Spring Vegetable Chicken and Rice

Here is a recipe for an easy one-pot meal that my family just loves. Tender chunks of chicken in seasoned yellow rice, all cooked in one pot – so easy and delicious. The added bites of spring-green asparagus give this dish a dash of crispness and color. I like to serve this along with a simple green salad.

For the yellow color and a punch of flavor, I use sazón, a Latin spice blend. It contains annatto, a spice that gives a beautiful yellow color, plus some other spices like oregano and cumin. You can buy it in little packets in many supermarkets, or you can just substitute a little bit of turmeric. (The turmeric won’t give it much added flavor, but it will give the dish the yellow color.)

Recipe

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil, divided

2 tablespoons butter

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs, chopped into bite-size pieces

1 small onion, diced

2 carrots, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups long grain white rice

Pinch dried rosemary

Pinch dried thyme

1 bay leaf

1 packet sazón (or substitute a teaspoon or turmeric for color)

4 cups chicken broth

½ cup white wine (or substitute chicken broth)

1 pound asparagus, chopped          

Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. In a Dutch oven or other heavy-bottom pot with a tight-fitting lid, over medium-high heat, heat the butter and 2 tablespoons of the oil. Sauté the chicken until it is lightly browned, but not completely cooked through. Remove with a slotted spoon to a plate, and set aside.

2. In the same pot, reduce heat to medium, and add the remaining tablespoon of oil. Add the carrots and onion to the pot, and cook, while stirring, for 5 minutes, or until slightly soft.  Add in the garlic, and cook for 1 additional minute, then stir in the rice, rosemary, thyme, bay leaf, and sazón. Mix everything together, coating the rice grains lightly in the oil.

3. Return the chicken to the pot, add the white wine and chicken broth, and stir everything together. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a gentle simmer, and cover with a lid (leaving the lid slightly ajar). After 10 minutes, add the asparagus to the pot, and allow to steam with the rice.

4. Cook until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed. Do not stir the rice while it is cooking. If the liquid is absorbed, but the rice is still not cooked completely, add a couple of tablespoons of water to the pot (without stirring the rice). When the rice is cooked (about 30 minutes total), remove from the heat, and check a piece of chicken to make sure it is cooked through. Fluff everything with a large fork, and serve. 

For more great recipes, visit: The Weekend Roundup at The Country Cook

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