Chicken, Spinach, and Rice Casserole

I found this recipe on Tasty Kitchen. The original recipe called for artichokes too but I'm not a huge fan of artichokes so I omitted them. This tasted good but pretty simple. It's a good week night meal but I don't know that it's a having company over meal. The original recipe called for onion flakes which I have a feeling was used to save time and work. It tasted good as is but next time I might try some sauteed onions or shallots instead. The only other change I made was the amount of yogurt used. The recipe called for 4 ounces. My container of yogurt was 6 ounces and I just used the whole container. I'm glad I did. I think it may have been too dry using any less.

Ingredients

• 1 pound Chicken, cooked And Diced
• 2 cups Brown Rice
• 1 bag (6 Oz. Bag) Baby Spinach
• 3/4 cups Fat Free Greek Yogurt
• 2 pieces Laughing Cow Light Cheese
• 1/4 cups Minced Onion
• 1/2 cups Parmesan Cheese. Shredded, Divided
• 1/2 teaspoons Black Pepper
• 1/2 teaspoons Garlic Powder

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cook the rice according to package directions.
3. In a large bowl, combine the hot rice and the spinach. Stir until the spinach wilts. Add the rest of the ingredients except 1/4 cup of the parmesan cheese, stir well and place in a 9 x 12 greased pan. Top with the remaining parmesan cheese.
4. Bake for 30 minutes until hot and bubbly. 

Adapted from Tasty Kitchen

Island Chicken and Rice

Several weeks ago I found these recipes from Annies Eats for Island Chicken and Brown Rice with Black Beans. The recipe was great but I haven't had time to post about it since then.  The chicken had great flavor and both recipes were really easy to make.

Island Chicken

Ingredients

• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 3 Tablespoons lemon juice
• 1½ Tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2-4 chicken breasts

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients except chicken in a mixing bowl or large airtight plastic bag.  Whisk or shake well until the marinade is well mixed.  Add the chicken breasts to the bowl or plastic bag so that they are covered by the marinade.  If using a bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap.  If using a plastic bag, press out all the excess air and seal the bag tightly.  Refrigerate and marinate up to 10 hours.
2. Preheat the oven to 350° F.  Place the chicken breasts in a baking dish and pour the excess marinade over them.  Bake in the oven until cooked through and the internal temperature reaches 165° F, about 45 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Source: Annie's Eats

Brown Rice with Black Beans

Ingredients

• 4 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 cup onion, chopped fine
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 2¼ cups water
• 1½ cups long-grain brown rice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1-2 (15 oz.) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
• ¾ cup corn kernels (fresh from cob, or frozen and thawed)
• ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375° F.  Adjust an oven rack to the middle position.  Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering.  Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until well browned and tender, about 12-14 minutes.  Stir in the garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
2. Add the chicken broth and water to the pan.  Bring the mixture to a boil.  Remove the pot from the heat, stir in the rice and salt, and cover.  Bake until the rice is tender, 65-70 minutes.
3. Remove the pot from the oven and uncover.  Fluff the rice with a fork, stir in the beans and corn, and replace the lid.  Let stand for 5 minutes.  Mix in the cilantro and black pepper.  Serve.

Source: Annie's Eats

Oven Baked Risotto

Matt's been sick so I wanted to make something that would be comforting. My mom makes a baked beef flavored risotto the she and my dad love. That got me interested in finding a recipe for a baked chicken risotto.  I wanted a quick recipe that wasn't as time consuming as typical risotto.  I found one recipe from Martha Stewart and one recipe from Ina Garten. I used both of these recipes to come up with my own recipe. The flavor was great.  It was so easy to make and definitely a comforting meal. I've never had a true risotto so I'm not sure how it compares. But I enjoyed this dish a lot. The recipe can be easily modified to whatever you want.  Use beef broth and stir in beef at the end. Add shrimp instead of chicken. There are many possibilities!

Ingredients

• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
• 5 cups chicken broth, separated (4 cups and 1 cup)
• 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup  + 4 Tablespoons dry white wine, separated (1/2 cup, 2 Tablespoons, and 2 Tablespoons)
• 4 Tablespoons butter, separated (3 Tablespoons and 1 Tablespoon)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 8 oz Baby Bella mushrooms
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 lb chicken, cooked and shredded

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack set in center of the oven.
2. Heat oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook several minutes until onion is tender. Add the rice, stir to coat in oil and cook for 1 minute.
3. Stir in 1/2 cup dry white wine.  Cook for about 1 minute until all the liquid is evaporated.
4. Stir in 4 cups chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Cover and transfer to the oven. Bake for about 45 minutes. Most of the liquid should be absorbed. The rice should be tender but still slightly firm.
5. While the rice is baking, melt 1 Tablespoon butter over medium heat. Add mushrooms and garlic powder and cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Add 2 Tablespoons white wine and cook until liquid is evaporated. Remove from heat.
6. When rice has finished baking, carefully remove the dutch oven from the oven. Stir in remaining 1 cup of chicken broth, 2 Tablespoons white wine, 3 Tablespoons butter, parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, chicken, and mushrooms. Risotto should be creamy. If more liquid is needed, add either more chicken broth or white wine. Serve immediately.

Mexican Rice

I was looking for a Mexican Rice recipe to go along with my White Chicken Enchiladas. When I found this recipe on Food.com, I got excited. It looked really easy, but it also called for a dutch oven to be used on the stove and in the oven. I just got a dutch oven for Christmas so I couldn't wait to give it a try. The recipe was really easy but really good. It will definitely be a staple recipe. Matt and I usually eat brown rice though so I'll have to figure out if there's a way for me to alter the recipe to use brown rice or if that would just change the taste of it too much.

Ingredients

• 1 can 14.5 oz Diced Tomatoes
• 1 medium white onion
• 2-3 medium jalapenos
• 2 cups long grain white rice
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 4 minced garlic cloves
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, minced
• 1 lime

Directions

1. Adjust rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350.
2. Process tomato and onion in processor or blender until pureed and thoroughly smooth. Transfer mixture to measuring cup and reserve exactly 2 cups. Discard excess.
3. Remove ribs and seeds from 2 jalapenos and discard. Mince flesh and set aside. Mince remaining jalapeno. Set aside.
4. Place rice in a fine mesh strainer and rinse under cold running water until water runs clear- about 1 1/2 minutes.Shake rice vigorously to remove excess water.
5. Heat oil in a 10 inch Dutch oven with tight fitting lid over medium high heat about 2 minutes. Drop a few rice grains in and if they sizzle then it is ready. Add rice and fry stirring until rice is light golden and translucent, about 6-8 minutes.
6. Reduce heat to medium, add garlic and 1-2 minced jalapenos and cook , stirring constantly until fragrant, about 1 1/2 minutes.
7. Stir in broth, pureed mixture, and salt. Increase heat to medium high, and bring to a boil.
8. Cover pan and transfer pan to oven. Bake until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, 30-35 minutes.Stir well after 15 minutes.
9. Stir in cilantro, minced jalapeno, and lime juice to taste.

According to the recipe, you can also freeze. To freeze: Cool, portion and freeze in a ziploc bag. To reheat from frozen: Place in a pyrex dish and warm in the microwave, stirring every 2-3 minutes until heated through.

Source: Food.com

Parmesan Chicken and Rice

I was trying to come up with something a little healthier and I found this recipe on MyRecipes. Instead of instant rice, I made brown rice separately and added it at the end. I also added asparagus. The only problem I had was with the asparagus. I added it before adding the chicken but by the end it had overcooked. Next time I'll add it later in the cooking. Otherwise this was really good and I'll definitely be making it again.

I know I've forgotten to post pictures. I actually meant to take a picture of this meal. But...as I was cleaning my knife, it slipped and I got cut. So, I kinda didn't think about taking a picture after that.

Ingredients

• 1  tablespoon  olive oil
• 1/2  cup  chopped onion
• 1  teaspoon  bottled minced garlic
• 1/2  teaspoon  dried thyme
• 1  (8-ounce) package presliced mushrooms
• 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
• 3/4  pound  skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1/2  cup  dry white wine
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 1  cup  uncooked instant rice
• 1  cup  fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2  cup  (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
• 1/4  cup  chopped fresh parsley

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, thyme, and mushrooms; sauté 5 minutes or until onion is tender. Add chicken and asparagus; sauté 4 minutes or until the chicken is lightly browned. Add wine, salt, and pepper; cook 3 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates.
2. Stir in rice, cheese, and parsley.

Source: MyRecipes.com

Chicken, Apple Gravy, Rice Pilaf, & Green Beans

I came across this Rachel Ray recipe the other day. The apple cider in it really intrigued me, especially since it's fall. I knew I'd have to give it a try. I didn't cook the green beans the way she said to. I figured it'd be easier to just toss them in a pan with olive oil, salt, pepper, balsamic vinegar, and garlic and roast at 400 degrees for about 20-25 minutes. I also didn't add the peas to the rice because I don't like them. However, the rest of the rice recipe I kept the same and the rice was delicious! I will definitely make that again. In the future, though, I'd probably do brown rice. The gravy was really good. My butter got a little browned because my pan was too warm when I added it. But it was still very good. I will definitely make this recipe again.



Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• 1-1/2 cups long-grain white rice
• 3-1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup shredded sharp white cheddar cheese
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• Salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon flour

Directions

1. In a large saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon EVOO, 1 turn of the pan, over medium heat. Add the rice and toast until light brown, about 4 minutes. Stir in 2 1/2 cups broth and bring to a boil, then lower the heat to medium-low, cover and cook for 15 minutes. During the last 3 minutes of cooking, stir in the cheese.
2. While the rice cooks, in a large skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon EVOO, 1 turn of the pan, over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, add to the skillet and cook until the juices run clear, 5 to 6 minutes on each side. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.
3. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in the skillet, then whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in the apple cider and 1 cup chicken broth and cook until slightly thickened; season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat.
4. Pour the apple gravy over the chicken and serve the rice and green beans alongside.

First Attempt at Persian Food

My friend, Naji, and her mom make the BEST Persian food! I cannot get enough and there's never been anything I've tried that I haven't liked. I finally decided to give it a try myself. Naji taught me how to make Persian rice with Saffron, beef kabobs called Koobideh Kabob, and a yogurt sauce with cucumbers. While the flavors were great, and for a first try I did pretty good, it definitely wasn't as good as what Naji and her mom make. I like to cook and I'd like to say I'm decent at it, however, rice always gives me a problem so I was nervous about Persian rice. You steam it. Well, I burnt the bottom layer and so when I pulled the lid off, it smelled like smoke. If you just use the top layer, it was alright and didn't taste like smoke. I guess practice makes perfect. The yogurt was good, hard to ruin that. Although, Naji's mom makes her own yogurt which of course is much better. The beef got a little too dark on one side but still tasted great. I just had a hard time flipping it. Oh well, I'll get it or try another cooking method next time. For a first try, I did good. I'll definitely keep trying though. Oh....and I can't BELIEVE I forgot to take a picture!!! Sorry!

I also did some research online before cooking. I found a couple of great websites and Persian cooking blogs which ended up being great resources for the meal. Here's what I found:

Family Spice: This shows different ways of cooking the kabobs.
Tumeric & Saffron Persian cooking blog
My Persian Kitchen Persian cooking blog - There's a great blog on making Persian rice.
Javane's Kitchen Persian cooking blog
I also borrowed a book from Naji called A Taste of Persia.

The recipes below are from Naji. I wrote things down and some of it is from memory. I may have remembered something wrong.

Yogurt and Cucumber (Mast-O-Khiar)
Ingredients

• 2 cups yogurt
• 1 large seedless cucumber, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon dried mint
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours.

Persian Rice (Polow)

Ingredients

• 3 cups Basmati Rice (1 cup per person, plus 1 extra cup)
• canola oil
• pinch of saffron
• salt

Directions

1. Place rice in a large bowl. Wash rice several times until water is clear. Soak rice in water for at least an hour or even overnight.
2. Boil a large pot of water. Add rice. Dump enough water out so that the water level is about 2 inches above the rice. Bring the water back to a boil and allow it to boil for roughly 7 minutes. The rice should be al dente, soft but still have a little firmness. Drain the rice. (One blog said to have about 3 cups of water per cup of rice.)
3. Add a little oil to the pan and return the rice to the pan. Put a little hole in the center of the rice to allow steam to come through. Add 1/2 cup of water to the rice. Cover the lid with a towel and put the lid on the pot. Cook on low (about 3 or 4) for around 30 minutes.
4. When the rice is finished cooking, heat a few spoonfuls of oil and spoon on rice. 
5. Boil a small amount of water (about 1/4 cup) and add ground saffron. Cover for several minutes. Add about a cup of the cooked rice to the saffron water and stir. You can either add this rice to the rest of the pot and stir it in, or put the white rice on a platter and put the yellow rice on top.

Ground Beef Kabob (Koobideh Kabob)

Ingredients

• 1 pound of ground beef 
• 1 egg
• 1 medium onion, grated
• 1 teaspoon Ground Kabob Seasoning
•  salt and pepper
• Canola Oil (about 1 Tablespoon)
• 1  tomato cut into segments

Directions

1. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl.
2. Heat a large non-stick skillet to medium to medium high and add canola oil. 
3. Add beef mixture and form one large patty. Cook for about 10-15 minutes. You want each side to be dark brown but not too dark. 
4. To flip, put the lid on the pan, flip the beef so it's on the lid, and then slide the beef from the lid to the pan. Be careful with this step so you don't burn yourself. You should probably do this over the sink.
5. Once flipped, return to heat. Score the beef into long thin rectangles. Add the tomatoes to the top of the beef. Cover and cook for another 10-15 minutes until the bottom side is dark brown. Remove the kabobs from the skillet and serve.

Burrito Bowls

I love Chipotle's burrito bowls. Awhile back I found the recipe for the rice, my favorite part, from Chiptole Fan. In the past I have made my own rice, beans, salsa, guacamole, and meat. While REALLY good it takes awhile. This time I made rice, chicken and beans and bought the rest of the ingredients. I usually use canned black beans but decided to try using a bag of beans. They turned out really good and I had LOTS of leftovers that I froze.The rice is great, as always, and the chicken was also really good.

Cilantro Lime Rice
Recipe from Chipotle Fan
Makes 2 servings

Ingredients

• 2 tsp. fresh cilantro
• 2/3 cup white basmati rice
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 Lime
• Butter

Directions

1. In a 2-quart heavy saucepan, heat oil or butter over low heat, stirring occasionally until melted. Add rice and lime juice, stir for 1 minute. Add water and salt, bring to a full rolling boil. At boiling, cover, turn down to simmer over low heat until rice is tender and the water is absorbed, about 25 minutes. 
2. Fluff rice with a fork. Stir in cilantro.

Black Beans
Recipe adapted from Eating Well

Ingredients

• 1 pound dried beans, such as cannellini beans, black beans, kidney beans, black-eyed peas, great northern beans or pinto beans
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 bay leaf
• 5 cups boiling water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
•  Cayenne Pepper to taste

Directions

1. Soak beans in enough cold water to cover them by 2 inches for 6 hours or overnight. (Alternatively, use the quick-soak method: Place beans in a large pot with enough water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil over high heat. Remove from heat and let stand for 1 hour.)
2. Drain the beans and place them in a slow cooker. Add onion, garlic, thyme and bay leaf. Pour in boiling water. Cook, covered, on high until beans are tender, 2 to 3 1/2 hours. Add salt and cayenne pepper, cover, and cook for 15 minutes more.

Chili Lime Chicken Marinade
Recipe from All Recipes

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• cayenne pepper to taste
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts

Directions

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, and lime juice. Season with chili powder, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper. Place the chicken in a shallow baking dish with the sauce, and stir to coat. Cover, and marinate in the refrigerator at least 1 hour. 

*Note: The Rouse House, I tried responding to your comment but it never published. I updated the recipes. For the rice, I added the cilantro after the rice is finished cooking. For the marinade I used a pound of chicken. I hope you like it if you try it!

Beef Kabobs and the Best Ice Cream Ever!

We had friends over last night for dinner. Matt made beef and veggie kabobs. I made brown rice and ice cream. It all turned out really well and we were STUFFED afterwards (didn't stop us from demolishing the ice cream though!)

Marinated Kabobs
from www.allrecipes.com

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds flank steak

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, mix the oil, soy sauce, vinegar, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, garlic, and ground black pepper. Place meat in a shallow glass dish. Pour marinade over the steak, turning meat to coat thoroughly. Cover, and refrigerate.

We used top sirloin, baby bellas, onion, red and orange bell peppers, red potatoes, and pineapple. Everything was marinated most of the day except the mushrooms. They were only marinated for a couple of hours. Then Matt grilled everything. When making kabobs, we have learned (thanks to Alton Brown) that they come out best when each ingredient is kept on seperate skewers. So do all the meat together, potatoes together, and so on. Each ingredient cooks differently and need to be on the grill different amounts of time. YUM!


Baked Brown Rice
from Alton Brown

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups brown rice, medium or short grain
• 2 1/2 cups water Chicken Broth
  
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Place the rice into an 8-inch square glass baking dish.
3. Bring the water broth, butter, and salt just to a boil in a kettle or covered saucepan. 
4. Once the water broth boils, pour it over the rice, stir to combine, and cover the dish tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 1 hour.
5. After 1 hour, remove cover and fluff the rice with a fork. Serve immediately.

Double Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream
from Annie Eats

Ingredients
For the cookie dough:

• 5 tbsp. salted butter, melted (or unsalted butter plus ¼ tsp. salt)
• 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• ¼ cup flour*
• ½ tsp. vanilla extract
• ¾ cup chocolate chips (I used mini chips)

For the ice cream:

• 3 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 2/3 cup dark brown sugar
• 4 large egg yolks
• Pinch of coarse salt
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1½ cups whole milk
• 1 cup chocolate chips (semisweet or bittersweet)

Directions
To make the cookie dough:

1. Stir together the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl until smooth.  
2. Mix in the flour, then the vanilla and chocolate chips.  
3. Form the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm.

To make the ice cream:

1. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.  Continue heating, stirring often, until the butter is a deep golden brown color, being careful not to burn it.  Whisk in the heavy cream and heat until simmering.  
2. Meanwhile in a medium bowl, whisk together the brown sugar and the egg yolks until pale and fluffy.  
3. Once the cream mixture is warm, add a small amount to the bowl with the egg yolks, whisking constantly.  Slowly whisk in the rest of the cream.  Mix in the salt.  
4. Return the egg-cream mixture to the saucepan and heat until just slightly thickened, and the temperature reads 170-175˚ F on an instant-read thermometer.  Immediately remove the mixture from the heat and pour through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl.  
5. Stir in the vanilla extract and the whole milk.  
6. Cover and chill thoroughly in the refrigerator.
7. Once the mixture is chilled, freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. 
8. Chop the disk of cookie dough into small chunks.  
9. As soon as the mixture is done churning, transfer to a bowl or airtight container and stir in the chocolate chips and the chunks of cookie dough.  Store in the freezer until firm.

*1/4 cup flour for the cookie dough did not seem like much. I actually added slightly extra but didn't need to. Once it's refrigerated, it's fine. The flavor of this ice cream is absolutely amazing.