Lately, I have had a mini obsession with cumin. I add it to soups, stews, and rubs. So when I gave Andy this recipe as one of the choices for tonight’s dinner and he picked it, I was a little giddy with glee. Just a little.

So after work, through a foot of snow, I drove my tiny car to the store to get the ingredients. Thankfully the store is close to the train station and close to my house. This recipe is really easy to make, super quick, and extremely flavorful. Did I mention that it’s also healthy?

Andy put a little spin on his Cumin Chicken. He likes his food spicy, so he added more   jalapenos (from a can) and sour cream on top. This dish can easily be made into a salad  (taco salad anyone) or a wrap.

Chicken with Black Beans

(recipe from Real Simple)

Serves 4Hands-On Time: 15mTotal Time: 25m

Ingredients:

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
• 3 cups canned black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed
• 1 1/4 cups cherry tomato halves
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped cilantro
• 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

Directions:

1. Place chicken between 2 sheets of plastic wrap; pound with a mallet to 1/2-inch thickness. Combine cumin with cayenne pepper and rub over chicken.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté chicken for 4 minutes per side. Remove to a cutting board.
3. Return the skillet with pan drippings to medium heat. Add the onion and jalapeño and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add the beans, corn, tomatoes, and 3 tablespoons water and cook, stirring, 1 or 2 minutes, until ingredients are just heated through.
4. Remove from heat and toss with the scallions, cilantro, and vinegar. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper. Slice chicken and arrange on top of beans.