Curried Chicken and Rice

This is was a surprise for me when I made it. First of all, it was easy, simple and packed with great flavors. The coconut flavor was very subtle, but went nicely with the curry flavor. The surprising part was the rice was the star of the dish. The chicken, while tasted great, had nothing on the flavor and deliciousness of the rice. This is a great one skillet dish to add to any weekly menu. Enjoy!

Serves: 4 | Serving Size: 1/4 of dish

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 (6 ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 3 tablespoon olive oil
• 1lb baby carrots – cut in half and diced
• 1 sweet yellow onion – chopped fine
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups white rice
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1/4 cup cilantro

Directions:

1. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Coat chicken in flour, shaking off any excess.
2. Heat 12-inch cast iron skillet over medium-heat for 5 minutes. Add and heat 2 tablespoons oil, then add chicken, cooking until browned well on each side. Remove chicken from skillet and tent loosely with foil.
3. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to skillet over medium heat, add carrots, onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook until vegetables are softened. Stir in rice, garlic and curry powder. Stir in broth, scraping up any browned bits, and bring to a simmer. Simmer, covered for about 5 minutes.
4. Add chicken and any accumulated juices to skillet. Continue to simmer, covered, until chicken registers 160 degrees, flipping chicken as needed. Transfer chicken to baking sheet, tent loosely with foil and place in oven at 175*F.
5. Add coconut milk to skillet, cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until liquid has absorbed and rice is tender about 10 minutes.
6. Off heat, add peas to skillet and let rest for about 2 minutes. Stir in cilantro. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve chicken over rice. Enjoy!

Nutrition Information:
Per serving: Calories: 398; Total Fat: 12g;  Cholesterol: 16mg; Sodium: 235mg; Total Carbohydrates: 60g; Dietary Fiber: 6g; Sugars: 9g; Protein: 12g
Nutrition Bonus: Potassium: 460mg; Vitamin A: 171%; Vitamin C: 46%; Calcium: 26%; Iron: 14%

Modified from: The Editors at America’s Test Kitchen. “Curried Chicken and Rice.” Cook it in cast iron: kitchen – tested recipes for the one pan that does it all. Boston: American Test Kitchen, 2016. 117. Print.