Dirty Rice

November 26, 2011 by

I’ve only ever made Dirty Rice from a mix, so this simple recipe from the June 2003 issue of Southern Living (original here) caught my attention. The mixes are pretty easy, but this looks easy enough that I will probably give it a try eventually.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 celery ribs, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 green bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 cup uncooked rice
  • 1 (14.5-ounce) can beef broth
  • 3/4 cup water

Directions

  1. Cook ground beef, garlic, celery, onion, parsley, and green pepper in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring until beef crumbles and is no longer pink.
  2. Stir in salt, red and black pepper, and Worcestershire sauce, mixing well.
  3. Add rice, broth, and 3/4 cup water, stirring well.
  4. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 25 to 30 minutes or until rice is tender.

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Stir-Fry Your Way

November 14, 2011 by

So many of the stir fry recipes that I see tell you to use a bottle of “stir fry sauce.” Where’s the technique in that? So I was pleased when I found this recipe from the April 2011 issue of All You (original here), that includes a sauce you make yourself. The recipe was developed by dietician Heidi McIndoo.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
  • 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
  • 1/2 tablespoon light soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoons canola oil
  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
  • 4 cups of your favorite vegetables (broccoli cut into bite-size pieces, shredded carrots, thinly sliced red bell peppers, chopped onion or thin green beans)
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1 8-oz. can pineapple chunks, canned in juice, drained, optional
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch mixed with 2 Tbsp. cold water
  • 2 cups cooked brown rice or whole-grain noodles

Directions

  1. Preheat a wok or large skillet on low.
  2. In a bowl, combine chicken broth, vinegar, soy sauce and brown sugar.
  3. Turn heat up to high.
  4. Pour in 1 Tbsp. canola oil and, once hot, add half of chicken and sauté until cooked through, about 5 minutes.
  5. Remove to a plate.
  6. Repeat with 1/2 Tbsp. oil and remaining chicken.
  7. Add vegetables and 1 1/2 Tbsp. oil to wok; sauté until tender, about 3 minutes.
  8. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute.
  9. Return chicken to wok; add pineapple, if desired.
  10. Pour in chicken broth mixture and stir well.
  11. Add cornstarch and stir until sauce thickens and becomes shiny.
  12. Serve over brown rice or whole-grain noodles. (Obviously white rice will also work.)

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Slow Cooker Chicken, Broccoli & Rice

October 30, 2011 by

I love everything about this recipe. I often buy similar frozen meals, ready for the microwave. This recipe from Campbell’s (original online) makes a satisfying, homemade version that is even better than those microwave meals.

Ingredients

  • Vegetable cooking spray
  • 1 1/2 cups uncooked instant white rice
  • 1 3/4 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
  • 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (about 8 ounces)
  • 1 bag (about 16 ounces) frozen broccoli cuts, thawed
  • 3 large carrots, sliced (about 2 1/4 cups)
  • 1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell’s® Condensed Cream of Chicken and Mushroom Soup
  • 1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell’s® Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup
  • 1 1/2 cups water

Directions

  1. Spray a 5-quart slow cooker with the cooking spray.
  2. Place the rice in the slow cooker. 
  3. Layer the chicken, 1 cup cheese, broccoli, carrots, soups and the remaining cheese on top of the rice.
  4. Pour the water around the edges of the slow cooker and do not stir.
  5. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours or until the chicken is cooked through.
  6. Stir the rice and vegetables before serving.

Variations

  • Speed up the meal by using canned chicken breast. The casserole only needs to cook long enough to warm all the ingredients and cook the rice.
  • If I use chicken breasts, I cut them into chunks before adding to the crockpot to make serving the meal simpler.

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Pepper Steak Stir-Fry

October 24, 2011 by

A recipe from the May 2010 issue of All You (original not available online). The article highlights the recipe as a “dinner under $10” and credits the recipe to Margaret Mahoney of Fairdale, Kentucky.

Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp canola oil
  • 1 lb top round steak, cut into strips
  • Pepper
  • 2 green bell peppers, seeded, chopped
  • 12 scallions, white and light green parts, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 cup sliced mushrooms
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 Tbsp minced fresh ginger
  • 2 Tbsp soy sauce
  • Cooked rice, optional

Directions

  1. Warm ½ Tbsp oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat.
  2. Season steak with pepper.
  3. Add half of steak to skillet and stir-fry for 4 minutes, until just brown.
  4. Remove to a plate; tent with foil.
  5. Repeat with another ½ Tbsp oil and remaining steak.
  6. Return reserved cooked steak to skillet.
  7. Add peppers, scallions, mushrooms, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and remaining 1 Tbsp oil to skillet.
  8. Stir-fry for 3 minutes, until steak is cooked through and vegetables are lightly browned but still crisp.
  9. Serve over rice, if desired.

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Chicken and Chorizo Paella

October 17, 2011 by

A recipe from the June 2011 issue of All You (original here). The note with the recipe explains that “This spicy one-skillet dish has minimal clean-up, so it’s ideal for an easy weeknight meal.”

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2-inch chunks
  • Salt
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 4 ounces cooked chorizo sausage, cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
  • 1 1/2 cups long-grain rice
  • 3 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 15-oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
  • 1 cup frozen peas

Directions

  1. Sprinkle chicken with salt and dredge in flour.
  2. Warm 1 Tbsp. oil in a large, deep nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
  3. Cook chicken until browned on all sides, about 6 minutes total. Transfer to a plate.
  4. Heat remaining oil in skillet and add onion and garlic.
  5. Cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes.
  6. Add chorizo and cook until lightly browned, about 2 minutes.
  7. Stir in rice, broth, tomatoes and 1/2 tsp. salt.
  8. Bring to a boil, add chicken, cover, reduce heat to low and cook until rice is tender and chicken is cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes.
  9. Remove from heat, stir in peas, cover and let stand until peas are heated through, about 5 minutes.

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Simmered Italian Rice

October 7, 2010 by

Found this tasty-looking recipe on the September issue of All You. It looks like an upscale version of the dish my brother named “Rice with Too Much Rice.” He was 4 or 5, and thought it was Chicken and Rice Soup with more rice than normal.

This variation from Swanson adds spinach and Parmesan. Can’t wait to try it out with some Italian-marinated chicken breasts or pork loin.

Ingredients

  • Simmered Italian Rice1 ¾ cup chicken broth
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • ¾ cup uncooked long-grain white rice
  • 1 cup chopped fresh spinach (or thawed frozen spinach)
  • ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

  1. Heat broth and Italian seasoning in 2 qt. saucepan over medium-high heat to a boil.
  2. Stir in rice and spinach.
  3. Reduce heat to low.
  4. Cover and cook 20 min or until rice is tender.
  5. Stir in the cheese.
  6. Garnish with additional Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Variations

  • A vegetarian version, made with vegetable broth, would be just as tasty.
  • If you’re out of Italian seasoning, substitute 1/3 tsp each of oregano, marjoram, and basil.
  • Saute 1 small onion, diced and a clove of garlic, in some butter till transparent, and add with the rice and spinach.
  • A blend of Romano and Parmesan cheese will work as well.

Time Required: 35 minutes

Servings: 4

Filed under Italian, Side Dish Tagged with ,

Jiffy Chicken Casserole

August 18, 2010 by

This recipe originally came from a box of A&P instant rice, which has been taped inside the kitchen cabinet for over 30 years now. While we’ve varied the recipe a bit over the years, it’s remained a family favorite and is a great option whenever cold and flu season comes around.

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp margarine or olive oil Jiffy Chicken Casserole
  • 1/4 cup diced onion
  • 1 tbsp flour
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 cubes chicken boullion
  • 2 tsp. sugar
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
  • dash of pepper
  • 1 (10 oz.) pkg. frozen peas & carrots
  • 1 12-oz can chicken breast
  • 1 1/2 cups instant rice

Directions

  1. Jiffy Chicken CasseroleMicrowave peas and carrots according to package directions.
  2. Spray large skillet with nonstick spray.
  3. Saute onion in margarine or olive oil till golden brown.
  4. Stir in flour and blend well.
  5. Add water, chicken boullion, sugar, salt, poultry seasoning and pepper.
  6. Bring to a boil.
  7. Stir in peas & carrots, chicken, and instant rice.
  8. Cover and simmer 10 minutes.

Variations

  • Substitute or any any cooked vegetables you have on hand. A bag of mixed vegetables would create a great Calico Jiffy Chicken Casserole, for instance.
  • The original recipe called for sliced carrots, which were sauted 10 minutes before the onion is added to the skillet. Add a bag of frozen peas instead of peas and carrots if you try the original option.
  • After the casserole cooks, add 2 cups chicken broth (or more as desired) to convert the meal to a wonderful chicken rice soup.
  • Don’t have instant rice on hand? Instant brown rice is an easy substitute. Just adjust the cooking time so that rice cooks thoroughly. Alternately, add precooked long grain or basmati rice in place of the instant and simmer until rice is cooked. Be sure to add additional broth as necessary.

Time Required: 20 mins

Servings: 4–6

Rating: 5 stars (★★★★★)

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