Chili Rubbed Ham Steak with Zucchini Salsa

Dinner tonight was excellent.  A nice quick dish that takes about 15 minutes to prep and 15 minutes to cook. I changed the original recipe a bit and took out the apricot jam that went on the steak and added the cilantro.  I also used the griddle to fry the ham steaks instead of a fry pan.

Ingredients:

Salsa:
2 zucchini, diced into 1/2" to 1/4" pieces
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
3 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
1 small jalapeno pepper, minced
1 small bunch of fresh cilantro, minced

Ham:
2 ham steaks, about 1 pound each (or 1 larger one)
1 tbsp chili powder

Directions:

1. Rub the chili powder on the ham steaks and let them sit while doing the rest of the prep work.
2. Mix all of the salsa ingredients together in a bowl and put in the fridge
3. Grill or fry the ham steaks until done.
4. Serve immediately with the cold salsa on the hot ham.

This recipe was based on one from the Atkins Best Recipes cookbook.

Green Salsa Chicken Breasts

Here's an excellent meal that tastes a bit like a combination of chicken taco salad and a kind of soup. Very simple yet tasty.

Ingredients:

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

2-3 tbsp butter/oil

2 2/3 cups green salsa

1 cup chicken stock

3 garlic cloves, finely diced

3 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 fresh green chili or other pepper

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 cup sour cream

romaine lettuce leaves, shredded

3-5 scallions, finely chopped

coarsely chopped cilantro

salt/pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Season the chicken w/salt and pepper.

2. Melt butter and/or oil in a large skillet and brown the chicken breasts. Cook until they are browned, but not cooked through as they will finish cooking later in the sauce.

3. Remove chicken from the pan and reserve.

4. Place salsa, stock, garlic, cilantro, chili (or hot peppers), and cumin in a pan and bring to a boil. Quickly reduce to a low simmer and add the chicken back in, spooning the sauce over the chicken.

5. Serve the chicken on a bed of lettuce and topped with sour cream, scallions, and cilantro if desired.

I changed it up a bit and put the scallions in the sauce and didn't top with any scallions or cilantro. Instead, I just topped with sour cream, some chipotle seasoning, mozzarella cheese, and some green Tabasco sauce. The sauce doesn't have much kick, so it could use a bit more.

Recipe was from the Greatest Ever LC Recipe Book. (It's not actually the greatest ever, that's just the name.) :o)