Seared Chicken with Tropical Fruit Salsa

This one started from a simple question I kept asking at the grocery store: what do you do with a can of pineapple and a can of mandarin oranges besides dump them in a fruit cup? The answer, it turns out, is a cool, juicy salsa that sits beautifully next to warm, spiced chicken. The chicken gets a rub of cumin and chili powder, a quick sear in a hot pan, and a finish in the oven so the middle cooks through without the outside going dry. The salsa does the rest of the work, cutting through the spice with sweetness and a little heat from the pepper flakes.

A few things I've learned from making it more than once. Drain the canned fruit well, really well, or the salsa turns watery and loose. I press the pineapple chunks gently on a paper towel before they go in the bowl. Keep the salsa in the fridge for the full hour it asks for; the coconut softens a little and the flavors settle into each other. Pull it out while the chicken rests, so it isn't ice cold on the plate.

Pineapple is one of those fruits that has a little enzyme called bromelain, which is why fresh pineapple can make your mouth tingle. Canned pineapple has been heated, so the effect is much milder, and that is one reason I reach for it on weeknights. Mandarin oranges are gentle and easy to chop, and the coconut adds a toasty note that makes the whole bowl taste like a little trip somewhere warm.

Leftovers keep well. The chicken goes into salads or wraps the next day, and the salsa lasts a couple of days covered in the fridge, though the texture is best on day one. I like to serve everything with plain rice or a pile of greens dressed in lime. If you want something on the side that feels fresh and crisp, a bright citrus salad works well with the same flavors, like Orange and Fennel Salad with Mint. For a cold, light starter before the meal, a Chilled Watermelon and Tomato Gazpacho keeps the summery mood going.