Recipe: Citrus Chicken and Rice

That's right people - I'm back in the kitchen! With my new gas stove and ample counter space, I no longer have a single excuse to not be able to cook stuff correctly :) (Though who knew gas burners got so hot? Thank goodness I needed a haircut anyway, as a couple bits in front got singed off from the residual heat!)

Anyway, the recipe of the evening was Citrus Chicken and Rice. Essentially, I was sitting at the library yesterday, browsing the easy online recipes, trying to find something that I could make for dinner that would not require too many more Safeway purchases. Because we already had orange juice at home, this one made the cut. After a few bites, NavyGuy declared it a keeper, and I stole rice off his plate when he left the room to answer the phone. Seriously, it was the moistest, most flavorful rice I've ever made. Way better than stuff I've bought at the store, and really almost as easy. I linked the recipe, but added a few notes of my own below:

- the parsley probably makes it look nice, but we couldn't find any at the store, and I do not think the flavor was at all lacking.

- I cut up the chicken breasts into smaller pieces when sauteing them so they would cook faster, and NavyGuy thought it was smart because it saved time when it came to eating later... you know, cuz heaven forbid you have to cut your food before shoveling it in your mouth.

- after you add the chicken back into the pan to simmer with the rice and sauce, watch the rice carefully and stir often. I was distracted by a glass of red wine, and a little of the rice burned on the bottom. Totally still edible though, and I think, with additional flavor.

- be sure to scrap the pan after sauteing the chicken to include those greasy yummy chicken drippings in the sauce. For some reason the Swanson Broth people do not recommend this in the recipe, but I think it added a little something special.

That's it - total cooking time 30 minutes-ish (expect 45 if you're tasting wine whilst cooking), and super easy (Sister... you could do this without messing up the rice - I swear!).

Happy eating!