Jana: Spicy Garlic Lime Chicken

Welcome back to Iron Chef Sisters! As I mentioned before, I've had a food crush on limes this summer. I bookmarked a recipe for Spicy Garlic Lime Chicken from AllRecipes.com a few weeks ago. (And, I'm embarrassed to say it even made it on the meal plan a couple of weeks in a row, but was repeatedly pushed aside for other things.)

However, Thursday night was the night! I made the spice mixture and rubbed it on the chicken tenders (shake-and-bake style!) right after work. Then, when Rob got home after his bike ride, basically all I had to do was throw it in the pan.

I paired the tenders with two of my favorites: mashed potatoes and sugar snap peas. The final product had a wonderful spicy, garlicky, tangy flavor and was especially juicy. My one complaint was that the layers of spices on the top was a little gritty. And, for someone like me who is easily offended by the textures of food, it distracted me from the flavor. Maybe it needed to cook a little longer to get a charred and blackened crust.

Spicy Garlic Lime Chicken (adapted from AllRecipes.com)

• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/8 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/8 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
• chicken tenderloins

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 3 tablespoons lime juice

1. Mix together salt, black pepper, chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme and parsley in a gallon-sized bag. Shake spice mixture generously on both sides of chicken tenders.
2. Heat butter and olive oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Saute chicken until golden brown, about 6 minutes on each side. Sprinkle with garlic powder, lime juice, and chicken broth. Cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently to coat evenly with sauce.

Final verdict: It was good. I'll probably attempt something similar again, but next time, I will experiment with the spice mixture, either tweaking the spices themselves or blackening the surface. Or perhaps I will even try to make a sauce to pour on top.