Golden Rice and Chicken Pilaf

You can pick up some tasty little goodies in the grocery store, and I'm not just talking about food. For years now I have been collecting little recipe cards, pamphlets and booklets that I thought had tasty recipes in or on them.



I have quite a collection as you can imagine. The recipes are normally quite, quite tasty. My favourites have always been the Waitrose Cards, but I have found little gems in most of the shops.



I even have some very old Robin Hood baking pamplets that I had collected when I was a girl. They're just lovely. This recipe here today came from a magazine clipping advertising chicken tenders.



I have adapted it somewhat and it is a recipe we both really enjoy. It gives us a tasty dinner on the day and then leftovers to stick in the freezer for another time. It has just enough spice to suit our tastes, with middle eastern flavours. The frozen peas are my addition . . . because they add colour and texture and we like them.



Quick, easy and a great way to stretch a pound of chicken, this recipe pleases on many levels. I forgot to sprinkle the chopped nuts on top today . . . so you'll just have to imagine how pretty it is with them added!




*Golden Rice and Chicken Pilaf*Serves 4
Printable Recipe

This is a quickie dish that I adapted some years ago from one of those booklets you pick up in the grocery store. It's delicious and always more than welcome.

2 tsp oil
1 pound fresh chicken tenders (or the equivalent of boneless, skinless chicken breast,
cut into strips, crossways)
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
210g of uncooked regular long grain rice (1 cup)
1 medium carrot, peeled and grated
1 fat clove of garlic, peeled and minced
a handful of sultana raisins
a handful of chopped dried apricots
1 heaped tsp of curry powder (I use a medium strength)
1 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp salt
500ml of chicken broth
white pepper to taste
a handful of frozen petit pois
to garnish:
chopped toasted almonds or pistachio nuts

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot. Add the chicken and onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is browned and the onion is softened. Stir in the rice, spices and the carrot and garlic. Cook for a few minutes until very fragrant. Stir in the fruit and broth, mixing all together well. Bring to the boil, then cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook, covered for about 15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through, the rice is tender and all the liquid has been absorbed. Take off the heat, stir in the petit pois and set aside, covered, for about 5 minutes. Fluffy up the rice and serve immediately, garnished with some toasted nuts if desired.



Over in The Cottage today, Aunt Fern's Coconut Cookies.

Chinese Hash

I had quite the day yesterday. I was in hospital having a cortizone injection into my right knee . . . I know . . .Yikes!! The things we have to do . . . not something I ever really wanted, but something I needed and I am really hopeful that it will make a difference to my mobility. It's no fun being called hop-along!



Anyways, that meant that today I was having to take it a bit easy and not use my leg an awful lot. Heck, I am not even allowed to take a bath or shower for 48 hours, nor do they want me to drive. Who'd a thunk it would be so involved!



Anyways, this tasty recipe is my way of taking things easy. It's one of those just throw what you like into the pan recipes. Whatever vegetables you have in the fridge that you are craving or wanting to use up. Today I used cabbage, carrots, swede, cauliflower, onions and peppers. Other days it might be something else. It all depends on what I have and how I feel.



You can use any meat that you like as well. I used chicken today, but you can use pork or beef or lamb if you want, although in all honesty I've never had it with lamb actually. You can even throw in some cooked shrimp if you wanted to. It uses a large package of cooked rice, so that makes it even easier. Or you could use leftover rice if you have any.




Just a few spices and condiments, some frozen peas, and a quick stir around the pan and presto chango! You got a delicious meal that everyone likes!

Well everyone in my house at any rate!



*Chinese Hash*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

This is one of those meals that uses up whatever vegetables and meat you have in the fridge that need using up, and tastes great! I love little bit of this and little bit of that meals!

a bit of oil
2 cups of chopped cooked meat (chicken, pork, beef)
4 cups of chopped raw vegetables (cabbage, carrots, swede, peppers, onions, cauliflower,
broccoli, courgettes, bean sprouts, beans . . . in other words just about any vegetable you have to hand)
1 family pack of cooked rice (one that gives 4 servings)
a large handful of frozen peas, or frozen peas and corn
2 TBS dark soy sauce
1 fat clove of garlic, peeled and minced
1 tsp chinese five spice
a good dollop of hoisin sauce (according to your taste)
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Heat a large skillet (with a lid) over medium high heat. Add a splash of oil and once it heats up toss in the meat and the garlic. Cook and stir until heated through. Add the chopped raw vegetables. I chop the ones that take longer to cook smaller and leave the ones which cook fairly quickly in larger chunks. Sprinkle with 1 TBS of the soy sauce.the hoisin sauce, and the chinese five spice, stirring it all through. Cover with the lid and cook over medium low heat, until the vegetables are crispy tender. Remove the lid and add the rice from the package, crumbing it in and stirring it all together. Add the peas and the remaining soy sauce. Cover and heat through. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Note, you can add cooked shrimps if you want, and cooked scrambled egg as well. Add it at the end and just heat through as both of these would turn rubbery if you over cook them.