Recipe Review from 2/10/2019

Bit late getting this posted - ended up having to type more of the recipes than I care for and then life got crazy busy.   I'm also not sure if Eating Well is just behind in posting recipes, or if they don't post all the recipes in the magazine online.  Which also means I'm short a few pictures.   Bother.   I'll include the Korean Steak in my next recipe review. 


The Meal Plan:
Sun (L)  Shrimp cakes   (S)  Y staff meeting/leftovers
Mon (yoga)  leftover shrimp cakes
Tues -  Carbonara
Wed - leftovers
Thurs (yoga) - Brats
Fri (aft appt, blow snow)  Brats
Sat (L) Korean Steak    (S)  out

Lunches - Squash and hominy soup

Shrimp Cakes (modified from Kevin Belton New Orleans Kitchen Ckbk)
The recipe is actually Shrimp with Smoked Grit Cakes, but even with his indoor smoker suggestion, it wasn't going to work for me.  So...I skipped the smoking part.   I also didn't fry the grit cakes but baked them for a lighter variation.   I also used half n half instead of heavy whipping cream, cut the butter back to two or three tbsp, and halved the amount of cheese.  Seems a bit drastic, but honestly, a very easy way to lighten the fat and calories without compromising taste.

The shrimp saute is fantastic.  I thought it would be similar to the Shrimp Bread I made Superbowl weekend, but it was quite different.  Modification here was to use half n half instead of heavy whip, and I used a whole can of creamed corn because what am I going to do with half a can?  Extra just added to the delicious sauciness.

Don't let the ingredient list turn you off - this is remarkably simple to make and is simply delicious.   This would be great for company.  Leftovers reheated very nicely.  Now, I didn't have enough shrimp saute to cover all the grit cakes, so I used some spagetti sauce for the leftovers.  Also delish.  Recommended! 

Made two dinners for two with shrimp saute; two dinners for two with spaghetti sauce

Grit Cakes (MAKE AHEAD OF TIME):
3 cups chicken stock
1 cup half n half
2-3 tbsp butter

This is why I don't take pictures.  That's bacon crumbled on the top

1 tsp pepper
1 tsp Creole seasoning
1 tsp onion powder
1 cup slow-cook stone-ground grits
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
1 tsp hot sauce

Breading: 
2 cups Italian breadcrumbs
4 eggs, beaten (I used two)
1 1/2 cup AP flour
1 tsp Creole seasoning
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Creole Shrimp Saute:
5 strips thick-cut bacon
1/4 cup minced shallots
1/8 cup finely chopped bell pepper (I used the whole pepper)
1/2 cup half n half
1 (14 oz) can creamed corn
1 1/2 tsp Creole Seasoning
1 tsp dried thyme
1 lbs (16/20 size) shrimp, peeled and deveined
chopped fresh parsely for garnish

For the Grit Cakes: 
In a large sauce pan over medium-high heat, bring the stock and cream to a slight boil.  Add the butter, pepper, Creole seasoning, garlic and onion powder and continue to heat until boiling.  Add grits and whisk constantly for about 2 minutes.  REduce heat to low, cover and for 30 minutes, or until cooked, stirring occasionally.

Once grits are cooked, add a little broth if necessary so the grits don't thicken too much.  Stir in cheeses and hot sauce and and mix thoroughly.

Butter a glass baking dish (I used a 9x9) and pour in grits.  Cover and refrigerate until set 3-4 hours, or overnight.  Remove from refrigerator, cut grits into squares. 

Preheat oven to 400*  Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper.  Prepare dredging ingredients by placing breadcrumbs, eggs, and flour in separate bowls.  In a small bowl, combine Creole seasoning, pepper and garlic powder, and divide among flour and breadcrumbs.  Mix well.

Dredge cakes in the flour, egg wash, then breadcrumbs.  Place on baking sheet.  Bake for about 30 minutes or until breading is nice and crisp.   (My Notes:  once done, you can turn off the oven and keep warm while pulling the rest of the meal and table together). 

For the Shrimp Saute:
In a large saute pan over medium-high heat, cook bacon until crispy.  Remove bacon to drain on a paper towel and transfer fat to a separate bowl.

Return pan to heat with 1-2 tbsp bacon fat.  Add shallots and saute until just softened, about 2 minutes.  Add bell pepper and saute until just softened.  Add cream, corn, Creole Seasoning and thyme.  Stir well.  Add shrimp and cook until pink and firm, about 7 minutes.  Season to taste and serve over Grit Cakes.  Garnish with reserved bacon and parsley. 


Pea and Spinach Carbonara (Eating Well, Jan/Feb 2019) vegetarian
It's not often that I say this, but I didn't like this dish.  You need a really big pot to make this, and mine wasn't.  So that was a struggle.  My options for "fresh" noodles are a bit limited, so the cooking times were somewhat off.  And the "sauce", well...it was runny and ended up in the bottom of the bowl.  By the time I reheated the leftovers, it had absorbed so the pasta was on the dry side.

I'm also going to admit that I couldn't even face eating the last of the leftovers and the batch went to the chickens.  Husband got us brats to finish out the week.  Bless him.

Not recommended.

I got 6 servings out of this (last two servings went to the chickens).  

1-1/2 tbsp EVOO
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 small garlic clove, minced
8 tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated; divided
3 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
3 large egg yolks
1 large egg
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1 9oz package fresh tagliatelle or linguine
8 cups baby spinach (I used 1 5oz pkg)
1 cup peas (fresh or frozen)

Put 10 cups of water in a large pot and bring to a boil over high heat.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add breadcrumbs and garlic; cook, stirring frequently, until toasted.  About 2 minutes.  Transfer to a small bowl and stir in 2 tbsp Parmesan and parsley.  Set aside.

Whisk remaining 6 tbsp Parmesan with egg yolks, egg, pepper and salt in a medium bowl.

Cook pasta in the boiling water, stirring occasionally for about 1 minute.  Add spinach and peas, and cook until the pasta is tender, about 1 minute more.  Reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta water.  Drain pasta and place in a large bowl.

Slowly whisk reserved pasta water into the egg mixture.  Gradually add the mixture to the pasta, tossing with tongs to combine.  Serve with reserved breadcrumbs.


Squash Hominy Soup (Taste of Home)
Yes, this is that simple.  Two modifications on my part - I used my own squash that I had frozen last fall, and I subbed half n half for the heavy whipping cream. 

This is good - the sweetness of the squash really shines, and I loved the little kernels of hominy.   Recommended.

Made enough for 5 lunches.

photo from Taste of Home

2/3 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic1 tablespoon butter
2 packages (10 ounces each) frozen cooked winter squash, thawed

(I used
2 cups chicken broth
1 can (15-1/2 ounces) hominy, rinsed and drained
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon each ground ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream  I used half n half

In a large saucepan, saute onion and garlic in butter until tender. Stir in the squash, broth, hominy and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in cream.

The Android's Dream by John Scalzi

The Android's Dream by John Scalzi

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Jacket Blurb: A human diplomat kills his alien counterpart. Earth is on the verge of war with a vastly superior alien race. A lone man races against time and a host of enemies to find the one object that can save our planet and our people from alien enslavement...

A sheep.

That's right, a sheep. And if you think that's the most surprising thing about this book, wait until you read Chapter One. Welcome to The Android's Dream.

For Harry Creek, it's quickly becoming a nightmare. All he wants is to do his uncomplicated mid-level diplomatic job with Earth's State Department. But his past training and skills get him tapped to save the planet--and to protect pet store owner Robin Baker, whose own past holds the key to the whereabouts of that lost sheep. Doing both will take him from lava-strewn battlefields to alien halls of power. All in a day's work. Maybe it's time for a raise.

Throw in two-timing freelance mercenaries, political lobbyists with megalomaniac tendencies, aliens on a religious quest, and an artificial intelligence with unusual backstory, and you've got more than just your usual science fiction adventure story. You've got The Android's Dream.

February's book group selection. Read as an audio book.

I'm not even going to attempt to summarize this book. It's bizarre, fascinating, weird, well written, a bit gross, has interesting aliens, a rather complex plot, good twists, a bit predictable, grimace worthy humor, laugh out loud humor, and a most satisfactory ending.

Best parts - the whole concept, really, is quite brilliant.
Worst parts - Chucky the dog died. Almost a deal breaker in the book for me.
Second worst parts - people died in gross ways who really didn't have to die.
Best human - Harry Creek
Best alien - the Tak (sp?), despite what he did to Chucky and Archie.

While not as good as Old Man's War or the Interdependcy Series, it did not hit bottom like Redshirts (there's a day I'll never get back...). This could also be contributed to Will Wheaton's most excellent narration and performance.

If you like most of Scalzi's work, if you don't mind some bathroom humor and gross scenes, and can forgive the author for killing Chucky the dog, then you would probably enjoy this one. Probably...



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Emergence by CJ Cherryh (Foreigner #19)

Emergence by C.J. Cherryh

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Jacket blurb:  The nineteenth book in C.J. Cherryh's beloved Foreigner space opera series begins a new era for diplomat Bren Cameron, as he navigates the tenuous peace he has struck between human refugees and the alien atevi.

Alpha Station, orbiting the world of the atevi, has taken aboard five thousand human refugees from a destroyed station in a distant sector of space. With supplies and housing stretched to the breaking point, it is clear that the refugees must be relocated down to the planet, and soon. But not to the atevi mainland: rather to the territory reserved for human, the island of Mospheira.

Tabini-aiji, the powerful political head of the atevi, tasks his brilliant human diplomat, Bren Cameron, to negotiate with the Mospheiran government. For the Alpha Station refugees represent a political faction that the people of Mospheira broke from two centuries ago, and these Mospheirans are not enthusiastic about welcoming these immigrants from space.

If you're just coming across this series now, start with #1. Otherwise the book(s) won't make any sense - the plot builds on the previous book and spans something like 20 years.

In this latest installment, Bren is on Mospheira preparing the way for Cajeiri's human associates to come down from the Space Station to begin integration into human life and society after years of living in space. He fully recognizes these children may some day replace him.

Meanwhile, Cajeiri is at Uncle Tatiseigi's estate for what he hoped would be a vacation, only to find himself embroiled in politics that involve events put into motion by the Shadow Guild. Nomari, a distant cousin to his Mother is asking to be recognized as the Ajuri heir, Great Aunt Geidaro has attacked the padhi's borrowed bus laden with wounded and supplies, and Mother has shown up with his baby sister.

Most of the action in this installment is with Cajeiri - Bren's role on Mospheira is spent getting the children's housing, education and safety squared away. Tabini-ajji warns him he may be pulled back to Tabini's side pending what happens at Tirnanardi. Which is kinda what Bren was doing in book #18.

What we do see is Cajeiri growing in maturity and understanding, we see him connecting with his Mother, and we get to see the Ajji-da's role and character filled out. This is, really Cajeri's story and not Bren's, a rather significant shift in perspective.

Who we don't get to see in this installment is Grandmother. But I was alright with that. She has had such a prevalent role through this series that I didn't mind seeing the other characters shine.

Ultimately, I enjoyed this story - Cajeiri's thoughts, insight and actions just pull the reader along. While Bren has his usual angst, very little is actually in Bren's direct control and he recognizes that. If you've read the previous books, you won't be disappointed.

NOTE: Significant speculation ahead that contains spoilers.
(view spoiler)[
I also came away with the impression, that if the series were to end, it could end on this book. All goals and objectives have ultimately been resolved. Sure, there are some small items left, but that leaves the resolution up to the imagination of the reader. The big items tho:

The Cajeiri's human associates have landed to pave the way for the rest of the Reunioners, Mospheira and the Reunioners will experience growing pains in acclimatizing 5000 space faring people to a planet and (this is key) it's NOT Bren's problem.

The Shadow Guild has been further decimated.

An heir has been picked for Tirnanardi.

An ruler has been chosen for Ajuri.

Cajeiri and his mother have reconciled.

Bren is going home.

It does make one wonder... (hide spoiler)]



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Recipe Review from 2/3/2019

A mostly uneventful week that did involve one unexpected snow storm and then frigid temps (again).  Pups are getting a little stir crazy...but aren't we all at this point?

I may have a new favorite cook book - Kevin Belten's New Orleans Kitchen.  I've made three dishes out of it now, two reviewed below, one review coming next week.  I'm really enjoying some '"Nawlin's" flavors.  Though I have been modifying somewhat to lighten these because I'm finding these first few to be somewhat overkill in the cream, cheese, and cream cheese department. 

The Meal Plan
Sun (L) take n bake pizza   (S) Shrimp Bread
Mon (yoga) leftovers
Tues - Korean Noodles and [pork]
Wed (SOUPer bowl potluck)  leftover rice and chicken
Thur (snowstorm!) leftover rice and chicken
Fri (Vet appt) leftover Noodles

Lunches - Teriyaki stew with rice


Shrimp Bread (modified from Kevin Belton's New Orleans Kitchen)
Had to modify this one since I live in the middle of the states, just south of the Canadian border and  frozen crawfish, raw or cooked, is hard to find. 

• I used 1 lb of raw, peeled and de-veined shrimp, coarsely chopped in lieu of cooked crawfish.
• I cut back the cream cheese to 4oz, because, seriously, 8oz?  Yikes.  Talk about rich!  4oz was still almost too much, but it worked. 
• I kept the mayo pretty light because it's more of a moisture barrier than a flavor - I mean, it IS flavor, but when combined with the cheeses, yeah, also very rich.  So, I kept it to a thin spread.

Of note, I prepared four servings, we only ate two that night.  The remaining two did reheat nicely, but!  Now that I know that, if I make this again, I would only prepare the amount of bread I needed and then make additional bread the following meal to use up the leftover shrimp mix.

Was this good? Oh yeah.   Recommended!


Serves 4-6  (I got 5 servings)

photo from the internet

1 baguette, loaf of French bread (I used ciabatta buns)
mayonnaise to taste
2 tbsp butter
3/4 cup chopped sweet yellow onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb of raw, peeled and de-veined shrimp, coarsely chopped
3/4 chopped green onion
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp Creole seasoning
4 oz cream cheese, softened and cut into chunks
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 tsp sweet paprika
Chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Preheat oven to 375*   Prepare a baking sheet with either aluminum foil, parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

Slice bread in half lengthwise and place on prepared baking sheet.  Apply a thin coat of mayo to each cut half.

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat and saute the onion until softened, about 5 minutes (depending on your stove).  Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Add shrimp, green onion, and parsely and cook until shrimp are opaque, about 5 minutes.  Add Creole seasoning and stir.  Add cream cheese, remove from heat (my notes - I left it on the heat for this part), and continue to stir until cheese is melted and thickened.

Spread mixture evenly over prepared bread halves.  Top with cheese and sprinkle with paprika.  Bake for about 15 minutes - or until cheese is bubbly.   Serve warm


Flan  (modified from Kevin Belton's New Orleans Kitchen)
My first time making flan.  Ironically, the night after I made it, the episode aired on PBS.  Since I had problems with my sugar/caramel mixture, it was helpful.  While I followed the recipe and directions, I came to the conclusion there was not enough water.  So when I poured the sugar/caramel into my ramikins, it basically hardened immediately into a sucker-solid mass.  After baking, I had enough glaze that these were super tasty.  My other observation was I did needed a solid 50 minutes to cook 6 ramikins.   Next time, I may try the pie plate option. 

I would make them again, easy to prep ahead and have in the fridge.  Recommended.

Serves 6-8  (six if using large ramikins, 8 if using a pie plate)

picture from the internet

3/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp water (I'd bump this up to 4 tbsp next time)
4 eggs
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk
1 tbsp vanilla
1 quart boiling water

Preheat oven to 325*

In a saucepan over medium heat, add sugar and water, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon until the sugar caramelizes and turns a light brown color.  Immediately transfer the syrup to a glas pie dish and tilt in a circular motion until the syrup covers the entire bottom of the dish.

In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs.  Add the condensed milk and evaporated milk and stir to completely incorporate.  Add vanillla and stir.  Pour egg mixture in a dish over melted sugar.

To create a water bath, pour boiling water in large 3" deep baking pan.  Fill halfway with boiling water.  Placed filled pie pan into water bath andplace in oven.  Bake for about 50 minutes or until flan is set.  Remove from oven and cool.  Run a dull knife around edge of the flan to loosen and invert onto a serving dish.  Can be served warm or cold. 



Long Life Noodles with [Beef] and Broccoli (Eating Well, Jan/Feb 2019)  allergy alert!**
For those of you who've been with me for a while, you know I'm not wild about beef.  So pork was a natural swap here.  Sorry, I don't remember what cut I picked out.  Really, chicken and tofu would also work in this.  Tho if using tofu, might need to make some adjustments.

I don't keep peanut oil in the house so grapeseed oil was my stand in.  I didn't want to buy a bottle of rice wine, and I didn't want to open a bottle of white wine (already had a bottle of red open), but the Husband had opened a bottle of his 8 year old honey mead so I used that. 

This does come together fairly quickly.  Flavors were good and the portion sizes a bit on the large size.  I ended up with five meals out of this.   Recommended.

photo from Eating Well

8 ounces whole-wheat spaghetti
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
3 tablespoons oyster sauce
3 tablespoons Shaoxing rice wine  
(I used some honey mead - it was open in the fridge)
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1½ teaspoons cornstarch
¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
1 tablespoon peanut oil ** (I used grapeseed oil)
10 ounces Chinese broccoli or broccolini, halved and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 cups sliced mushrooms  (I used 6 oz shitake mushroom)
12 ounces flank steak, trimmed and thinly sliced  (I used some kind of pork loin/chop)
2 cloves garlic, grated
Toasted sesame seeds for garnish (optional)

Cook noodles according to package directions. Rinse and drain well. Toss with sesame oil. Set aside.

Meanwhile, whisk together oyster sauce, rice wine, soy sauce, cornstarch and white pepper in a small bowl; set near the stove.

Heat a large flat-bottom wok or large cast-iron skillet over high heat. Add peanut oil and swirl to coat. Add broccoli and mushrooms; cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes. Add steak and garlic; cook, stirring, until the steak is no longer pink on the outside, 2 to 3 minutes more. Add the sauce and bring to a boil; cook for 1 minute. Add the noodles and toss to coat. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, if desired.

Slow Cooker - Teriyaki Beef Stew  (Taste of Home) 
This is very simple and easy to assemble - chop, saute, plop, walk away.   I'm not a fan of beef, so I subbed country style pork ribs.  I will note, when sauteing the meat, definitely drain before adding to crock pot.  Now, I don't have a small 3 qt crockpot (do these even exist?) so adjust the cooking time accordingly.   Just use the whole bag of peas, otherwise you'll have a teeny tiny bit left that won't amount to much.   Rice is a must - you'll want to serve this over rice otherwise it's pretty boring. 

I made this for lunches for the week.  

Serves 8 (I got 9 servings)

photo from Taste of Home

2 pounds beef stew meat  (I used boneless country pork ribs)1 bottle (12 ounces) ginger beer or ginger ale
1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons cold water
2 cups frozen peas, thawed  (I used the whole bag)
Hot cooked rice, optional  (not optional - kinda necessary)


In a large nonstick skillet, brown [meat] in batches. Transfer to a 3-qt. slow cooker. 
 
In a small bowl, combine the ginger beer, teriyaki sauce, garlic and sesame seeds; pour over beef. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until meat is tender. 
 
Combine cornstarch and cold water until smooth; gradually stir into stew. Stir in peas. Cover and cook on high for 30 minutes or until thickened. Serve with rice if desired.

Midnight Riot by Ben Aranovitch (Rivers of London #1)

Midnight Riot by Ben Aaronovitch

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Jacket Blurb: Probationary Constable Peter Grant dreams of being a detective in London’s Metropolitan Police. Too bad his superior plans to assign him to the Case Progression Unit, where the biggest threat he’ll face is a paper cut. But Peter’s prospects change in the aftermath of a puzzling murder, when he gains exclusive information from an eyewitness who happens to be a ghost. Peter’s ability to speak with the lingering dead brings him to the attention of Detective Chief Inspector Thomas Nightingale, who investigates crimes involving magic and other manifestations of the uncanny. Now, as a wave of brutal and bizarre murders engulfs the city, Peter is plunged into a world where gods and goddesses mingle with mortals and a long-dead evil is making a comeback on a rising tide of magic.

Read as an audio book.

I had a hard time putting this book down, so to speak. I do enjoy a good urban fantasy, I adore books set in Britain - especially London - and this fit into those criteria and more. The plot moves smartly along, the characters are interesting, and that combination makes it an engaging read.

Peter and Leslie have finished their mandatory two year stint as probationary street cops and they are now are assigned to their permanent positions. Leslie gets assigned to homicide, as Peter suspects he's going to end up in Case Progression Unit writing reports, but by shear happenstance, he's assigned to Thomas Nightingale, Inspector of the supernatural and more. Peter finds himself talking to rivers, gods and ghosts as Nightingale, Peter and Leslie try to solve a bizzare case where peoples faces are falling off and riots are breaking out at opera houses.

Peter is one of the most refreshing main characters I've read about in quite a while. He's just an average guy trying to get a leg up in the world. He has a crush on Leslie, he sees ghosts, and he doesn't sit around moaning "why me...".

Thomas Nightingale is a fascinating character and I would love to know more.

The supporting cast is as varied as they come in real life, and for myself, the characters never really felt two dimensional.

My one complaint with the book was the ending. As the events are starting to swirl and culminate in a resolution, the resolution got a bit overly long and dragging the pacing of the book down. A bit to much screaming and shouting and running about in circles for my tastes.

But not enough of a detraction that I won't go find book #2. Recommended! Especially on audio - I really enjoyed the narrators performance.



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Recipe Review from 1/28/2019

It got cold.  Like... -35* cold.  With a windchill.   Thankfully it was a short blast of sub-zero temps that's moved on.   And the cold must have messed with my memory, becuase I deviated a bit from the meal plan and I don't remember what I did.  I know we had supper...I just don't remember what. 

Only two new recipes to report: the Curried Chicken and Rice from ATK and the soup from Taste of Home.  Meatballs are a tried and true from a North American Hunt Club recipe book.  Pasty is store bought (Elliot's brand, my preferred).   And how can I go wrong with banana chocolate chip pancakes?  Yum!

The Meal Plan
Sun - (L) leftover soup  (S)  Cranberry Meatballs 
Mon (yoga/bookgroup)  leftover meatballs
Tues - leftover meatballs
Wed - Skillet curried chicken and rice  leftover meatballs
Thurs (yoga) - I don't remember...??
Fri (yoga) pasty
Sat (L) pancakes   (S) Skillet curried chicken and rice

Lunches - Easy re-fried bean soup

Curried Chicken and Rice (ATK) gluten free option**
Like the chicken and broccoli with rice I reviewed last week, this was easy to assemble and quite tasty.  It helped that this made three meals for two of us - I love my leftovers! 

I did make a few changes to the recipe (simplified).  I cut my chicken to eliminate the whole taking chicken in and out of the pan twice.  I used basmati rice to compliment the flavor of the curry.  And I used diced green beans (1" pieces) instead of peas...because I forgot I needed peas and ate them the night before.  But!  Green beans were really tasty, so, happy substitution.

Serves 4-6 (I got 6 servings out of this)

4 (6-8oz) chicken breasts (I cut into 1" pieces)
1/2 cup AP flour** skip or sub preferred gf flour
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup onion, diced
1 tbsp curry powder (less if your's is spicy)
1 1/2 cup long grain white rice (I used basmati)
3 garlic cloves, minced or grated
4 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup frozen peas, thawed (I used 1 cup + diced green beans)
1/4 cup raisins (I used golden raisins)
1/4 cup cliantro

1. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.  Dread chicken in flour and shake off excess.  Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking.  Brown the chicken well on one side, about 5 minutes.  Remove chicken from pan and set aside.

2.  Add the remaining 1 tbsp oil to the skillet and return to medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the onion, curry powder and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the rice and garlic and cook 30 seconds more, or until rice is nicely coated.

3.  Stir in the broth, scraping up any browned bits.  Return chicken to the pan brown side up if possible.  Cover and cook over medium heat, about 10 minutes.

4.  Add peas (or green beans) and raisins and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is absorbed by the rice 10-12 minutes longer (or longer depending on your rice).  Let stand off heat about 5 minutes.  Serve.


Fast Refried Bean Soup (Taste of Home) vegetarian option, gluten free
This is fast to assemble.  Ridiculously fast.  And tasty.  A couple of swaps - I used frozen corn instead of canned, I used a can of diced tomatoes instead of stewed, and I used mild green chilies.  If you want more zing (ie - heat), use hot.  You could also bump up the heat on the salsa for more heat.  This made enough for lunches for me for the week, with a little bag of Frito's along side.  I'd make this again.

photo from Taste of Home

4-5 servings
1 can (16 ounces) spicy fat-free refried beans1 can (15-1/4 ounces) whole kernel corn, drained  (I used frozen corn)
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) chicken broth**  or vegetable broth
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) stewed tomatoes, cut up (I used diced tomatoes)
1/2 cup water
1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chiles
1/4 cup salsa
Tortilla chips (Fritos!)

In a large saucepan, combine the first eight ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, until heated through, 8-10 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips.