Chicken with Cilantro Lime Cream Sauce

You know how those food magazines ask famous people what’s always in their fridge? And it’s always healthy? I just cannot relate to that.

My refrigerator is always loaded with cardiac-inducing foodstuffs. I don’t use them every day, but I just feel better knowing they are there. I always have sour cream in the icebox to stir into mashed potatoes. I always have bacon grease for frying potatoes. And I always have cream because if you add chicken stock and then stir in a few other ingredients you will always have a yummy sauce.

So the other day, I had some left over cilantro (and if cilantro makes you gag, just decide to have some left over parsley). And I had some limes because Mark decided to make some tropical drink and we over-bought on the limes. So, presto chango, I made Chicken with Cilantro Lime Cream Sauce. In these economically challenging times, I am even more determined not to waste food. The dish turned to be a lovely, delicious experiment.

Chicken with Cilantro Lime Cream Sauce

3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

1 yellow pepper, sliced into strips

1 red pepper, sliced into strips

2 tablespoons butter

3 garlic cloves, minced

½ cup chopped fresh cilantro

¼ cup white wine

Juice from one lime

½ cup chicken stock

½ cup cream

Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add vegetable oil to coat the bottom. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and sauté until cooked through. Remove chicken and add the peppers. Saute until slightly browned. Remove and reserve.

Drain excess oil from pan. Add butter and melt. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in wine, lime juice and broth. Reduce by half. Add cilantro and cream. Continue cooking until cream reduces to the sauce consistency you like. Serve sauce over chicken and peppers.


3 Comments

  1. vargow
    April 13, 2012 at 2:29 am

    I made this tonight. It is SO Yummy! It tastes like something a caterer or restaurant would serve. The sauce is to die for with the soft sauteed bell peppers! It’s heavenly. We can’t wait to make this again. My husband has an AMAZING mashed potato, it’s my absolute favorite- and I eneded up smothering my mashed potatoes he made in the sauce too! It’s that good! Thanks for the recipe!! Maybe as a variation I’ll do poblano pepper sometime.

    • the south in my mouth
      the south in my mouthReply
      April 13, 2012 at 8:48 pm

      Glad you liked it. Now you need to share your husband’s mashed potato recipe!

      • Vargo Williams
        Vargo WilliamsReply
        May 24, 2012 at 9:37 am

        He has a couple different versions. Neither are healthy but tasty! Both very simple and he eyeballs measurements.

        -One he uses red potatoes. Cooks the potatoes and leaves the skin on. He also roasts garlic in the oven. Once potatoes are cooked and garlic is roasted, he mashes the potatoes with a fork, not an electric beater, so it has some texture, and after they are mashed, he adds heavy cream, butter, the garlic and white pepper. Not black. He shreds cheddar cheese (he likes Cracker Barrel Sharp Cheddar and he doesn’t use pre-shredded- he likes the taste better when he shreds his own) and adds it to the mashed potatoes. After it’s to his taste, he puts the potatoes in a baking dish (we are just two people so we use a little white au gratin dish) and bakes it. Before putting it in the oven, he tops the potatoes with more shredded cheddar and bits of bacon. Not bacon bits- he cooks applewood smoked bacon and tears it to pieces and puts it on top, and then bakes it in the oven. Basically bake it just to get it hot again. Its very good.
        -The other one he does is just as good. But he uses Idaho potatoes. Takes the skin off. After he cooks the potatoes, he dries them VERY good. He says that’s important for the texture. With this version, he likes them very whipped and light/fluffy. Once dry, he adds heavy cream and mashes/beats the potatoes on the fastest speed he can with an electric mixer. He adds white pepper. He doesn’t use black. And he adds lots of Parmesan cheese, along with garlic powder and butter.

        Both are very tasty.

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