Day 40: The Spicy Sister Edition!

Since I have a pretty busy schedule with my internship and night classes, I try to fit in times to cook new dishes (that's why marinades have become popular because you can prepare it the night before and then just put it in the oven or on the stovetop the next night in no time), but I'm also thankful to have my sister, who can also cook up yummy dishes for the both of us--she's not just my personal taste-tester, haha. A couple nights ago, she made her famous Creole sauce which she usually serves with shrimp, but since we had the crab/shrimp falafel cakes on Monday night, she decided to make chicken. Note: this is also coming from someone who has a very sensitive stomach with many food allergies, so that goes to show you all that you shouldn't let your food limitations stop you from creating a flavorful, delicious dish that can also accommodate your dietary needs! She's also my inspiration because without her various restrictions, I may not have been able to even think up of my abundant recipes to showcase to the world (or at least those of you who read this blog)! So enjoy your dinner and try my sister's famous spicy (not like hot spicy, but spicy as in the use of many spices) Creole chicken:

• Hannah's Spicy Creole Chicken
• Makes about 6-8 servings
• 
  
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 2 pinches of cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes (not too much for sensitive stomachs, unless you can't handle any heat--in that case, this spice is optional)
• 2 pinches of dried thyme
• 4 chicken breasts, cut in half so they are reasonably thin. Pound them if they are too thick. 
• 2-3 cups chopped Swiss Chard or any other leafy green--works well with Brussel sprouts as well, leaves torn apart. 

• 7 tablespoons chilled unsalted margarine, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons chopped garlic

1) Combine first 8 ingredients in large bowl.

2) Add chicken breasts and toss to coat.

3) Melt 4 tablespoon butter in large skillet over medium heat.

4) Add Worcestershre sauce, lemon juice and garlic; sauté until garlic is tender, about 2 minutes.

5) Add chicken;sauté until brown on both sides.

6) Add remaining 3 tablespoons butter; stir until melted.

7) Add Swiss chard and stir into the sauce.

8) Cover the skillet and steam chicken breasts until cooked and the chard looks wilted--about 5-10 minutes--check the chicken after five minutes with a fork and knife to see. 

**Note: If you want to make this recipe with shrimp, cut the spices in half, use 28 shrimp, shelled and deveined, and you really only need about 4 tablespoons of margarine. Also, the shrimp only take about 3-5 minutes, after they've turned pink on both sides and then are steamed with covering the shrimp--they should be opaque in color when they are done. 

Enjoy and Bon Appetit!