Chicken, Broccoli & Rice Casserole

I simply wanted to cook chicken with rice & broccoli... a healthy, no cream of c___ included, tasty, home cooked meal all in one "pan". Here's what I made:

<3 Lishie

Chicken, Broccoli & Wild Rice Casserole

• 1 c uncooked wild rice
• 3 c chicken stock
• salt
• 1-2 heads broccoli florets
• 1-2 lbs boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1/3 pieces
• S & P

Wash the wild rice thoroughly in a small-holed colander. Place it in a large oven proof skillet w 3 cups chicken stock & salt; bring to a boil. Add broccoli florets & turn down heat to a simmer & cook, covered, 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 400. Uncover & add the chicken pieces into the skillet nestling them amongst the rice & broccoli. Sprinkle on S & P. Place in the oven & cook for 40 minutes (until chicken is done.)

Cheesy Wild Rice & Broccoli

A delicious side to perk up any meal... Nutritious... eat your broccoli! You can also add fresh spinach or asparagus to this dish!
<3 Lishie

Cheesy Wild Rice & Broccoli

• 1-2 TBSp olive oil
• 1 c wild rice
• 2 1/4 c chicken broth(or veggie broth)
  
• 2 small heads of broccoli florets
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 TBSp butter
• 1 c shredded sharp cheddar
• S & P
  

Heat the olive oil in a medium sauce pan over medium heat.  Add the rice & stir to coat. Toast the rice, stirring often, just until it starts to turn golden.
Pour in the chicken broth, bring to a boil, turn heat to low, & cover.  Cook, covered, for 10 minutes.

Add in the broccoli & garlic, continue cooking for 5 -10 minutes or until most of the liquid has been absorbed. Remove from the heat & stir in the butter, cheese & S & P; Taste. Enjoy!

Swap! Blogger's Choice

I LOVE the Blogger's Choice Swaps! Love. I get to peruse a blog I may not have known or a friend's blog. Here, I was introduced to Jenni of  DoughSeeDough. How cute is her blog name?!? Adorbs. I love her healthier choices. And I had a hard time weening my choice to one! But I did... & I have filed away a couple of others in my brain to do soon! If I had more time, I'd be blogging a lot more.

Now I love Tex Mex food but my hubby does not. And I love beans, he does not. So I rarely make either at home. I took advantage of the swap to make the Copy Cat Burrito Bowl. I love Chipotle too much. I could eat it every day. And I alternate between the burrito & the bowl... I used Jenni's seasonings (yummmmmmmmm) & my usual burrito bowl choices for this one. And went vegetarian but I do also enjoy shredded pork or grilled chicken! I will make it again... & again. And I was sooooooooo happy!

Oh, one more thing... I cannot have brown rice so, to make it healthier for me, I swiped it out for white. 

<3 Lishie

Copy Cat Burrito Bowl

adapted from doughseedough

• 3 cups white rice
• 1 lime, zested & juiced
• 1/2 cup cilantro, roughly chopped, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• salt & pepper, to taste
• 1 can black beans, drained & rinsed
• 1/2 cup reduced fat cheddar cheese, shredded

Other optional toppings:

• Sour cream (check!)
• Jalapeños
• Avocado
• Queso
• Hot sauce

1. Cook rice according to package directions. I use a rice cooker & use a 1 cup rice: 2 cups water ratio. When rice is cooked, mix with 1/4 cup cilantro, lime zest and lime juice.
2. Meanwhile, mix chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, & oregano together & sprinkle generously over beans.
3. In a separate bowl, make the pico de gallo. Combine tomatoes, 1/4 cup cilantro, red onion, salt & pepper. Toss to combine.
4. To assemble: place rice in bowl and top with black beans, shredded cheese, & any other toppings you desire. Enjoy!

Cilantro Lime Rice

I love rice as much as I do pasta. And it is crohns friendly for me so I usually load up on it & have a little bit of the protein veg... more of the rice. This is my copycat version of Chipotle's Cilantro-Lime Rice. It is delicious as a side or in a burrito, etc.

<3 Lishie

Cilantro-Lime Rice

• 1 cup short-grain rice
• 2 & 1/4 cups water
• 2 TBSp butter
• zest & juice of 1-2 limes
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 cup cilantro

Cook the rice (I use a rice maker but you can combine the rice & the water on medium-high heat until it is boiling. Lower to a simmer & cover. Cook for about 20 munutes or until the water is evaporated. Fluff the rice... Add the butter & allow it to melt, incorporating it into the rice. Add the lime zest & juice, salt & cilantro. Fluff & serve. Enjoy!

Stove~top Stuffed Peppers

I can never get a good picture of stuffed peppers but believe me, taste trumps looks here! These are easy & delicious. I prepared the peppers for a night I had to work late, so my hubby could just place them on the stove. Turned out, it was a rainy, blustery day & I came home to this belly warming meal. 


<3Lishie

Stove~top Stuffed Peppers
4 bell peppers, cleaned out
 

Stuffing:
1 lb. raw, ground beef 
14 oz of tomato sauce 
2 cups of cooked, white rice 
I eye amounts: parmesan cheese, s & p, fresh parsley & basil & dried oregano & garlic powder & some bread crumbs

1/2 cup water

Mix stuffing, stuff peppers, add back their little cap hats :) Carefully place peppers standing in a deep sauce pan that has a cover. Extra stuffing I added to the bottom of the sauce pan. Pour the water into the bottom of the pot for the peppers to be slightly immersed. Simmer covered, on low heat, 1 hour watching that the pan doesn't overflow.

Enjoy!

Fried Rice

You may or may not know that I am extremely allergic to shellfish which makes me infinitely sad because I use to love to cook it & eat shrimp. Seems the iodine reaction built up in my system from a small allergy to anaphylactic proportions.And also, because it extremely limits my eating out choices! Good thing I can cook.

One thing I miss enormously is Chinese Takeaway. I can't trust that I'll be safe from an allergic reaction because often the same woks & oil is used to prepare cross-over foods. So better safe than sorry! I was really wanting veggie fried rice last night. This is a very simple fried rice but it came out so tasty. I think it because of 1) the cooking temp was perfect in my wok, 2) the rice was right & 3) garden-FRESH peas. The peas I used were home grown at the farm this past weekend.

The key with cooking food in a high temperature on the stove top is to have every ingredient prepped & ready & close at hand!!!

Veggie Fried Rice

• 2-3 TBSp Canola Oil
• 2 cups cooked, short-grain rice (I use arborio) 
• 3 TBSp Low Sodium Soy Sauce
• 2 scallions, sliced thinly- white & green
• 1 egg, whisked/scrambled
• 1/4 cup fresh peas

Heat the canola oil in a wok on HIGH heat on the stove. A wok is the best pan to use but if you do not have one, use your deepest saute pan. When you are sure the oil is sizzling hot, add the rice. Drizzle the soy sauce over the rice. Quickly, with a wooden spoon, stir, stir, stir!!! Create an empty circular space in the middle of the work, shifting the rice to the sides... add the scallions & stir... add the egg... scramble, scramble, scramble... constantly stirring... then mix all of the ingredients together stirring all the while. Add the peas, stir/cook a minute more & serve!

I love to also add tofu (before the egg) & water chestnuts, carrots (cubed in tiny pieces)...

Enjoy!

<3 Lishie

I'm Steaming!

I've said it before, it is a fact... it is difficult being a full-time, commuting from NJ-NYC, working mom & coming home to put dinner on the table. However, with organization & prep (& some fun cook with your child(ren) games) I manage to do it. And you can too! 

I treasure my Sundays. Church, some outside time (usually a beautiful, long walk), grocery shopping with my hubby, then prep, prep, prep! I organize my cooking schedule for the week, get my coupons together & create a shopping list & head to the store. Of course, sometimes the list changes. If there's a particularly gorgeous veg I had not thought to buy or some other inspiration catches, but for the most part, it is planned.

When we get home, I organize the food & prep it. A huge part of this is steaming vegetables for the week! There are so many amazing meals that can be made or enhanced with steamed veg!!! And it keeps the color* & the nutrients packed in!!! (*Just don't forget to give the finished veg an ice bath at the end to stop the cooking process & shock in the color, flavor & nutritional value! )Some ideas are quiches & omelets, stir fries & pastas, couscous, rices & risottos... Or just as a dipping snack! My tot Gabriel would eat veggies by the ton if I let him. 

And the beauty of it is, you DON'T have to add them to anything. The vegetable, with its natural delicious flavor stands on its own as a side. (Look at those gorgeous asparagus I made... Simply Spritz with lemon & serve!) 

You can use a regular steamer on top of boiling water or, like me, a rice-maker/steamer. And many times I'll make rice at the same time. Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh RICE!

I made a HUGE discovery last week! Use equal parts water & arborio rice (you know, the kind you use for risotto?) in the rice-maker. Stir halfway (a no-no with regular grain rice) & add some more water allow to cook out, stir again... and you get= Perfect.sticky.rice.  

<3 Lishie
*Lishie tip- For greens, I add sliced lemon WHILE the veg is steaming... it lends a subtle layer to the taste.

Broccoli Rice Pilaf ~ two ways to cook it!

If you are like me, you need fresh things to eat, fast. And, if you are like me, you LOVE your carbs on the side (as the main course, for dessert, etc. Ha!) Well this is a delicious side dish that combines pasta AND rice (yikes! ;) ) but injects a little more green veg into your meal. 


So I am showing you how to prepare this meal two ways: 1) with a rice maker/steamer or 2) on the stove, in a shallow sauce pan. Either way, it's pretty quick & very delish! 


Brocoli Rice Pilaf

• 1 TBSp Butter
• 1 small Shallot, diced very small
• 1 Garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 cup vermicelli Pasta, broken into small pieces (twice the size of a piece of rice)
• 1 & 1/2 cups white Rice
• 2 cups Water
• 1 & 1/2 cups Broccoli florets
• *Spritz of fresh Lemon (*Optional)

Ricemaker/Steamer Directions: Place the pat of butter into the rice bowl, turn "on". Allow to melt then add the shallot for a minute. Stirring with a non-scatching spoon or spatula. Add the garlic, cook another minute. Add the pasta pieces & allow to brown. Place in the rice & water. Put the steamer section on top of the rice cooking bowl & add the broccoli florets to the steamer. Cook as instructed for the rice. When done, combine the broccoli & the rice mixture together, tossing. If you would like, spritz it with some fresh lemon juice. Serve & enjoy! 

Stove top Directions: Place the pat of butter into a shallow sauce pan on medium-low. When it has melted, add the shallot & saute for a minute. Add the garlic & the vermicelli pieces, stirring. Allow the pasta to brown. Add in the rice, then the water. Let the liquid come to a boil, lower the heat, cover & simmer, stirring occasionally until the water has evaporated, the rice, cooked. 

Meanwhile cook the broccoli on a separate burner in a steamer basket or steam it in the microwave. When done, combine it with the cooked rice mixture. If you would like, spritz it with some fresh lemon juice. Serve & enjoy!

<3 Lishie

Snowy, Sleety & all-around, Some-Tuesday, Day! Crock-Pot Peppered Steak

I knew today was going to be rough even before the snow started falling last night so I planned on crock-potting it. I am so glad I did! It made the house smell delicious all grey-rainy-sleety-yucky-I-was-off-because-things-needed-to-be-done day. And I had something to look forward to!

So at 8am I prepped the pot with stuffed peppers. This crock-pot meal is not for everyone since the peppers come out extremely soft & just kind of "melt" into the stuffing once it's plated. This is a part the DeMaria household all love, including toddler Gabriel.  And I like to use some combination of green/red/orange/yellow peppers for the prettiness & vitamins. (One tiny note: when I prep bell peppers for any meal I clean the insides extremely well because one of my pet peeves is when seeds are left in the finished meal. I know some chefs even call that "rustic" but I call it lazy. There's just something awful to me about biting down on a little, white seed.) 

"Slow-cooker" Stuffed Peppers
5 bell peppers, cleaned out (I put the tops back on, see picture below) 

Stuffing:
1 lb. raw, ground beef 
32 oz of tomato sauce 
2 cups of cooked, white rice 
I eye amounts: parmesan cheese, s & p, fresh parsley & basil & dried oregano & garlic powder & some bread crumbs

2 cups water

Mix stuffing, stuff peppers, add back their little cap hats :)
Extra stuffing I added to the bottom of the crock-pot. Pour the water into the bottom of the pot for the peppers to be slightly immersed. Cook on SLOW, 6-8 hours (may vary according to your pot).