Ginger-Soy Chicken Thighs with Scallion Rice........The Kids Cook Monday!

I was feeling under the weather and the last thing I wanted to do was cook.  But I had some boneless, skinless chicken thighs in the fridge that needed to be cooked.  So, I thought my daughters (age 14) could make this simple chicken dish and I would just stand by and give them instructions. 

They made the rice.  Mixed in the sliced scallions.  Cooked the chicken in the skillet.  Made the sauce with apricot preserves, fresh ginger, soy sauce and garlic.  Cooked the sauce and coated the cooked chicken thighs in the sauce.  Placed the rice on a plate and put the glazed chicken thighs on top.  Added some string beans.  Dinner served.  Delicious.

Since this past August, my daughters have been helping me in the kitchen as part of The Kids Cook Monday program.  And I have seen some real changes in how they look at food.  They ask questions, they want to help and do more in the kitchen.  And the real plus is that they are trying more healthy and varieties of foods.  I could really get used to this Sous Chef thing.

For ideas on getting your kids to help more in the kitchen and to eat more family meals together, check out The Kids Cook Monday website.

My family wants to wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving!  Enjoy the time and food with your family, friends and loved ones. 

Click here for the printable recipe of Ginger-Soy Chicken Thighs with Scallion Rice on Myrecipes.com

Ginger-Soy Chicken Thighs with Scallion Rice

Recipe by Cooking Light, November 2010, Slightly adapted

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 2 thighs, about 1/2 cup rice, and about 1 1/2 tablespoons sauce)

Ingredients

4 servings of long-grain rice
2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 (2-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken thighs
1/2 cup apricot preserves
2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger
2 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced

Preparation

1. Prepare rice according to package directions. Drain; fluff rice with a fork. Gently stir in green onions.

2. While rice cooks, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Season chicken with a little salt and pepper.  Add chicken; cook 5 minutes on each side or until done. Remove from pan; keep warm. Add preserves, grated ginger, soy sauce, and garlic to pan; bring to a boil. Cook sauce 2 minutes or until reduced to 1/3 cup, stirring occasionally. Return chicken to pan; turn to coat with sauce.  Serve with rice.

Note: Original recipe calls for 1/2 cup ginger preserves.  You can substitute 1/2 cup apricot preserves plus 2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger.

Enjoy!

Mom's Cooking Club Lesson:  If you need minced garlic in a recipe, a quick way is to run the peeled garlic clove over a Microplane Zester.  This was an easy and safe way for my daughter (or anyone) to mince the garlic needed for the ginger soy sauce. 

Chicken and Rice with The Kids Cook Monday!

I have a Monday recipe for you today that I know your family will enjoy.  I just love the combination of chicken and rice.  Such a comfort meal.  The mushroom rice mixture and the addition of Romano cheese on top of the chicken makes this meal so flavorful.  The carrots and mushrooms in the rice and using skinless bone-in chicken thighs keeps this dish healthier.  Give this recipe a try soon and start your week off in a healthy and satisfying way.

Click here for the recipe link on Myrecipes.com.

Chicken and Rice

Recipe by Cooking Light, October 2010

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

8 bone-in chicken thighs, skinned
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups chopped onion ( I used approx. 1 cup)
1 carrot, thinly sliced
8 ounces cremini (baby portabella) mushrooms, sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup long-grain white rice
Cooking spray
1 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup (1 1/2 ounces) grated fresh pecorino Romano cheese

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Add 4 chicken thighs to pan; sauté 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove chicken from pan. Repeat with remaining chicken.
3. Add onion and carrot to pan; sauté 4 minutes. Add mushrooms; sauté 5 minutes. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add rice; sauté 1 minute. Spoon rice mixture into a 13 x 9-inch glass baking dish coated with cooking spray; stir in broth, 1/4 cup water, and cream. Arrange chicken over rice mixture; sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until chicken is done.
 



My kids are busy in the kitchen.  Taking the stems off the mushrooms, browning the chicken and making the rice mixture.  Tips on getting your kids to help in the kitchen and to make Mondays (or any day) family night, check out The Kids Cook Monday website.  

The rice mixture is full of carrots and mushrooms which is started in a skillet before baking with the chicken. 

It may not be the most "pretty" food picture but it really, really does taste good.

Enjoy!

Mom's Cooking Club Lesson:  I don't shy away from recipes or cooking with ingredients I know my daughters don't like.  Take this Chicken and Rice for example.  My daughters do love chicken and they do love rice.  They, however, do not like mushrooms which is in the rice mixture.  They just picked out the mushrooms.  Funny thing is they loved the rice even though it was heavily flavored with mushrooms.  So, keep introducing the "I don't like that" foods to your kids.  Their likes and dislikes are always changing.  I have a feeling when my daughters get older, they will end up loving mushrooms.   

Charred Vegetable Rice

This is a great side dish and a wonderful way to "dress up" your rice.  You saute corn and zucchini with a little olive oil until slightly charred in a cast iron skillet or regular skillet.  Add in sliced green onions and halved grape tomatoes for about a minute and then add the vegetable mixture to some cooked rice.  And that's how you take ordinary rice and make it special.  My daughters love this rice and I feel good that they are getting a boost of vegetables with every bite.  

I saw this recipe in the Jan/Feb 2010 edition of Cooking Light Magazine.  I could not find the link to the recipe on the Cooking Light website so I wrote out the recipe below.

Charred Vegetable Rice

Recipe by Cooking Light

(Click here for printable recipe)

Cook 1 cup long-grain white rice according to package directions, omitting salt and fat.

Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.

Add 1/2 cup thawed frozen whole kernel corn and 1/2 cup chopped zucchini to pan, saute 3 minutes or until vegetables are charred. (watch out for jumping corn!)

Stir in 1/2 cup halved grape tomatoes and 1/3 cup chopped green onions, saute 1 minute or until tomatoes almost wilt.  

Combine vegetable mixture, rice and salt to taste.        

I served this with Creole Grouper.  I've also paired it with salmon.  Would work well as a side dish with chicken, pork or beef too.

Enjoy!

Mom's Cooking Club Lesson:  Bump up the nutritional value of this side dish by substituting brown rice for the white rice.