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Spicy Chicken Rice Bowl
Posted By
HelenFern
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Casseroles,Chicken,Chicken,Main dish |
8 Comments
This dish is full of spicy flavors with just a little heat. It’s all in one bowl[1], but make plenty. You will want seconds!
How to make any recipe easy to prepare –
I love easy. When it’s time to cook dinner, I’m usually tired and I want to get it cooked and eat! Here are some tips to make any recipe easy to prepare.
Start with prepping. If you have everything precut and premeasured, all you’ll need to do is add to the pan and some cook time. You can do this in the morning or even the night before.
Cut up all the vegetables and put them in a container – you can just dump them into the pan when you need them. Measure out all the seasonings and set them in a bowl, using a different bowl for each step. If it all goes in on one step, put them together. If they go in on a different step, keep them separate.
Here are the prep specifics for this recipe:
Cut up the carrots, white onion, and jalapeño. To make it really spicy, leave the seeds in! Put them together in a large bowl. Add the garlic, ginger and whites of the green onions. Cover and set aside.
In another, small bowl, mix the ponzu, honey, and water. Cover and set aside.
And finally, chop the peanuts.
You now have everything prepped. Only thing left is to cook it!
Making the Spicy Chicken Rice Bowls –
Sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides of the chicken.
Add the oil to a large skillet and start heating on medium-high to high. While the oil is heating, get the rice going. I use my trusty little rice cooker.
When the oil is hot and sizzling, carefully lay the chicken, skin side down, into the hot oil. Cook until it’s golden brown, about 5 minutes,
then turn. Allow to cook for about five more minutes.
Push the chicken to the side and add the vegetables. Gently sauté until they start to sweat a little, about 3 to 4 minutes, until they begin to caramelize.
Turn the chicken so it’s skin side up.
Use the sherry to deglaze the pan, stirring constantly.
Next, pour the ponzu mixture into the pan and stir to coat all the veggies. Bring it all to a boil, add the lime and peanuts, then cover and simmer on medium for about 20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.
Mix the cornstarch with about 3 Tablespoons of the liquid in the pan. Pour into vegetables and stir quickly to blend the mixture and thicken the sauce.
Serve over rice and garnish with the green part of the green onions.
4green onions, sliced, white and green parts separated
2clovesgarlic, crushed
2teaspoonsgrated fresh ginger
1/4cupcoarsly chopped peanuts
1/4 cupdry sherry
4tablespoonsponzu sauce
1Tablespoonhoney
1/2cupwater
1largelime - juiced
2teaspoonscornstarch
5 to 6cupscooked jasmine rice
salt and pepper for chicken
Instructions
Sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides of the chicken.
Add the oil to a large skillet and start heating on medium-high to high. While the oil is heating, get the rice cooking.
When the oil is hot and sizzling, carefully lay the chicken, skin side down, into the hot oil. Cook until it's golden brown, about 5 minutes, then turn. Allow to cook for about five more minutes.
Push the chicken to the side and add the vegetables. Gently sauté until they start to sweat a little, about 3 to 4 minutes, until they begin to caramelize.
Turn the chicken so it's skin side up.
Use the sherry to deglaze the pan, stirring constantly. Next, pour the ponzu mixture into the pan and stir to coat all the veggies. Bring it all to a boil, add the lime and peanuts, then cover and simmer on medium for about 20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.
Mix the cornstarch with about 3 Tablespoons of the liquid in the pan. Pour into vegetables and stir quickly to blend the mixture and thicken the sauce.
Serve over rice and garnish with the green part of the green onions.
Christmas in Romania – Ciorba de Perișoare (Pork Meatballs in Broth)
Posted By
HelenFern
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In
Main dish,Soup |
7 Comments
Next up on our Christmas tour – Romania
In Romania, the winter and Christmas holidays are kicked of at Ignat (St. Ignatius Day) on December 20. Ignat is the last of the preparations for Christmas. The celebration includes sacrificing a pig that will be used for the Christmas dinner and putting up the Christmas tree.
And after an evening of caroling, the family warms up with this amazing meatball soup – full of vegetables from the harvest and some sour lemon juice. And let me tell you, this soup is so good, we’re going to have it year around!
Romania kicks off the season with Ciorba de Perișoare
Perișoare are meatballs[6] typically made with minced pork and rice. They are simmered in a broth of root and aromatic vegetables.
Ciorba is a sour soup. The sour is added using fermented grain, sauerkraut or, as in this case, lemon juice and it really adds some deep flavor.
This soup is truly a comfort food!
Making the Meatballs
Mix all the meatball ingredients together. I use my hands because I can squeeze it and mix it well.
Once its blended, form it into meatballs. You should be able to get 18 to 24. Cover them and refrigerate for an hour.
Make the broth while the meatballs chill.
The broth is the base of the soup
In a heavy stock pot, saute the vegetables in the olive oil until the onions are turning opaque.
Stir in the tomato paste and keep stirring until all the vegetables are coated.
Add the broth and the water. Bring it to a boil, then simmer for 30 minutes to an hour.
Making the Ciorba de Perișoare
Carefully add the meatballs to the broth. Let them cook until they start to float, about 30 to 45 minutes.
Stir in the lovage, lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.
Break the yolk on the egg, but do not beat it.
Whisk the soup while slowly pouring the egg in. Whisk gently for about two minutes to create threads of egg.
Serve it hot with a dollop of sour cream (or plain Greek yogurt) and some chopped, fresh parsley.
Mix all the meatball ingredients together. I use my hands because I can squeeze it and mix it well.
Once it's blended, form it into meatballs. You should be able to get 18 to 24. Cover them and refrigerate for an hour.
Make the broth while the meatballs chill.
Broth
In a heavy stock pot, saute the vegetables in the olive oil until the onions are turning opaque. Stir in the tomato paste and keep stirring until all the vegetables are coated.
Add the broth and the water. Bring it to a boil, then simmer for 30 minutes to an hour.
Carefully add the meatballs to the broth. Let them cook until they start to float, about 30 to 45 minutes.
Stir in the lovage, lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.
Break the yolk on the egg, but do not beat it.
Whisk the soup while pouring the egg in. Whisk gently for about two minutes to create threads of egg.
Serve it hot with a dollop of sour cream (or plain Greek yogurt) and some chopped, fresh parsley.
Posted By
HelenFern
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In
Breakfast,Chicken,Christmas,Greek,Holidays,Internationally Inspired,Main dish |
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Christmas in Greece. The season is evident with all the lights and holiday markets, but the celebration truly begins on December 24 and goes until January 6th – the 12 days of the epiphany.
Kicking of the celebratory traditions is the the chicken soup eaten after returning from midnight mass. Many people have been fasting and this delicious soup is a gentle way to break that fast and begin the celebrations.
Christmas in Greece
Christmas in Greece is similar to other parts of the world, with a few exceptions.
Being surrounded by the sea, it is tradition to decorate a boat or ship, called a karavaki. Since the 19th century, trees have become more popular and many people do both.
And there are no presents on Christmas day. St. Basil (Saint Agios Vasilis) comes on New Year’s day to bring gifts.
Christmas dinner includes chicken, lamb or pork and a lot of different sides, like yiaprakia (stuffed cabbage leaves), and Christopsomo (Christ’s bread).
And there is more on New Year’s Day, including the Vasilopita (St. Basil’s Cake) – a sponge cake with a gold coin baked in. Whoever gets the slice with the coin will be blessed with good luck for the year.
Making the Avgolemono Soup
Avgolemono soup is a chicken and rice soup with a tart lemon and egg base. It is really easy to make and tastes fabulous, although it does take time to simmer.
Start by seasoning the chicken on both sides with kosher salt and pepper.
Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil (preferably Greek) in a heavy pot. Sear the chicken on both sides.
Add the onion and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes.
Stir in the garlic and cook another minute or two.
Add the broth and the bay leaf, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about an hour. After an hour, remove the chicken from the stock and set aside to cool.
While it’s cooling, add the rice to the pot and cook on medium for about 20 minutes, or until the rice is soft.
Cut the chicken into chunks and return to the pot.
Separate the eggs. In a medium bowl, whisk the whites until they are foamy and white.
Next whisk in the yolks, then the lemon juice, whisking for about 3 minutes.
SLOWLY, whisk in a ladle or two of broth to temper the eggs. This keeps them from becoming stringy and helps them to blend into the broth better.
Stir the eggs into the soup. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve with fresh parsley or dill and a drizzle of olive oil on top. We gobbled this one up!!
Avgolemono soup is a chicken and rice soup with a tart lemon and egg base. It is really easy to make and tastes fabulous, although it does take time to simmer.
Course:
Breakfast, dinner, Main Course, main dish, supper
Start by seasoning the chicken on both sides with kosher salt and pepper.
Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil (preferably Greek) in a heavy pot. Sear the chicken on both sides.
Add the onion and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes.
Stir in the garlic and cook another minute or two.
Add the broth and the bay leaf, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about an hour. After an hour, remove the chicken from the stock and set aside to cool.
While it's cooling, add the rice to the pot and cook on medium for about 20 minutes, or until the rice is soft.
Cut the chicken into chunks and return to the pot.
Separate the eggs. In a medium bowl, whisk the whites until they are foamy and white.
Next whisk in the yolks, then the lemon juice, whisking for about 3 minutes.
SLOWLY, whisk in a ladle or two of broth to temper the eggs. This keeps them from becoming stringy and helps them to blend into the broth better. Stir the eggs into the soup. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve with fresh parsley or dill and a drizzle of olive oil on top.
Recipe Notes
Copyright 2023 Lazy Gastronome
Καλά Χριστούγεννα – Merry Christmas
Leave me a comment – I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Posted By
HelenFern
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In
Rice,Side Dishes |
16 Comments
We eat a lot of rice! And it’s so easy to make. This recipe makes a perfect side dish with chicken curry or grilled shrimp[15]. The pistachio adds flavor and texture and it it certainly a perfect recipe for a lazy cook like me!
Why Basmati rice?
The kind of rice you use matters. There are several kinds of rice – and some, like black rice, that aren’t rice at all.
Short grain rices tend to be stickier and are great when served with Asian or Middle Eastern foods.
Calrose and Arborio rice are both a medium to short grain.
Arborio is a creamy rice and is used to make risotto. It’s also great for rice balls or rice pudding.
Calrose is a mild tasting rice and is perfect for use in sushi. It also absorbs flavors so it’s great to cook in broth.
Long grain rices cook up fluffy with the least amount of clumping.
Jasmine, a long grained rice, is great for pilaf or fried rice because its flavor is mild and not overpowering.
I like basmati, another long grain rice, because of its buttery, nutty flavor and aroma. You don’t need to add a lot for a rich flavor. That’s why this recipe uses basmati.
Making the Pistachio Rice –
Chop the pistachios and
put them and half the butter, along with all the other ingredients into the rice cooker.
Turn it on and let it cook.
When the rice cooker turns off, add the remaining butter and replace the cover. After about five minutes,
Posted By
HelenFern
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In
Indian,Internationally Inspired,Middle Eastern |
6 Comments
Game hens lend themselves to the flavors of the Middle East. This recipe includes preserved lemons[20] and the tangy spice, sumac. It’s easy and delicious! And if you have a rice maker, it’s even easier!
Here’s how you do it:
Let’s start with, what is sumac? A member of the cashew family, this spice comes from red berries of the sumac bush. The variety with white berries is toxic, but the red produce a tangy and rich flavor when dried and ground into a coarse powder.
And now the hens. They’ll need to sit for a bit. Get the rice started when you put the hens in the oven.
Trim the wing tips off first.
Mix the spices together in a bowl. Use a whisk to make sure they are well blended.
Rub the hens inside and out with one teaspoon of the olive oil. Next, rub the spices mix all over, inside and out.
Turn and set the hens in a heavy casserole, breast side up.
Stuff each one with ½ of a preserved lemon. Let them sit, uncovered, in the refrigerator for one to two hours.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees – Remove the hens from the refrigerator. Let them sit for about 15 minutes, then put them in the oven.
Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes, then baste with more olive oil. Return to the oven and bake another 20 to 25 minutes, until juices run clear.
While the hens are baking, put all the rice ingredients into a rice cooker.
Put the green beans in the top steamer tray with just a pinch of salt.
Turn on rice cooker.
When the hens are done, remove them from the oven and let them rest about 10 minutes.
Here are some things that are perfect to use for this recipe or to give as a gift!
Disclosure: The items below are affiliate links through Amazon.com. If you purchase any of these products through the links, I receive a small commission at no cost to you. Thanks for your support!