Too-Easy Chicken with Leeks
Serve with Lemon Rice Pilaf for a Simply Delicious Meal
Too Easy Chicken with Leeks with Lemon Rice Pilaf | Dara O’Brien
By Dara O’Brien
Creative Director, Lake Isle Press
Some recipes build on meals with simple ingredients and take them for a spin. For example, there’s pork and beans; then there’s cassoulet. Beef stew vs. boeuf bourguignon. There are also recipes that take bland, basic meals and ramp up the flavor without getting too complicated. Like these recipes from “Rachael Ray 30 Minute Meals 2,” published by Lake Isle Press.
Chicken and Rice is an elementary meal—right up there with mac and cheese or meatloaf. Even people who don’t enjoy cooking or can barely scramble an egg have probably made it on occasion. These recipes offer accessible upgrades for this mealtime staple that won’t discourage non-cooks and novices … and are good enough for sophisticated home chefs who want to keep things simple.
The first step of Rachael Ray’s Too-Easy Chicken with Leeks is sauteed chicken breasts 101; from there it takes a small turn. The chicken is browned on both sides and removed from the pan, next leeks are added and sautéed for a bit, then the chicken is returned to the pan with the leeks along with a little white wine to finish cooking. The result is a tender, tangy, and more flavorful cousin to a standard chicken breast.
The rice is also easy—there’s just a little bit of work at the beginning (dicing the shallot, zesting the lemon, and, since this is a pilaf, browning the rice before adding any liquid). I tinkered with Rachael’s recipe a little; I subbed one cup of arborio for 1½ cups of long-grain rice (so I used 1½ cups of chicken broth and ½ cup of water). I also left out the almonds. The rice was perfect: fluffy and lemony.
My mom had about fifteen meals in her dinner rotation; none were fancy, and she was slow to introduce anything new. I, on the other hand, find that I have so many recipes I want to try that I place very few on repeat. It’s hard to stop exploring when something as minimal as adding a leek and some wine, or oil and lemon, can make plain cooking taste so much better. If she were around today, I bet I could even persuade my mom to agree.
TOO-EASY CHICKEN WITH LEEKS
Click here for printable recipe.
Too-Easy Chicken with Leeks | Dara O’Brien
INGREDIENTS
2 leeks
4 pieces boneless, skinless chicken breasts (6 to 8 ounces each)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (evoo) (twice around the pan)
1 cup dry white wine
Makes 4 Servings
PREPARATION
Put a large pot of water over high heat for the pasta. Trim leeks of tough green ends and roots. Split them lengthwise, then cut across into ½-inch slices. Place sandy slices of leeks into a colander. Run under cold water, separating the layers of each slice to free the grains of sand. Drain leeks very well and place within arm’s reach of the stovetop.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Add evoo to coat skillet, then add chicken breasts and brown, 3 to 4 minutes on each side; transfer to a plate. Add a little more oil to the pan, then add leeks, and sauté, 5 minutes, until they become soft. Add wine to the pan and nest chicken breasts down into leeks. Reduce heat to simmer for another 5 to 7 minutes. To serve, remove chicken from pan and slice on an angle. Fan and arrange sliced chicken breasts over a bed of sautéed leeks on each dinner plate or warm serving platter.
LEMON RICE PILAF
Click here for printable recipe.
INGREDIENTS
Lenon Rice Pilaf | Dara O’Brien
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (evoo) (once around the pan in a slow stream)
1 tablespoon butter
1 large shallot, finely chopped
1½ cups long-grain rice
½ cup dry white wine
A few sprigs fresh thyme, leaves stripped and chopped (about 1 tablespoon)
1 can (14 ounces) or 2 cups chicken broth
1 cup water
The grated zest of 1 lemon
A handful chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Slivered almonds, toasted, for garnish
Makes 4 servings
PREPARATION
Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add evoo and butter and shallots to pan. Sauté, 2 minutes, then add rice, and lightly brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Add wine and allow it to evaporate entirely, 1 to 2 minutes. Add thyme and chicken broth. Add a cup of water to pot and bring to a boil. Cover rice, reduce heat, and cook 20 minutes, until tender. Stir in the lemon zest and the parsley. Transfer to dinner plates or warm serving dish and garnish with toasted slivered almonds
Recipe from “Rachael Ray’s 30-Minute Meals 2” by Rachael Ray, Lake Isle Press, 2003
Too-Easy Chicken with Leeks
Lemon Rice Pilaf
from “Rachael Ray 30-Minute Meals 2” by Rachael Ray, Lake Isle Press, 2003
Rachael pulls out all the stops in this best-selling collection of recipes. You’ll find menus complete with mains, sides, and desserts, tailored for any occasion. Sections include: Make Your Own Take-Out, Monday Thru Friday Dinner Specials, Family-Style Suppers, Double-Duty Dinners, Passport Meals, Big Nights: Very Special Dinners, and Healthy Hunger Busters. Eating Healthy? Try a meat-free meal featuring Ravioli Vegetable Lasagna, Romaine Hearts with Lemon Chive Vinaigrette, and Fresh Oranges with Lime Sorbet. Have hard-to-please kids? We promise you they’ll eat Meatball and Macaroni Soup, Grilled 4-Cheese Sandwiches and Chocolate-Dipped Bananas. Over 1.5 million sold!
Also from Rachael Ray:
Chicken and Grapes with Creamy Mustard Sauce and Couscous
Green Minestrone
Lemon Rice Pilaf
Pasta Carbonara
Pasta With Citrus Cream Sauce
Too-Easy Chicken With Leeks