bland chicken/rice mix needs help

Call me frugal...
I have about 4 cups of poached chicken and rice mix in my freezer left over from when I was cooking for Nala. She wouldn't eat kibble in her final weeks, but did like chicken/rice/sweetpotato/ricotta cheese.
She ate through one batch, so I cooked a second batch (poached some chicken thighs, then cooked the rice in the broth), little did I know it was her last weekend. For her meals, I'd add the sweetpotato and ricotta cheese separately. Anyway, the fates had different plans, but being frugal, I couldn't just throw the mix out, so I froze it.

Now I need to turn it into people food.

Any thoughts on what I can add to this mix to turn it into something tasty for me?

Or split it into two different tasty dishes?

One thing that probably doesn't need to be added is any fat - I didn't really pull much fat off the thighs when I was poaching the chicken, Nala needed the calories.

Tarragon punches up chicken nicely?

(yep... besides reading The Omnivore's Dilemma, the other thing that got me eating meat occasionally was preparing meals for Tazzie before he died. :( To me it was painful yet affirming to share his food after he was gone. Take good care.)

I'd put some kind of hot sauce over like sweet chili, and add some lightly cooked vegetables like broccoli.

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Originally Posted by lph

I'd put some kind of hot sauce over like sweet chili, and add some lightly cooked vegetables like broccoli.

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Yum!!

Something like curry powder would be tasty too.

Or use the chicken to make a faster omelet or scrambled egg dish with onions, garlic, mushrooms/peppers/other veggies and abit of soy sauce, even a touch of hot sauce.

Or variation on the above, is to add heated rice towards end to make stir fried rice.

This is what my mother did with poached leftover chicken to make stir fried rice.
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A traditional Chinese dish is a slow poached whole chicken. Which drained, chopped and served light dipping saucewith very small amount of soy sauce, Chinese hot mustard or simply oil-water with abit of salt. This is considered best for free-range chicken in order to appreciate the meat.

Saute some onions in a skillet. When they start to brown, add a little dry white wine or cooking sherry and some italian seasoning. Let that simmer for a few minutes. In a bowl, whisk some flour into some water (2 T mixed with 1/3 cup or so) and then whisk that into the pan, stirring the whole time. Let it thicken and then pour over chicken and rice and bake (or microwave) to reheat.

Or, heat the chicken and rice first and then just pour the mixture over it and eat!

Got a wok? Stir fry is easy.

Slice your favorite veggies - onions, peppers, carrots, squash, zucchini, cabbage, etc. and saute them in some olive oil, add salt, pepper, soy sauce, drop in the rice and chicken, then an egg or two, and keep stirring to heat it all through, and you're good to go.

Roxy

I'd add some stir fried veggies, seasoning and soy sauce, and egg and make it into fried rice....that's what I often do with leftover rice for a quick meal...

UKE, that would be my dish too. But with lots of garlic

chicken, rice, a little onion, some sausage, some ocra, a little shrimp, peas and or carrots .... you get my drift :D

(((So sorry about Nala))) but hope you can make the leftovers into a little feast honoring her. :o

If you have a Trader Joe's, they've got some snazzy sauces that would go great with chk&rice. Curry sauce, masala sauce, a couple others, all good.

curry- stir fry some onions, celery, apples, raisins and dry roasted peanuts in some olive oil , curry powder and a bit of gingeer until tender. throw in a can of low fat coconut milk or if you are opposed to fat, try some cream of celery soup and a bit of water along with the chicken, let simmer 30 minutes. Serve over the rice with side dishes of more chopped apples, peanuts and raisins.

marni

living in NewOrleans and have to ask about what to do with rice and chicken?

Ask a bonafide cajun and I'm sure you'll come up with some fantastic dish. Meanwhile, chcking into my cookbook library, "La Bouche Creole" by Leon E. Soniat, Jr. Pelican Publishing Co. 1981.

Try chicken Jambalaya:

4 to 5 pound hen cut up 1-1/2 qts chicken stock
1/2cup lard or shortning 1/2cup finely chopped green onions
3 onions chopped 1/2 cup minced parsley
1 small can of tomatoes 1/2 tsp Tabasco
5 stalks of celery chopped
3 cups long grain rice

salt and pepper to taste.

Salt and pepper chicken pieces. Fry in the shortning in a heavy sauce pan until brown. (you can start with pre-cooked chicken breast). Remove chicken and set aside.

fry onions and celery for 5 minutes. mix in the tomatoes and tabasco cook for few minutes, return the chicken and add stock. Cook until chicken is tender.

add rice (pre-cooked is fine too). cook till rice is tender. Add green onions and parsley, mix well and let it stand for 5 minutes before serving.

adjust the measurement for left over.

The tomato base will hide and erase any hint of chicken being pre-cooked and frozen and rice also being pre-cooked and frozen.

Very easy and very yummy.

double post so try another...

chicken and sour cream

1 fryer cutp 1 stick butter
1 cup finely chopped shallots 1 TBS oil
1/2 pund fresh mushroom sliced 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
8oz carton of sour cream 1 cup water or chicken stock
1/2 cup dry white wine (vermouth is okay) salt and pepper to taste

slat and pepper the chiken pieces and brown then in a heavy skillet in the butter and oil.
remove the chicken.

Add green onions and mushrooms and saute for 5 minutes over a very low fire*.

Add sour cream, stock, cayenne, salt black pepper and return the chicken.

cover and simmer slowly until chicken is tender about 25 minutes.

server over rice.

* saute is generally over high heat. it means that the veggies are supposed to dance in the hot pan.

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Originally Posted by smilingcat

Ask a bonafide cajun and I'm sure you'll come up with some fantastic dish. Meanwhile, chcking into my cookbook library, "La Bouche Creole" by Leon E. Soniat, Jr. Pelican Publishing Co. 1981.

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I have that book -- it's a great one.

Gumbo also comes to mind. Add some shrimp, green onions, okra, green peppers, chicken broth to your chicken and stir it in the roux and you have gumbo........well actually it's a little more involved. I have a great recipe if you want it.

I can make gumbo with one hand tied behind my back. :rolleyes:

I was hoping for something "exotic" or rather a flavor combination that isn't from these parts (south Louisiana) :D

So far the curry is winning me over. I'm going to go trolling in Cost Plus World Market this afternoon (we don't have a Trader Joe's).

Enchiladas?
Tetrazini?

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Originally Posted by bmccasland

I can make gumbo with one hand tied behind my back. :rolleyes:

I was hoping for something "exotic" or rather a flavor combination that isn't from these parts (south Louisiana) :D

So far the curry is winning me over. I'm going to go trolling in Cost Plus World Market this afternoon (we don't have a Trader Joe's).

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I'm sorry. How about chicken paella. Something different.

sincerely,

Looks like a great recipe, smilingcat. :)

Stay away from the chains and go to a South Asian/Indo-Pak grocery store. Get some Biryani Masala powder (Priya is a good brand--yellow box) and saute the chicken with it. Don't use too much--the box says to use alot more than I would.

Also get some paneer (Jyoti is a good brand, canned) and maybe some lentils. Don't forget the naan (frozen is best unless you can make your own). Grab a few chutneys to try while you're there, and pick up a sixpack of Kingfisher beer (likely not sold at the South Asian store, but usually available where decent beer is sold) and you are all set for a wonderful and flavorful South Asian inspired supper!

Finish it off with fresh mango.

Paneer=YUM

Never heard of it canned. We get it wrapped in plastic in the fridge, like cheese, which it is, I guess.

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Originally Posted by malkin

Paneer=YUM

Never heard of it canned. We get it wrapped in plastic in the fridge, like cheese, which it is, I guess.

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I'm thinking of Dehli saag (sans paneer), which is spinach and mustard greens with ginger and spices. Very delicious. Jyoti has other varieties, too, but the saag is my favorite. I've seen it frozen and canned, but I have not seen the prepared variety in the fridge. I suppose the plain paneer (cheese) is there, but I've never felt the need to make it all from scratch since there are fantastic prepared options out there. Someday I'd like to take an Indian cooking class or three. That would be cool.

Saag paneer was my introduction to both saag and paneer.

Our local Indian restaurant is a gem.
Ages ago, Brewer indulged me routinely, letting me pick out all the delicious cheese bits, and eating only the greens that stuck to them because I loved them so. (the way to a malkin's heart must be through the paneer)

The server (also the proprietor of the restaurant) sometimes wore a nametag with about 375 characters on it. It is the law here that anyone serving alcohol wear a nametag. He always sported a half-smile and we joked that that half-smile might have been the downfall of the British Empire.

One night at the restaurant, a party at a nearby table ordered their food, and when asked what they'd like to drink, one diner (a 20 something guy) ordered milk. Without hesitation, the server asked "Would you like a nipple with that sir?" and we could almost not contain ourselves.

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Originally Posted by bmccasland

I can make gumbo with one hand tied behind my back. :rolleyes:

I was hoping for something "exotic" or rather a flavor combination that isn't from these parts (south Louisiana) :D

So far the curry is winning me over. I'm going to go trolling in Cost Plus World Market this afternoon (we don't have a Trader Joe's).

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What did you make?

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Originally Posted by tulip

Stay away from the chains and go to a South Asian/Indo-Pak grocery store. Get some Biryani Masala powder (Priya is a good brand--yellow box) and saute the chicken with it. Don't use too much--the box says to use alot more than I would.

Also get some paneer (Jyoti is a good brand, canned) and maybe some lentils. Don't forget the naan (frozen is best unless you can make your own). Grab a few chutneys to try while you're there, and pick up a sixpack of Kingfisher beer (likely not sold at the South Asian store, but usually available where decent beer is sold) and you are all set for a wonderful and flavorful South Asian inspired supper!

Finish it off with fresh mango.

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I'm coming to your house - you can cook for me anytime! YUM! :)

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Originally Posted by GLC1968

I'm coming to your house - you can cook for me anytime! YUM! :)

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That's one of my favorite meals I make for myself and it is sooooo easy!

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Originally Posted by kacie tri-ing

What did you make?

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You would have to ask... Now I can't remember the specific name. Anyway, I found an Indian sauce - one of three or four different types at Cost Plus World market - the sauce is made, and there's a recipe on the back on how to make the dish. Since I already had the cooked meat and rice, I added some sauteed onions and bell peppers, mixed everything together until hot. Then added frozen green peas (I hate for them to get soft and mushy), about a minute later they're hot enough, then added a bit of chutney. Oh, I think some golden raisins fell in the pot too. I thought it came out pretty good. :p
(good thing too, I think when I was finished there was enough for four servings!)

I'm sure a proper Indian cook may not be happy, but what do I know? It tasted good to me. I won't serve this mess to her, so long as she doesn't serve instant gumbo to me. :D

Instant gumbo is a sin...

Brewer is making paneer!

We recently rediscovered one of those yogurt cheese drainer gadgets, and he's trying it instead of cheesecloth.

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Originally Posted by malkin

Brewer is making paneer!

We recently rediscovered one of those yogurt cheese drainer gadgets, and he's trying it instead of cheesecloth.

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Dinner at Malkin and Brewer's house!!! :D:D

Well come on!

If you want to get in on the paneer, make a reservation in advance and bring some milk! Brewer's paneer is delightful, but a quart of milk became about a quarter cup of paneer. He'll probably serve it tomorrow.

Lots of whey will become bread, I think.

And the yogurt-cheese box contraption worked great!