Beans and Rice

My husband went on his mission to Sao Paulo, Brazil and learned Brasilian. My little brother is currently serving in Rio di Janeiro. Both tell stories of living off of "Beans and Rice" much like our college students live off of Ramen and Take-out Pizza. I'll have to ask for an actual story later.

And so, this dish is my tribute to missionaries everywhere, but especially those who are going to the countries of beans and rice. It's a simple dish that still tastes good the next day and doesn't cost a lot in ingredients.

Beans and Rice with Chicken
1 ziploc bag
Frying pan & Spatula
Casserole dish
Can opener
Stirring spoon
pot with a lid (to cook rice in)
***
1-2 chicken breasts, cut into chunks
2 Tbsp. flour
2 tsp. seasoned salt
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. pepper
***
2 Tbsp. butter
***
1 1/2 cup rice
2 cups water
***
1 can diced green chiles
1 can drained and rinsed beans (black, kidney, etc)
salsa (optional)

1. In a small pot with a lid, cook the rice. Put the water and rice into the pot, cover it and turn on the burner to high. When it boils, turn down the heat to low, and set the timer for 20 minutes. DO NOT UNCOVER THE RICE UNTIL THE TIMER GOES OFF. After the timer goes off, turn off the burner and fluff (separate the grains by stirring) the rice. Scrape the rice off the bottom of the pot so it doesn't stick.
2. Open the can of beans and rinse the gooey sludge off the beans. I do it by opening the can most of the way and then pouring water into the can, pouring out the slime, pouring water into the can, pouring out the slime, etc. You don't have to get the beans completely clean, just get the goo off them. Open the can of green chiles too.
3. Lightly spray your casserole dish and dump in the beans, rice, and green chiles. Stir the beans and chiles into the rice and smooth it down into an even layer.
4. Turn on the oven to 350 degrees.
5. In a ziploc bag, mix 2 Tbsp. flour, 2 tsp. seasoned salt, 1/2 tsp. garlic powder, and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Add in the raw chicken chunks, zip the bag tightly closed, and shake the bag until the flour coats (covers) all the chicken. It's easier if there are only 2-4 pieces of chicken in the bag at a time. !WASH YOUR HANDS AFTER TOUCHING RAW CHICKEN to prevent icky diseases like salmonella!
5. In the frying pan, melt 2 Tbsp. of butter on high. When the chicken is coated, put it in the frying pan and give it a nice crust. Watch carefully! The chicken and flour burn easy! Don't worry about getting the chicken all done, it will finish in the oven. You're just giving it a nice layer of flavor on the outside. When the flour starts to turn all brown and crispy, turn off the burner.
6. Put the chicken on top of the rice and put it in the oven for 15-20 minutes or the chicken is done. Chicken is done when there isn't any pink in the middle of a chunk.
7. Eat it with salsa or as it is. It's mildly spicy. It also tastes great as a leftover - just package up what's left into little containers while the food is still hot and put them in the fridge. Reheat in the microwave, or in the oven.

Chicken Pot Pie

My mother in law requested this recipe. Her husband loves to eat Chicken Pot Pie, but her recipe includes lots of milk and cream, which aren't helping his cholesterol levels. I adapted this recipe one day when I was playing around with different chicken casseroles and I had a turnip left over from a lesson at school.

Chicken Pot Pie
1 large soup pot
knife and cutting board
stirring spoon (long wooden handled ones work great)
2 cup liquid measuring cup
1 9x13 pan or equivalent volume in casserole dishes or pie tins
1 hour
***
2 Tbsp. butter
1/2 - 1 onion, chopped or minced
1-3 chicken breasts, chopped into bite-size pieces.
3-4 carrots
5-6 cups chopped potatoes, turnips, or other similar root veggies
1 bag of frozen veggies (beans, corn, peas, broccoli, cauliflower - your choice)
1-2 cups of chicken broth or stock
**Soup thickener - chicken gravy, a roux of butter and flour, cornstarch, or instant mashed potatoes**
2 Bay leaves
1 tsp. hot sauce
2 tsp. garlic salt
1 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. rosemary
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. curry powder or turmeric (adds yellow color)
Biscuit Dough (to make the crust)

1. In a large soup pot on medium-high, melt 2 Tablespoons butter and saute the onion in it. When the butter has completely melted, add the chicken and cook it until it is about 3/4 done (just a little pink in the middle).
**If you are thickening with a roux (fancy French word for cooked flour and butter used to thicken a sauce or soup)- increase the butter to 4 Tablespoons and add 2 Tablespoons of flour to the pot with the chicken. Cook the flour (you will want to stir it around or turn down the heat) until it becomes golden brown. Then add a little of the chicken broth to keep the roux from burning.**
2. When the chicken is 3/4 done, add the broth and all the spices. Smell and taste it to see if it tastes good, adjust the spices if necessary.
Now add the potatoes and carrots and add water until they are just barely covered. Put the lid on the pot and let it simmer for about 20 minutes or until the potatoes are soft. While it is cooking is a good time to get your biscuit dough crust ready.

Biscuit Dough Crust
1 mixing bowl
Fork or Pastry cutter
Clean surface to roll it out on
20-30 minutes
***
1 cup white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
Sift (mix) these ingredients together.
4 Tbsp butter - Cut (squish) the butter into the dry ingredients with a fork or pastry cutter.
3/4 milk or orange juice - Add the liquid and stir well. Then on a well-floured board, knead and roll out the dough to a size that will fit your pans. (It will probably be sticky).

3. Grease your pans/pie tins. I like to do this in little casserole dishes because then I can microwave them later.
When the potatoes are soft, check the consistency of your soup/filling. This is the time to add the other thickeners.
**If you are using gravy mix, ladle out 1 cup of the hot liquid. Thoroughly mix the gravy into the hot liquid and then pour it back into the soup.**
**If you are using cornstarch, mix 1 Tablespoon of cornstarch into 1 Tablespoon of cold water, making a slurry. Then ladle out a cup or two of the hot liquid from the soup. Whisk the cornstarch slurry into the hot liquid and boil for 2 minutes before returning to the soup.**
**If you are thickening with instant mashed potatoes, add the flakes into the soup and stir well. Add the flakes only a little at a time until the filling is the right consistency.**
4. Now turn off the stove, and turn the oven on to 400 degrees. Pour your soupy innards into the pans until they are 3/4 full. Then sprinkle the frozen veggies (still frozen) on top. If you would like, mix the frozen veggies into the rest of the filling before adding the crust. Fill the dish almost to the top and lay the crust over the top, crimping (pinching) down the edges. Then with a sharp knife, cut some steam holes in the crust. Bake at 400 degrees for 12-16 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and delicious.

This recipe makes a full 9x13 pan of pie, adjust the amount of chicken, potatoes, and carrots to better suit your needs, the rest of the ingredients stay the same. Please comment and let me know the all the variations you try!