Turkey, Kale, and Rice Bake

From Eating Well



Ingredients:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups thinly sliced leeks, white and light green parts only
1 cup thinly sliced celery
4 cups slivered kale leaves
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 cup low-fat, no-salt-added cottage cheese
1 cup instant or quick-cooking brown rice
6 ounces smoked turkey breast or smoked tofu, chopped (1 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, or to taste
1 cup shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese

Directions:
1. Heat oil in a large, ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add leeks and celery and cook, stirring frequently, until beginning to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Add kale and tomatoes and cook, stirring, until the kale begins to wilt, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in cottage cheese, rice, turkey (or tofu), water and pepper. Bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook for 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, position rack in upper third of oven; preheat broiler.

3. Stir the rice mixture, increase the heat to medium and cook, uncovered, until most of the liquid has evaporated, 10 to 12 minutes. Spread cheese on top. Broil until the cheese is bubbling, 2 to 3 minutes.

Comments:
Adam picked this one after we got a Nook subscription to the magazine. Kind of surprised me, actually. This doesn't seem like his usual area of food choices. It was ok, I guess. I'm not too big a fan of the dark, leafy greens so the kale was a struggle, but overall it was fine. Not sure I'd make it again. Awful lot of prep and effort for something just so-so...

Creamy Gorgonzola and Portobello Mushroom Risotto

From Nadia G's Bitchin' Kitchen via Cooking Channel



Ingredients:
3 cups organic chicken stock
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
4 portobello mushrooms, diced
1 yellow onion, minced
Sea salt
2 cups Arborio rice
3/4 cup good white wine
1/2 cup crumbled gorgonzola
1/3 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Freshly cracked pepper

Directions:
Bring the chicken stock to a bare simmer in a saucepan.

Meanwhile, heat the butter and olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute until golden, 1 minute. Add the mushrooms, onions and 1 teaspoon sea salt and saute for 8 minutes. Stir in the rice and cook for 2 minutes. Deglaze with the wine and cook until the wine has reduced completely. Ladle in the simmering broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until the rice absorbs all the broth before adding more. Repeat until all the broth has been added and the rice is al dente, about 20 minutes. Stir in the cheeses and a pinch of sea salt and pepper.

Comments:
Oh man, was this good. Now, I admit some recipe... alterations. I used boring white button mushrooms, skipped the wine and used some extra stock, and my gorgonzola looked sketchy so I just added some more parm. Boo. I bet it would have been even better with the blue cheese in it. Oh well. Next time. Risotto is always delicious, but I swear if I had to cook it for one minute longer my arm would have fallen off. What I wouldn't give to have a RoboStir!



Just kidding... I think.

Moroccan Chicken Salad

From Eating Well



Ingredients:
2 cups cooked rice
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
2 cups shredded carrots
1/4 cup sliced scallions
1/4 cup chopped Kalamata olives
1/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/3 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions:
Combine rice, chicken, carrots, scallions and olives in a large bowl. Whisk together broth, orange juice, lemon juice, mint, cilantro, oil, cinnamon, cayenne and salt and pepper to taste in another bowl. Toss dressing with rice mixture.

Comments:
I went a little heavy handed with the cayenne on this one. And again with the cinnamon. I'm just not a cinnamon fan, I guess. I might try this again skipping those two ingredients, but I don't know. The balance of rice to carrots to chicken seemed off to me and Adam didn't really care for it at all.

Indian-Style Apricot Chicken

From CrockPot Favorite Slow Cooker Recipes



Ingredients:
6 skinless chicken thighs, rinsed and patted dry
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp grated fresh ginger
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup chicken broth
1 8oz package dried apricots
1 pinch saffron threads (optional)
Hot basmati rice

Directions:
1. Coat slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Brown chicken on all sides. Transfer to prepared slow cooker.

2. Add onion to skillet. Cook and stir 3 to 5 minutes or until translucent. Stir in garlic, ginger, cinnamon, and allspice. Cook and stir 15 to 30 seconds longer or until mixture is fragrant. Add tomatoes with juice and broth. Cook 2 or 3 minutes or until mixture is heated through. Pour into clow cooker.

3. Add apricots and saffron, if desired. Cover; cook on LOW 5 to 6 hours (HIGH 3 to 4 hours) or until chicken is tender. Add salt and pepper, if desired. Serve with basmati rice.

Comments:
We weren't sold on this one. Adam wasn't a fan of all the tomato action. I didn't like the cinnamon part. We ate it, but probably wouldn't make it again.

Mango Chicken with Plum Sauce

From Taste of Home



Ingredients:
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
1/2 pound fresh snow peas, trimmed
2 large carrots, sliced diagonally
2 medium zucchini, sliced
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/2 medium sweet red pepper, sliced
1 can (4 ounces) sliced water chestnuts, drained
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 pound finely chopped cooked chicken breast (about 3 cups)
2 medium mangoes, peeled and mashed
1/2 cup plum sauce
2 cups hot cooked brown rice
1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted

Directions:
In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch and salt; stir in broth and teriyaki sauce until smooth. Cook and stir until thickened. Set aside.

In a large skillet or wok, stir-fry the snow peas, carrots, zucchini, onion, pepper and water chestnuts in oil until crisp-tender. Add the chicken, mangoes and broth mixture; heat through. Stir in plum sauce. Serve with rice. Sprinkle with almonds.

Comments:
This dish perfectly represents the difference between my food preferences and Adam's. I'd eat this every day. Seriously. Adam? He said it was ok and he'd like to have it again...in a year.

Anyway, left out the water chestnuts because they're on Adam's "hell no" food list. Also didn't add the almonds because... ok, because I forgot. Stir-fries require mad multi-tasking skillz and I failed on that one. Oh well. It was fine without them. I used my rice cooker for the first time in ages. I love it! I wish I didn't have to make 4 cups of rice to use it... but when I do it's the best rice ever. Do they make smaller rice cookers? I should google that later...

Pomegranate Chicken with Walnuts

From Everyday with Rachael Ray



Ingredients:
2 cups rice
5 skinless, boneless chicken thighs (about 1 pound), cut into quarters
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 large onion, halved and sliced
1 clove garlic, smashed
3/4 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cups cranberry-pomegranate juice
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

Directions:
1. In a medium saucepan, bring the rice and 2 1/4 cups water to a simmer. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until the water has evaporated and the rice is tender, about 20 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, season the chicken with salt and pepper. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook, turning once, until browned, about 7 minutes; transfer to a plate. Add the onion, garlic and walnuts to the skillet and cook, stirring often, until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the cinnamon, scraping up any browned bits. Return the chicken and any juices to the pan, add the cranberry-pomegranate juice and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes; transfer the chicken to a serving platter.

3. Cook the sauce, stirring occasionally, until thickened slightly, about 3 minutes; stir in the parsley and pour over the chicken. Serve on top of the rice.

Comments:
I skipped the rice since I was making the aforementioned cheese puffs. The chicken itself was pretty good. I used breasts instead of thighs, but kept the rest the same. I really dug the pomegranate-cranberry juice combo.

Rice, Black Bean, and Corn Salad

From Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook



Ingredients:
1 cup cold cooked brown rice
1/2 cup cooked corn kernals
1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1/2 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp finely chopped cilantro
1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
2 tbsp red-wine vinegar
1 1/2 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp EVOO
1/4 tsp salt

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, combine the rice, corn, bell pepper, celery, beans, onion, cilantro, and jalapeno.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, lime juice, oil, and salt. Pour over the rice mixture and toss to coat. Refrigerate, covered, until the flavors are blended, at least 1 hour.

Serves 4. POINTS Value per serving: 2

Comments:
I really liked this. I had to skip the jalapeno since the ones I had in the fridge jumped the shark on me before I could make this. Adam wasn't too enthused - he thought it was weird that it was cold. I liked the mix of flavors and the crunch the pepper and celery added. Might try it with red pepper too to add some more color contrast. I'd also probably up the ratio of black beans - I love them and there didn't seem to be enough of them.

Maple-Walnut Chicken and Cheddar-Apple Rice

From Everyday with Rachael Ray



Ingredients:
1 cup walnut halves
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/4 cups long-grain white rice
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 honeycrisp, gala or golden delicious apple—peeled, seeded and chopped
3/4 cup packed flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/4 cup packed fresh dill
Salt and coarsely ground black pepper
One 6-ounce brick sharp white cheddar cheese, cut into small, 1/4-inch cubes
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup dark maple syrup

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325°. Spread the walnuts on a baking sheet and roast until well toasted and fragrant, 10 to 12 minutes.

In a large saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the rice and toast for a minute or two. Add 2 cups chicken stock and bring to a boil, then lower the heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the apple and simmer for 8 minutes.

While the rice cooks, using a food processor, pulse 1/4 cup chicken stock, the parsley, dill and 1/4 teaspoon salt until finely chopped. Stir into the rice during the last minute of cooking. Turn off the heat and let the rice stand, covered, for 1 to 2 minutes before fluffing with a fork. Transfer to a serving dish and stir in the cheese.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the EVOO, 1 turn of the pan, over medium-high heat. Pat the chicken dry and season liberally with salt and black pepper. Add to the skillet and cook, turning once, until browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a platter. Drain off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat in the skillet and add the vinegar. Cook, scraping up the pan drippings, then add the remaining 1/4 cup chicken stock, the maple syrup and black pepper to taste. Cook until thickened, about 1 minute. Add the chicken and walnuts and spoon with the sauce. Loosely cover the pan with foil and simmer for 5 minutes. Serve the chicken, sauce and nuts with the rice alongside.

Comments:
This recipe requires the mastering of multi-tasking more than most recipes. You've got to be on your game to not burn something, and I think I did ok. The end result is delicious. The rice is perfect with some gooey cheese surprises. The chicken and walnut and just sweet enough. Definitely a keeper.

Parmesan Chicken

From allrecipes.com



Ingredients:
6 tablespoons butter
1 (1 ounce) package dry onion soup mix
1 cup converted long-grain white rice
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese for topping
6 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 1/2 cups milk
2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Mix together onion soup mix, milk, cream of mushroom soup, and rice in a medium bowl.

2. Lay chicken breasts in the bottom of a lightly greased slow cooker. Place one tablespoon margarine on each chicken breast and pour soup mixture over all. Season with salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese.

3. Cook on Low for 8 to 10 hours, or on High for 4 to 6 hours.

Comments:
Not sure why this is called "Parmesan chicken" when there's hardly any cheese in it and you can't even taste it. This was not good. Onion overpowered everything. The rice was mushy (went to 8 hours in a 4qt coooker.) Won't make this again.

Red Rice with Chorizo

From Everyday with Rachael Ray



Ingredients:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
8 ounces chorizo, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1-1/2 cups long-grain white rice
1-1/2 cups red salsa
2 cups thawed frozen corn
One 15-ounce can sliced large black olives
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:
1. In a heavy medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the chorizo and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add the rice and stir for 1 minute to coat. Stir in 1-1/2 cups water and the salsa and bring to a boil, stirring once or twice. Cover the pot and simmer on low heat for 20 minutes.

2. Fluff the rice and stir in the corn. Remove from the heat, cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in the olives and cilantro.

Comments:
I swapped some black beans for the olives because, while Adam claims to "hate" beans, he "hates" beans a whole lot less than he hates olives. I also left out the cilantro. It took about 25 or 30 minutes for my rice to cook completely, but other than that the recipe worked well. Nice flavors. Adam's comment (I mean aside from the "eww, beans" one) was "needs more chorizo." So there you go.

Sausage and Broccoli Risotto

From Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook



Ingredients:
3 cups chicken broth
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 1/4 cups Arborio rice
1/3 cup dry white wine (or more chicken broth)
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 pound Italian turkey sausage
1/2 bunch broccoli, rinsed and chopped

Directions:
1. To make the risotto, bring the broth to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat and keep at a simmer.

2. Heat the oil in a large nonstick saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3-5 minutes. Add the rice and cook until the outer shell is lightly toasted, 2-3 minutes.

3. Add the wine, pepper, and 1/2 cup of the broth and stir until the liquid is absorbed. Continue to add the broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring until it is absorbed before adding more, until the rice is just tender and the mixture is creamy. The cooking time from the first addition of broth should be 20-24 minutes. Stir in the parsley.

4. Meanwhile, spray a nonstick skillet with nonstick spray and set over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the broccoli; cover and cook until softened, about 7 minutes. Stir the sausage and broccoli into the risotto.

Serves 6. POINTS Value per serving: 6

Comments:
This was good. Adam wanted more sausage though. I thought it was fine as it was. That always seems to be the case. Might try this again with other meats. Risotto is kind of time-consuming to make and I was surprised that this was good even without the traditional handful of parmesan cheese at the end.

Cranberry-Chipotle Chicken

From Better Homes & Gardens Simple Slow Cooker Recipes



Ingredients:
8 oz bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup chopped onion
1 (15oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15oz) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup chopped roma tomatoes
1/2 cup uncooked long grain rice
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs
1 (16oz) can whole cranberry sauce
1 canned chipotle chile pepper in adobo sauce, finely chopped
1 tbsp lime juice
1/4 tsp salt

Directions:
1. In a large skillet cook bacon and onion over medium heat until bacon is crisp. Drain off fat.

2. Transfer bacon mixture to a 3 1/2 - 4 quart slow cooker. Stir in black beans, cannellini beans, tomatoes, rice, chicken broth, 1/2 tsp salt, cumin, cinnamon, and garlic. Add chicken.

3. In a small bowl combine the cranberry sauce, pepper, lime juice, and 1/4 tsp salt. Pour over mixture in cooker.

4. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 6 to 7 hours (high 3 to 3 1/2.)

Comments:
I don't know about this one. I didn't really like it much. I did sub a habenero for the chipotle and some frozen cranberries for the canned stuff, but that shouldn't have changed the overall taste too much. Not sure what exactly it was, but it wasn't good. Won't make this again.

Pineapple Jerk Chicken and Rice

From Everyday with Rachael Ray



Ingredients:
2 cups brown rice
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 jalapeño chile—stemmed, seeded and finely chopped
1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
Salt and pepper
1/2 pineapple, cut into 3/4-inch pieces (about 3 cups)
1/2 cup jerk marinade, such as Lawry's
One 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed
1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Directions:
1. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the rice, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until tender, about 30 minutes; drain.

2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and jalapeño and cook until the onion is browned, 7 minutes; transfer to a bowl.

3. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil to the same skillet and increase the heat to medium-high. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, then add to the pan and cook until browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the pineapple and jerk marinade and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the onion mixture, black beans and cilantro; cook until the beans are heated through, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper and serve over the rice.

Comments:
I really liked this. There was heat from the pepper, fresh coolness from the pineapple, fiber from the beans. I left out the cilantro (obviously) and used a dry jerk seasoning instead of a marinade, but it all turned out well and tasted good.

Vietnamese Turkey (Chicken) Wraps

From Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook



Ingredients:
3 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp sugar
1/4 to 1/2 tsp red chile paste
1/4 cup water
2 carrots, cut into matchstick size pieces
1 cucumber, seeded and cut into matchstick size pieces
2 tbsp finely chopped onion
2 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tsp peanut oil
10 oz boneless, skinless turkey breast, cut into thin strips
2 cups hot cooked rice
2 heads Boston lettuce, cleaned and separated into leaves
1/2 cup whole mint leaves
1/2 cup whole cilantro leaves
3 tbsp unsalted, dry-roasted peanuts, chopped

Directions:
1. To prepare the dipping sauce, in a small serving bowl, whisk together 2 tbsp of the fish sauce, the lime juice, sugar, and chile paste with the water; set aside.

2. In a medium nonreactive bowl, combine the carrots, cucumber, onion, and vinegar; let stand 20 minutes. Drain, discarding the vinegar, and place in a medium serving bowl.

3. In a large nonstick skillet or wok, heat the oil. Saute the turkey until no longer pink, 1-2 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining tbsp fish sauce and place in a medium serving bowl.

4. To assemble a wrap, spoon about a tbsp each of the rice, turkey, and cucumber-carrot mixture into a lettuce leaf; top with 1-2 mint and cilantro leaves, sprinkle with peanuts and fold the lettuce leaf over to enclose the filling. Dip into the sauce.

Serves 4. POINTS Value per serving: 7

Comments:
I skipped the fish paste because that just sounds gross. Used chicken rather than turkey, iceberg instead of Boston, but kept everything else pretty much the same. I was not too impressed. I ate one lettuce wrap and then gave up on it - they were too messy! I ate the chicken with some rice and the dipping sauce. That was really good.

Risotto with Spring Vegetables

From Cooking Light



Ingredients:
2 cups shelled fava beans (about 1 1/2 pounds unshelled)
1/2 cup fresh green peas
4 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup chopped shallots
1/2 cup chopped carrot
1 cup uncooked Carnaroli or Arborio rice or other medium-grain rice
1/8 teaspoon saffron threads, crushed
1/2 cup white wine
8 ounces thin asparagus, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 cup (4 ounces) grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
1. Cook beans in boiling water 2 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water; drain. Remove tough outer skins from beans; discard skins. Cook peas in boiling water 2 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water; drain well.

2. Bring Homemade Chicken Stock to a simmer in a small saucepan (do not boil). Keep warm over low heat.

3. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add shallots and carrot to pan; cook 4 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add rice and saffron; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in wine; cook 30 seconds or until the liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly. Add 1 cup stock; cook 4 minutes or until liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly. Add remaining stock, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until each portion of stock is absorbed before adding the next (about 25 minutes total). Stir in fava beans, peas, and asparagus with last addition of stock. Remove from heat; stir in cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper.

Comments:
I omitted the saffron (tends to be prohibitively expensive) and subbed edamame for the fava beans. I halved the recipe since I didn't want a ton of leftovers, but went kind of heavy on the edamame since I just used up the partial bag I had in the freezer.

Anywho, this was very good. Even without the saffron it had a good blend of flavors and textures. We'd definitely try this one again.

Grilled Teriyaki Shrimp

From Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook



Ingredients:
1 1/4 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp Teriyaki sauce
1/2 medium pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 red bell peppers, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
4 cups cooked white rice
4 scallions, thinly sliced on the diagonal

Directions:
1. Place the shrimp in a large ziploc bag and pour in 1/4 cup of the teriyaki sauce. Seal the bag, squeezing out the air; turn to coat the shrimp. Refrigerate, turning the bag occasionally, at least 2 hours.

2. Spray the grill rack with nonstick spray. If using wooden skewers, soak 8 skewers in cold water. Preheat the grill.

3. Drain and discard the marinade. Alternately thread the shrimp, pineapple, and peppers on 8 wooden or metal skewers. Grill the kebabs 5 inches from the heat, turning frequently, until the shrimp are cooked through, 12-15 minutes. Serve over the rice, sprinkled with the remaining 2 tbsp teriyaki marinade and the scallions.

Serves 4. POINTS Value per serving: 8

Comments:
Fabian Seafood was in our area this morning so we picked up some super fresh shrimp for tonight's dinner. Only downside - these were not deveined, so Adam got down with the shrimp poo this afternoon. :) Better him than me.

Anywho, fairly easy prep, although the original recipe says to finely chop the pepper, which is obviously not a good idea if you're wanting to thread them on skewers. It also wants you to use their teriyaki sauce (a recipe in the same book) but I lazed out and just used bottled stuff.

I didn't eat the shrimp, but Adam proclaimed it great. I had the veggies and rice, which were also very good.

Grilled Pork Meatballs with Pineapple-Chiptole Chutney

From Everyday with Rachael Ray



Ingredients:
1 1/4 pounds bulk pork Italian sausage
2 scallions, finely chopped
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 cups long-grain rice
1 1/2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 slices canned pineapple in juice, finely chopped, plus 1/2 cup juice
One-quarter of a chipotle chile in adobo sauce, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, combine the sausage and half of the scallions; season with salt and pepper. Shape into 16 meatballs.

2. In a medium saucepan, bring 3 cups water to a boil. Stir in the rice, cover, lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Using a fork, stir in the sesame seeds.

3. Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the meatballs and cook, turning, until cooked through and browned, about 15 minutes.

4. In a small saucepan, combine the pineapple, pineapple juice, chipotle and cumin; cook over medium heat until reduced by half, 10 minutes. Pour the sauce over the meatballs; stir in the cilantro and remaining scallions. Serve on top of the rice.

Comments:
I didn't want to buy a whole can of chipotle in adobo for one quarter of one pepper. So I got a serrano instead and chopped that up. Added some nice heat. Which I managed to get in my eye even though I wore gloves while chopping. Argh. Stupid pepper.

Anyway.

This was good. I'm not sure why it's called "grilled" meatballs when you don't grill them, but whatever. Adam liked the meatballs best, but didn't mind the other components. Of course, I preferred the rice and pineapple.

Fiesta Chicken and Rice

From Cooking Light



Ingredients:
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can no-salt-added whole tomatoes, undrained
1 (4.5-ounce) can chopped green chiles, undrained
Cooking spray
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup uncooked long-grain rice
3/4 cup chopped onion (about 1 small onion)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound skinned, boned chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

Directions:
1. Drain tomatoes and green chiles, reserving liquid from each together in a 1-cup liquid measuring cup. Add water to reserved liquid to measure 1 cup; set aside. Chop tomatoes; set tomato and chiles aside.

2. Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray; add oil. Place over medium heat until hot. Add rice, onion, and garlic; sauté 3 minutes or until rice is golden.

3. Stir tomato, green chiles, reserved 1 cup liquid, chicken, and remaining ingredients into rice mixture. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender.

Comments:
I left out the green chilies (let's say it together - "because I'm a wuss") but in my defense I did add some red pepper flakes so I don't think the end result was lacking in the spicy department. I also used diced tomatoes. What's the use of getting whole tomatoes if you're just going to cut them up anyway. Huh.

Anywho, pretty simple prep, yummy results. I'd definitely make this again. I considered using brown rice instead of white, but since it takes so much longer to cook I'm not sure that'd work. I'll have to ponder that one a little further...

Oriental Beef & Broccoli

From Better Homes & Gardens Simple Slow Cooker Recipes (also seen here.)



Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds boneless beef round steak
6 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 medium onions, cut into wedges
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
1 3/4-oz envelope beef gravy mix
4 cups broccoli florets
3 cups hot cooked rice

Directions:
1. Trim fat from meat. Cut meat across the grain into 1/2-inch strips. Set aside. In a 3 1/2-to 4-quart slow cooker place carrots and onions. Add meat, ginger, and garlic. In a small bowl stir together water, soy sauce, and beef gravy mix. Pour over mixture in cooker.

2. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 8 to 10 hours (or on high 4-5 hours.)

3. If using low-heat setting, turn to high-heat setting. Stir in broccoli. Cover and cook about 15 minutes more or until broccoli is crisp-tender. Serve meat mixture over hot cooked rice.

Comments:
I really like the flavor of this recipe. It reheats well and doesn't get soggy like you might think. Adam still isn't its biggest fan, but he ate it without comment this time.

(Drunken) Risotto with Grilled Chicken

From Everyday With Rachael Ray



Ingredients:
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon grill seasoning, such as Mccormick Montreal Steak Seasoning
6 skinless, boneless chicken thighs (about 1½ pounds total)
1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
4 cups chicken broth
1 medium onion, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1½ cups arborio rice
2 cups Barolo (dry Italian) red wine
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano cheese
2 cups arugula, shredded
2 cups baby spinach, shredded

Directions:
1. Preheat a grill or a grill pan to medium-high. In a shallow dish, combine the balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, 3 tablespoons of the EVOO and the grill seasoning. Add the chicken thighs and turn to coat evenly with the marinade.

2. In a small saucepan, heat the dried mushrooms and chicken broth over medium-low heat.

3. In a large skillet, heat the remaining EVOO, 2 turns of the pan, over medium heat. Add the onion, season with salt and pepper and cook for a couple of minutes to soften. Add the rice, stir to coat and cook for 1 minute. Add half of the wine; when it has been absorbed by the rice, stir in the remaining wine and the rosemary. When all of the wine is absorbed, ladle in some of the mushroom broth.

4. Place the marinated chicken thighs on the grill and cook for 7 to 8 minutes on the first side and for 5 to 6 minutes on the reverse side.

5. Add a ladle of the mushroom broth to the risotto every few minutes, stirring occasionally and cooking until absorbed. Remove the softened mushrooms from the broth and chop; add to the risotto. Cook the risotto until creamy and al dente, 20 to 22 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in the butter and cheese.

6. Thinly slice the grilled chicken. Divide the risotto among shallow bowls and top each serving with the arugula, spinach and sliced chicken.

Comments:
I skipped the wine and mushrooms since I don't like either and Adam doesn't like the wine. (Also skipped the arugula and spinach, obviously.) I subbed additional chicken stock for the wine. Risotto's a little labor-intensive, but so worth it. Yum-a-licious. I grilled the chicken inside on the George Foreman since Adam was too involved in the football game to be bothered to turn the grill outside on. Men... :)