Chicken and Rice (not your mamma's)

Chicken and Rice

This is an adaptation from of all things a Paula Dean Recipe I read about 3 years ago!

Unfortunately, I don't have the tada picture for this one. I made it to bring to someone who just had a baby so it was just poured into a casserole dish at the end.

 

Start by cutting up about 2pounds of chicken breast or tenders and salt and pepper liberally. 

 

Saute' your chicken in a little olive oil

 

When your chicken is about done you can add about 1/4 cup or less of chicken stock to deglaze the pan and scrape up all the little bits of goodness that will be stuck to your pan. It will steam up, this is a good thing.

 

Add about 4 cups of cooked rice. Looking back the chicken to rice ratio probably would have been better if I used 3 cups of rice but I had 4 cups so I went with it.

 

Then add about 2 cups of half and half. IF you are concerned about fat you could use 1 cup half and half and 1 cup chicken stock.

 

Then add goat cheese

 

 

As the half and half starts to simmer it will melt the cheese. Also add this much shredded Parmesan, Romano, or Asiago cheese. It's about 1 1/2 cups or so. Whatever add some and taste it and if you like it more cheesy add more.

 

Then add about 1 cup of dried cranberries and the zest of 2 oranges

 

Stir to combine, taste and adjust seasoning to your taste.

You can eat it now or put it in a casserole dish to bring to someone or to keep it warm in the oven until you are ready to eat.  

 

 

 

 

Cranberry Salsa

Cranberry Salsa

Not my own recipe. I tasted this a few years ago and was told the recipe came from I think Southern Living magazine. I don't actually have the recipe but I know what's in it and what it tastes like so here goes.

 

Everything goes in the food processor.

 

Add 1 8oz bag of fresh cranberries

 



 

1/3 cup of sugar and as is my mantra please taste and if you like it sweeter than add more. 1/3 cup works perfect for me.

 

1 jalepeno rough chopped so you don't run out the motar on your food processor. 1 jalepeno gives it a light kick but if you like it spicier add another one. Taste it 1st though.

 

A couple stalks of celery rough chopped even though I didn't take a picture of them chopped.

 

1/2 medium size white onion rough chopped.

 

Good amount of cilantro

 

Salt and pepper to taste...more than a little pinch but less than what needs to be measured if that makes sense.

 

Pulse it all up and tada! A yummy festive dip!

 

Tilapia with citrus oil

Tilapia with Citrus Oil

This is so  quick and easy you don't need a "recipe"

 

Drizzle Tilapia or other white fish with olive oil and salt and pepper

 



 

Broil for about 10 min. Depending on the thickness and closeness to your broiler. 10 min is a good rule of thumb. It might take a couple min more or less so watch it.

 

The little sauce is Roughly:

2TBL olive oil

zest and juice of half a lemon

zest and juice of half an orange

salt and pepper to taste

I did not have an orange so instead I used some orange juice.

Mix well and give it a little taste to see if you need more or less citrus if you think it's too acidic add a little more oil.

 

Once the fish is done spoon some of the citrus oil on top and around the fish and garnish with some fresh chopped parsley if you desire.

 

I served this with Sweet Pea Risotto

 

 

 

Sweet Pea Risotto

Sweet Pea Risotto

An adaptation from the French Room

 

 

 

Start with 1 TBL of butter (NOT margarine!) and a drizzle of oil in a sauce pot. The oil will prevent the butter from burning.

 

Then add about 1/4cup of onion diced as small as you can.

 

Right after you add the onion add about an equal amount or a little more diced ham, bacon, prosciutto, or something similiar. Of coarse if you don't eat meat or pork product you can leave this out.

 

Stir together for a couple minutes. It won't take long to soften because the onion is so small. Add some salt and pepper. Then add a couple TBL of minced garlic...more or less depending on your taste.

 

 

Stir to combine and then add 1 Cup Aborio Rice right away. If you cook the garlic for more than a minute it will burn and have no flavor. This is why we don't add it with the onion.

 

 

Once you stir in the rice and get it coated with the butter/olive oil mixture add about 1/4 cup of chicken or veg stock. You can also use water but stock gives a better flavor.

 

 

Your heat should be medium- medium high. You will continue to add liquid in 1/4cup-1/3cup increments, stiring almost constantly. It will take about 20-30minutes. For my 1 cup of rice I ended up using 3 cups of liquid. You could end up using a little more or less. I tasted my rice after 2 cups had been absorbed and I could tell is was almost done because it was softening but still firm. You want it to taste like rice.

 

Once it was cooked the way I like it I lowered the heat and added 1 1/2cups of peas. I used frozen that I thawed out.

I also added 1 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese and 1/4 cup half and half. Taste and season with salt and pepper according to your taste.

 

Stir all this together for a couple minutes until almost all the liquid is absorbed. It should be creamy but not soupy. If it's a little too liquidy letting it sit for a couple minutes will help to thicken it up a bit.

 

I served this with Tilapia with citrus oil

 



Taco Soup

 

Taco Soup

 

 

Dice this much onion (1 medium size onion)

 

 

Get onion started in pan with a little bit of oil then add about 1LB Ground beef or Turkey

 

 

Once meat is cooked add 2TBL of my taco seasoning mix:

(2TBL Chili Powder

1TBL Cumin Powder

1TBL Garlic Powder) I keep this on hand and use if for a lot of things.

 

Then add a heaping TBL of fresh minced garlic and some salt and pepper to taste.

IF you like it a little spicy add 1 or 2 whole minced jalapenos. I sometimes add 1 jalapeno but I didn't have any.

 

Stir the garlic into the meat for about 30seconds and then add a can of fire roasted diced tomatoes.

You can also use plain diced tomatoes if you can't find fire roasted or use some salsa or rotel.

 

Then add a beef broth/stock...about 4 cups and a can of black beans or whatever beans you like.

 

Simmer over medium-medium high heat for at least 30 min or longer if you have time and like it a little thicker. Taste it and add more salt, pepper, or the seasoning mix if you think it needs it. This is just a basic recipe so add more spice if you like, add corn or anything else you can think of.

 

 

Toppings

Slice an Avocado in half

 

 slice thin strips vertically

 

 

Then horizontally

 

 

Then you can scoop out the pieces with a spoon pretty easily

 

 

Lime flavored plain greek yogurt or sour cream.

 

Squeeze half a lime into yogurt

 

I also like chopped cilantro and shredded cheese in mine.

Add whatever you like, raw onions, jalapeno. etc...

 

 

 

Vegetarian or not Black Bean and Corn Lasagna

OR

Mexican Lasagna

 

Saute this much onion, I used red/purple whatever you call them. It's about 1/2 a medium size onion.

 

Once they are cooked (5min or so) I added some frozen fire roasted corn.

I added equal amounts of corn and black beans probably about 1 1/2cup-2 cups of each.

Turn the heat off right away. The beans and corn are already cooked you just need to mix them with the onion. Add salt and pepper and this much chili powder.

I used corn tortilla's but you can use flour if you prefer or you can buy the crispy flat things...What are they called? While I was doing everything above I was crisping up my corn tortillas in the oven.

Spray a baking pan and lay down your 1st layer of tortillas then top them with a little verde sauce.

 

Then the black bean and corn mixture.

 

Then some rotel. You can really use whatever you have, salsa and sour cream would be good instead. This is what I had so it's what I used.

Then some cheddar cheese

Repeat

 

I threw this in a 350 degree oven for 15 min.

OPTIONS if you can't wait the 15 min: Do Quesdillas instead of lasagna

Stuff the filling and sauces in the tortilla and make Tacos

Mexican Pizza on those crispy flat things

Of coarse it doesn't have to be vegetarian...Add some chicken, ground beef, or pork if you want it.

I would seasonwith chili powder, cumin, and garlic powder (salt and pepper goes without saying right?)

 

I made some Guacamole to go with this and hubby also topped his with some sourcream.