Cajun Chicken with Back Bacon Brussels Sprouts

An easy meal and it's even a decent looking plate. Chef Dave explained how he got his chicken so tasty but I didn't have time because I was building kitchen cabinets and shelves. I salted and seasoned the chicken breasts with Cajun spice, then brushed them with oil and put them on a hot BBQ. I seared them on both sides for a couple of minutes then turned the heat down and let them roast over low heat for 25 minutes.

The rice is Basmati with salt, teaspoon olive oil and a few drops of lemon juice. My microwave has a moisture sensor in it so it knows exactly when white rice is perfect, every time. For vegetables it knows when they are overdone and mushy. No technology is perfect.

I steamed the sprouts then when they were almost done, immersed in cold water to stop cooking. I got a frying pan hot and added a bit of oil and two diced slices of Back (Canadian) Bacon. I let that sear for a minute while I gathered a thinly sliced onion and added it to the pan. More canola oil to cook off the water in the onion and caramelize the sugars in it. When the onions had some nice colour I added the drained sprouts and kept them moving in the pan. A bit more olive oil to keep the pan from drying out. A pinch of salt over the sprouts and when they are hot they are ready.

I brought the breasts in from the BBQ and let them sit for a minute to rest. If you cut meat right off the heat, all the moisture will escape as steam and the meat will be dry. Plate the sliced breasts over the Basmati rice and add the sprouts on the side.

The usual chicken, good but not Michelin star. The sprouts were the star on this plate. They had great flavour and my treatment brought out their best. Where I bought these sprouts probably made all the difference. Sprouts from Save On Foods or Safeway never have great flavour like these did. They were locally sourced and the same price as the chain stores. Lesson: a small local grocer will source the best of local produce so it's fresh and full of flavour. Chain stores are chained to their suppliers.