Comfort Essentials Zesty Chicken With Rice Recipes

COMFORT ESSENTIALS: LEMONY CHICKEN & RICE SOUP

Steps:

• PREP/PREPARE
• You will need a medium-sized soup pot, or Dutch oven to make this recipe.
• The Veggies If you do not wish to chop the veggies, simply place into a food processor, fitted with an S-blade, and give them a few 1-second pulses. Easy/Peasy
• The Garlic I tried this recipe two ways... In the first attempt, I allowed the grated garlic to cook with veggies at the beginning of the recipe. In the second attempt, I add the garlic at the end with the lemon juice. I love the how the flavor of the raw garlic mixed with the other ingredients.
• The Lemon Juice Some people like more lemon juice than the recipe calls for, and some people less. I would add it 1-tablespoon at a time and stop when you like what you taste.
• Storage This soup can be placed in the fridge for 2 - 3 days; however, since the rice will continue to absorb liquid, you will probably need to add a bit more stock when reheating.
• Gather your ingredients (mise en place).
• Cook the chicken and shred.
• Add the butter to a large soup pot, over medium heat.
• When the butter has melted add the veggies and the parsley flakes, throw in a pinch of salt, and sweat for about 5 minutes, then add the rice, and the chicken stock.
• Slowly simmer until the veggies are cooked through, and the rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Then add the cooked, shredded chicken and stir to warm through, about 2 additional minutes.
• While the soup is simmering, add a bit more salt, and black pepper, to taste.
• Remove from the heat, add the lemon juice, grated garlic, then stir to combine.
• PLATE/PRESENT
• Serve while nice and warm with some crispy bread, and possibly a side salad. Enjoy.
• Keep the faith, and keep cooking.

ZESTY CHICKEN AND RICE SKILLET RECIPE

Steps:

• Cook 1/4 cup dressing and mustard in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat 2 min. or until heated through, stirring occasionally. Stir in chicken; cook 6 min. or until done, stirring occasionally.
• Dissolve bouillon cube in water; stir into skillet with remaining dressing and peppers; cover. Simmer 2 min. Stir in rice; simmer, covered, 5 min. or until rice and peppers are tender.
• Remove skillet from heat. Let stand 5 min. or until liquid is absorbed.

COMFORT ESSENTIALS: ZESTY CHICKEN WITH RICE

Steps:

• 1. PREP/PREPARE
• 2. You will need an ovenproof skillet with a lid to make this recipe. If you do not have a lid, you can always use a sheet of aluminum foil. I am using small cast-iron skillets that are 5 inches (12.7cm), and they were perfect for the listed ingredients.
• 3. Baked Garlic I love what baking does to garlic... it mellows the flavor and creates an awesome ingredient that enhances so many diverse dishes. I use it so much in catering that I usually bake 15 or more heads of garlic at a time, and then save them for when needed. Here is the recipe that I use... it is easy/peasy: https://www.justapinch.com/recipes/sauce-spread/seasoning-mix/cooking-essentials-baked-garlic.html?r=4
• 4. No baked garlic/ If you do not wish to use baked garlic, you can use regular minced cloves, but cut the amount in half. For this recipe that would be 2 cloves, minced. No tamari or liquid aminos? Sub an equal amount of low sodium soy sauce, or half the amount of regular soy sauce. Remember that regular soy sauce has a lot of sodium, so cut back on the additional salt. No white pepper? Use black; hopefully freshly ground. No maple syrup? Honey works too. No ground ginger? You can use freshly minced ginger; but double the amount. Other spices to try might be allspice, cardamom, cinnamon, mace, or nutmeg. It will be a different flavor, but they are all considered complimentary spices. If you are using one of these alternate spices, add a few pinches at a time until you like what you taste. No long-grain white rice? Brown rice or another type should do just fine. No toasted sesame oil? Olive oil will do fine. Or you could try another flavored oil, such as avocado or tahini oil. As a matter of fact, if you have some sesame seeds you could toast them up in a dry pan, and chuck them in... Why not? No rice wine vinegar? Regular vinegar, or apple cider vinegar will work well. No chicken thighs? I am using boneless, skinless chicken thighs, but I really think you could use just about any part of the chicken. So, experiment with different cuts, and see what works for you. To be honest, any time you sub out one ingredient with another, you will change the flavor of the dish, so choose substitutes that have flavors you enjoy.
• 5. Gather your ingredients (mise en place).
• 6. THE CHICKEN
• 7. Season the chicken with a bit of salt and pepper.
• 8. Add the butter and oil to a pan over medium heat.
• 9. When the butter melts and stops foaming, give the pan a swirl and add the chicken.
• 10. Cook until browned on the first side, and easily releases from the pan, about 4 - 6 minutes, and then turn over and brown the other side for an additional 4 - 6 minutes.
• 11. Remove from the skillet, cover and reserve.
• 12. THE SAUCE
• 13. Add the sauce ingredients to the pan.
• 14. Slowly simmer until the sauce reduces and thickens, about 8 - 10 minutes, depending on the heat of your pan.
• 15. Take your time reducing the sauce with a low simmer. If you raise the heat to high you will scorch the sauce and you will have to start all over.
• 16. Remove the sauce from the pan and reserve in a small bowl.
• 17. Place a rack in the middle position, and preheat the oven to 350f (175c).
• 18. THE RICE
• 19. Add the butter to the skillet and keep the heat at medium.
• 20. When it stops foaming add the diced onion, and stir until they soften, about 2 - 3 minutes.
• 21. Add the rice, and stir until the rice turns translucent, about 3 - 4 minutes.
• 22. Add the chicken stock and season with a bit of salt and pepper.
• 23. Add the chicken and bring up to a simmer, about 2 - 3 minutes.
• 24. Cover the pan and place into the preheated oven, then allow to bake for 40 minutes.
• 25. Remove the cover, brush the chicken and rice with a bit of the sauce.
• 26. Raise heat to 425f (220c) and allow to bake for an additional 10 - 12 minutes, or until the chicken begins to crisp.
• 27. PLATE/PRESENT
• 28. I like to serve it rustic (still in the skillet) with some crusty bread and a small side salad.
• 29. Keep the faith, and keep cooking.

ZESTY CHICKEN AND RICE

Steps:

• Place chicken in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Pour dressing over chicken. Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 20 minutes. Combine broth, vegetables, rice and Italian seasoning; pour over chicken., Cover and bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Uncover; bake 30 minutes more or until chicken juices run clear and rice is tender.

COMFORT ESSENTIALS: CHICKEN/SAUSAGE/TOMATO SOUP

Steps:

• PREP/PREPARE
• You will need a slow cooker or Instant Pot to make this recipe, and if you have a rack for the bowl that would be great. The rack will help to keep the chicken above the liquid and release some of that yummy chicken fat (schmaltz).
• The Chicken I am using bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs for this recipe, mainly because I like the flavors that the skin, and the bones impart to the soup over the long cooking time. When the time comes to chop, or shed the chicken, I let it cool a bit, and remove the skin and bones before shredding. In using boneless, skinless thighs, it tastes slightly less hearty, but still very good. I have not yet attempted chicken breasts; however, they are less forgiving than thighs, and if left in the slow cooker for too long, they will start to turn mushy and dry tasting. I am sure that they will work, you will just need to be a bit more careful on their final temperature. Based on my experience working with chicken breasts in soups, I will cook them until they reach a temperature of 155f/68c, pull them out and allow to rest for 5-minutes. Carry over cooking will take them up another 5 degrees. Then, shred, toss back into the pot, and let warm up for 10 - 15 minutes. When served they should be juicy and moist.
• Coconut Sugar The purpose of the sugar is to counteract the bitterness that usually accompanies the use of canned tomatoes. Note that the higher quality of canned tomatoes you use, the less bitterness will be experienced. The coconut sugar also imparts the slightest hint of sweet to the dish.
• Baked Garlic I love what baking does to garlic... it mellows the flavor and creates an awesome ingredient that enhances so many diverse dishes. I use it so much in catering that I usually bake 15 or more bulbs of garlic at a time, and then save them for when needed. If you do not wish to use baked garlic, you can use regular minced cloves, but cut the amount about in half. Here is the recipe that I use... it is easy/peasy: https://www.justapinch.com/recipes/sauce-spread/seasoning-mix/cooking-essentials-baked-garlic.html?r=4 Note: Because baking the garlic mellows its flavor, if you decide to use raw garlic, then cut the amount in half. In this recipe it would mean cutting it from 4 baked cloves to 2 raw cloves. Of course, if you are a lover of garlic, as I am, you could always add more. After all, it has been known to keep the vampires at bay.
• You can cook the Italian sausage the day before and hold in the fridge until needed. Just drain on paper towels before using or storing.
• Helping Dry Spices Out Most spices, with the exception of things like salt, can benefit from an additional step before using... Pan heating. Add the spices to a cold pan, and then bring it up to medium heat. Continue to stir until the spices smell fragrant, about 2 - 3 minutes. Be advised that from the moment they smell fragrant to the moment that they overcook and burn, is a matter of 10 - 15 seconds, so as soon as you smell them, remove the pan from the heat, then immediately remove the spices from the skillet. Even if you turn off the heat, the spices will continue to toast in the residual heat of the pan. Why Does This Work Since the whole point of using spices is to enhance the flavor of the dish you are making, it makes sense to do everything you can to make them more flavorful, yes? Heating the spices (blooming) draws out the oils from the spices, emphasizing and emboldening their flavors. It can even take spices that are a bit long-in-the-tooth and bring them to new flavorful life. Note: If you are making a spice mix, do not cook the spices when you make the mix, cook them just before you "use" the mix in your recipe. In this recipe we are talking of "blooming" the oregano, basil, and thyme. The coconut and red pepper flakes do not need to the bloomed.
• This dish will last 3 - 4 days, if properly covered in the refrigerator. If frozen, if will last for 3 - 4 months. If vacuumed sealed it will last up to a year.
• I believe that the Hatch Nacho sliced jalapenos are integral to the flavor of this soup. If you do not have any, you could slice two fresh ones and toss them in the pot; however, these jalapeños are pickled in vinegar, and have a unique flavor that cannot be duplicated with just fresh ones. Note: you can also get these Hatch jalapeños in a can; however, they are packed in water and do not have the same flavor.
• Here is a photo of the jar. Most grocer's carry them, or you can always get them online from places like Amazon.
• I like to serve this with a bowl of steamed white rice, and allow my guests add a few spoons into the soup. That way they can decide the amount of rice they want (maybe none), and if you decide to freeze the leftovers, you will not have to worry about mushy rice the next time you heat it up.
• Gather your ingredients (mise en place).
• Mash up the baked garlic.
• Cook and drain the Italian sausage.
• Add the sauce, veggies and dry ingredients to the bowl of your slow cooker, along with the ground Italian sausage.
• I like to add the stock, beer, and wine to a small bowl, then whisk in all of the dry ingredients. Add that first to the slow cooker, then add the remainder of the veggie & sauce ingredients and combine.
• Add a bit of salt and pepper to the chicken, then place into the slow cooker; preferably on a rack, so that they stay above the sauce.
• Set the slow cooker to low, and cook for about 3 - 4 hours, or until the chicken is cooked thru (internal temp of 165f/75c).
• Remove the chicken, allow to cool slightly, remove skin and bones, then slice, or shred and return to the slow cooker.
• Continue to slow cook for 10 - 15 minutes to warm up the chicken.
• PLATE/PRESENT
• Serve while nice and warm, with some grated parmesan cheese, toasty Italian bread, an excellent wine, and great conversation.
• Keep the faith, and keep cooking.

ZESTY ITALIAN CHICKEN AND RICE

Steps:

• Place rice, 1/2 can french fried onions, and italian seasonings in 9x13 pan.
• Pour bouillon over rice mixture.
• Arrange chicken on top.
• Pour salad dressing over chicken.
• Bake covered at 400 degrees for 30 minutes .
• Place vegetables around chicken, covering rice. Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes.
• Top with remaining onions. Bake 1-3 minutes.

COMFORT ESSENTIALS: CHICKEN, VEGGIES, AND RICE

Steps:

• PREP/PREPARE
• You will need an ovenproof skillet, glass baking dish, or rimmed baking sheet to make this recipe.
• The Chicken This recipe is designed for two, so you will need two pieces of chicken. Thighs and breasts come to mind. You could probably use any cut of the chicken, but I found that boneless and skinless is the way to go. I tried it on some thighs and breasts, and both came out excellent and very flavorful. If you have the time, you might want to throw them into a salt brine for an hour; especially if you are using breasts. A quick brine of just 50 - 60 minutes is enough to add flavor to smaller cuts like chicken breasts. Just dissolve 4 tablespoons of kosher salt (3 tablespoons if you are using fine table salt) to a quart (1 liter) of cold water and let the chicken sit in the brine, in the refrigerator for about an hour. If you are doing thighs, you probably can skip the brining, as thighs are naturally moist.
• The Sauce The sauce is the one ingredient that binds all the other items in this recipe together. The one I made is my French Sauce Supreme. It is actually not that difficult and it is an amazing sauce. If you are using a different sauce, just think of a sauce that would go nicely in a pot pie. https://www.justapinch.com/recipes/sauce-spread/sauce-spread-other-sauce-spread/french-sauce-supreme.html
• The Veggies If I cannot get fresh, my next best option is organic frozen. I am using a combination of chopped carrots, onions, and peas; however, you can add any veggies that you like. It is up to you... no pressure.
• Gather your ingredients (mise en place).
• Mix all the dry spices together in a small bowl
• Place a rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 375f (190c).
• Add some olive oil to a glass baking dish, or high-rimmed baking sheet.
• Add the chicken and turn to coat in the oil.
• In this photo, I am trying an experiment between chicken breasts and thighs. In truth both came out tasting pretty great.
• Sprinkle the dry spices over the chicken.
• Place into the preheated oven and bake uncovered, until the internal temp reaches 165f (75c), about 30 - 35 minutes.
• While the chicken is baking make the gravy, add the veggies, then let it slowly simmer until the chicken is ready.
• As a final step to the gravy, add a tablespoon of sweet butter, unsalted, and combine. This will make the gravy silky smooth.
• PLATE/PRESENT
• Add a piece of the chicken; along with some of the cooked rice to a plate.
• Ladle on the gravy and veggies, then serve while nice and warm. Enjoy.
• Keep the faith, and keep cooking.