Chicken and Rice Casserole

I love this recipe. I found it over a year ago and make it at least one a month. I love chicken and I love mushrooms so this is perfect in my opinion! It looks like a lot of work because the recipe is so long, but trust me, it's not as difficult as it may look. Enjoy!

Chicken and Rice Casserole Recipe

If you are avoiding cooking with alcohol, skip the sherry and deglaze the pan with a 1/4 cup extra of chicken stock. Depending on how salted your stock is, you may need to more generously salt this dish. Can always salt to taste at the table.

You can make this entire dish on the stovetop instead of the oven if you want. Just use a large sauté pan with a tight cover, cook on low when all is assembled, low enough to keep a simmer, but not so high that you burn the rice.

2 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1 to 1 1/2 inch pieces, patted dry

Salt and pepper

Olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 lb cremini or button mushrooms, sliced

1/4 cup dry sherry or white wine

1 1/3 cups* chicken stock**

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 cup cream

1 cup raw, medium or long grain, white rice

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon each of Italian seasoning and poultry seasoning (or 2 teaspoons of one of these herb mixes, or 2 Tbsp chopped fresh herbs such as rosemary, sage, thyme, and basil)**

1/2 teaspoon paprika

2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

*This recipe assumes the rice requires approx 1 1/2 cups liquid per cup of rice to cook. Some rice varieties, such as brown rice, require more liquid (and a longer cooking time). Adjust recipe accordingly.

**If you are cooking gluten-free, use homemade stock or gluten-free packaged stock, use gluten-free packaged herbs and spices.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Heat 2 Tbsp of olive oil in a large sauté pan on medium high or high heat (hot enough to brown but not burn). Sprinkle a dash of salt on the bottom of the pan. Season the chicken pieces all over with salt and pepper. Working in batches, brown the chicken pieces on two sides, about 1-2 minutes per batch. Add a little more salt to the pan (and more olive oil if needed) after every batch. This will help prevent the chicken from sticking to the pan. Remove chicken pieces and set aside in a bowl. Note that the chicken does not have to be cooked through, only browned.

In the same sauté pan add 1 Tbsp olive oil, lower the heat to medium, add the onions, and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, cook 30 seconds more. Remove onions and garlic to a shallow (9 x 13 x 2) casserole dish.

Raise heat to medium high, add the sliced mushrooms. Dry sauté them (no need to add butter or oil), allowing the mushrooms to brown lightly, and release some of their moisture. Add the mushrooms to the casserole dish.

Add 1/4 cup dry sherry or dry white wine to the pan to deglaze the pan, scraping off the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. (At this point, if you are making ahead, reduce the sherry to 1 Tbsp and pour off into the casserole dish. Refrigerate cooked onions, garlic, mushrooms, and browned chicken pieces until you are ready to make the casserole.) Let the sherry reduce to about 1 Tbsp, then add the chicken stock, and remove from heat. Stir in 1 1/2 teaspoon salt, the cream, and the sour cream. Add the raw rice to the casserole dish. Then pour the stock, sherry, cream, sour cream mixture over the rice. Add the Italian and poultry seasonings (or fresh herbs) and paprika to the dish. Stir the rice, onion, mushroom, herb mixture so that they are evenly distributed in the casserole dish.

Place the chicken pieces on top of the rice mixture (in a single layer if you can, they will be crowded). Cover the casserole dish tightly with aluminum foil. Bake in a 375°F oven for 45 minutes. Remove foil. If the casserole is still too liquidy, let it cook a few minutes more, uncovered, until the excess liquid has evaporated away.

Sprinkle with fresh parsley before serving. Serves 6 (with leftovers)

Recipe found at SimplyRecipes.com

Update Food Challenge: Shrimp

I couldn't decide which shrimp recipe I wanted to make so I let Josh decide. He chose Gnocchi with Shrimp, Asparagus, and Pesto. It took me a few days to find Gnocchi since Albertsons was out of it but I ended up buying it at Cost Plus World Market. I went with the mini gnocchi since they take only 2-3 minutes to cook. I can't say this recipe was a total winner because both Josh and I weren't a fan of the asparagus in the dish despite how much we love asparagus. We started brainstorming other alternatives like zucchini. Since it only takes minutes to make the gnocchi and shrimp cooks so quickly, this meal was ready within ten minutes. 

Gnocchi with Shrimp, Asparagus, and Pesto

2  quarts plus 1 tablespoon water, divided

1  (16-ounce) package vacuum-packed gnocchi (such as Vigo)

4  cups (1-inch) slices asparagus (about 1 pound)

1  pound peeled and deveined large shrimp, coarsely chopped

1  cup basil leaves

2  tablespoons pine nuts, toasted

2  tablespoons preshredded Parmesan cheese

2  teaspoons fresh lemon juice

2  teaspoons bottled minced garlic

4  teaspoons extravirgin olive oil

1/4  teaspoon salt

Preparation

Bring 2 quarts water to a boil in a Dutch oven. Add gnocchi to pan; cook 4 minutes or until done (gnocchi will rise to surface). Remove gnocchi with a slotted spoon; place in a large bowl. Add asparagus and shrimp to pan; cook 5 minutes or until shrimp are done. Drain. Add shrimp mixture to gnocchi.

Combine remaining 1 tablespoon water, basil, and next 4 ingredients (through garlic) in a food processor; process until smooth, scraping sides. Drizzle oil through food chute with food processor on; process until well blended. Add salt and basil mixture to shrimp mixture; toss to coat. Serve immediately.

Recipe found at MyRecipes.com

Chicken Enchiladas

I've been on an enchiladas kick recently. I have three new recipes that I plan to try over the next few weeks. I made this recipe last week. It was delicious but it took a little more time than I had planned. Next time I make it, I plan to cook my chicken earlier in the day and omit the chipotles (it was timely to seed them.) I also served my favorite Spanish rice recipe that I'll share with you soon.

Chicken Enchiladas
3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 1/2 pounds skinless boneless chicken breast
Salt and pepper
2 teaspoons cumin powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon Mexican Spice Blend
1 red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
5 canned whole green chiles, seeded and coarsely chopped
4 canned chipotle chiles, seeded and minced
1 (28-ounce) can stewed tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon all-purpose flour
16 corn tortillas
1 1/2 cups enchilada sauce, canned
1 cup shredded Cheddar and Jack cheeses
Garnish: chopped cilantro leaves, chopped scallions, sour cream, chopped tomatoes

Directions
Coat large saute pan with oil. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Brown chicken over medium heat, allow 7 minutes each side or until no longer pink. Sprinkle chicken with cumin, garlic powder and Mexican spices before turning. Remove chicken to a platter, allow to cool.

Saute onion and garlic in chicken drippings until tender. Add corn and chiles. Stir well to combine. Add canned tomatoes, saute 1 minute.

Pull chicken breasts apart by hand into shredded strips. Add shredded chicken to saute pan, combine with vegetables. Dust the mixture with flour to help set.

Microwave tortillas on high for 30 seconds. This softens them and makes them more pliable. Coat the bottom of 2 (13 by 9-inch) pans with a ladle of enchilada sauce. Using a large shallow bowl, dip each tortilla in enchilada sauce to lightly coat. Spoon 1/4 cup chicken mixture in each tortilla. Fold over filling, place 8 enchiladas in each pan with seam side down. Top with remaining enchilada sauce and cheese.

Bake for 15 minutes in a preheated 350 degree F oven until cheese melts. Garnish with cilantro, scallion, sour cream and chopped tomatoes before serving. Serve with Spanish rice and beans.

Recipe found at Food Network.com

Food Challenge: Shrimp

This week Josh was too busy to get creative and come up with a food challenge for me so I picked one for myself: Shrimp! I have a bag of frozen shrimp in my freezer and I want to come up with a new way to use it rather than my old stand-by recipes.

The other night I made a new enchiladas recipe (which I will post in the next few days) and what I learned was that I need to change my focus on food. My food goals are 1. timely meals and 2. healthy food (less heavy cream and butter, more fresh veggies and spices.) I'm looking to Cooking Light and Rachael Ray for help in my new found goals. Cooking Light is an obvious choice for finding healthy meals and Rachael Ray is known for her 30 minute meals. I have a lot of resources at my disposal so finding recipes should be pretty easy. All of the shrimp recipes that I'm considering I found from Cooking Light and Rachael Ray. Here's what I'm considering:

Shrimp and Orzo with Cherry Tomatoes and Romano Cheese by Cooking Light
Gnocchi with Shrimp, Asparagus, and Pesto by Cooking Light
Shrimp Arrabbiata by Cooking Light
Red and Green Pesto with Pasta and Lemon Shrimp by Rachael Ray
Venetian-Style Paella by Rachael Ray
The Devil's Shrimp by Rachael Ray

I'm leaning towards one of the Cooking Light recipes but waiting to find out what I'll recieve in my Wildly Organic Pak to make a final decision.

What are some of your favorite shrimp recipes?

Update Food Challenge: Phad Thai

I fulfilled my Phad Thai food challenge a little later than planned but I did it! My parents were visiting on the night I decided to make the dish and since they are vegan I thought I would make the dish vegan too. I found a simple recipe and replaced the chicken with tofu. Sadly, the tofu I used was too soft and fell apart while making the dish, but had I used a firmer tofu then I think this recipe would have held up a lot better.

In addition to the Phad Thai, I made Salad Rolls with Peanut Sauce and they were fantastic! I modified the Salad Rolls recipe and left out the noodles and red peppers since I didn't have them on hand and I was still pleased.

Here are all three of the recipes I made.

Vegetarian Phad Thai
Ingredients:
1 pound Asian-style rice noodles
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup lime juice
2 tbsp peanut butter
2 tbsp hot sauce
1/4 cup sugar
1 block tofu, diced
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp sesame oil
1/2 cup bean sprouts
1/4 cup chopped or crushed peanuts (optional)
4 green onions (scallions), sliced

Preparation:
Cook noodles according to package instructions.
Whisk together the soy sauce, peanut butter, lime juice, hot sauce and sugar.
In a large wok or skillet, sautee the tofu, onion and garlic in sesame oil for a minute or two, stirring frequently. Allow to cook for another minute or two.
Add the cooked noodles and the peanut butter and soy sauce mixture. Stir well, and allow sauce to thicken as it cooks for about 3 minutes. Top with peanuts, bean sprouts and green onions and serve hot.
Recipe found at About.com

Spring Rolls
Ingredients
Chopped romaine or butter lettuce (swiss chard can also be used)
1 carrot, julienned
1 red bell pepper, julienned
1 package of bean sprouts
1 8x50 g package of vermicelli noddles
Basil or cilantro
9 inch, circular rice paper

Directions:

Place 9 inch rice paper and a pan, larger enough to fit a piece of rice paper, filled with water. Make sure there is enough water to fully submerge rice paper.

Submerge a piece of rice paper into the water for 10 seconds. Remove paper from water, place on a flat surface, and fill center with a small amount of each filling.

Fold the right and left sides of the rice paper onto the filling and then roll paper from the bottom to the top, making sure the the filling stays in the middle and that the paper is wrapped tightly around fillings.

Repeat until desired number of salad rolls is achieved.

Recipe adapted from Suite101

Peanut Sauce
Ingredients
1/2 cup natural-style creamy peanut butter
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 small garlic clove, mashed to a paste
1 teaspoon chile-garlic paste
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
Juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup water

Instructions
Combine all ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Stir until well combined, adding more water to thin the sauce if necessary.
Note: We like to use natural peanut butter for this recipe. If you use the conventional kind, add less sugar to the sauce.
Recipe found at Chow

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

This is what I made for dinner last night. It was the first time I made it and overall, it turned out pretty good. It was a little thinner than I expected but very tasty. 

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Ingredients
4 stalks celery, finely diced
1 large onion, very well chopped

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

32 ounces cups chicken broth

4-6 cups whole milk

2 cup chopped ham (optional)

6 baked potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces

salt & fresh ground pepper to taste

Toppings: bacon bits, sharp cheddar cheese, sour cream, chopped scallions

Directions

In a large pot, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium high heat and saute the celery and onion until they are quite soft, about 4-6 minutes. Add the remaining butter to the pot. Once melted, whisk in the flour to make a thick roux, then turn the heat to medium and slowly whisk in the chicken broth, taking care to whisk out any chunky, floury pieces. Stir in the milk (four cups of milk, if you'd like a thicker soup, and more if you'd like your soup texture to be thinner).

Stir in the ham & baked potato pieces (Note: if you don't have baked potatoes lying around the house, you can either cook them until tender in the microwave--just clean them thoroughly, pierce them with a fork, and zap 'em for approx. 15 minutes--or peel & boil them in a pot of salted water until soft & tender. Either way works!) Salt & pepper to taste. If you're like us, you'll probably want a good amount of salt & pepper to really flavor that soup!

Serve with your favorite baked potato toppings. Enjoy!


Almost forgot to thank Cheeky Kitchen Blog for this recipe.

Parchment Baked Salmon with Lemon and Basil/Dill

Josh gave me a food challenge a couple months ago and all he said was "find a recipe that uses parchment paper." I thought that was an odd challenge but the first thing that came to mind was fish! I got online and did a searched for a simple fish and parchment paper recipe. I found this one on the Whole Foods website and made it just as the recipe called for...with basil. It was good but I wanted to make it better. The next time I made it I swapped the basil for dill and I gotta say, I prefer it this way. So here it is. I'll let you decide whether to use basil or dill. 

Parchment Baked Salmon with Lemon and Basil/Dill

Ingredients

6 (6-ounce) salmon fillets

Salt and pepper to taste

6 (15-square inch) pieces parchment paper

1/4 cup chopped basil leaves or dill

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 lemons, thinly sliced

Kitchen twine

Method

Place a large baking sheet on bottom rack of oven. Preheat oven to 400°F.

Season salmon with salt and pepper. Cut two half inch slices into flesh of each piece of salmon; roll basil leaves (or dill) and stuff into slits in salmon. 

Place a salmon fillet in the center of each piece of parchment paper. Drizzle each fillet with 1 teaspoon of the oil, then place lemon slices on top. Gather sides of parchment up over salmon to form a pouch, leaving no openings, and tie tightly with kitchen twine. Place packages directly on hot baking sheet in oven and cook for 20 minutes. Transfer to plates and carefully open packages to release steam before serving.

Nutrition

Per serving (about 7oz/193g-wt.): 450 calories (220 from fat), 15g total fat, 2.5g saturated fat, 95mg cholesterol, 270mg sodium, 2g total carbohydrate (0g dietary fiber, 0g sugar), 34g protein

Thank you Whole Foods Market.