Summer Lime Chicken and Veggies

Summer Lime Chicken is a delicious recipe to liven up chicken breasts. The flavors of lime, cilantro, and garlic combine well to create a great citrus taste that's very light and fresh. This marinade is one of my favorites for grilling chicken breasts, and it also tastes great on lean pork chops.

Once you make the marinade, you should let the chicken marinate for 20-30 minutes. You want to give it enough time to combine the flavors and soak into the chicken, but you don't want to let the lime juice sit on the meat for too long (it will get tough!).



INGREDIENTS:
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded thin
2 tbsp olive oil
3 limes, juiced
4 cloves garlic, minced (or to taste)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 bunch cilantro, chopped fine

DIRECTIONS:
1. Combine all ingredients and pour over pounded chicken. Let marinate for 20-30 minutes. Grill until done; internal temperature should be about 160 F.

I usually serve this meal with some kind of mixed vegetables. One of my favorite combinations (pictured here), is broccoli, green beans, tomatoes, and garlic. I usually steam the veggies in a microwave steamer for about 7 minutes. I also cut the green beans into pieces, so they are easier to handle and eat. After steaming, I heat a small amount of olive oil in a large skillet and add minced garlic (having a jar of minced garlic in the refrigerator is very handy!) and steamed veggies. I cook them on medium to low heat until the veggies are a little softer. When ready, I turn off the fire and toss in my chopped tomatoes. This way, they get warm but not mushy.