Chili Lime Chicken with Vegetables and Lentils

About This Recipe

Grilled chicken thighs marinated in chili powder and lime juice and served with a side of lentils.  Lentils provide more protein and a nice change of pace from rice.

Ingredients

• 2 ½ lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 3 Tbsp lime juice
• 1 Tbsp cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 Tbsp garlic (minced)
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 jalapeño pepper (sliced (optional))
• 2 ½ cups cooked lentils
• 1 Tbsp cumin
• 1 Tbsp lime juice
• ¼ cup cilantro (chopped)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 medium zucchini
• 1 medium red onion
• 1 Tbsp olive oil

Instructions

1. Rinse your lentils until the water runs clear and sift through them to ensure there are no rocks or other particles.
2. One cup of dry lentils will yield roughly 2 ½ cups of cooked lentils. Cook a little bit extra to ensure you have enough.
3. There are two ways you can cook lentils. You can cook them like pasta or cook them like rice. I find it way easier to cook them like pasta. Boil the lentils until they are soft and strain.
4. Measure out 2 ½ cups of cooked lentils and mix in ¼ cup chopped cilantro, 1 Tbsp lime juice, 1 Tbsp cumin, and salt and pepper to taste.
5. Poke holes in the chicken thighs using a knife or fork to allow the marinade to enter the meat.
6. In a ziplock bag, add the chicken, juice of 1 lime, 1 Tbsp cumin, 1 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp paprika, 1 Tbsp of minced garlic, 1 tsp salt, and 1 Tbsp of olive oil.
7. Shake the chicken around in the bag to evenly coat each thigh with the seasoning. Remove as much air from the bag as possible and allow to marinate for at least 5 minutes. 30 minutes is preferred but in the interest of time, it is not required.
8. Heat a grill pan over medium high heat and add 1 Tbsp of olive oil.
9. Cook the chicken in batches if necessary to prevent overcrowding. Cook it for roughly 3 minutes on each side but be careful not to mess with it too much as you want the outside to develop some color.
10. After the chicken has cooked, remove it from the pan and cut it into a large dice. Add it back to the pan to allow for it to finish cooking and develop more color.
11. Wash and cut your zucchini into a large dice. Cut the red onion into similar sized pieces.
12. In a large skillet, heat 1 Tbsp of olive oil over medium high heat. Add in the onions and cook for 3-4 minutes, then add the zucchini and cook until soft.
13. This recipe makes 5 servings. Add ½ cup of lentils to each dish and divide the remainder of the ingredients evenly between your containers. Top with sliced jalapeño if desired.