2 cups cold water
2 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
Olive oil
1/2 onion
Coarsely chopped small roma tomato, chopped into about 4 pieces
Hot pepper of your choice, sliced lengthwise
Tomato sauce (I'd say a little less that 1/4 cup)
1 tsp ground comino powder
1 Tbs chicken bouillon
Salt, to taste

Put a little olive oil (Tbs or so) into a medium-sized pot and heat to a medium temperature, add the rice, uncooked, and brown in the oil. Make sure all the rice is lightly coated with the oil. You do not have to stir the rice around very much at first, while browning, but as the rice becomes browner you want to be stirring it around to make sure it all browns evenly and doesn't burn. It will turn brown, but t's not burning unless it's turning dark/black. Towards the end of the browning, add the garlic so that it is sort of sauteed/browned.

Next, dump the water on the rice (it will steam up loudly) and add the remaining ingredients. Stir well and cover (with a small air escape). Reduce heat to medium-low to medium, and let cook for 20-30 minutes. (Cooking time and temperature varies with your stove. Check after 20 minutes to make sure you don't burn.)

The essential rule of this recipe is "Do Not Peek" while the rice is cooking.

When it is ready, all the water will be absorbed, the rice will fluff, and each grain will be "split open" because of the browning. It should be dry, not saucy. You can adjust the spices/peppers to your taste. The recipe can be changed by keeping with the 1 cup rice/2 cups water ratio, and adjusting remaining ingredients.

Goes great with any manner of Mexican beans or as a side dish to Mexican entrees such as tacos, enchiladas, burritos, etc. Also great by itself.

Enjoy this great Mexican rice recipe.

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MEXICAN GREEN RICE (ARROZ VERDE)

1/8 cup vegetable oil
1 cup Basmati or long-grain rice
2 large poblano chiles, tops removed, seeded, and diced
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
3 garlic cloves, mashed
1/2 onion, diced
2 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules
Salt
Pepper
1 cup frozen peas and carrots
1 tablespoon butter

In a Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid, heat oil and saut rice.

In a blender pur e chiles, cilantro leaves, garlic, and onion with 2 cups hot water. Strain over the saut ed rice. Add chicken bouillon granules and stir until dissolved. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook for 20 to 25 minutes until rice is tender.

Meanwhile, cook frozen peas and carrots in lightly salted water for 1 minute. Drain. Add 1 tablespoon butter and garnish rice with them.

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RED RICE

1 cup rice
3 tablespoons bacon drippings or vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped, or 5 scallions, chopped, including green part
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cups hot water
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
Salt, to taste
3 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
Pinch of Mexican oregano
2 beef or chicken bouillon cubes

Pour hot water over rice and let it stand for about 15 minutes. Drain the rice and rinse it well in cold water. Shake the sieve and let the rice drain for a while. Shake the rice to remove any excess water.

In a heavy skillet, brown rice in bacon drippings or oil over low heat. Add remaining ingredients, reduce heat, cover tightly and cook for 20 to 25 minutes.

You may use any mix of the spices you like best.