{Instant Pot} Coconut Curry Chicken and Rice

Jana here with a new Instant Pot recipe that will definitely be on repeat at our house!  I got the inspiration from this Instant Pot cookbook that I own, and enjoy! The flavors are mild (not spicy), and the end result is a creamy, delicious meal that my whole family really liked.

{Instant Pot} Coconut Curry Chicken and Rice

1 tablespoon olive oil or grapeseed oil
1/2 medium onion, diced
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 1/2 tablespoons curry powder
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 pounds bone-in chicken (thighs or drumsticks - skin on is fine)
1 can coconut milk (14 ounce)
1/2 cup water
1 1/3 cups rice (basmati, jasmine, or whatever you have on hand)
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons cilantro
salt and pepper to season

1. Add the oil to the Instant Pot (IP) , and select Saute on the Instant Pot. Add the onion, and let it saute for 2-4 minutes, stirring constantly. Continuing to stir, add the garlic, curry powder, turmeric, and ginger. Cook for 1 minute.

2. Add the chicken, and season with salt and pepper. Add the coconut milk and water. Close and lock the lid. Select Manual, and cook for 13 minutes. (high pressure)

3. When cooking is done, use a quick release and open the IP. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board, and allow to cool slightly.

4. Add the rice, cilantro, and sugar to the IP, and close the lid again. Choose Manual, and cook for 4 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, remove the skin from the chicken, and take the chicken off of the bone.

6. When the rice is finished cooking, select Cancel and let it NR (naturally release) for 10 minutes. Release any remaining steam, and open the lid.

7. Add the chicken back to the pot, and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper to your preference.

Enjoy!

Chicken Lazone

Jana here with a simple, delicious chicken meal!  I found inspiration for this on www.plainchicken.com . I served ours over basmati rice, but you could also use your preference in rice or noodles!  I also think this recipe has great flexibility with the type of chicken you can use. I had bone in chicken breast in my freezer, so I opted for those. But you could easily use chicken tenders, chicken breast, leg quarters, etc.

Chicken Lazone

2 pounds chicken, cooked to your liking (I roasted ours for an hour in the oven at 400 degrees)
1/4 cup butter
2 cups half and half
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground thyme

1. Melt butter in a small skillet or saucepan. Once melted, add the half and half, and heat on medium heat.

2. Add the spices, and stir to combine.  Continue heating on medium heat until it nears boiling. At that point, turn to low and simmer for approximately 10 minutes. Once sauce has thickened, combine with your rice or noodles, and serve with chicken.

Enjoy!

Creamy Mexican Chicken

Jana here with a delicious, fast slow cooker meal!  This is a great meal for a day when you only have a few minutes to spend on dinner.  One of the things I love about it is the finished product is very versatile!  We ate it the first night over brown rice.  The second time we had it, we put it in tortillas, added salsa and cheese, and had a yummy burrito!

Creamy Mexican Chicken 
2-2.5 lbs frozen chicken breasts
1 can corn, drained
1 package cream cheese
1 can Rotel
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried cilantro (optional)

1. Place frozen chicken breasts in your slow cooker.

2. Add remaining ingredients on top.

3. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, stirring every few hours if possible.

About halfway through the cooking time, I used a fork to stir and shred the chicken.  It did so very easily, and made it where the chicken could absorb the flavors and moisture of the sauce even more!  This would make a great freezer meal also!

Creamy Mushroom Risotto

Jana here with a delicious side dish that can be made in under 30 minutes!  (and most of that time is spent with it simmering on the stove top)  I found inspiration for this on All Recipes site. I changed the method of the recipe quite a bit, to make it faster. This was very flavorful, and would go well with a meat and green vegetable!

Creamy Mushroom Risotto  

1 1/2 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup rice, uncooked (I used a mixture of wild rice and brown rice, but I think any type would be fine)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced (or use canned mushrooms)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon thyme
salt and pepper to taste

1. In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the sliced mushrooms and minced garlic, and cook for 2-3 minutes. Next, stir in the rice, and cook for 2 minutes. Add the chicken broth, and bring to a boil. Once it is boiling, cover and allow to simmer for approximately 20 minutes. (or until most of the liquid is absorbed)

2. Add the onion powder, thyme, and salt/pepper and stir to combine. Mix in the butter and Parmesan cheese, and simmer for 2-3 minutes.

Enjoy!

Cheese Tuna Rice Casserole

Becca here with a recipe that I didn't get a picture of, but wanted to share anyway.  This is a variation on one of my favorite recipes Momma made when we were growing up, Rice Chantilly.  I've added tuna for an extra protein boost, making it a quick & hearty main dish that's really yummy too.  And, bonus for the kitchen cleaner upper, the whole meal is made in one pan, assuming you're using leftover rice!  This feeds my family of 6 as the main dish with plenty of leftovers, so if your family is a bit smaller you could easily divide the dish into two square baking pans and freeze one for later.  Just defrost in the fridge and bake according to the regular instructions. 

Cheese Tuna Rice Casserole

2 Tablespoons butter
6 cups cooked rice (I use organic brown)
16 ounces sour cream (I love the new Greek Yogurt/Sour Cream by Breakstone!)
2 cups mozzarella cheese, divided (or your favorite cheese!)
4 cans (6 ounces each) tuna in water, drained

Place butter in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish, and put into the cold oven.  Set the oven to preheat to 350.  Remove the pan as soon as the butter has melted.

Add rice, sour cream, drained tuna, and 1 cup of mozzarella cheese.  Gently stir to combine.  Smooth the top with the back of your spoon, and top with remaining cheese.

Bake 20-30 minutes, or until heated through and cheese on top is melted.  Enjoy!!

Swimming Rama {Freezer Friendly, Makes 3 meals}

Becca here with a recipe I'm so excited to share with you!  Although it isn't really much to look at, my husband said that he likes it better than his favorite Thai Restaurant, and we had it three times in one week!  Yes, it really is just that tasty!  Plus, it has a short ingredient list, and is both gluten free and dairy free.  Like I said about another of my family's favorites, also freezer friendly, Chicken Curry, this is a great introduction to curry.  Not too spicy or 'weird' tasting, but definitely distinctive and delicious!  Side note, curry isn't an actual spice like cinnamon or basil, it is a mixture of spices that can range in color anywhere from a deep yellow, to orange, to a deep red color, depending on the region of the world that it is from.  Each obviously has a very distinct flavor, and most do have dried chilies, but "curry" can mean a very wide range of things.  As for the name Swimming Rama, I wasn't able to find an origin or meaning, other than it is a traditional Indian chicken dish, made with a red curry, peanut and coconut sauce.  This is a recipe I really hope you'll try, and not let the unique name or short ingredient list scare you off, for the price of one entrée at your local Indian Restaurant, you can have an entire dinner to feed your family, and it tastes just as good!  My inspiration recipe was from Fix, Freeze, Feast.  Enjoy!

Swimming Rama
{freezer friendly, make 3 meals}

8 cups cooked chicken
1 jar (4 ounces) Thai Kitchen red curry paste *see note below
3 cans coconut milk
1 Tablespoon honey
1 Tablespoon salt (I use Real Salt)
1 1/2 cups peanuts, crushed (I put them into a zip top bag and hit them with a rolling pin)
9-12 cups cooked brown rice
For Serving:
1-2 cups of fresh spinach per family meal

Combine sauce ingredients (cooked chicken, red curry paste, coconut milk, honey, and salt) into large saucepan, and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until just beginning to boil.  Remove from heat.

For serving immediately, layer cooked rice, a handful of spinach, and then chicken sauce to cover.  Top with crushed peanuts, and serve.

For freezing, let chicken sauce cool to room temperature, and divide into thirds in gallon zip top bags.  Add 3-4 cups cooked rice, if desired (I have frozen the ingredients together and separate, both work fine.  Freezing them separately makes a neater presentation, but it tastes great either way!).  Place a smaller bag of 1/2 cup of crushed peanuts with it (I like to staple the bags together through the top above the zipper).  Defrost in the refrigerator overnight, and follow above instructions to heat and serve.

*Note on red curry paste - Thai Kitchen is the most widely available red curry paste, carried by Walmart, etc. on the aisle with Asian foods.  However, it is a very mild curry paste.  If you're using another brand, I would start with 2 Tablespoons and taste the sauce before increasing the amount of red curry added.

'Unstuffed' Zucchini Squash Skillet

Becca here with a recipe that is one of my family's favorites that I've been making since we were first married.  It is a great use of the abundant zucchini squash that is growing around here due to the huge amount of rain we've gotten lately!  Even if you don't have a garden (as I don't), your local farmer's market is likely a great source of tasty, local squash.  Last week several vendors at our farmer's market were offering really huge zucchini, each well over a foot long, for just $1 apiece.  They were not even tough at all because of the abundant rains, making this a really economical meal as well.  My inspiration meal is the Stuffed Zucchini our Mom made with zucchini from their garden when we were growing up.  This skillet recipe uses the same basic ingredients, just made in one pan on the stove to simplify preparation & clean-up a bit.  The ingredients seem quite simple, but using fresh veggies and a good sausage make it a really tasty & nutritious meal!  Using leftover rice & sausage makes it really quick to pull the meal together.  If you have prepared a large batch of rice & sausage, making Breakfast Fried Rice for breakfast later in the week, as I did today, is always a hit too!  Enjoy!

'Unstuffed Zucchini Squash Skillet

1 Tablespoon olive oil (or butter, coconut oil, etc. your favorite cooking oil!)
3 cups chopped zucchini (bite-sized pieces)
2 cups cooked sausage (DIY Breakfast Sausage works well!)
2 cups cooked rice (I use organic brown, cooked in Homemade Chicken Broth if I have it!)
3 cups chopped tomatoes (bite-sized pieces, I used large cherry tomatoes cut into half this time)
salt & pepper to taste
parmesan cheese to top, optional

1) Add oil & zucchini to a large skillet.  Heat in medium-high, stirring occasionally, until zucchini is starting to soften, but still not bright green (you don't want it falling apart!)

2) Stir in sausage and rice and continue to stir occasionally until heated through, about 5 minutes.

3) Stir in tomatoes and heat, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes are heated and just starting to soften.  Again, you don't want them falling completely apart.

4) Taste, salt and pepper if necessary (this will largely depend on the kind of sausage you used!).  Serve topped with parmesan cheese, if desired.

Sweet and Spicy Asian BBQ Chicken

One of the easiest ways to feed your family during the spring and summer is to use your grill. Whether you’re craving a burger, pressed for time or would simply rather be outside than in the kitchen, firing up the grill guarantees a quick, easy and delicious dinner.

When you think of typical cookout food and easy grilling recipes, your mind probably goes straight to a juicy All-American cheeseburger or a hot dog covered in ketchup, mustard and relish—and it should! Burgers and dogs are summer classics, and once it’s warm outside you’re bound to see them at every cookout, block party and BBQ you attend!

While hamburgers and hot dogs are undeniably delicious, they’re not usually too great for you, and too much of anything can be overkill. For grilled dinners that are a little on the lighter side but still delicious, turn to any home cook’s best friend: easy chicken recipes. From classic BBQ chicken to grilled chicken fajitas, there’s really no limit to what you can do with a grill, some chicken and a little bit of seasoning.

This Sweet and Spicy Asian BBQ Chicken puts a zesty twist on your average BBQ chicken recipes. With teriyaki sauce, sesame seeds, ground ginger and red pepper flakes, Asian flavors mix with sweet BBQ sauce for a surprising and delicious kick. Serve the chicken with white rice and a green salad for a quick and easy summer dinner!

 

Sweet and Spicy Asian BBQ Chicken

Total Time: 30 min

Serves: 6

Calories: 205

PAM® Grilling Spray

¾ cup Hunt’s® Hickory & Brown Sugar Barbecue Sauce

1 tablespoon La Choy® Teriyaki Marinade & Sauce

1 teaspoon sesame seeds

½ teaspoon ground ginger

¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

6 boneless skinless chicken thighs (6 thighs = about 1 ½ lbs)

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions

Spray the cold grate of a gas grill with grilling spray. Preheat to medium-high heat. Meanwhile, combine barbecue sauce, teriyaki marinade, sesame seeds, ginger and pepper flakes in a small bowl; set aside.

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Grill for 5 minutes; turn over and brush with barbecue sauce mixture. Grill 5 more minutes or until chicken is no longer pink and tender (180°F). Turn again and brush second side with sauce; grill until sauce is hot, being careful not to let it burn. Discard remaining sauce.

Sprinkle with green onions before serving.

 

Author Bio: This is a guest post by Meredith K. on behalf of ReadySetEat®. For more budget-friendly easy recipes for dinner this spring and summer, visit www.readyseteat.com.

Red Beans and Rice

Jana here with a homemade version of Red Beans and Rice!  In the past, I have either made the boxed variety, or had this as a side dish at Popeye's. I like their version, so I wanted to try to recreate my own! This didn't taste exactly like that, but it was SO good!  I mixed the rice (I used brown) in with the bean mixture for the leftovers, and it was even better.  This recipe used dried beans. If you don't remember to soak them overnight, you can do the quick soaking method listed on the back of the bag. This is what I ended up doing, and it worked well.  I found this recipe on All Recipes. 

Red Beans and Rice

2 cups dried red beans
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons dried minced onion, or one medium onion (chopped)
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon season all
1/2 tablespoon onion powder
1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
ground cayenne pepper to taste
crushed red pepper to taste
1 pound smoked sausage, sliced
4 cups cooked rice


1. Soak the beans in water overnight.

2. Drain the beans, and fill a large pot half full of water. Add the beans and seasonings to the pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a medium-high heat, cover, and stir frequently. Cook until beans can easily be mashed against the side of the pot. (approximately 2-3 hours) Stir in the smoked sausage for the last hour.  If necessary during the cooking process, add additional water.

3. Using a potato masher or a fork, mash the beans as much as you would like. I mashed about half, leaving some whole beans. 

4. Stir in the rice, and serve!

Enjoy!

Honey-Mustard Chicken with Balsamic Butter Sauce Rice and Stir-Fry

Hi everyone!  Today's recipe is an easy, filling, healthy one!  And the best part is you most likely have almost all of the ingredients on hand already.  For the stir-fry in the recipe I used a bag of frozen stir-fry, Great Value Brand.  Obviously using fresh produce would be great too, but this is such a time-saver.  I hope you enjoy!

Honey-Mustard Chicken
Ingredients:
6 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup mustard
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. dried parsley

Directions:
1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Sprinkle chicken breasts with salt and pepper and place in a lightly greased 9 x 13 pan.  
2.) In a small bowl combine honey, mustard, basil, paprika,  and parsley.   Pour this over the chicken and brush to cover.
3.) Bake chicken for 30 minutes and then turn over, brushing the chicken with the sauce again. Bake an additional 10-15 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink.  Be careful not to cook too long or the chicken will begin to dry out.

Balsamic Butter Sauce (Can be eaten over brown rice/stir-fry)
Ingredients:
4 TB butter
2 TB soy sauce
2 tsp. balsamic vinegar

Directions:
1.) Melt butter in saucepan over low heat.  Remove from heat and stir in soy sauce and vinegar. Eat over prepared brown rice and stir-fry.

Jana's Jambalaya

Jana here with a new recipe that has some delicious flavor!  Another great thing about this recipe is the option to change it to suit your family's preferences.  You can use several different types of meat (Chicken, turkey, smoked sausage, shrimp), white or brown rice, and any combination of peppers!  I used peppers that we froze from our summer garden, but you can use any that you have on hand.  The amount of spiciness you want should determine what you use. The recipe I list below should turn out to be slightly spicy, but nothing over the top. If you prefer a more mild flavor, omit the jalapenos and use more sweet peppers. (bell peppers, banana peppers, etc)  You could even leave the peppers out altogether if you don't prefer them.

Jana's Jambalaya

2 cups meat (shrimp, cooked/diced chicken, smoked sausage)
2 cups rice, uncooked (I prefer brown)
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
3-4 cups frozen okra (not breaded)
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 jalapenos (fresh or frozen), diced finely
4 banana peppers (fresh or frozen), diced
1/4-1/2 cup bell pepper, chopped (red or green)
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon dried minced onion
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder

1. Cook rice according to package directions.

2. Meanwhile, warm the oil over medium heat in a large skillet.   Add the okra, peppers, garlic, and onion. After it has cooked for 5 minutes, add the diced tomatoes, salt, onion powder, paprika, and chili powder. Allow to simmer for 5 more minutes.

3. Stir in the meat (cooked if you are using chicken or turkey), rice, and tomato sauce.  Stir until well combined.  Allow to simmer for as long as you would like. Simmering longer will allow the flavors to become stronger!

This meal would be great as a freezer meal!

Enjoy!

Rice Chantilly

Becca here with one of my very, very favorites that our Mom used to make when we were growing up!  I use brown rice, but other than that the original recipe is intact.  Thanks to Google, I learned its' origins are likely from the March 1986 issue of Southern Living Magazine.  I always make rice cooker full of rice, since the leftovers give you a great easy start on this dish, as well as, "Cross Family Fried Rice" and Sausage Egg Breakfast Fried Rice.  I like to double this recipe also, as Rice Chantilly is just as good, if not better reheated the next day.

Rice Chantilly

3 cups cooked brown rice
3/4 cup sour cream (see note*)
1 cup cheddar cheese, divided (I use sharp)
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper

In a lightly oiled 8x8 pan, combine rice, sour cream, 1/2 cup of cheese, and ground red pepper.  Stir well to combine, and smooth the top evenly.  Top with remaining cheddar cheese, and bake at 350 for 20 minutes, or until heated through.  Enjoy!

*I use the 'regular' sour cream, as it has just 2 ingredients, versus 8-10 with chemically sounding names in the 'lowfat' version.