Chicken and Rice

Okay, so I have been lazy and not posting recipes to Frickin' Chicken in like forever and a half. I put this photo up on facebook and immediately got a request for a recipe. Instead of typing it out there, I figured I might as well take a moment to post here. I'm not sure what this is called, except an easy go to dinner. It'd be easy to swap out the veg. For instance I typically make this with lots of mushroom as the only veg. Tonight I only had two lonely mushrooms in my fridge, but I had a bunch of asparagus. Zuchinni, bell pepper,  summer squash would probably all be good substitutes. Whatever your family likes. Even peas would work well.
Amanda

Chicken & Rice

1 cup of white rice (uncooked)
2 cups of water
pat of butter, however generous you want to be
pinch of salt

Cook your rice in a small pot, by placing the rice in the pot and covering with water. Add a pat of butter and salt. Bring to a boil and stir. Cover, reduce to low and set timer for 15-20 minutes. When rice is cooked, set it aside.

Meanwhile start your chicken dish.

1-2 breasts of chicken
2 lonely mushrooms (or more if you have them)
8-10 sprigs of asparagus
2-3 slices of bacon
1 cup of chicken stock
1 tbsp flour
thyme, salt and pepper
1 clove garlic
1 cup of cream/milk
parmesan cheese (optional)
butter

Start bacon sauting in a large skillet. When it is almost done, add diced mushrooms and asparagus. Chop garlic up small and toss it in too. When the bacon is cooked and veg have had time to cook a bit, add chicken that has been cut into bite size pieces. Add your dried thyme, salt and pepper and stir all on med-high heat. When chicken is about half way done, in a small bowl mix the chicken broth with flour to remove lumps. Pour over chicken and add cream or milk. Stir, bringing to a boil to thicken sauce. Add parmesan cheese if desired. When chicken is cooked through, add in the cooked rice and another pat of butter. Stir. If you want it creamer add a bit more milk. Taste for salt/pepper and enjoy!

To kick this dish up a notch, pour all of this is in a buttered baking dish and top with a breadcrumb and olive oil mixture. Bake until breadcrumbs are toasted through. Serve.

Sarma (Stuffed Grape Leaves)

I apopogize for the lack of posting on my end.  Between the longest chest cold known to man, exams, starting a MA and transcontnentail travel  I have been doiong the bare minimum to keep us from staving to death, and a lot of take out.

I am back…cooking and posting.  Which is good because this recipe is extremly time consuming.  I love sarma, sometimes called dolma. Grape leaves stuffed with rice and beef, served with yogurt on top. It is worth every minute.

-Jules

Sarma

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds of ground beef
3 onions diced finely
1 tsp of salt
2 cups of uncooked short grain rice
1/2 cup of water
5 tablespoons of tomato paste
2 1/2 of black pepper
1/4 cup of olive oil
3 teaspoons of mint
75 to 100 medium grape leaves
If you can’t find fresh, brined will do.
1 lemon

Take all of the ingredients above and combine, except the grapeleaves and the lemon.  Mix thoroughly. The seasoning will be most evenly distributed if you knead it with your hands.

Set the mixture aside.  Wash the leaves, then place them in a boiling pot of water for 5 minutes, until tender, but not too soft.  If the leaves were brined soak them in cool water and rinse before use.  Firmly squeeze out any water, but be careful not to rip the leaves.

To Fill

Gently separate each leaf, (I recommend readying several at once then rolling assembly style) tear off the steam. Holding the leaf vein side up, place a small amount of filling horizontally

1. Looking at your left palm, turn down the right corner of the leaf

2. Now the left corner.

3. & 4. Bring first the right then the left sides of the leaf in, in a parallel fold

3. Fold

4. Fold

5. Now the tricky part. Using your thumb to keep the roll tight, start rolling the filling down towards the bottom of the leaf.

Keep it Tight (or it will spill all over the place)

Whew! Finished!

Now, go make a hundred more. Make sure not to stuff them too much or when the rice expands during cooking it will burst the grape leaf.  When you are finished, take a heavy bottomed pot with a lid, cover the bottom with grape leaves(the ones that ripped or seemed tough), then carefully place your sarmas inside, seam side down, close together but not tightly packed. Place them in concentric circles leaving the middle of the pot open. 

Add enough water to cover the sarmas (I used the water I cooked the grape leaves in, because it has all the nutrients from the grape leaves.) Juice the lemon and add it to the water. Cook on the stovetop on a low heat, for about an hour, until the rice is done. At 50 minutes, check on the rice, if it is not done, give it another 10 minutes or so. When serving, it is great with yogurt on top. I love to add mashed garlic to my yogurt, and then spoon it on top.

Rice Pilaf

This is a very tasty and easy side dish. Side benefit? It hid a bunch of vegetables and my twins at it right up! I used it as a side dish with a fish packet. The sauce on the plate is from the juices in the fish packet, not the rice. To really hide the zucchini, peel it first, but a lot of the nutrients are found in the skin.
-Amanda

Rice Pilaf

1/2 cup orzo pasta
1/2 cup white rice
1 zucchini, grated
8-10 button mushrooms
1 clove garlic, minced
3 3/4 cup chicken stock
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
salt and pepper to taste

Melt butter and olive oil in a medium pot. Add rice and orzo, stiring to coat and slightly brown. Add grated zucchini, mushrooms, garlic, salt & pepper. Cover with chicken stock and stir. Bring to a boil, cover the pot with a lid and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes or until rice is tender.