Here’s another of my favorites from the Cooking Light cookbooks. I’ve adjusted the process slightly and added more chicken and chicken broth. But, the recipe remains pretty much the same as the original. This is one of our favorites. Often times I will make this on a weekend for a weeknight when I know I will need dinner in a jiff. This warms up beautifully in the microwave. Just sprinkle a little water on individual serving sizes and microwave for about 1 ½ minutes. The combination of cilantro, ginger and garlic makes this a very tasty meal! Sometimes I even squeeze a bit of fresh lime or lemon juice over it just before serving. Gives it a little extra kick and adds a freshness to it.
Ingredients:
Rice:
Olive Oil
2 cups quartered shiitake mushroom caps (about 6 ounces – I use dried and reconstitute with boiling water. Drain thoroughly)
1/4 cup chopped green onion bottoms
1 (1/2-inch) piece peeled fresh ginger, grated or minced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 cups uncooked long-grain rice
2 teaspoons ground cumin
8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
4 cups chicken broth
Sauce:
2 cups loosely packed cilantro leaves
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons chopped green onion tops
1 teaspoon chopped peeled fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 garlic clove, peeled
Directions:
Drizzle olive oil in a large non-stick skillet or soup pan. Add mushrooms, green onion bottoms, ginger and garlic; cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add chicken to the pot and cook until no longer pink. About 5 minutes. Stir in rice and cumin; cook 1 minute. Stir in broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 20 - 25 minutes. Turn off heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes. Make sure the liquid has be completely absorbed into the rice.
To prepare sauce, place cilantro and next 5 ingredients (cilantro through peeled garlic clove) in a food processor or blender; process until smooth. Stir into rice mixture.
Serve and enjoy! It’s delish!
