Grilled Jalapeño Garlic Chicken ~Rice Bowls

Directions

• Butterfly the chicken breast and pound out lightly to even it out, set aside. In the blender, combine all of the ingredients to make the marinade. Blend until smooth, taste for salt. Pour over chicken and turn over to coat evenly. Cover and set aside on counter for 1 hour.
• For the rice, bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Add all of the dry spices, rice and olive oil. Taste for salt, cover, reduce heat and cook for 24 to 28 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with fork, add lemon or lime juice, black beans and cilantro. The rice recipe will make 6 servings. But you will wish you had made more if you run out..lol!
• Slice and prep the vegetables. I like to slice them into strips because it’s easier to fit them on the grill pan. I like to slice the onion into thick rounds. Drizzle them with olive oil and season them lightly with lemon pepper. Preheat stove top grill pan to medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes. Drizzle with a little more olive oil. grill your vegetables in batches and spread out onto lined baking sheet. If you stack them, they will continue to steam and wilt. Rewarm for a few seconds when ready to serve.
• Wipe the grill pan off with paper towels and return to medium heat. Drizzle with a little more olive oil. Shake off excess marinade from chicken and grill for 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to plate and let rest for a few minutes. Slice thin against the grain. To plate, add rice to a shallow bowl, grilled vegetables, chicken, guacamole and crema. Yields 4 servings.