This morning, I tripped over a clothes hanger and stubbed my toe on the corner of my bed (#thriving). I’ve been out of town almost every weekend, so my room has turned into a disaster zone that requires a level of agility I lack in the AM. Between packing and unpacking every weekend and scrambling to catch up on schoolwork, there are just not enough hours in a day. All my travels have been so much fun, but after the drive back from Columbus I’m ready to not live out of a suitcase or be in a car for awhile! Being away from my kitchen has really made me miss cooking, too. I couldn’t wait to get back to my spaghetti squash and veggie stir-fries.
This chicken salsa stir-fry is one of the first things I could make right when I got home, even without grocery shopping. The recipe evolved from a night where Nicole and I wanted to make dinner together, but we didn’t have half the ingredients for what she had in mind. Instead of whatever form of canned tomatoes the dish called for, she used salsa. I’d never really thought to cook with salsa before, but it adds flavor without as much prep work. It’s definitely become one of my weeknight go-tos, especially with the black bean & corn salsa I am now obsessed with. I happened to have a tomato so I threw it in when I developed this recipe, but if you’re in a pinch like we were, it’s also delicious with just the peppers and onions.
What else do you like to cook with salsa? I feel like it would work really well in some crock pot recipes!
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp minced garlic
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 TB flour
- 1 TB olive oil
- 8 oz boneless skinless chicken breast
- 1 cup diced red and yellow bell peppers
- 1/4 onion, sliced into thin wedges
- 1/2 tomato, diced
- 1/3 cup chunky salsa
- 1/4 cup water
- Dice the chicken into 1" cubes, Toss the first 5 ingredients together, and coat the chicken with the flour and spices.
- Heat the olive oil in large skillet and cook the chicken on medium-high until it's barely pink, then add all of the vegetables and cook covered for another 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add the salsa and water to the pan, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove lid and cook until liquid evaporates some and thickens. Serve over rice or baked spaghetti squash.