Chipotle Chicken With Rice and Beans

If your family likes it spicy, increase the chipotle chili to taste. Concerned about sodium? Replace sodium-reduced chicken broth with water and look for no-salt-added canned beans.

Ingredients:

1 lb (454 g) boneless skinless chicken thighs, cubed
1 tsp (5 mL) chili powder
1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt
1/4 tsp (1 mL) pepper
2 tbsp (30 mL) vegetable oil
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup (250 mL) long-grain white rice
1 chipotle chili in adobo sauce, seeded and chopped
3/4 cup (175 mL) sodium-reduced chicken broth
1 can (19 oz/540 mL) black beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup (60 mL) chopped fresh cilantro

Direction:

Toss chicken with half each of the chili powder, salt and pepper. In large Dutch oven, heat half of the oil over medium-high heat; brown chicken. Transfer to bowl.
Heat remaining oil in pan over medium heat; cook onion, garlic and remaining chili powder, salt and pepper, stirring occasionally and scraping up browned bits, until softened, about 5 minutes.
Stir in rice and chipotle; cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Stir in broth and 1 cup water; bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
Add chicken and black beans; cook, covered, until rice is tender and juices run clear when chicken is pierced, about 10 minutes. Stir in cilantro.

Servings: 4

Source: cbc.ca/bestrecipes

Hoppin John

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups dried black-eyed peas
6 strips bacon, diced
1 medium onion, chopped
3/4 cups long-grain white rice
2 TBS. butter, optional
Salt and pepper to taste
Dash of hot sauce
1/2 cup minced green onions, including tops
3 TBS. minced parsley

Directions: 

Rinse peas and pick them over. Cover with 3 cups of cold water; add 1 tbsp. salt and let stand overnight. (For a quicker soak, to serve peas the same day, place peas in a large pot and pour on 4 cups of boiling water. Heat to boiling again, and cook for 2 minutes. Turn off heat, cover, and let stand for 1 hour.)

Drain peas, discarding water, and place in a large pot. In a separate pan, sauté bacon until crisp; add it to the peas, reserving the rendered drippings. Add onion, 1/2 tbsp. salt and 2 cups water. Bring just to a boil, lower heat, and simmer until peas are tender, about 20 minutes (longer in high altitude and hard-water areas). A small amount of cooking liquid should remain; if liquid is absorbed too quickly by cooking, add fresh water by 1/4 cups.

Cover rice with cold water. Bring to a boil, stir once, cover and lower heat to the barest simmer. Simmer rice for 20 minutes.

When peas are tender, add cooked rice to pot. Stir in 2 TBSP. reserved bacon fat (or butter, if preferred), salt, pepper and hot sauce to taste. Cover and simmer about 15 minutes longer so flavors mingle and rice absorbed some of the remaining cooking liquid.

To serve, garnish with green onions and parsley.

Source: The Recipe Graveyard

Cashew Chicken Stir-Fry

Soy sauce, oyster sauce, and chili paste make a flavorful sauce for this chicken and vegetable meal. Poblano chile peppers give the dish a little heat.

Ingredients:

• 12   ounces skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1   tablespoon soy sauce
•  Dash ground white pepper
• 3   tablespoons water
• 2   tablespoons organic granulated sugar or sugar
• 2   tablespoons soy sauce
• 2   tablespoons oyster sauce
• 2  2  teaspoons red chili paste
• 2   tablespoons canola oil or cooking oil
• 1   small red onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
• 6   green onions, bias-sliced into 2-inch pieces
• 4   cloves garlic, minced
• 1  8  ounce can sliced water chestnuts, drained
• 1 - 2   large dried poblano or ancho chile peppers, broken into large pieces and seeds discarded or 1/2 to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper, optional
• 1   cup lightly salted roasted cashews
• 2   cups hot cooked jasmine, basmati or white rice

   

  Directions:

   

  1.Cut chicken into 1/2-inch pieces. Places chicken in a medium bowl. Add 1 tablespoon soy sauce and white pepper; toss gently to coat. Set aside.

   

  For sauce:

  
  

  1. In a small bowl, combine water, sugar, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, oyster sauce and chili paste. Set aside.

  2. Pour oil into a wok or large skillet. (If necessary, add more oil during cooking.) Heat over medium-high heat. Add red onion, green onions and garlic to wok; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until just tender. Remove vegetables from wok.

  3. Add chicken to wok; cook and stir for 2 to 3 minutes or until no longer pink. Push chicken from center of wok. Stir sauce; add to center of wok. Cook and stir until bubbly. Return cooked vegetables to wok. Add water chestnuts and dried chile peppers, if you like. Cook and stir about 1 minute more or until heated through. Remove large pieces of chili pepper, if using. Stir in cashews. Serve with rice. Serves 4.

   

  Source: bhg

Broccoli Rice Cups

Ingredients:

1 10 – ounce thawed broccoli
1 cup chicken stock (low sodium)
1 cup white rice (I would use brown rice to make it lower carb)
1/4 cup Ranch Dressing (low fat/low sodium)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup grated cheese (any of your favorite light cheese)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt and pepper

Directions:

Boil rice according to package instructions.
Once done, transfer cooked rice to a medium bowl and allow to cool for a minute.
Mix together all the ingredients, but only using 1/2 of the cheese.
Grease a 12 cup muffin tray and fill tray.
Top with the remaining cheese.
Bake in oven for 25 minutes at 350 degrees or until golden and crispy.

Pecan Shrimp and Rice

Ingredients:

1 lb. large shrimp, cleaned and cooked
1 1/2 cups Minute Premium rice
1 cup pecan halves, toasted and chopped
1/2 cup green onion, sliced
1/4 cup homemade Teriyaki Sauce (see below)

Directions:

Spread in single layer of pecans on baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 5 to 7 minutes or until lightly toasted. Prepare rice according to package directions.

Mix cooked rice, shrimp, toasted pecans and onions in large Slillet. Pour in Teriyaki sauce, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

Homemade Teriyaki Sauce

1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons sweet rice wine
1 tablespoon, plus 2 teaspoons brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons minced ginger


Directions:

Combine ingredients in a saucepan on medium heat until the sugar is dissolved. Simmer on low heat until ready to use. You can store leftover sauce in a jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

You can also make this same recipe a glaze for basting chicken or shrimp...

To make a glaze from this recipe, mix 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water together and add to teriyaki sauce. Heat on medium high heat to just boiling and then reduce to a summer until thickened.