One Pot Meal: Spicy Asian Chicken and Rice

We are slightly unorthodox when it comes to meals during the week. We tend to have a bigger lunch (and several smaller meals through the day) and no formal dinner. We prefer not to have a large meal at the end of the day, and there isn't much time for me to cook at night, anyway. I do cook dinner on the weekends, but we try to be sitting down to eat by 5 or 5:30pm. This was a meal I'd planned for a Sunday night, but when my husband ended up having to work, and I had an exhausting day chasing our son around, I pushed it off until Monday.


I was so happy to see how quickly this dish came together while our son had his dinner, and my husband was able to finish it off while I put our son to bed. I was really impressed with how flavorful the dish is - though it didn't end up being very spicy for us. You may want to leave in the jalapeno seeds or add some cayenne to the chicken if you want an extra burst of spice.

This quick one pot meal boasts a ton of flavor is easy enough for a busy weeknight.

One Pot Meal: Spicy Asian Chicken and Rice

Source: Reworded from Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations
Yield: Serves 4
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Total time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
• 1 cup uncooked rice
• 1 3/4 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
• 1 head broccoli, cut into florets
• sesame seeds, optional

Instructions

1. Heat 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven
2. Season chicken with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes; add to pan and cook 3 min per side. Transfer to a plate.
3. Add onions, garlic, ginger, and jalapenos to pan; saute 3 minutes.
4. Add rice, stir 1 min to toast the rice.
5. Combine the broth, soy sauce, and hoisin in a small bowl or measuring cup; add to pan.
6. Bring to a simmer, then lower heat, and return chicken to pan (nestled into the rice). Top with broccoli florets, cover and cook over low heat (make sure it's still lightly simmering) approximately 15 minutes or until rice and chicken are cooked through, and the liquid has absorbed.
7. Garnish with sesame seeds, if desired.