Chimichurri in a Hurry.

Last night was a bit of a scurry. I had a lot to juggle. 1st off was the dentist. Three kids. Check, complete. No cavities. Cool princess wand pen and a new tooth brush. Now 3:30pm. Drop-off of kids and a quick pickup of their after school mess in the house. Tossed chicken into a bag of Italian dressing. Grabbed the delicious Butterfinger Blondie Bars and I was off to drop them off to the home who was hosting the swim team pasta dinner. All seemed well. Drove past a grouping of un-marked police car-looking vehicles. Thought for a moment, what's going on? Thought maybe there was a politician in the area and they were serving as security. Glanced at WHO-TV interviewing a police officer. Still didn't really think seriously about it.  No sirens.

I went to my hair appointment and didn't even think of mentioning the odd cluster I had passed to drop the goodies off. Enjoyed my hair spa moment and then raced home. Now 6:15pm. It was time to throw together dinner, argentine style. Andy lit the grill for me. And I began my cooking journey in a hurry. I quickly prepared an authentic Chimichurri sauce, prepped the steamed broccoli and prepared the cous cous in the midst of grilling my chicken breasts. I'm a beginner griller which I can say this year's journey has been great at introducing me to. For whatever reason, Andy has stepped back from the kitchen as I make way through this wild journey I have created for us.

Dinner complete at 7pm. Enough time for Katy to quickly eat and change into her leotard. It's her 1st night at Chow's Gymnastics and she's really excited. Arrived at 7:30pm. It was time to relax and watch Katy do her tricks. Received a call from my hairdresser-friend who told me about the break-in three doors down from her. I knew the home and the family. 2 men from Louisiana stopped by and entered the home, thinking nobody was home after ringing the doorbell. Little did they know that the woman was in the shower and couldn't hear. She heard noises in the house and entered the living room where they were standing, holding buckets. Seeing her, they quickly exited through the window and fled. Which brings this story back to me dropping off the dessert bars.  The scene come to find out was a search in the woods for the criminals... thank goodness they caught the hoodlums. 

My mind often wonders, thinking back as this perfect plot for a movie untwists, as you rewind the events. Nobody was hurt. All is good.  This crazy thing called life has so many definitions. So many paths that cross in story lines. It continues to amaze me. LIFE. 

Grilled Argentinean Chimichurri Chicken

Ingredients:

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves 

3 tablespoons cooking oil 

3/4 cup packed Italian parsley

1 tablespoon cider vinegar 

2 garlic cloves, halved 

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 

1 lemon (peel and juice)

Directions:

1)  Brush chicken with 1 tablespoon of the oil; sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon each salt and black pepper.

2)  Grill chicken on rack directly over medium heat for 12 to 15 minutes or until no longer pink, turning once halfway through grilling time.

3) For Chimichurri sauce, in small food processor bowl combine parsley, the remaining oil, the vinegar, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and red pepper.

4) Process until nearly smooth. 9 Serve chicken topped with Chimichurri sauce, lemon peel, and juice.

Argentina so far has been simple. Meat. The excitement here has kept us from focusing on the culture of the country we're in. I'm sure they have similar chaos.