Easy Chicken and Rice

Quick, healthy, and delicious.

This time of year it seems like we are constantly “going”. Christmas shopping ,crafting, baking, card-sending; it all adds up to being extremely busy. Dinner is not another task I want to worry about.

Enter chicken and rice. Its the kind of meal you need this time of year. You throw it together and put in the oven. Oh, and it only uses ONE dish.

I am very familiar with the classic Campbell’s Chicken and Rice but I wanted to put my own spin on it. I also wanted something more on the natural and healthy side.

You can find the Pacific brand of condensed soups in almost any grocery store. I always purchase several whenever they are on sale. Same goes for their all natural chicken/beef/turkey stock. I found some turkey stock on sale the week before thanksgiving and loaded up. These are key ingredients that can be used in many things and using the all natural or organic means you aren’t consuming unnecessary preservatives or chemicals. They are great to have on hand at all times and they have a very long shelf life until opened.

Always gather your ingredients first.

Another way I like to stretch my dollar is switching out chicken breasts for chicken tights. I purchase all natural/free range/organic chicken whenever I can but those kind of chicken breasts can be very expensive.  That is where the thighs come in. They are considerably less expensive than the breast meat and when they go on sale I buy them in bulk. The best are the boneless and skinless thighs. They are much easier to eat, leaner and since they are dark meat you don’t need the skin to keep them from drying out.

Simple Chicken and Rice

Ingredients:

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken tights

1 cup long grain rice (I used brown basmati because that’s what I had on hand but any long grain rice will work.)

1 12 oz package Pacific Natural Foods Organic Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup

1 cup stock low sodium (I would suggest turkey, chicken, or vegetable. If you are all out and don’t have time to hit the store water will work too!)

1 cup water

Salt

Pepper

Paprika (I like it so I used it and I used it a lot. If its not your thing then use less or just leave it out completely.)

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350.  Pour the rice, stock and water  into a large baking or casserole dish. Stir together. Sprinkle in seasonings.  Stir in half of the cream of mushroom soup.

On a different plate place the chicken thighs upside down and salt, pepper, and paprika. Place tights right side up onto of rice mixture. Season the top side with salt, pepper and paprika. Take the remaining soup and spread onto the tops of the chicken thighs.

Seasoning the thighs.

Place in the oven. Let it bake for about 30 minutes and then check on the liquid levels. If it seems like the rice is close to soaking up all of the liquid add about 1/2 cup more water or stock and gently stir it in. It will take 50-60 minutes total to finish cooking.

This is what it should look like right before it goes in the oven.

Let the casserole sit for a few minutes to let all the liquids absorb before serving. This dish goes great with green beans or roasted brussel sprouts.

What is your favorite “go to” week night meal?

-Christy

 

 

 

Key West: Final Thoughts

 

One of my favorite pictures from this trip.

 

All too quickly it was time to grab our last Cuban coffee and board our flight back to Kansas City. I had an amazing time and would love to go back. Here are some final thoughts in case you are planning a trip to the Conch Republic.

1. Leave the kids at home….maybe. Key West is a big “party” destination and there are a lot of retirees and honeymooners there. However if you do bring the kids there are a lot of historical sites and resorts that are family friendly. I would not recommend bringing very small children simply because there is a lot of walking involved and it is very HOT.

2. Step away from that Bahama Mama. I am certainly not against having a drink or several on Duval but there is a lot more to do and see in Key West than just party. Key West is old and has a wonderful and interesting history. Those intensely warm afternoons are the perfect time to take advantage of the air conditioned museums.

3. Spend one evening on Duval. Grab a drink (alcoholic or otherwise) and enjoy the cooler evening weather and some great people watching. Key West has always been a haven for the outsiders of society and even with all the tourists that still rings true today.

4. Eat some seafood, even if you think you don’t like it. Obviously if you are allergic you can ignore this but I had some of the best seafood of my life in Key West. Especially shrimp. Seafood in Key West is FRESH which makes it taste nothing like the seafood you normally get in grocery stores or restaurants. So try a gulf shrimp or yellow-trail snapper- you may be pleasantly surprised.

5. Go fishing! My father-in-law and husband secured themselves a spot on a boat and spent the whole day fishing. They had a great time and ended up with a lot of fish. At the end of the day the Capitan and the First Mate cleaned the fish for everyone so it was ready to eat. There are several restaurants on the island that will cook up your fish for you and they give you options on how you would like it cooked and what sides you would like with it. It was one of the best and most memorable meals we had while we were there.

This is the dock where everyone gathered before heading out to the ocean to fish. You can just show up or call ahead and reserve a spot.

 

This is the boat they went out on.

6. Take a tour. There are several different tours that will drive you around and inform you of all the wonderful sites and history of the island. Its a great way to see more of the island, learn a bit, and take a break from all the walking.

7. Stay near Duval or prepare to walk a lot. Most of what you will want to do and see revolves around Duval Street. The further you get from Duval the less expensive accommodations are however, that also means you will have to rent a car and drive. With downtown being designed many years ago, parking can kind of be a crap shoot. Sometimes you will luck out, other times you will spend 20-30 minutes driving in circles hoping a space will open up. Also, 95% of the time the parking is NOT free. Its not super expensive but since most people vacation on a budget that expense can add up quickly. And speaking of parking, if you must have a car make sure the place you are staying provides parking. A lot of vacation rentals near downtown do not even provide parking spaces.

8. Timing is everything. Don’t get your heart set on going at a certain time until you check an events calendar to see what’s happening on the island. There are festivals through out the year and with those festivals come higher prices. Streets become packed, there are long lines at restaurants, and parking is impossible. We went in April- the holiday season was over, the people escaping their hometown winter weather were beginning to return home and it was too early for summer vacationers. Nothing was too crowded, prices were lower and during the day we had no problem finding parking. (night time was a different story).

I hope you have enjoyed reading about hearing about our trip. If you haven’t been I highly recommend you go! If you have been I would love to hear about your travel experiences.

-Christy

Curried Hamburger Gravy

Curried Hamburger Gravy

One of my favorite things to do as a child was to sit on our kitchen stool and watch as my mother made dinner. I asked all sorts of why and how questions knowing that this was something I wanted to figure out. Then at holiday meals I would watch my grandmother, my mom and my aunt gracefully and deftly move around the kitchen; each knowing what needed to be done and (even more importantly) how to do it. The kitchen held a fascination to it. I wanted to be part of what I saw.

Now, many years later, I consider myself a pretty decent cook. I tend to makes messes, so I am missing a bit of that grace, but I figure as long as the food is good a mess is a small price to pay! I love cooking just as much as about anything, but my favorite things to cook are “homey” dishes; especially those from my mother’s recipe box. When I make certain dishes I am transported back to my childhood when I sat and watched her cook.

This is one of those dishes. She made it countless times and it was a favorite of the entire family. It was quick and simple and inexpensive- all good things when she had been teaching all day.  Even now when I smell curry I think of this dish, not Indian food.

I have listed the recipe first, then there are pictures below for clarification of specific steps.

CURRIED HAMBURGER GRAVY

Ingredients:

1lb Ground Beef (80/20)

3-4 Tbsp Flour

2 cups Milk (anything but skim)

1-2 Tbsp Curry Powder

Salt

Pepper

Directions:

In a large skillet over medium heat brown the hamburger. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to break the hamburger apart. Add a light pinch of salt, pepper and curry powder to the ground beef. This is to give the beef just a hint of flavor so you don’t need much. Make sure to taste as you work through this recipe.

Turn the heat to low and remove the ground beef from the pan onto a paper-towel lined plate. Make sure to drain the fat as you remove it by pressing it against the side of the pan. If there are a few crumbs left, that’s ok.

Add your flour slowly wisking as you go. The fat should soak up the flour. Keep wisking until the flour has been completely incorporated. Add the milk and increase the temperature to medium.

Stir the sauce often. A few bubbles is ok, but do not let it boil. When the sauce coats the back of the spoon it is done.

Season the sauce with the salt, pepper, and curry powder. Some curry powder is stronger than others and it is a very strong flavor, so tasting as you add is very important! I used 1.5 tbsp., but I like a strong curry flavor.

Fold the drained meat back into the sauce. Serve over rice, toast, or a baked potato.

Fat and Flour Incorporated.

Finished Sauce (Sorry its a bit blurry)