Southwestern Chicken and Rice

I guess you could say I am in an enviable position. Anyone who writes and/or blogs will definitely tell you we all have those times when we are searching for material to write about. It happens. We all have those lulls. Right now though, I am in the opposite situation. I have SOOOOO much material that it is kind of overwhelming at the moment. But have no fear, I will persevere and we will get through them all, each delicious recipe at a time. 🙂

I mentioned I resumed my cooking classes again with Noah. His mom and I worked out a good solution for all of us. I see Noah every Monday now. We cook up all kinds of things, and as before, he loves to cook, and he loves to eat. When we cook, I purchase all the ingredients, teach him how to prepare what we are making for the day day, then let him take home what he makes. This time, however, we made A LOT, so I kept some for our dinner as well.

One of the dishes we prepared was Southwestern chicken and rice. It is kind of a Southwestern version of jambalaya. We also made some guacamole and churros.

I always send the recipes of what we make to Noah’s mom too, so she can print them up for Noah to use at a later time.

Southwestern Chicken & Rice

3 large chicken breasts

1 package taco seasoning

1 onion, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 TBSP garlic

1 small package frozen corn, thawed

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

4 tomatoes, diced

1 jar salsa

2 cups rice

4 cups chicken broth

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp cumin

Salt & pepper to taste

Cilantro

Green onions, sliced thin

Olive oil

Marinate the chicken breasts in a large plastic bag with the salsa for at least 30 minutes. 

Get a large skillet very hot, add the olive oil, then the chicken breasts.  Save the salsa for later.  Cook for about 4-5 minutes per side, or just enough to lightly brown them.  Remove the chicken and set aside.  Cut the chicken into large strips.

Saute the peppers, corn, onion, and garlic for about 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add the rice and sauté for an additional 2-3 minutes, then add the salsa, chicken broth, tomatoes and seasonings, and about half of the chopped cilantro.

Add the tomatoes, salsa and chicken broth.  Mix together thoroughly, then place the chicken strips on top of the mixture.  Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and continue to cook for about 20-30 minutes, or until most of the liquid is absorbed and the rice is cooked. Make sure to stir frequently. 

Add the green onions and cilantro on top before serving.  Noah ate and enjoyed every bit of it too. He said he “loved it”. WHOOOOOO HOOOOOOO!!!! Always a win/win.

Noah is a lot of fun to cook with. He is so enthusiastic and is willing to try just about everything. It’s fun cooking with adventurous people who love food. 🙂

Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. And as Wolfgang Puck would say, “Live, love, eat”. ‘Til next time.