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Limes are generally smaller than its counterpart the lemon and the aromatics and taste are completely different. Most of the fruit can be used in culinary dishes, the juice is the most popular but the peel (or zest) will pack an even bigger punch when grated and added to recipes. When I make a dish requiring limes, I try to utilize the zest to enhance the flavors of what I'm preparing.

LIME CHICKEN

6 chicken breasts
Juice from one lime
Lime zest from one lime
1/3 cup flour
1 tbsp. paprika
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup white wine
Salt and pepper to taste

*Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

*Grate the peel from the lime and set aside.

*Place the chicken breasts into a large Ziploc bag.

*Squeeze the juice of the lime onto the chicken, add the flour and paprika to the bag. You can also add salt and pepper to taste at this point. Turn or shake the bag to thoroughly coat the chicken.

*Heat the oil in a skillet. Place the chicken into the skillet and sear both sides.

*Place the chicken into an oven safe dish.

*In a bowl, combine the lime zest, brown sugar, broth and wine. Mix well and pour over the chicken.

*Bake at 375 degrees until chicken is cooked through (approx. 25-35 minutes). Cooking time will depend upon the thickness of the breasts.

TROPICAL LIME CHICKEN

1 (20 oz.) can pineapple slices or chunks
4 chicken breasts
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup honey
2 tbsp. soy sauce
Lime juice from two limes
Zest from one lime
1 tsp. cornstarch
Salt and pepper to taste

*Drain the pineapple, reserving two tablespoons of the juice.

*Rub the chicken with the garlic, sprinkle with salt and pepper.

*Cook chicken at 375 degrees for 15 minutes.

*While chicken is cooking, combine the reserved pineapple juice, honey, lime juice, soy sauce, lime zest and cornstarch in a saucepan. Cook, stirring constantly until the sauce begins to thicken. The sauce will not become very thick. If you prefer a thicker sauce, an extra teaspoon of cornstarch can be added. Remove from heat. Add the pineapple slices or chunks to the sauce.

*After the 15 minutes cooking time, remove the chicken from the oven. Pour the sauce over the chicken and cook an addition 10 to 20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Cooking time will depend upon the thickness of the breasts.

SIMPLE WHOLE LIME CHICKEN

1 chicken, cut up
2-3 tbsp. olive oil (depending upon the size of your chicken)
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp rosemary
Lime juice from two limes
Lime zest from one lime
Salt and pepper to taste

*Mix all of the ingredients in a Ziploc bag, coat the chicken well. Place in a casserole dish and bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. The chicken should have a golden appearance. Garnish with extra lime wedges.

Many Floridians (like myself) prefer key limes which are smaller than the average lime. However, the key lime packs more "pucker" and I don't tend to need as much lime juice when I use the key limes. If using key limes for these recipes, I recommend only using half of the recommended juice and doing a taste test, adding more juice depending upon your tastes.

Learn more about this author, Angela Pollock.
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