Mexican Chicken

It was sophomore year in college that I made the big decision: I was going to move out of the dorms and into an apartment with some girlfriends.  Eeeek!!  How exciting!  How awesome!  How freaking scary!  Living in the dorms kind of makes it seem like you're living on your own but really, you totally still have someone taking care of you.  Someone else makes sure the doors are locked.  Someone else cleans the bathrooms.  Someone else does the cooking, I just have to make up my mind of what I want to eat.

So moving out officially on my own meant I'd really be in charge of things.  If I want to feel secure, there's the deadbolt.  If I wanted a clean bathroom, there's the Lysol wipes.  If I want to eat something, there's the kitchen.  Yikes!  In preparation for this major moving event, my mom (bless her!) gave me what I think of as my first real adult cookbook: The 4-Ingredient Cookbook.  Sound intriguing?  Oh yeah, it is a great cookbook to have for when you're A) on a tiiiiiiiight budget and B) just learning about how this whole real cooking-for-myself thing works.

This book also got me through those first couple years of marriage.  You know, those days of living on one person's income while the other finishes school.  You're living in an apartment, thinking about how you can make Ramen into a fancy "I'm not in college anymore" dish.  Yeah, those days.

One of our favorites from this book, then and now, is Mexican Chicken.

Mexican Chicken
Recipe adapted from The 4-Ingredient Cookbook

Salsa is a fantastic shortcut ingredient

1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 (16oz) jar chunky salsa [highly recommend Pace Medium]

1.  Make sure your chicken is THAWED OUT.  I am constantly forgetting to do this myself and I don't recommend wasting precious post-work minutes waiting for your microwave to take care of this for you.

2.  Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add garlic and saute about a minute.

3. Add chicken and brown on both sides.  Pour salsa over chicken and bring to a boil.

4.  Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 35-40 minutes.

I pretty much always serve this with rice and corn.  Since this dish is so easy, feel free to play up the side dishes.  Make a lime-cilantro rice or add a little compound butter to the hot corn.  Enjoy!