SOUTHWEST BRAISED CHICKEN WITH VEGETABLES

Recipe from Ana Larramendi
 
Ingredients:
Coating
½ C. finely ground cornmeal 
1 teas. Salt
½ teas. Onion powder
½ teas. Garlic powder
½ teas. Cumin
½ teas. Paprika
 
Main Ingredients:
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 TB olive oil
1 small red or white onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 medium zucchini (or other squash) 
 cut in ½ inch dice
1 Jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
2/3 C. corn (optional)
1 C. diced ripe tomatoes
2 C. Chicken broth (or water)
¼ Teas Cumin
½ Teas. Dried oregano
¼ C. chopped fresh cilantro
 
Instructions:
 
Mix together the cornmeal with the salt and spices. Dredge the chicken breasts in the coating, making sure they are completely coated. Discard cornmeal.
 
In a large skillet, heat 1 TB of the olive oil till it begins to smoke, lay the breasts down in the oil, turn the heat to medium and cook for 2 minutes on one side, then turn the breasts over and cook 2 minutes on the other side so both sides are golden. Transfer the breasts to a plate to hold while you prepare the sauce.
In the same pan as the chicken, add the other TB of Olive oil, then the onion and garlic, sauté over medium heat for a minute, add the zucchini, jalapeno, sauté another minute, then add the corn, tomatoes, chicken broth, cumin, oregano and cilantro. Bring to a boil, then add the two chicken breasts to the vegetable sauce. Simmer the chicken in with the vegetables about 3 more minutes on each side, or until the chicken is cooked through. Taste the sauce to adjust the salt. Remove from heat, serve with rice.