Cumin Chicken with Black Beans

I saw this recipe on Real Simple via ... something. It was billed as less-carby, quick, and easy. My favorite!

I didn't pound the chicken, but I did try to keep the cumin-cayenne proportions right. It didn't seem like much. But, I'm only newly graduated from cooking with garlic salt as my main flavor source. Plus, I didn't have very much in the way of "pan drippings." I don't like to cook with a lot of oil.


Looks good, right? The cheese on top was all me. Mmmm ... cheese.

I expected a lot more flavor out of it. Cumin has a really strong smell, but in my opinion, not a strong flavor. So it tasted like chicken, corn, and black beans (and snow peas making a guest appearance). But, maybe it was like thinking you were drinking milk when really, it's water in your cup. I was expecting a spicy Mexican flavor; this didn't have much at all.

If I were to make this again (and I might, as I like black beans, corn and chicken), I'd do a 50/50 mix of spices, and more of them. Also, some chicken broth would be a nice light way to flavor the bean mix.

Since the recipe didn't work out quite as anticipated, I'd label this a fail with potential redemption.