Learning to Cook

I have always been surrounded by wonderful cooks and bakers. While this has been delightful for my taste buds, I always wondered if I would ever be able to cook like them. When I lived in Brazil, I was forced to learn how to cook because the ingredients at my disposal were so different. The experience was, at first, frustrating. But, once I began to experiment, the world of cooking opened up to me. My recipe box is now brimming, and I thought others might be interested in trying some of the recipes I have found. I haven’t tried them all yet, but I plan to in the future! I hope you enjoy, and please feel free to add your own suggestions/comments.

Saturday, July 21, 2007

One Pan Chili Chicken

2 teaspoons olive oil
3/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken cut into cubes
1 small sweet onion, thinly sliced
1/2 pound small red potatoes cut into quarters, about 8 potatoes
Coarse salt
Cracked pepper
1 cup shredded carrots
1 garlic clove, minced
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 (15 ounce) can whole plum tomatoes
3/4 cups long grain rice
1 1/2 cups low sodium, fat free chicken broth
1 cup frozen peas

Heat the oil in a non-stick paella pan, wok pan or 12-inch skillet. Add the chicken, and cook until golden brown on all sides, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside. Add the onions and potatoes and cook, stirring often, until onions have softened and are lightly golden, about 10 to 12 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Add carrots, garlic, paprika, cumin, oregano, tomatoes, rice, broth and the cooked chicken. If it appears too dry, add more liquid. Bring to a boil and immediately reduce to a simmer. Cook, covered, for 20 minutes. Remove cover, add the peas to the top without stirring in. Cover and cook 5 minutes more or until rice is cooked through and soft.

[Morph] This is super easy to turn into a seafood mock paella by adding shrimp, clams, scallops or pieces of fish during the last 5 to 8 minutes of cooking. Or reheat leftover One Pan chicken chili on the stove with some water or chicken stock to moisten. Place shellfish on top and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the shellfish opens. Discard any that don't open.

[Morph] Thin the batch out with chicken broth or canned tomatoes and water to soup consistency and you've got a super hearty stew/soup meal.

Nutrition Information
Nutritional Analysis per serving
Calories 370.1
Fat 6.8 g
Saturated Fat 1.6 g
Carbohydrates 47.8 g
Fiber 7.5 g
Protein 28.4 g
Recipe courtesy Kathleen Daelemans
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_22556,00.html?rsrc=search

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