Quarantine chicken and rice

What did we stock up on before coronavirus hit hard? Frozen chicken, frozen veggies, and canned goods. This dish was borne out of a need to make a tasty, filling meal out of what I had on hand. I marinate the chicken the night before and I think that makes a difference, but it does require some planning. If you forget, just let it marinate for as long as you can, even an hour or so. I’ve also used Trader Joe’s chili lime seasoning for the chicken marinade in place of the chili powder and paprika, and that’s delicious too!

You can replace just about anything in this recipe and it will still be good. Frozen peas, but no frozen corn? Go for it. White beans, but no black beans? Sounds delicious. Mozzarella but no cheddar? Looks like Italian!! Frozen steak, but no chicken? Man, I wish I was stuck in your house! This is pantry-and-freezer-dependent-quarantine-goodness.

Ingredients

For the marinade

1 ½ to 2 lbs chicken breast or thighs

Juice of two limes (about 4 tbl)

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp paprika

½ tsp garlic salt

Everything else

6 cups cooked short grain brown rice (about 1 ½ cups uncooked)

Olive or avocado oil

¼ cup water

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup frozen corn

1 15 oz can diced tomatoes

1 15 oz can tomato sauce

1 tsp chili powder

½ tsp paprika

½ tsp garlic salt

2 cups cheddar cheese, grated

Cubed avocado (optional)

Step 1

Combine all marinade ingredients in a bowl. Slice the chicken into strips about ¾ inch to 1 inch wide, and add them to the bowl. Toss to coat evenly, and transfer to a large Ziploc bag. Leave in the fridge overnight, or at least a couple of hours.

Step 2

In a medium saute pan, heat about a tablespoon of oil. Add the chicken and cook about 4 minutes. Flip, and cook another 4 minutes, or until it’s done (the length of time will depend on how thin or thick the slices are). Chop the chicken into bite sized cubes.

Step 3

In a large sauté pan, heat the oil. Add the cooked rice and sprinkle the water over the top. Add the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, black beans, corn, and spices. Mix, and cook for about 5 minutes to let the flavors all mingle. Add the chicken cubes and cook for another one or two minutes.

Step 4

Remove, divide into bowls, and serve with the grated cheddar cheese and avocado on top. Yum!