Monday 17 September 2012

Aromatic Mediterranean Chicken And Courgette Rice With Parsley and Smoked Paprika

Pin It Now!



So it's moody Monday but as luck may have it, you could opt for a boost in mood with this delicious Mediterranean themed hearty meal.  I missed the last rays of sun to capture a lovely photo, but this dish really is bursting with flavour.  You will adore the fragrant fresh herbs and delicately smoked paprika.  This can be food for friends too and is absolutely very easy to prepare.

Mediterranean meals are delicious but heart loving too.  To find out more see How To Beat The Monday Blues & More On A Mediterranean Diet.  Some of you have requested quick and easy recipes and I think we can definitely add this to A Busy Mum's Guide To Supper.


INGREDIENTS

475g chicken thighs or breast, cut into pieces
1 tablespoon sundried tomato infused olive oil (I reserved oil from the sundried tomato jar)
1 medium red onion, sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1/2 large courgette sliced into rings
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
225ml basmati rice
70g sundried tomatoes in olive oil
1 level teaspoon smoked paprika
1 level teaspoon Herbes de Provence
450ml water
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 tablespoon chopped basil


DIRECTIONS

1. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper.
2. Heat a large saucepan.  When the pan is hot, add the chicken pieces.  Chicken thighs do contain fat within its flesh, you will therefore not need to add any fats for frying.  However, if using pieces of breast, you may then need to add oil to the pan to fry the chicken pieces.  Cook until golden brown on both sides.  Remove and set aside.
3. Add a tablespoon of the sundried tomato infused olive oil to the pan.  Add onions, bell pepper and courgette.  Stir fry for at least five minutes.  
4. Then add garlic and once this turns golden brown, add the basmati rice and sundried tomatoes, ensuring that every grain of rice gets coated with the oil.
5. Add the smoked paprika and herbes de provence, stir, then add 450ml water.  Allow to simmer, add the chicken pieces and cover for approximately 15 minutes or until the rice is cooked through.
6. Before serving, stir in the chopped parsley and basil.  

This recipe serves 3 people.

Nutrition profile (per serve): 472 calories, 49g carbohydrate, 13g fat, 35g protein.

This recipe has been analysed and entered into the database of 'MyFitnessPal'.

A delicious meal in the pot, you will not need anything else to accompany this dish.




If you enjoyed this recipe, why not SHARE the purple love with a TWEET or a LIKE on facebook?  Thank you so much!





Do comment below, I read all of your comments as I do love hearing from you.