Mayan Chicken

Photo: flickr user bunnicula

Ingredients

4 chicken breast halves - (abt 10 oz ea) skinned

2 tablespoons salted red achiote paste

1 can crushed tomatoes - (14 1/2 oz)

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 green bell pepper - (8 oz) rinsed, stemmed,

seeded, and chopped

1 onion - (8 oz) peeled, chopped

Preparation

Rinse chicken and pat dry. Rub achiote paste all over chicken. In a bowl, mix tomatoes, lemon juice, ginger, garlic, thyme, salt, cumin, oregano, and pepper; add chicken and turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and chill at least 3 hours or up to 1 day.

Pour oil into a 10- to 12-inch frying pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add bell pepper and onion and stir often until limp, about 10 minutes.

Add chicken and its marinade to pan and bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover, and simmer until chicken is no longer pink at the bone (cut to test), about 10 minutes. With tongs, transfer chicken to a wide, shallow serving bowl; pour sauce over chicken.

This recipe yields 4 servings.

Comments: This chicken dish, which Beverly Smick serves with rice and beans, was inspired by one she enjoyed on a recent trip to Belize. The chicken gets its red color from a paste made of achiote seeds (from annatto trees), commonly sold in Latin American markets.