Herbed Chicken Breasts with Tomatillo Salsa and Queso Fresco

I made this for dinner last week.  I thought I had shared the recipe before, but I couldn't find it, so I thought I would post it again.  

Herbed Chicken Breasts with Tomatillo Salsa and Queso Fresco

Queso fresco is a Mexican cheese that is mild, crumbly, and a bit salty. It's a wonderful topping for the tangy sauce.

Yield:  4 servings (serving size: 1 chicken breast half, 1/4 cup salsa, and 2 tablespoons cheese)


Salsa:
2 quarts water
1/2 pound tomatillos (about 10 small), husks and stems removed
1 garlic clove
1/2 to 1 serrano chile
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup coarsely chopped onion
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
Chicken:
3 (1-ounce) slices white bread
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled queso fresco cheese
Cilantro sprigs (optional)
Lime wedges (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°.

To prepare salsa, bring water to a boil. Add tomatillos, garlic, and chile; cook 7 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Combine tomatillos, garlic, chile, chopped cilantro, onion, lime juice, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a food processor or blender; pulse 4 to 5 times or until coarsely chopped. Set aside.

To prepare chicken, place bread in a food processor, and pulse 10 times or until coarse crumbs measure 1 1/2 cups. Arrange crumbs on a baking sheet; bake at 350° for 3 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely.

Place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound to 1/2-inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Combine 1/2 teaspoon salt, cumin, and red pepper; sprinkle evenly over chicken.

Place breadcrumbs in a shallow dish. Place egg in another shallow dish. Dip chicken in egg; dredge in breadcrumbs.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 4 minutes on each side or until done. Top chicken with salsa, and sprinkle with queso fresco cheese. Garnish with cilantro sprigs and lime wedges, if desired.

CALORIES 364 (26% from fat); FAT 10.7g (sat 3.2g,mono 4.5g,poly 1.6g); IRON 3mg; CHOLESTEROL 162mg; CALCIUM 169mg; CARBOHYDRATE 17.7g; SODIUM 770mg; PROTEIN 47.1g; FIBER 2g 

Cooking Light, JANUARY 2005


Recipe and photo from Cooking Light


My notes:  If you don't want to go to the trouble of making your own breadcrumbs, Panko is a great substitute.  


The salsa in this recipe is delicious, and really easy to make.  I have used fresh tomatillos, and also tomatillos that I had frozen from my garden.  I bet canned tomatillos would also work.  I've also served the chicken with bottled salsa verde like this one:

The bottled salsa is an easy substitute, but not quite as good as the fresh salsa.  


Queso Fresco can be hard to find.  I buy it at Smith's, but I've also seen it at Walmart.  It's super yummy.  I also use it in Pumpkin-Black Bean Soup, but that recipe is a bit different, and may not be for everyone!