When we use the words “comfort food” we think of casseroles, soups, and bowls of cheesy noodles that stick to our ribs. But even as the days grow shorter and we brace ourselves for the cold, that just doesn’t fit the bill. Sometimes you need a spiced chicken breast on a salad with a tomatillo dressing. And sometimes you need it even when it happens by mistake.
Since this is the first weekend in November, I bet you thought this would be a comfort food recipe. And by all means it should be. But, with the cold and the rain I’ve been making nothing but “hearty” food for the last month. I really needed a break from anything involving broth or carrots.
So, last night I decided to make a big salad. Not just a big salad, but a big salad in a taco shell bowl. I thought that some fresh salsa along with some crunch would be the answer to my tired palate. As you notice from the photo though, there’s no fresh taco shell bowl.
That’s because I had a minor cooking disaster. It really wasn’t huge, but it could have derailed the meal. My plan was to make corn tortillas and then turn them into the taco bowls. I’ve never made corn tortillas before, although I’ve made flour tortillas quite a few times and they are easy. So, I searched a recipe out and read the (40!) favorable comments. I had everything on hand and I went to work. Sadly though, the tortillas wouldn’t roll because they had the consistency of sand. So I added a tablespoon of water to the dough and then it turned to mud. I didn’t want to get bogged down into irrational anger, which was where my mood was headed. So, when my husband came home from work I told him that we were having “Spicy Milanese-style chicken with roasted tomatillo sauce,” for dinner. He said, “Sweet. That sounds awesome.”
And that’s what it was.
Southwestern Chicken and Salad with Roasted Tomatillo Dressing
- 4 thin chicken breasts
- ½ cup of flour
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 tablespoon of cumin
- 1 tablespoon of ancho chili powder
- 2 teaspoons of salt
- 2 teaspoons of hot paprika
- 2 teaspoons of cayenne
Pour the olive oil into a large frying pan and heat on medium until the oil is hot, but not smoking. Place the flour in a pie plate or on wax paper. Thoroughly mix the spices and salt into the flour. Dredge the chicken into the flour mixture and place gently in the pan. Cook for 5-7 minutes a side until chicken is cooked through.
For the Dressing:
- 5 medium tomatillos, quartered
- 1 large red onion, quartered
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- 1 tablespoon of lime juice
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place the tomatillos and onion in a large rimmed sheet pan. Add olive oil and salt and pepper to the pan. Thoroughly mix the tomatillos and onions in the olive oil so they are covered. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes or until the vegetables are completely soft. When the vegetables have cooled a little bit blend them together with the lime juice using a potato masher or in a blender.
Top some baby greens with the tomatillo sauce and serve with the chicken. If you can have a bite of the salad along with a bite of the chicken you will be very, very happy. Because really, all good food is comfort food, even if it happens by accident.
