Recipe: Chicken with Rice and Beans

Have I told you lately how much I love my slow cooker? Well, I do.  I love it to bits.  One of the reason why I love it to bits is because it's great for those meals you either have to throw something together and/or have to walk away because you have so many other things to do other than stand in front of a cook top or oven.  Last night was one of those nights.

I, nor Mum, had been to the grocery to stock up and it was my turn to cook dinner.  So, I threw together a bunch of stuff and made a tasty meal.  Here is the recipe...

You'll need these basic ingredients:  brown rice, chicken broth (I use the low sodium), picante or salsa sauce, diced tomatoes (I also use the low sodium), black beans (again, low sodium), rice, parsley, curry powder, red pepper, turmeric, and cilantro.

And don't forget your chicken.  I typically use about 3 chicken breasts cut in half.

Put in 2 cups of brown rice with 2 1/2 cups of chicken broth.  Add your can of diced tomatoes (including juice) to the slow cooker, along with your drained can of black beans.

Then put in 3/4 cup of picante or salsa sauce.  We use the mild kind, but you can use whatever degree of hot you want.

Next comes the herbs and spices.  Put in 1/4 cup of parsley.  Preferably freshly chopped, but I didn't have any fresh parsley in the house (I hate it when that happens), so I had to use the dried stuff.

Put in 1 teaspoon of turmeric, curry powder, red pepper (Cayenne), and cilantro.

Add 1/2 cup of water.  I add my chicken last.  I'm not sure why I do that, but I always add it last.  Mix it all together.

Set your slow cooker on high for 4 hours and walk away.  Since the starches in rice don't always absorb liquid as expected, I typically check the dish about 30 minutes prior to the 4 hour mark (so you could always put your slow cooker on 3 hours and 30 minutes).   It also gives me the opportunity to stir the contents and make sure the herbs and spices are distributed properly.

But at the end mark, your dish should look something like what you see in the above photo.  Nice, isn't it? Tasty too.  My family loves it!  It's even better if you top it with some shredded Colby Jack cheese and a few sliced olives.  And because the recipe is large enough for 6 servings, and we're only a family of 3 - there is left-overs for tomorrow's lunch.

Chicken with Rice and Beans

3 chicken breasts sliced in half
2 cups of brown rice
1 can black beans (drained)
1 can diced tomatoes (including juice)
1/4 cup parsley
2 1/2 cups of chicken broth
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon cilantro
1 teaspoon Cayenne red pepper
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 cup shredded Colby Jack cheese
1/2 cup diced black olives

Add rice, beans, tomatoes, chicken broth, parsley, water, turmeric, cilantro, Cayenne red pepper, and curry powder to slow cooker.  Stir thoroughly.

Cook for 3 hours and 30 minutes on high.  Check to see if liquid has been completely absorbed.  If not, cook for another 30 minutes.

Top with a sprinkle of Colby Jack cheese and black olives.  This has 6 servings and is perfect with a side of green beans or broccoli.