Rice Dishes

This is going to be a much longer than usual post...

I always try to label the people I talk about in my blog, whether it be my boyfriend, friends, Aunts, nieces, nephew, etc. But there are 2 people who I cook for frequently and have talked about, but have never 'labeled' on my blog: Kris and Mark. I met Kris when I was 15 years old, when she was first dating my brother. Though she is not my sister-in-law anymore, she is much more than just a friend, she is my sister. She has a wonderful husband, Mark. And in my heart, Mark really is like a brother-in-law to me.

So now that you know who I'm talking about, let me tell you why I'm talking about them today. Mark wants to start taking his lunch to work more and he asked me if I would come up with some easy rice dishes for him, that he will be able to start making for himself. So here are the 3 dishes that I showed him how to make today.

Peanut Coconut Chicken
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4 oz chicken breast, thinly sliced
Salt and pepper
2 t Extra virgin olive oil
1/2 c matchstick carrots
1/2 c snap peas, ends trimmed
2 T peanut butter
1/2 c coconut milk
2 t lime juice
2 scallions, chopped
1/2 c instant brown rice
1/2 c chicken broth

Cilantro, optional

In small pot, bring chicken broth to boil. Stir in brown rice, season with salt. Reduce heat to simmer rice, cover and let cook for 5 minutes. Remove rice from heat and let stand for 5 minutes. In small bowl, mix together peanut butter, coconut milk and lime juice. Set aside. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat large skillet with oil over medium high heat. Cook chicken for 3-4 minutes, or until cooked through. Remove chicken from skillet. Add carrots and snap peas to skillet, season with salt and pepper. Let cook for 3-4 minutes, or until snap peas are just tender. Add chicken back to the skillet. Add peanut sauce and scallions to skillet. Stir to combine. Serve over rice. Garnish with cilantro.


Caribbean Chicken
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4 oz chicken breast, cubed
Salt and pepper
2 t Extra virgin olive oil
1 t + 1/2 t Caribbean jerk seasoning
1/2 green pepper, cubed
1/2 onion, cubed
1 mango, cubed
1/2 c instant brown rice
1/2 c + 1/2 c chicken broth

In small pot, bring 1/2 cup of chicken broth to a boil. Stir in brown rice, season with salt. Reduce heat to simmer rice, cover and let cook for 5 minutes. Remove rice from heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Season chicken with salt, pepper and 1 teaspoon of jerk seasoning. Heat large skillet with oil over medium high heat. Add chicken to the skillet and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until cooked through. Remove chicken for skillet. Add green pepper, onion and 1/2 teaspoon of jerk seasoning to skillet and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Add mango and let cook for 1 minute. Add chicken back to the skillet. Stir in 1/2 cup of chicken broth. Serve over rice.


Sweet and Spicy Steak
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4 oz top round steak, thinly sliced
Salt and pepper
2 t extra virgin olive oil
1/4 c sweet chili sauce
1 celery stalk, sliced on bias
1/4 onion, thinly sliced
1/2 c instant brown rice
1/2 c +1/2 c chicken broth

In a small pot, bring 1/2 cup of chicken broth to a boil. Stir in brown rice, season with salt. Reduce heat to simmer rice, cover and let cook for 5 minutes. Remove rice from heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Season steak with salt, pepper and chili sauce. Let marinate for at least 15 minutes. Heat a large skillet with oil over medium high heat. Add steak to skillet and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until cooked through. Remove steak from skillet. Add celery and onion. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until onions are tender. Return steak to skillet. Stir in 1/2 cup of chicken broth. Serve over rice.