Time to Clean Out the Pantry

I’m getting ready to go on vacation to a warmer clime and wanted to clean out the pantry before leaving.  It minimizes the sting from returning from a relaxing vacation when you find a nice clean kitchen.

I had some boneless chicken in the freezer and red and green bell peppers that would spoil if I didn’t use them soon.  I also pulled out some rice, chicken broth and the remaining Sazón seasoning mix I had left over from another recipe I made during the holidays.   I really like this seasoning mix.  It’s sold several packets to a box and adds a good punch of flavor and color in just one ingredient.  So after studying the result of my pantry clean out for a few minutes I decided on a chicken and rice dish that would come together fairly quickly and use up all these ingredients. Smart Meals clean out the pantry!

Hearty Chicken ‘n’ Rice

Makes 6 servings

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed

1 medium onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves, crushed

1 ½ cups long-grain rice

3 cups fat free chicken broth

¼ cup tomato paste

2 packets Sazón Goya® con azafran seasoning

1.     Heat oil in large skillet over medium high heat.  Add chicken and cook until browned; remove from skillet.

2.     Add onion, red and green peppers and oregano.  Cook and stir for 3 minutes or until vegetables are tender-crisp.  Stir in the rice.

3.     Add the broth, tomato paste and Sazón seasoning.  Heat to a boil.  Add chicken; reduce heat to low and cover.  Cook for 20 minutes or until rice absorbs the broth.  Let stand 5 minutes.  Stir rice mixture and serve.

Nutrition Information per serving: 453 calories, 12 g. total fat, 3 g. saturated fat, 101 mg. cholesterol, 745 mg. sodium, 44 g. carbohydrate, 2 g. dietary fiber, 4 g. sugar, 40 g. protein

Dinner That's Ready When You Are

I often choose to make a pot roast when I want to serve beef for company.  Two reasons:  I don’t have to worry about precision timing for the right doneness for steak or tender roasts, and I don’t have to cater to differing doneness preferences in the group.  Cooking a tender pot roast might take a bit of time, however, you have serving time flexibility if any of your guests are running late or if you’re having a great time catching up and want to push dinner service a little later.

I also like the convenience of cooking the roast in the oven once the browning of the meat and cooking of the vegetables are done.  I don’t have to worry about constantly checking the stove to regulate the heat to keep it simmering at the right level. 

In honor of Valentine’s Day I added a bit of chocolate to the simmering liquid to pump up the rich flavor of the braising liquid. 

Smart Meals are flexible meals!

Herbed Tomato Pot Roast

Makes 8 servings

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 (3 to 3 ½-pound) boneless beef chuck roast

1 medium onion, chopped

½ cup shredded carrots (about 2 carrots)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup red wine

3 stalks fresh thyme

1 stalk fresh rosemary

1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes in puree

1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder

2 bay leaves

½ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

1.   Heat oil in large heavy pot over medium heat until hot.  Add roast and brown well on both sides.  Remove to large baking dish.

2.   Add onion, carrot and garlic to pan drippings.  Cook and stir until tender.  Add wine and simmer for 3 minutes.

3.   Tie the stalks of thyme and rosemary together with string.

4.   Add tomatoes, herb bundle, bay leaves, cocoa powder, salt and pepper.  Heat to a boil then reduce heat to low.  Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring to break up tomatoes.

5.   Pour tomato mixture over roast.  Cover baking dish tightly with foil. 

6.   Bake at 350°F for 2 hours.  Remove foil and bake 30 minutes more or until roast is tender.  Remove herb bundle and bay leaves.  Slice meat and serve with pan sauce.

Nutrition Information per serving: 394 calories, 13 g. total fat, 4 g. saturated fat, 151 mg. cholesterol, 460 mg. sodium, 9 g. carbohydrate, 2 g. dietary fiber, 4 g. sugar, 53 g. protein

Fast and Flavorful Meal

We’re turning the corner on winter and it’s time to change up the hearty comfort food repertoire with a colorful flavor packed dish.  This recipe comes together in about 30 minutes.  Most of the work is in the preparation of the ingredients, so if you want to save even more time and spend a bit more money, buy the vegetables and chicken already sliced.  Smart Meals are fast meals!

Chicken Spinach Stir-Fry with Quinoa

Makes 4 servings

2 cups fat free chicken broth

1 cup quinoa

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium red bell pepper, sliced

1 medium onion, sliced

½ pound mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves, crushed

1 pound boneless chicken breasts, thinly sliced

1 bag (6 ounces) baby spinach

1.      Heat the broth and quinoa in a medium saucepan over high heat to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and cover.  Cook for 15 minutes or until the broth is absorbed.  Remove from the heat and let stand for 5 minutes.

2.      Meanwhile, heat the oil in large skillet over medium high heat.  Add the red pepper, onion, mushrooms, garlic and oregano.  Cook and stir for 3 minutes or until the vegetables tender-crisp.

3.      If the skillet is large enough, push the vegetables to one side of the pan and add the chicken.  If the pan isn’t large enough, remove the vegetables from the skillet before adding the chicken.  Cook and stir the chicken until done.  

4.      Mix the vegetables with the chicken, and then add the spinach.  Stir until the spinach wilts.  

5.      Fluff the quinoa with a fork and serve with the chicken stir-fry.

Nutrition Information per serving: 487 calories, 19 g. total fat, 4 g. saturated fat, 101 mg. cholesterol, 520 mg. sodium, 35 g. carbohydrate, 6 g. dietary fiber, 4 g. sugar, 45 g. protein