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Food
Homemade meal nice break during vacation By Lisa Boykin Batts Daily Times Lifestyle Editor My family and I enjoyed dining out while on vacation at the Outer Banks last week. We had a number of wonderful meals and appreciated the breakfast that was delivered to our door two mornings. We feasted on freshly-made ice cream, frozen custard, seafood and salt water taffy. But by the time we got back to Wilson, we wanted some homecooked food. I remembered a recipe I had found some months back from a Rachael Ray Web site. I had tried several of The Food Network star's 30-minute meals but hadn't made this one yet. The simple chicken and rice recipe was the perfect answer to a family craving a homemade meal. I took Ray's recipe for Chicken with Apple Gravy, Rice Pilaf and Green Beans and adapted it to my family's tastes. First off, I started the rice cooking. I always love rice recipes that start by browning the uncooked rice. The flavor and color are always so rich in these rice dishes. The pilaf recipe calls for frozen peas. I had those, but I also had frozen peas and carrots, so I substituted a cup of those for more color and flavor. I also omitted the 1 cup of white cheddar cheese. I'm sure it would be delicious in it, but I also knew it would be good without it, and it was. While the rice was cooking, I got started on the chicken. A few weeks earlier, I had cooked chicken breasts on the skillet, and I was so disappointed when they were tough -- almost rubbery. This time, I covered the skillet while the chicken slowly cooked, keeping the moisture inside the pan. The breasts cooked up to a beautiful golden brown, and they were tender enough to cut with a fork! I was quite proud of myself and started envisioning new ways to adorn skillet-cooked chicken breasts. After the chicken was cooked, I quickly assembled the apple gravy. I didn't know if we'd like (or even notice) the apple juice flavor, but with the first bite of his dish, my husband asked about the wonderful fruit flavor of the gravy. I agreed; the juice added a nice touch. Ray takes this meal one step further and cooks green beans to accompany her dish. I didn't cook those for last week's meal. Chicken with Apple Gravy and Rice Pilaf was a success. We all loved the rice as well as the chicken and talked about when we could eat it again. There was quite a bit of rice left over. My daughter enjoyed eating it the next two days. lisa@wilsontimes.com | 265-7810 ============================================================ Chicken With Apple Gravy and Rice Pilaf Extra virgin olive oil (about 2 tablespoons) 1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice 3 1/2 cup chicken broth (I use low-sodium, low fat) 1 cup frozen peas and carrots, thawed 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts Salt and pepper 1 tablespoon butter 1 tablespoon flour 1/2 cup apple juice In large saucepan, add a small amount of olive oil (less than a tablespoon). Add rice and cook until light brown, stirring often. This takes 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in 2 1/2 cups chicken broth and bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. During last 3 minutes of cooking, toss in peas and carrots and stir to blend. While rice is cooking, heat a small amount (less than a tablespoon) of olive oil. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper and cook in covered skillet until juices run clear. (Mine were thick and took about 8-9 minutes per side.) Transfer to plate and cover with foil to stay warm. Melt butter in skillet (I left the pan drippings in the skillet) then whisk in flour. Cook 1 minute. Whisk in apple juice and chicken broth. (If you don't have apple juice on hand, use extra broth.) Cook until slightly thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour gravy over chicken and serve alongside rice. Adapted from www.rachaelraymag.com
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