Cumin-Cilantro Crusted Chicken Breasts

Squaw rice and black beans are the sides accompanying Cumin-Cilantro Crusted Chicken Breasts.

Right after I said I was going to stick to the plan, I deviated. I needed something quick and easy since I didn't plan ahead by one day and Rodney was hungry, I was hungry, we were getting bitchy...

And this is what I get for it. I stuck right to the recipe, like an idiot. Click the link below if you want to check me.

Cumin-Cilantro Chicken Breasts

1/2 c chopped cilantro
3 tbsp cumin seeds, toasted, coarsely crushed*
2 tbsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp coarse salt
2 tbsp olive oil, divided
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

Combine all ingredients except oil and chicken in small bowl. Stir in 1 tablespoon of the oil. Press mixture firmly onto top of chicken.


Heat large nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil; heat until hot. Gently add chicken; cook 8 to 10 minutes or until no longer pink in center, gently turning once.



*

Toast the cumin seeds in a skillet for a couple minutes or until fragrant, stirring frequently. Then crush it up in a mortar. Or if your pestle was busted from rolling off your kitchen (sales) counter, chop it up a bit with a knife, then clean up the pieces that went flying later.


Our feedback:
Holy cumin overkill! Won't be doing this again. As a matter of fact, I don't know if I'll buy cumin seeds ever again because of this experience. It had to be a typo: three TABLESPOONS of cumin? I should have known better. Even after I checked the recipe online and it was the same as in the magazine, I should have known better.

Unless you absolutely ADORE cumin seeds, say you sprinkle them in your coffee and onto buttered toast in the a.m. and bring packets of the seeds with you to enjoy as a textured taste explosion on your Subway sandwich at lunch, you'll regret following this recipe. Rodney and I scraped the "crust" off our chicken, which thankfully, made it edible.

As for the "crust", it stayed mostly crusted as it cooked, but pieces of it stuck to the pan. Sure, that was my fault because I obviously didn't lube the pan well enough. And as it turns out the time and temp HAS to be checked. I must have had ultra-big boobs that day because they weren't cooked through. We found that out shortly after we realized we weren't fanatics for cumin seeds. So not only were we disgruntled about the cumin, we were nearly poisoned with salmonella. Thus, dinner consumption was very scrape-ery in addition to being delayed.

Cost:

1. chicken boobs: $1.97/lb so about $4
2. cumin seeds: about $3 is what I think I paid for the entire container, of which I used the remainder

Total: about $7.

Again, this recipe sucked! IF I do this again, it will have 3 teaspoons of cumin seeds. That is, IF I buy cumin seeds again in my life.

Oh! I nearly forgot: we had a side of black beans and a rice concoction our friend/neighbor/property manager gave us in a bowl she returned. At least those were good! I need to remember to get that squaw rice recipe...

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