(I know it looks yellow, not sure why??)
Hello and good morning to all you beautiful people, near and far. I am really missing meeting people on my morning walks. I love meeting new folk from all walks of life and striking up a conversation. Yes, I speak to random people that I meet when on my walks. I love to meet strangers (especially the really strange ones) and getting to know where they are from. I love hearing about their lives whenever I manage to stay quiet long enough for them to tell me. Everyone has a story to tell, that’s for sure! I just have a few more than others.
And since I can’t indulge my favourite pastime at the moment (apart from eating) I would love to hear from you guys and to get to know each and every one of you. Where is everyone from? Where do you live? (I promise not to stalk you). And what’s your favourite dish? Anyway, wherever you are, I hope you are keeping well, staying safe and healthy.
With lockdown in full swing, I am trying to keep a balance between my sugar consumption and my intake of stuff which is actually good for you. But, I kind of over-indulged in the naughty department last week. So, to cleanse myself of my guilt, I made this mean, lean, green, dish of healthy delight. This baked herbed rice with chicken breast is filled with enticing aromas and loads of fresh flavour. This vibrant dish is easy on the eye and easy on the calorie count.
Ingredients
For the green (super food) sauce
5 cloves garlic, crushed
100g frozen spinach, thawed
1 small-medium onion peeled, cut into quarters
1 bunch coriander (stalk and all), rinsed thoroughly
1 bunch continental parsley (stalk and all), rinsed thoroughly
Handful of mint leaves (optional)
1 cup water
Ingredients
For the chicken
1kg chicken breast, cut into cubes
1 table spoon olive oil
2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
½ teaspoon turmeric
¼ teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
Salt and pepper to taste
Ingredients
For the rice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 ½ cups rice (I used basmati rice)
1 cup frozen peas
2 cups chicken stock
Method
Pre-heat the oven to 200C
Green sauce
method
Combine all green sauce ingredients in a food processor. Blend until almost smooth. Set aside.
Chicken
Method
In a large bowl mix together the chicken, oil and spices. Set aside.
Rice
method
In a bowl, stir the rice with the olive oil until rice is thoroughly coated.
Stir in the frozen peas.
Stir the green sauce with 1 cup of chicken stock into the rice, add the chicken and mix to combine.
Transfer the chicken and rice mixture into an oven dish and pour the remaining cup of chicken stock on top.
Cover the dish and bake for 1 ½ hours.
I used a round dish and once the rice and chicken were cooked through, I waited for 15 minutes for the rice to cool down and turned it upside down on a serving dish. You don’t have to do that, I just did it for the photos. You can use a rectangular or a round dish and still turn it upside down.
I served this delicious dish with a garden salad. It was filling and tasty.
Please note:
Every oven is different and it took me a couple of goes to get the correct amount of liquid ratio for the dish to cook in my oven without drying.
I suggest that you check the chicken dish from time to time to see if the rice absorbed all the liquid before it’s completely cooked. If it has then add a little water.
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