Sage Chicken & Rice ... New recipe post numero uno :)

Ok, ok. Try not to faint. I know it's been a while since I posted any recipes. I suck. It's ok, I'll admit it when I've totally failed... ;) But I'm working on getting back on track. As a matter of fact...I have 3 new recipes to post! How's that for shocking?! hehehe
So. Last week I actually cooked. And new recipes even... Apparently miracles never cease.
I decided to hit up the cookbooks that have been collecting some serious dust on my shelf and see what I could find. I found a great cookbook, in theory, sitting there called Cook's Library One Pot. One pot recipes?! Sold!!! But then I started looking through it. A great deal of them aren't do-able in our house. There's a decent section on lamb....not happenin in my house! If my husband has a strong desire for lamb, he has to have it at a restaurant. Not comin in to my kitchen. Period. Same goes for rabbit, veal, venison, goose, and duck. Now, before anyone gets all defensive of game hunting. I have nothing against it. I just don't want to eat it. Nor will I prepare it. It's just one of my weird things.
Ok. Beyond that... I realized something when going through this cookbook. One pot means everything is all mixed together... LOL Yes..I know. Brilliant deduction huh?! But this is relevant because my sweet little love of a daughter doesn't eat things when they're mixed together. Even if she likes all of the individual components. And she won't eat rice. This is a problem because that's a large component of many of the recipes in this book.... hmm... And I was so excited about this "one pot" thing... :(
Well, I decided to go ahead and try a couple of the recipes anyway. I'm going to continue to try to get Justice to eat things she previously has refused. It's worked at least once so far....I'm hopeful that it will continue to work, even if not with everything.
So.
Sage Chicken and Rice - serves 4 (served 4 plus lots of leftovers w/my changes)

1 large onion, chopped (I sliced 4 green onions)
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 celery stalks, sliced
2 carrots, diced (I diced several baby carrots)
2 sprigs fresh sage (I used dried)
1 1/4 cups chicken bouillon/broth (whichever form you prefer - cube, storebought, homemade)
12 oz skinless, boneless chicken breasts (I used 2lbs ground chicken)
generous 1 cup mixed brown and wild rice
14 oz canned chopped tomatoes
dash Tabasco sauce
2 zucchini, sliced thinly
1/2 cup diced lean ham
salt and pepper to taste
fresh sage, to garnish

Place onion, garlic, celery, carrots, and sage in a large saucepan and pour in chicken bouillon.
Bring the vegetable and herb mixture to a boil, then cover the pan and let simmer for 5 minutes.
Cut the chicken into 1-inch cubes and stir into the pan with the veggies. Cover the pan and continue to cook for another 5 minutes.
Stir in the mixed brown and wild rice and chopped tomatoes.
Add a dash of Tabasco sauce to taste (I used several and there was just the slightest touch of kick after several bites) and season well. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 25 minutes.
Stir in the sliced zucchini and diced ham and continue to cook, uncovered, for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rice is just tender.
Remove the sage sprigs (if you used fresh) and discard.
Garnish with sage leaves and serve.

The reviews from our house were eh....
I've never been a fan of wild rice, nor is Nick although he didn't mind it too much. The brown rice pretty much 'bonded' with the ground chicken so it made a different texture. Not horrible, but not fabulous. The seasoning and veggies were good. It'd be worth another try with regular chicken breasts and maybe more brown rice than wild. Or maybe just with white rice instead. All in all, not a bad dish. Of course, Justice wouldn't eat any of it and ended up with some of her lunch leftovers. We had plenty of leftovers and it's been had for lunch a couple of times.
Hope you try it and enjoy. Can't beat One Pot!! (unless you're Justice...) :)

Mo