Chicken and Rice Dinner

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A Nutritious Powerhouse of Yumminess!

Chicken and Rice. All-natural greatness, what’s not to love, right?! As deliciously comforting as it may be, it is a nutritious powerhouse of yumminess. Sure to cure your woes much like all the love in a Homemade Chicken Soup, it can be made inexpensively with just a few typical pantry items.

Chicken and Rice Dinner, ready to give to a friend.

But that’s just the thing. We have folks around here that will barely tolerate soup – no matter who made it or how delightful it tastes. Who am I kidding? Nearly all the guys around here look like they’ve lost their best friend at the mention of soup for dinner. Does this sound familiar at your house?

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Slow Food At Its Best

‘Man-pleasing’ Chicken and Rice is the answer to such woes! I grew up with Chicken and Rice on the dinner table, often. I suspect that’s because Dad led the pack of passionate ‘soup rejectors’ in my life. And Mom was a brilliant woman.

As soon as I was capable, I learned how to make this humble yet genius meal for the family. Back then, and for many years in my own home, I made the most straightforward version by throwing a whole chicken in a pot of water with onions, garlic, celery, salt, pepper, and a heap load of ground sage. Boil it up, and with a few more greasy tedious steps, somehow, we had a delicious, filling meal for the family to enjoy.

Roasted Chicken and Veggies

But we’ve learned a few things since then. About building flavors and the value of excellent nutrition. Nowadays, I pre-roast the chicken with fresh carrots, celery, onion, and a bulb of garlic. I cook it to perfection, avoiding the sometimes over-cooked boiled chicken of yesteryear.

Imagine the complexity that roasting will add to both your chicken and broth. This extra step makes a fundamental difference in depth and richness of flavor.

Homecooked Bone Broth

I make a bone broth using the skin and bones of the chicken and simmering for a minimum of six to twelve hours. The healthful virtues of bone broth are widely studied and reported. Add in the veggies, aromatics, and fresh herbs, and there you have that treasure trove of nutritious greatness.

Whole Grain Rice

But that’s not all. This Chicken and Rice recipe is crafted with Brown Basmati Rice, which retains the fluffiness that White Rice provides but adds all the more vitamins, protein, and fiber. Some Brown Rice is too heavy and earthy to be used as comfort food. The Brown Basmati Rice I get at Trader Joe’s is just right.

A Delightful, Nurturing Gift

An excellent meal to share with a new mom or with those recovering from cold or flu. That is precisely why I made this a collection of recipes for an entire dinner and the pictures are in foil pans. I doubled the recipes and gave half away.

I encourage you to pick yourself a day with plenty of time to hang out in the kitchen and savor the long slow process of nurturing your family and friends with this delicious meal. You’ll be glad you did. Enjoy!

Chicken and Rice Dinner

All the nutritious goodness of homemade Chicken Soup - only better!! This health-promoting Chicken and Rice is slow food, patiently crafted with the layered, comforting flavors of roasted chicken, vegetables, aromatics, fresh herbs, and seasonings. Plan a long leisurely day in the kitchen, or split the process up between a couple of days. Included are three side dish recipes that are highly recommended. This nurturing meal will be well worth your effort!

Prep Time 40 minutes

Cook Time 7 hours

Total Time 8 hours

Servings 8 people

Ingredients

Roasted Chicken and Veggie Bone Broth

1 5-6 pound Whole Chicken rinsed and patted dry
1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 teaspoons Salt
1 teaspoon Granulated Garlic
1/2 teaspoon Sweet Paprika
1/2 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
1 Onion quartered
1 whole Head of Garlic with top sliced off crosswise to expose cloves
3 stalks Celery I use the leafy innermost center of the heart, rinsed
2 Fresh Carrots rinsed and peeled
3 sprigs Fresh Sage
4 sprigs Fresh Thyme
2 sprigs Fresh Rosemary
2 Dried Bay Leaves
2 teaspoons Whole Black Pepper Corns

Chicken and Rice

1 Sweet Onion diced
4 stalks Celery
5 cloves Fresh Garlic sliced thin
1 1/2 teaspoons Salt
2 teaspoons Ground Sage
2 1/2 cups Brown Basmati Rice
6 1/2 cups Chicken Bone Broth (divided) See Instructions

Braised Kale

2 pounds Fresh Kale bagged pre-washed,trimmed, and cut
5 cloves Fresh Garlic sliced thin
2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 pinch Red Pepper Flakes
1 pinch Sea Salt

Roasted Honey Glazed Carrots

2 pounds Organic Heirloom Carrots rinsed, peeled, trimmed, and sliced in half
1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/8 teaspoon Sea Salt
1 pinch Ground Black Pepper
1/2 Tablespoon Butter
2 Tablespoons Organic Unfiltered Honey
1/2 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

Fresh Fruit

2 whole Blood Oranges rinsed, sliced and seeded
4 cups Organic Black Berries gently rinsed, separated and dried on paper towel.
1/2 cup Fresh Pomegranate Seeds

Instructions

Roasted Chicken and Veggie Bone Broth

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Combine salt, granulated garlic, sweet paprika, and ground black pepper together and set aside. Using hands, coat the chicken with olive oil. Now sprinkle the seasoning over the entire chicken and rub it all over the exterior of the chicken. (Wash hands carefully) Arrange prepared onion, garlic, celery, and carrots around the chicken on roasting pan.
Place chicken and veggies in preheated oven and roast until chicken reaches 180 degrees. Remove from the oven.
Add chicken juices and roasted veggies to a large 5 1/2-6 quart pot. Set chicken aside, lightly cover with foil to rest, about 20 minutes.
Using tongs and a fork while the chicken is still quite warm, remove the skin and debone the entire chicken. Tear boned chicken to chunky pieces. Cover and set meat aside in frig. Place all of the bones and roasted skin into the pot with veggies and chicken juices.
Fill the pot with water (amount dependant on pot size) and add the fresh sage, thyme, rosemary, dried bay leaves, and peppercorns. Simmer on low for a minimum of 6 hours with the pot lid on but slightly tilted. *Note that the broth can be simmered much longer if you have the time and so desire. Still, six hours is sufficient for chicken bones to release their greatness.
Set a colander inside of a large bowl. Carefully strain the bone broth and discard all of the solids. Skim fat layer off the top of the broth and reserve. *Leftover broth after making Chicken and Rice should be strained through a double layer of cheesecloth then frozen for later use.

Chicken and Rice

(If cooking broth in the same day, go ahead and use the same pot.) Add 2 tablespoons of fat to the pan, skimmed from the top of the separated bone broth. Over medium heat, add in onion, garlic, and celery, sauteing until translucent.
Add in the rice and salt. Give the ingredients a good stir, coating the rice with all of the flavorful goodness.
Add 5 cups of the bone broth and stir. Over medium heat, bring the liquid to a quick boil. Turn heat down to low. Cover with a tight lid and slow simmer the rice for 30 minutes.
Rice should not be entirely done as yet. Quickly fold in prepared chicken pieces and add 1 cup more broth. Replace the lid and simmer an additional 10-12 minutes until rice is nutty but fluffy and done. Serve with sides or alone as desired. Delicious!

Braised Kale

While rice is cooking, preheat oven to 425 degrees. Add olive oil, sliced garlic, and red pepper flakes to a 4 1/2-5 quart pot. Gently saute the garlic to have a hint of color.
Layer and toss in kale, adding salt, until kale is wilted enough to all fit in the pan.
Add approximately 3/4 cup of bone broth. Cover with a lid and steam 10 minutes.
Give the kale a toss. Replace lid and remove from heat. Set aside until ready to serve as a side dish along with the Chicken and Rice.

Roasted Honey Cinnamon Carrots

Prepare carrots as mentioned in ingredients. On a heavy baking sheet, toss carrots with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Place in preheated oven and roast for 15 minutes.
While carrots are roasting, melt honey and butter together in the microwave for 20 seconds. Add cinnamon and mix together while warm.
After carrots roast for 15 minutes, remove from oven and increase the temperature to 450 degrees. Drizzle carrots with the buttered cinnamon honey glaze. Place the carrots back in the oven for 5 minutes to caramelize. Serve as a delicious side dish alongside the Chicken and Rice.