The baked veggie and brown rice pilaf that made me want to punch a hole in the wall January 20, 2010
Posted by elly in healthy, rice and grains, vegetables.21 comments
The day I made this rice dish, I commented to a few people that I had managed to become completely winded from bending over and picking up a pad of post-it notes that had fallen on the floor.
Well, if being too…err, round…to do that is a problem, then imagine what kind of problems cleaning this up poses:
You’ll notice there is pretty much nothing in this pot and that’s because as I was putting it in the oven, I managed to lose grip of it somehow and all but about 4 grains of rice flew out, all over the oven and kitchen. The lid managed to fly clear across the room. To make matters worse and the mess more difficult to clean, the original batch was actually a doubled version of the one I have posted below, because when I tried my hand at this again the next day (you didn’t think I would actually try cleaning it up and remaking it the same night, did you?), I didn’t have enough rice to make a full batch.
Since the oven had been preheated, the rice and veggies basically started to cook on the door and the bottom of the oven, so there was really no way to clean that immediately without burning myself. And this is one of those times when I remember why I’m not really a fan of hardwood floors in the kitchen. I had to start cleaning those up right away. It took forever, it exhausted me, and well, quite frankly, it pissed me off. I called Tom and asked that he pick up some food on his way home, so pub burgers & fries it was for dinner that night.
And there are *still* remnants of this mess in my oven, trapped in crevices at the edge of the door and completely under those crevices in unreachable spots. I don’t think we will have a brown-rice free oven for as long as we live in this current condo.
Thankfully, when I made this the next day everything went smoothly (except for the whole finding out I didn’t have enough rice thing). This is a nice dish to make because after you get it into the oven (the hardest part for me, apparently), you can forget about it. It cooks evenly, unlike some stove-top brown rices, and if you’re already using your oven to roast or bake a protein, it’s nice to just have both components of your meal in there for pretty much the same amount of time. We had this alongside some roasted chicken thighs, which cooked for roughly the same time since I was baking at a lower temp than normal for roast chicken.
Also, it’s quite tasty. It gets a little bit creamy and the flavor from the chicken broth and bay permeates everything. I’ll definitely be making this again and again, but just making sure I have a death grip on the pot before it goes into the oven.
Baked Brown Rice and Vegetable Pilaf
Serves 2-3
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1 Tbsp. butter
1/2 onion, diced
1 small to medium carrot, diced
2 celery ribs, sliced
1 cup chopped mushrooms
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup brown rice
1 bay leaf
scant 1 cup chicken (or vegetable) broth
Preheat the oven to 375.
In a small or medium shallow saucepan that has a tight fitting lid (or you can use whatever you want and transfer to a small baking dish later), melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery and cook about 2 minutes before adding the mushrooms and garlic. Cook until the vegetables start to get tender but the carrots and celery still retain some of their bite.
Add the brown rice and toast it for a minute or two, stirring everything together. Add the bay leaf, chicken broth, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring the mixture to a boil, cover with the lid and then place in the oven for 1 hour. Let it stand a few minutes before fluffing with a fork and serving.
Spiced Lamb Meatballs with Tomato and Yogurt November 29, 2009
Posted by elly in greek, healthy, lamb, lebanese, rice and grains.21 comments
If you know me, you know that I love lamb. LOVE it. It’s pretty much the perfect meat to me. A flavor so much lovelier than beef, but definitely not overly gamey. Greeks tend to cook the crap out of their lamb and make it well done, and when I order it in a restaurant, I tend to order it closer to medium rare. But you know what? It’s good both ways. I think one is more comforting and rustic (the Sunday roast leg of lamb for Greeks, or the lamb on a spit at Easter) and one is a little more sophisticated and highlights the flavor of the lamb a little more. Basically, you can’t go wrong.
When I got an email from Annie at Lava Lake Lamb asking me if I wanted to sample some of their lamb, you know I was on board. But, this is not your ordinary lamb. Lava Lake Lamb is an artisanal producer of 100% grass-fed, certified organic lamb. The lamb are sustainably raised on a family-owned ranch in Idaho. They are free to graze (never on feed lots), drink their mothers’ milk, and eat a variety of fresh range grasses and herbs. And don’t think you can’t taste what the lambs are eating, because you can. This lamb tastes like LAMB. If you’ve ever had an organic chicken vs. one from the grocery store or eaten Iberian ham (where you can taste the acorns the pigs have eaten) then you know what I am talking about. Not only are you what you eat, but what you eat tastes like that that thing ate, too!
Lava Lake was kind enough to send me three different cuts of lamb, and the first I decided to use was ground lamb. Ground lamb is great in burgers, meatsauces, and moussaka, among other things. I decided to go with some spiced lamb meatballs, kind of a throwback to Greek, Middle Eastern, and Turkish cuisine. You know I am a sucker for Greek yogurt, so that had to go there somewhere, and I love tomato sauce with my rice (definitely a Greek thing), so I added that too. These meatballs were so delicious. Nice and spicy, perfectly textured, and of course…lamb-y.
If you can, I would highly suggest ordering some grass-fed, organic lamb from Lava Lake Lamb. I’ve actually been trying to think of a place where we could possibly keep a deep freeze (not easy in a third floor condo), just so I could buy a half lamb and keep it in there.
Check back here soon to see how I use the other lamb from Lava Lake!
Spiced Lamb Meatballs with Tomato and Yogurt over Basmati Rice
Serves 4
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Meatballs
1 lb. ground lamb
1/2 small onion, grated or finely minced
1 clove garlic, finely minced or pressed
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 egg, lightly beaten
3/4 tsp. ground allspice
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
fresh ground pepper
olive oil for pan frying
Tomato sauce
2 tsp. olive oil
1/4 cup diced onion
1 (15 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
heaping 3/4 tsp. oregano
Yogurt sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
2/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
Rice
1 Tbsp. butter
1/4 cup diced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup brown basmati rice
2 cups chicken broth
2 Tbsp. toasted pine nuts
Mix all the ingredients together for the meatballs except the olive oil (being careful not to overmix, which could result in a tough meatball) and form into meatballs. At this point, I like to refrigerate the mixture for 30 minutes or so (or longer, if you want) to marry the flavors and firm up the meatballs.
To make the rice, heat the butter in a medium saucepan with lid over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, cooking until tender. Stir in the rice and cook for a few minutes to toast up the grains and coat them with the butter. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Cover with a tight-fitting lid, reduce the heat to low, and cook for about 40 minutes. No peeking! Once done, take off the heat and let sit for a few minutes before fluffing with a fork and stirring in the toasted pine nuts.
To make the tomato sauce, heat the olive oil in a small saucepan and then add the onions, cooking until tender. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste. Reduce to a simmer and allow the mixture to cook as you are making the rest of the meal.
Add olive oil to a skillet over medium-high heat (I like using a nonstick skillet for this). In batches, fry the meatballs until cooked through. Place on a paper-towel lined plate and keep warm until all the meatballs are cooked.
Once all meatballs are cooked, drain or wipe out the pan slightly (leave a little fat in there, but not as much as the oil and lamb have made). Turn the heat off, and then add the garlic clove (the residual heat will be more than enough to make it fragrant). Stir in the yogurt until just warmed through and season to taste with salt and pepper.
To plate: Top the rice with the meatballs and a few spoonfuls each of the tomato and yogurt mixture.
Cannellini Beans with Tomatoes, Bulgur, and Arugula October 26, 2009
Posted by elly in beans and legumes, healthy, italian, rice and grains, vegetarian.18 comments
I love Google Reader, but one of its biggest problems is the ease with which I can star/favorite posts. Since half the feeds I subscribe to (ok, maybe more like 2/3…) are food related, I wind up saving hundreds of recipes, 98% of which will never get made.
Sometimes, I just need a reminder, though. I had favorited this recipe from Mark Bittman back in the day, but when it came up again thanks to the post on Proceed with Caution, I took it as a sign that I needed to make this, and soon. No forgetting this time! I love bulgur, I love cannellini beans, and I love leafy greens so I was sure to love this. And I did. This was super simple to make, tasted great, and was really comforting. It makes a great vegetarian dish, or a side to a protein, and there is a good chance you have all the ingredients on hand (or if you don’t just be like me, and change the recipe).
I altered the recipe quite a bit, mostly to make it easier on myself. I used canned beans and some leftover diced tomatoes I had in the fridge, crushed red pepper instead of fresh, and spinach instead of arugula since that is what I had on hand. When I read the recipe ingredients, and then when I saw it in the bowl, I knew that it would benefit from some cheese so I shaved a few slices of Pecorino Romano onto it.
I’m glad to scratch off a recipe from the very large to-try pile, and glad it was a hit, too!
Cannellini Beans with Tomatoes, Bulgur, and Arugula (Spinach)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 can cannelini beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup diced tomatoes with juice
1/4 cup coarse bulgur
2/3 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
1/2 Tbsp. fresh minced rosemary
2 cups spinach
shaved parmesan or romano (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
Put oil in a medium to large saucepan over medium heat. Once hot, add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant. Add the beans, tomatoes, bulgur, broth, red pepper, rosemary and salt and pepper to taste. Cook over medium-low heat until tomatoes have broken up & flavors meld, adding more broth to make it as soupy as you like.
Add the spinach and continue to cook, just until it wilts. Adjust the seasoning if necessary, and then serve with some shaved parmesan on top of desired.
Red Chile Chicken and Rice with Black Beans September 1, 2009
Posted by elly in chicken/poultry, healthy, mexican/tex-mex, rice and grains.28 comments
I’m a big fan of one-pot meals, as well as arroz con pollo, so when I saw this recipe in—you guessed it, Mexican Everyday—I knew I’d like it. What I didn’t realize was that, despite not having many more ingredients than your standard chicken and rice, it would be so, so tasty. Cooking the rice for a bit before adding any liquid gives it a nice toasty flavor and then sauteing it with the ancho chili powder really makes the ingredients come through even more. Although this doesn’t need the salsa at the end (I had my leftovers without it), I’d definitely recommend using it. It just adds another layer of flavor.
I was a little skeptical about only using 1.5 cups of broth for 1 cup of rice (standard ratio being 2 cups), even though the rice was cooking a bit as it toasted. When I added the chicken and beans, there was pretty much no liquid left and I started to get a little worried. But, I trusted the recipe and went with it. It turned out absolutely perfect. Fluffy and perfectly cooked. And I admit, I kind of suck at cooking rice – it often comes out underdone or overcooked and mushy.
This was so easy and good, and will definitely make many reappearances in our household.
Red Chile Chicken and Rice with Black Beans
Arroz Rojo con Pollo y Frijoles Negros
Serves 4
Adapted from Mexican Everyday by Rick Bayless
2 Tbsp. canola oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (1.25-1.5 lbs. total)
2.5 Tbsp. ancho chili powder, divided
1 medium onion, large dice
1 cup rice
4 cloves garlic, minced
1.5 cups chicken broth
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup chopped green onions, roots and wilted outer leaves removed before chopping (OR 1/3 cup cilantro OR 2-3 Tbsp. epazote or hoja santa)
1/2 to 1 cup salsa, such as Smoky Chipotle Salsa, or chipotle hot sauce for serving
Heat the oil in a medium-large heavy pot (with a lid) over medium-high heat. Sprinkle both sides of the chicken breast with salt and 1 Tbsp. of the ancho chili powder. Place the chicken in the hot oil and brown on each side, 2-3 minutes. Remove to a plate, leaving behind as much oil as possible.
Add the onion and rice to the pot. Stir for several minutes, until the rice turns from translucent to opaque. Add the garlic and the remaining 1.5 Tbsp. ancho chili powder. Cook one minute, and then add the broth and salt to taste. Stir well. When the mixture comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover, and cook for 10 minutes.
Cut the chicken breast into 1″ pieces. Add them to the pot along with the beans. Re-cover and cook 12 minutes longer.
Sprinkle the green onions and test a kernel of rice. It should have no more than a hint of chalkiness at in the center, in which case you place the cover back on, remove it from the heat and let it stand 5-10 minutes. If it’s not cooked, cook for another 5 minutes or so.
Fluff the mixture with a fork and serve with salsa for each person to spoon on al gusto.
Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 517 / Fat: 10.4g / Saturated Fat: 1.3g / Carbs: 60g / Fiber: 9.3g / Protein: 44g
Shrimp Risotto with Goat Cheese, Asparagus and Lemon July 10, 2009
Posted by elly in goat cheese, rice and grains, shrimp/seafood.18 comments
We’re pretty much at the end of asparagus season now and I wanted to make at least one more thing with the gorgeous spears I found. I made this risotto a week or two ago (why yes, I am behind on my blogging…), and it was the perfect way to use up the last bit of my goat cheese and a lemon that had been sitting on my counter with no clear use in mind.
Plus, every time I make anything with shrimp, Tom always says, “mmmm, I love shrimp.” It could be stir-fried in Windex and I’m pretty sure he’d still proclaim, “mmmm, I love shrimp.”
I suppose I am suffering a bit of writer’s block here, but really, sometimes there is not much else to say about food. Here are the basics: the risotto was really delicious, easy to make, and used fresh, seasonal ingredients. I will say this again and again (and again. and again): you don’t need to be complicated; you just need to use good stuff. There is some stirring/watching over the pot involved, of course, so you may not want to make this on a really hot day, but otherwise it’s a great spring or summer risotto.
Oh wait, here’s something – if anyone has any tips for minimizing reflection in white plates, let’s hear ‘em. I try not to keep the plates in a direct light source, and it happens with both artificial and natural light. These low bowls are particular nemeses of the non-reflective photo.
Shrimp Risotto with Goat Cheese, Asparagus and Lemon
Serves 2 (but you will probably want a side or an appetizer)
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4-6 asparagus stalks, tough parts removed and the rest cut into 1-2″ pieces
1 Tbsp. butter
1/4 cup diced onion or 1 large shallot, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup arborio rice
1/4 cup vermouth or dry white wine
2-3 cups chicken, shrimp or vegetable broth, kept warm on the stove
2/3 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. lemon zest
1 oz. goat cheese
Heat a pot of water to a boil, and then drop in the asparagus pieces. Boil for approximately 3 minutes before draining and adding the asparagus to ice cold water to shock it. Set aside.
Meanwhile, heat the butter in a heavy saucepan/skillet. Add the onion or shallot and cook until translucent. Stir in the garlic until just fragrant and then add the rice. Stir the rice around for a couple minutes in order to “toast” it.
Add the vermouth/wine. Cook until it’s almost completely evaporated, and then add 1-2 ladels of the broth. Cook, stirring frequently, until most of the broth has been absorbed, and then add another 1-2 ladels. Keep stirring. Just before your rice is cooked al dente, add the shrimp and the lemon juice. Cook for 3-5 minutes until the shrimp is cooked through and the rice is al dente (tender but with a firm bite in the center). Your risotto should be a bit loose – that is, ALL of the liquid should NOT be absorbed like regular rice.
Off the heat, stir in the lemon zest and goat cheese. Stir to combine and season to taste. Serve immediately.
Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 389 / Fat: 10.4g / Saturated Fat: 6.9g / Carbs: 46g / Protein: 26.5g
Wild Rice Frittata with Leeks and Mushrooms June 10, 2009
Posted by elly in breakfast/brunch, healthy, rice and grains, vegetarian.10 comments
I eat a lot of eggs. Like, A LOT. Don’t worry – I limit whole eggs to one a day so I don’t have through-the-roof cholesterol, but since I eat egg whites every day, I go through about a kajillion cartons of eggs per year. Possibly 2-3 kajillion.
As you’d imagine, we don’t really eat eggs for dinner.
But, last week I had more eggs than usual and a frittata or torta was sounding good, so I went ahead and made one (the title and picture of this post might have clued you into that). I wanted something with a little more bulk to it, so I decided to use up the last of the wild rice in the cabinet. Since wild rice is so nutty and earthy, I paired it with two other things I find nutty and earthy – mushrooms and thyme. Also, I’m kind of obsessed with leeks lately, so I decided to use those, too.
With a salad, this made a nice and light summery meal. I loved that this had some starch in it to make it a little different than your standard frittata. Next time I make this I’ll mix the (cooled) rice with the eggs, to coat the rice a little more and make it creamier, kind of like this “spaghetti frisbee.” (This time I just poured the eggs over everything in the pan, like a traditional frittata.) I’ve adapted the instructions below to reflect this change.
I used my oh-so-versatile cast iron skillet for this. I don’t have a nonstick pan that is broiler-safe. Well, I have one that I have used in a broiler even though it allegedly wasn’t safe but since I have a new broiler, I didn’t want to risk it. It stuck just a bit around the sides, so you may want to grease it just a bit. Otherwise, it worked perfectly. God, I love cast iron.
Wild Rice Frittata with Leeks and Mushrooms
Makes 6 slices
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1 cup wild rice or wild rice mix, raw
1 Tbsp. butter
1 large leek, sliced in half lengthwise and then in slices
1/2 lb. cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
pinch of thyme
6 eggs
2 Tbsp. cream, half and half, or milk
2 oz. (about 1/2 cup) grated pecorino romano or parmesan cheese
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Cook the rice in salted water and set aside to cool slightly. Preheat your broiler.
Meanwhile, heat the butter in a nonstick (or cast iron) skillet until melted. Add the mushrooms, leeks, garlic, and thyme, and cook over medium-low until tender and leeks begin to turn golden brown, about 10 minutes. Season with a little salt and pepper.
Lightly beat together the eggs, cream, 1/4 cup cheese, and salt and pepper. Mix in the mushroom mixture and the slightly cooled rice, coating everything with the egg mixture. Put everything back into the pan and smooth the top. Cook until the egg has set on the bottom and sides. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and place in the broiler. Cook until the top is puffed and golden, and eggs are completely cooked.
Nutritional Information Per Slice [this is using heavy cream and butter, calories & fat (especially saturated) will be reduced if you use milk and/or Smart Balance, etc.]: Calories: 258 / Fat: 11.6g / Saturated Fat: 5.5 / Carbs: 25.1g / Fiber: 2.6g / Protein: 14.6g
Barley with Sundried Tomatoes and Goat Cheese-Walnut Pesto May 20, 2009
Posted by elly in goat cheese, healthy, rice and grains.20 comments
Our fridge is never totally empty. Even when you open it and it looks pretty bare, there is always cheese. And not just one kind of cheese. Not even 3 or 4. Usually there are at least 5 different types, and usually closer to 8 or 9. Some may call it a sickness, but I just call it normal.
Cheese makes everything better. Nothing to make but a boring ol’ chicken breast? Stuff it with goat cheese. Brown rice too plain for you? Add some gouda. Roasted veggies need a little oomph? Top with some pecorino.
Now, a problem arises when you open a bunch of cheese and there are only two people living under your roof, even if those two people consume copious amounts of cheese. So was the issue with this log of goat cheese in the fridge. It had to be eaten before we went out of town and since I had some extra fresh basil around, I decided to make a pesto. Rather than use the typical pine nuts, I opted for walnuts and voila, a new pesto was born.
We had eaten WAY too much pasta in the last couple weeks, so rather than use the pesto in pasta, I decided to use it on some barley. It’s no secret I love barley, and the fact that it’s so good for you doesn’t hurt, either. This was a great way to (forgive me for using this phrase) jazz up barley. The walnuts played well with the nuttiness of the barley, and basil & goat cheese are always a killer combo in my book. I added the sundried tomatoes for a little texture and color and am glad I did!
The nice thing about pesto, too, is that it can be eaten at pretty much any temperature and taste good. This is a great alternative to pasta or potato salad, especially for my fellow mayo-haters.
Barley with Goat Cheese-Walnut Pesto
Serves 4 as a side
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1 cup pearled barley
1/4 cup walnuts
2 cloves garlic
2 cups fresh basil
2 oz. goat cheese
extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup sundried tomatoes, drained
Cook the barley according to the package directions, using water or broth for the liquid (I actually used 2 parts water to one part broth).
Meanwhile, make the pesto. Heat a small pan over medium heat and then add the walnuts. Toss around a few times, toasting the walnuts, until you can smell them. Add the toasted walnuts to a food processor along with the garlic and pulse to combine. Add the basil, followed by the goat cheese. Slowly stream in the olive oil until you get the consistency you want. I didn’t make a loose pesto for this, because I wasn’t really going for a sauce or a dressing. I probably added about 1.5T. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Add the pesto and the sundried tomatoes to the cooked barley, stirring to combine and fully coat the barley.
Copycat Chipotle Burrito Bols May 17, 2009
Posted by elly in beans and legumes, chicken/poultry, mexican/tex-mex, rice and grains.17 comments
It isn’t very often that I look to fast food restaurants for cooking inspiration. I don’t think you’ll really be seeing any recipes on here for Big Macs or Quizno’s sandwiches any time soon. Maybe a frosty, though…
At any rate, I admit I love Chipotle. Just like any other fast food, though, I rarely eat it. Maybe 2 times a year. Most of the time I eat fast food, I end up feeling like a giant greaseball afterward and it totally wasn’t worth the many calories I spent. But, I don’t feel that way about Chipotle. From the rice (which I like despite not even liking cilantro!) to the hot salsa, I love it.
If you remember, a few months back I was on a mission to organize my recipes. Well, I did (at least most of them). I put them in a binder, tabbed by main ingredient/course, and have been flipping through it a lot lately, looking for things that could be made on the stove or grill. I’ve had this copycat recipe for Chipotle’s chicken marinade saved for a long time, so I decided to make it. I soaked the chilies overnight, made the marinade before work, and Tom threw them on the grill when he got home. I reduced the amount of oil a bit and used dried oregano (because I had it around). Otherwise, everything stayed the same. I COMPLETELY forgot to salt the chicken pre-grilling, though, so don’t make that mistake. We salted it after, and it still tasted great but not quite the same.
I went with brown for the rice to make it a little more healthful. All the copycat recipes for rice I was finding asked that you actually boil the rice in broth and lime juice but I didn’t. I know I’ve seen them add the lime after the rice is cooked, so I went that route.
These were a great way to cure the chipotle craving in a somewhat healthier way.
Copycat Chipotle Chicken Burrito Bols
Serves 4
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1 batch Chipotle chicken (recipe follows)
1 batch cilantro-lime brown rice (recipe follows)
1 can black beans, drained & rinsed, heated & seasoned (I simply heated mine with a little salsa, salt & pepper)
toppings of your choice (for us: queso fresco, lowfat sour cream, taqueria salsa, lettuce & tomato)
Spoon the rice into each bowl, followed by the beans, then the chicken. Top with your garnishes, and enjoy!
Chipotle Chicken
Adapted from Chipotle Fan
2 oz. dried ancho chilies
1 tsp. ground black pepper
2 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. dried oregano
6 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1/4 red onion, coarsely chopped
3 Tbsp. canola oil
4 chicken breasts
Soak the dried chilies overnight in water. Remove stems and seeds, and chop coarsely. Add all ingredients except chicken to a food processor or blender and puree until smooth.
Rub the marinade into the chicken and marinate at least one hour, up to 24. Season the chicken with salt to taste. Grill the chicken for about 5 minutes per side or until cooked through.
Cilantro-Lime Brown Rice
2/3 cup brown rice
1 lime
2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
Cook your rice like you would pasta, using this method here. I promise for things like this (as opposed to pilafs, etc.) you will never go back to your normal method. :)
Stir in the lime juice (add the zest if you want it more lime-y), cilantro, and a pinch of salt. Fluff with a fork.
One-Pan Tex-Mex Meal May 9, 2009
Posted by elly in beans and legumes, chicken/poultry, healthy, mexican/tex-mex, rice and grains.14 comments
Have you ever had one of those diet frozen meals? You know, Lean Cuisine, Healthy Choice, that kind of stuff? Do you ever wonder how they’re absolutely chock-full of sodium but they still taste like they are in major need of salt? How is that possible? And salt is just the beginning. They also seem to lack any sort of discernible flavor (and color) altogether. Now, I’ll be honest. It’s not that I never have these types of meals (though I do prefer versions by Trader Joe’s, Amy’s & Kashi). Sometimes, they’re just incredibly easy to throw in a bag and head to work on days you don’t have leftovers or a lot of food around. But on those days, I always dread lunch. Every time, I think about just dropping the money and getting myself a better lunch.
I’ve always thought that if I worked in the food industry, one of the things I would be awesome at is creating low cal 1-dish meals, like Lean Cuisines, that had flavor. Now, of course this meal is about 100 calories more than your average Lean Cuisine. But, it’s also a bigger portion (so you’re not hungry 20 minutes later), has all real ingredients, and actually tastes like something…and that “something” isn’t the different Lean Cuisine Meal you had the other day. (Yeah, how is it that chicken parmesan and chicken Santa Fe taste pretty much the same?)
As you’d imagine with the lack of an oven (by the way, Jenn-Air customer service? Right up there with AT&T and Comcast), I’ve become quite the pro at stove-top meals. I guess I’ve always liked making them, though. They’re easy to do, make for easy cleanup, and for some reason or another heat better for leftovers that most meals.
Technically, this one required two posts (see my note below a bout parboiling rice) but still came together incredibly quickly and easily, and used up the random portions of ingredients, like sour cream and chipotles, that I had sitting in the fridge. It’s has just a little kick from the chipotle, a little creaminess from the sour cream & cheese, and some crunch from the green onion. Serve this with a salad and a XX beer and you’re good to go!
Tex-Mex Skillet
Serves 4
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1 Tbsp. canola oil
4 boneless/skinless chicken breast halves (about 1 lb. total)
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 green pepper, diced
1 chipotle in adobo, minced + 1 tsp. adobo sauce
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 can diced tomatoes
Chicken broth*
1 (14.5 oz) can black beans, drained
3/4 cup white or parboiled brown rice*
1 tsp. cumin, divided
1 tsp. oregano, divided
1/2 tsp. chili powder, divided
1/4 cup lowfat sour cream
2 oz. queso fresco, crumbled
4 green onions (green tops), sliced
Heat a large skillet/saute pan with a lid over medium heat and add the oil. Sprinkle the chicken breasts with 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp. oregano and 1/4 tsp. chili powder, and then add to the oil. Brown on each side for about 2 minutes and remove to a plate.
To the pan, add the onions, garlic, and green pepper. Saute until tender and then add the chipotle and tomato paste, stirring around for about a minute. Drain your diced tomatoes over a measuring cup. Add enough chicken broth to the cup to equal the amount you need to cook your rice (*see note below). Add the diced tomatoes, broth/juice, black beans, rice, and remaining 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp. oregano, 1/4 tsp. chili powder, and salt & pepper to taste to the pan. Bring to a boil and then add the chicken back in. Cover and reduce heat to low until chicken and rice are cooked through. Allow to stand off the heat for about 5 minutes.
Stir in sour cream and reseason to taste if necessary. Plate and top with crumbled queso fresco and green onions.
* I don’t recommend using raw brown rice for this because the length of time it takes to cook will overcook the chicken. However, what you can do–and what I did do–is parboil your brown rice for 15-20 minutes (just boil & drain as you would pasta) or use a packaged parboiled/minute brown rice and then finish cooking for about 10 minutes in the skillet. The amount of chicken broth will vary based on the type of rice you use. The amount of liquid from the broth and tomatoes should equal 1.5 cups if you are using raw white rice, and around 3/4 cup if you are using parboiled rice (or, check the directions on the box of rice).
Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 470 / Fat: 11g / Saturated Fat: 4g / Carbs: 52g / Protein: 40g
Quicker (and Lighter) Red Beans and Rice March 5, 2009
Posted by elly in beans and legumes, rice and grains.14 comments
As a food blogger, I get a lot of great comments and emails and I also get a few more interesting ones. So before I get an email telling me I’m the Antichrist for using canned beans, tomato paste or chicken sausage in this dish, I will preface this post by saying that this recipe may not necessarily be 100% authentic. Thankfully, it’s 100% tasty.
See, it kind of starts when my “holy trinity” is really a “holy quintiply” (?) because of the use of frozen stoplight peppers rather than a green pepper. And then I used canned beans and chicken andouille sausage. Oh, the horror! Actually, now that I think of it, this meal would fit perfectly in the Cooking with Trader Joe’s cookbook, since all the ingredients are from there.
At any rate, there are two things you already know (or should know) about me: I like quick meals (especially one pot meals!) and my metabolism has waged a war against me, so I need to eat healthy 98% of the time (and that’s just to maintain my weight and complain all the time about how I eat healthy and exercise but don’t lose weight).
This is the first time I’ve used chicken andouille sausage, and it was very tasty. I admit, a few years back I was skeptical about substitutions like this. To this day, I still won’t use ground turkey in place of ground beef. But, I’m a convert in other regards – and so is my husband. I have found some really delicious chicken sausage that is a healthy alternative to your typical pork sausage, and now I don’t even think about buying the pork variety most of the time. My husband commented a couple times about how much he enjoyed this, and how he’s looking forward to the leftovers for lunch.
Red Beans and Rice with Andouille
Serves 4
Printer Friendly Recipe
1/2 Tbsp. canola oil
1 small onion, diced
2 ribs celery, sliced
1/2 cup diced bell pepper(s)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. creole seasoning, divided
4 links (about 12 ounces) andouille chicken sausage (or pork andouille, of course), sliced
1 heaping Tbsp. tomato paste
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
2 bay leaves
1 cup rice (and yes, I use brown)
2 cups chicken broth (or water)
1 can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
Heat the canola oil in a large skillet/saute pan (something that has a lid) over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, bell pepper, garlic and 1/2 Tbsp. of the Creole seasoning. Saute until vegetables are tender.
Add the andouille and brown. Stir in the tomato paste, parsley, bay leaves and rice and cook for about a minute. Add the chicken broth, being sure to scrape up all the browned bits, and the beans. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and cook until rice is done. Remove from heat and let stand for a few minutes (with the lid still on). Fluff with a fork and serve.
