Orange Turkey with Rice

Well, I find myself playing catch-up again. This is the 3rd recipe that should have been posted last week with the others but my "blogging ninja" day only took me so far...
So...with pictures and everything!!! I give you Orange Turkey with Rice found in the Cook's Library One Pot cookbook. Although, let me preface this one with-this is NOT a One pot meal. 2 at best (if you have 6 cups leftover cooked rice), but most likely 3...
Serves 5 with leftovers as modified (originally says it serves 4)

1 tbsp Olive Oil
1 medium chopped onion (I used dried minced)
1 lb skinless lean turkey cut into thin strips (I used 1 1/2 lbs.)
1 1/4 cups unsweetened orange juice
1 bay leaf
3 cups small broccoli florets (I used 3 heaping cups)
1 large zucchini, diced
1 large orange
6 cups cooked brown rice (I used long grain white)
salt and pepper
to garnish;
9-10 pitted black olives, drained and quartered
shredded basil leaves

Heat the oil in a large skillet and cook the onion and turkey, stirring, for 4-5 minutes until lightly browned. Pour in the orange juice and add the bay leaf and seasoning. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, bring a large pan of water to a boil and cook the broccoli florets, covered, for 2 minutes. Add the diced zucchini, then bring back to a boil. Cover and cook for another 3 minutes. Drain and set aside. Using a sharp knife, peel off the skin and white pith from the orange. Slice down the orange to make thin circular slices, the halve each slice. Stir the broccoli, zucchini, rice, and orange slices (my oranges got mangled in the mixing) into the turkey mixture. Gently mix together and season, then heat throught for a further 3-4 minutes, or until the mixture is piping hot. Transfer the turkey rice to warm serving plates and garnish with black olives and shredded basil leaves.

This recipe was good. I, somewhat unfortunately, bought iron-enriched rice which just doesn't cook as well as non. Not a mistake I'll be making again. Otherwise, it was tasty. Good flavors and everything all in one easy scoop. Meat, veggies, starch. Good stuff. :)
Hope you try this one and enjoy!

Mo

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

This one's actually my own!

Well whadya know?! I'm posting another 'recipe'..it's only been what?? Forever!!

Well this one is actually mine. Well...mostly. I did afterall use a prepared seasoning packet, but still! ;)

So today I have for you...Baja Citrus Chicken with Buttered Noodles and Thymed Zucchini

A couple of years ago, when perusing the spice aisle in the store, I found McCormick's Grill Mates seasoning/marinade packets. We haven't had a grill in years (small apartment balconies) but I figured they'd be just as good sauteed or baked. And I was right! :) So I've used them many times over the last couple of years and always to great reviews (even from our foodie-studying-to-be-a-chef/restaurant owner-friend!). They make quite a few different flavors, for just about any taste. Check em out (NO-this is NOT a paid endorsement), I bet you'll find some you'll love. :) You can use them all on whatever meat/fish you like I'm sure although they have on the back which ones they recommend. All of the ones that we've tried I've used on chicken (I'm pretty sure). So-without further ado, I give you the "recipe". It's quite easy and certainly nothing spectacular or difficult but was quite delicious nonetheless. :)

Baja Citrus Chicken

1 packet McCormick's Grill Mates Baja Citrus Marinade
2 3/4 lbs chicken

Add seasoning packet and oil, vinegar, and water according to package directions to gallon size zippered bag along with chicken. Shake (or use hands to 'roll' meat within bag) well. Refrigerate minimum 1 hour (I usually do overnight). Cook as desired. I usually saute rather than bake so it doesn't dry out. (make sure to pour all marinade in pan [if baking/sauteeing] to prevent drying out)

Buttered Noodles

Whatever noodles you prefer, I used a combo of egg noodles and macaroni
1/4 cup butter (4 tbsp or half stick)

Boil water and cook noodles as desired. (I personally think al dente is a little too tough) Drain water, add butter and mix well. I added a couple shakes of Garlic Salt for just a teeny bit of flavor.

Thymed Zucchini

3 medium zucchini quartered lengthwise and then chopped into approx 1/2" pieces (bitesize)
olive oil
Thyme

Place zucchini in pan with olive oil (3 tbsp or so, enough to coat the zucchini). Add Thyme to taste. I, while completely not paying any attention at all, added way more than I intended as my bottle did not have a shaker lid like I thought it did. Turned out to be the perfect amount. LOL Saute until zucchini softens as desired.

(please excuse the spill on the stove!)

That's it. You're done. Dish and enjoy! We did!

This one is easy and fairly quick. The noodles cook in the time it takes the chicken to cook and the zucchini can be started just after the other two. Easy Peasy! :) You can, of course, always add the chicken to the top of the noodles, but since most everyone in this house usually eats each food seperately, I figured "why bother?". LOL

Enjoy, and if you use any of the other McCormick marinades, let me know how it goes!

Mo

A wayyy late posting...New recipe from May 9th..

Yes....I'm admitting it right off the bat. I suck! I've been sitting on this post for a week now. Now, in an attempted defense, Justice was sick this last week and I just wasn't able to get on here long enough during the day to post and I've been pretty tired so I just didn't stay up to get it done. But it's still pretty bad...7 days...Yikes. I'm sorry all. xo
But in what I'm sure will be a shocking upside....I have pics!!! ;)
Ok-here we go. :)

Monday May 9, 2011

Rosemary Baked Chicken with Red Potatoes

I got this recipe awhile ago from my dear friend (our 1st Guest Poster) Chamron. She got it from a friend who served it one night to great reviews. It's actually found on The Food Channel.
It was easy and got great reviews here as well! Yay!
Here you go;

Prep 15 min  Cook 50 min
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon McCormick® Paprika (I skipped)
1 1/2 teaspoons McCormick® Rosemary Leaves, finely crushed
1 teaspoon Sea Salt using McCormick® Sea Salt Grinder
1/2 teaspoon McCormick® Black Pepper, Coarse Ground
1/2 teaspoon McCormick® Garlic Powder
6 bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed (about 2 pounds) (I only use boneless, skinless breasts)
1 1/2 pounds small red potatoes, halved

Preparation
Preheat oven to 425°F. Mix oil, paprika, rosemary, sea salt, pepper and garlic powder in large bowl (I use gallon zippered storage bags). Add chicken and potatoes; toss to coat well. Arrange potatoes in single layer on foil-lined (I skipped the foil) 15x10x1-inch baking pan sprayed with no stick cooking spray.
Bake 15 minutes. Push potatoes to one side of pan. Place chicken on pan.
Bake 30 to 35 minutes longer or until the potatoes are tender and chicken is cooked through, turning potatoes occasionally.

I sauteed some yummy zucchini to go along with the recipe. This was a great success. Justice even had a little of everything! Yay!! That's a definite win in my book!! :)

Hope you try and enjoy.
Mo