Simple and delicious

"Life is not complex. We are complex. Life is simple, and the simple thing is the right thing." 

~Oscar Wilde

Growing up, my family would often eat the boxed sides made by Rice-A-Roni. These were always delicious, and there was never enough. Now that I'm cooking on my own, I found these to be a little out of my price range for regular consumption. Right now I have more time than money to work with, so I figured I should try to make a rice pilaf on my own.

Turns out it is really simple to make and simply delicious to eat.  Also, it is easy to make in large quantities to have leftovers or to feed a crowd. My favorite part is that the basic version can be made with things already on hand.

In addition to my homemade rice pilaf, I made lemon herbed chicken breast. This is a great meal for a weeknight and it's easy enough to dress up for company. Read my notes for ideas on how to do that. :)

Enjoy!


Rice Pilaf and Lemon Herbed chicken

Chicken:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
0.25 cup olive oil
0.25 dry white wine or white wine vinegar
2 tsp. italian seasoning mix
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tbsp. lemon juice
0.25 tsp. parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Place all ingredients in a ziploc bag. Mix thoroughly. Let marinate for at least 2 hours, or overnight.

Place chicken in a shallow oven safe dish. Cover with remaining marinade. Bake in 450 degree F oven for about 35 mins or until cooked through.

Meanwhile, make rice pilaf:

2 cloves garlic, minced
0.5 medium onion, diced
1 tsp. parsley
salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 cup uncooked rice
a spirnkle of lentils
2 cups chicken broth

In a large skillet, heat olive oil. Add garlic and onion and saute over low heat until they are translucent. Add parsley, salt and pepper, and rice. Toss rice in skillet until just starting to brown. Turn heat off.

Add mixture from skillet and chicken broth to medium sauce pan. Bring to a boil, then turn heat low to simmer and cover. Allow rice to simmer covered for 15 mins. Then turn heat off and fluff rice.

Your chicken should be about done by this time. :)

Author's note:
If you want to make the rice pilaf fancier, add things like cranberries to the mixture while sauteing and continue as normal. Really any sort of diced fruit would work. Bacon would also be fun to try :) Leave suggestions in the comments!!