It's Good Though…

Yield: 4 to 6 Servings

Adapted from Simply Recipes

This Skillet Chicken and Rice is a classic one-pot meal, perfect for a weeknight and totally kid-friendly. Serve it on its own or with a salad, and dinner is done.
There is some version of chicken and rice in almost every culture. Some are more finicky than others, requiring special ingredients or equipment. To be honest, I’ve never had a version of chicken and rice that I didn’t like, but the goal of this version is to keep some of those classic flavors, but also make it approachable on a weeknight!

• 1lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into slices ½-inch thick and 2-3 inches long
• 2TBS olive oil
• ¼tsp salt
• ¼tsp black pepper
• 1small yellow onion, diced
• 2cloves garlic, minced
• 1tsp dried oregano
• 1tsp dried basil
• 1½cups long-grain white rice, rinsed well
• 3-4cups chicken stock
• 1cup frozen sweet peas
• Fresh parsley, garnish

Cook the chicken: Season your sliced chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large (at least 12-inch) skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side, getting a decent sear on both sides. It’s okay at this point if your chicken isn’t cooked all the way through.

Cook the onions: Remove chicken from the skillet and add onions and garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes, softening veggies. Add dried oregano and basil to the skillet and stir together.

Assemble the skillet and simmer: Stir in the rinsed white rice and nestle chicken pieces back in the skillet. Then add 3 cups of the chicken stock and stir gently to make sure chicken stock is evenly distributed. Bring to a simmer, turn heat down to low, cover, and cook for 15 minutes.

Check the rice: After 15 minutes, check the skillet. If the rice is tender and the skillet is dry, then the dish is ready to serve. If the rice isn’t quite done and the skillet is dry, add another 1/2 cup of broth, re-cover the skillet, and continue to simmer for a few minutes. If the rice is cooked but there is still some stock in the skillet, uncover the pan and let the extra stock cook off for a few minutes.

When the rice seems just about done, add the frozen peas to the skillet. They will thaw quickly!

Serve! Garnish finished chicken and rice skillet with parsley.

Yield: 4 to 6 Servings

/ Simply Recipes

This Skillet Chicken and Rice is a classic one-pot meal, perfect for a weeknight and totally kid-friendly. Serve it on its own or with a salad, and dinner is done!
There is some version of chicken and rice in almost every culture. Some are more finicky than others, requiring special ingredients or equipment. To be honest, I’ve never had a version of chicken and rice that I didn’t like, but the goal of this version is to keep some of those classic flavors, but also make it approachable on a weeknight! And – AND – be very kid-friendly!

• 1lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into slices ½-inch thick and 2-3 inches long
• 2TBS olive oil
• ¼tsp salt
• ¼tsp black pepper
• 1small yellow onion, diced
• 2cloves garlic, minced
• 1tsp dried oregano
• 1tsp dried basil
• 1½cups long-grain white rice, rinsed well
• 3-4cups chicken stock
• 1cup frozen sweet peas
• Fresh parsley, garnish

Cook the chicken: Season your sliced chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large (at least 12-inch) skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 3 minutes per side, getting a decent sear on both sides. It’s okay at this point if your chicken isn’t cooked all the way through.

Cook the onions: Remove chicken from the skillet and add onions and garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes, softening veggies. Add dried oregano and basil to the skillet and stir together.

Assemble the skillet and simmer: Stir in the rinsed white rice and nestle chicken pieces back in the skillet. Then add 3 cups of the chicken stock and stir gently to make sure chicken stock is evenly distributed. Bring to a simmer, turn heat down to low, cover, and cook for 15 minutes.

Check the rice: After 15 minutes, check the skillet. If the rice is tender and the skillet is dry, then the dish is ready to serve. If the rice isn’t quite done and the skillet is dry, add another 1/2 cup of broth, re-cover the skillet, and continue to simmer for a few minutes. If the rice is cooked but there is still some stock in the skillet, uncover the pan and let the extra stock cook off for a few minutes.

When the rice seems just about done, add the frozen peas to the skillet. They will thaw quickly!

Serve! Garnish finished chicken and rice skillet with parsley.

Reheating leftovers: Leftovers keep great in the fridge for up to five days. Reheat in the microwave in 30-second bursts on high or in a skillet over medium-low heat with a splash of water. You can also freeze the chicken and rice for up to three months.

Yield: 10 Servings

Adapted from Food.com

Red Lobster Biscuit knock-off. Would fool me.

• 2cups AP flour
• 1TBS plus 2 tsp baking powder (HA: 1 TBS)
• 1TBS sugar
• ½tsp Kosher salt
• 3TBS vegetable shortening at room temperature
  
• 4TBS cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces
• 6oz shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1cup buttermilk
  

Seasoned butter:

• ¼cup butter, melted
• 1tsp fresh parsley, chopped
• 1clove garlic, smashed

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Seasoned butter: Melt the butter with the garlic in a small saucepan over medium heat, cook for 1 minute.

Mix biscuits:

Pulse the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a food processor. Add the shortening and pulse until combined. Add the butter, pulse 4 or 5 times, or until the butter is in pea-size pieces. Add the cheese and pulse 2 or 3 times. Pour in the buttermilk and pulse just until the mixture is moistened and forms a shaggy dough. Working on a lightly floured surface, knead the dough 3- to 4-times until it comes together. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a 1¼-inch thick rectangle. Cut out 10-12 rounds using a 2½-inch biscuit or cookie cutter.

Place on a baking sheet 2 inches apart, and bake until golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Set on a rack to cool.

Serve: Brush the biscuits with the seasoned butter and serve warm.

Yield: 6 Servings

Locke-Ober

November 1991
Locke-Ober (ca.1875-2012), a Boston landmark was the third-oldest restaurant in Boston, Massachusetts. It was once headed by Lydia Shire. It was known for many dishes like this clam chowder.

Note: This is a THIN chowder. You can thicken it if you want, but without thickening it’s about milk consistency. Wonderful flavor, but thin.

• 1TBS butter
• 1large russet potato, peeled, cut into ½ -inch cubes
• 1medium onion, chopped
• 1cup (about) bottled clam juice
• 2cups chopped fresh clams or
• 46½-oz cans chopped clams, drained, liquid reserved
• 1cup whipping cream
• 3TBS chopped fresh dill or chives

Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat.

Add potato and onion. Cook until onion is tender, about 6 minutes.

Add enough bottled clam juice to reserved clam liquid to measure 2 cups. Add to saucepan. Cover and cook until potato is tender, about 12 minutes.

Thicken: Purée up to 1­ cup of the cooked potato in the pan with a stick blender or with just enough liquid to cover in a food processor or blender  and add it back to the soup.

Add clams, cream and dill. Bring to simmer. Season with salt and pepper.

Yield: 4 Servings

WaPo

This is a delicious braised chicken thigh dish. Make sure to check the liquid level when the lid is removed because this becomes your sauce.

The recipe suggests removing the skin from the thighs, but it might be better with then left on. As long as the sauce doesn’t go more than half way up the chicken it should be crispy for service.

• 2½ to 3 lb bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3TBS Dijon mustard, plus more as needed
• 1cup seasoned Italian-style bread crumbs or plain mixed with 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 2TBS olive oil, plus more as needed
• 2cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• ¾cup dry white wine, or as needed depending on the size of the pan
• 8oz cremini or white button mushrooms, sliced

Cooking/Prep Time: 90 minutes

Position the rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350°F.

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Generously coat both sides of the thighs with mustard and then dip in the bread crumbs (a large, shallow plate or pie dish is great for this), one at a time, turning the meat over to ensure it’s evenly covered. Transfer the breaded chicken to a baking sheet or large platter and let it rest for at least 10 minutes to allow the coating to set.

Brown Chicken:

In a Dutch oven over medium heat, heat 2 TBS of the oil until shimmering. Add the breaded chicken skinned side down, all at once or in batches of two depending on the size of your pan. Cook until the breading is dark golden-brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Resist the urge to move the chicken too soon to ensure the breading stays put. Flip the pieces over, ideally with a fork, as tongs can dislodge more of the breading. Cook another 3 to 5 minutes, adding more oil as necessary to keep the pan from drying out and the chicken from burning or sticking. Don’t worry if a little of the breading comes off — you can press it back on or leave to help thicken and flavor the braising liquid. Transfer the chicken back to the baking sheet or platter.

If the pan is looking dry, add another glug of oil. Stir in the sliced garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add a splash of the wine and scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Add the sliced mushrooms, season with a generous pinch of salt and stir. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, just to jump-start the cooking process. Nestle the chicken pieces, skinned side up, on top of the mushrooms and pour in the rest of the wine around the chicken. The amount you’ll need will vary based on the width of your pan, but make sure it’s enough to cover the mushrooms and just reach the bottom of the chicken.

Bake:

Cover the pan with a lid and transfer to the oven. Cook for 30 minutes and then remove the lid. Check liquid level. If pan is too dry, add some stock or water.

Cook an additional 15 to 20 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer placed in the thickest part of the meat, away from a bone, reads 165°F. Dark meat is very forgiving, and will be fine up to as high as 195°F, so don’t fret if you overshoot it a bit. Serve the chicken warm, with the mushrooms and plenty of juices for dipping.