Citrus Herb Chicken + Rice Bowls
We love this for a quick, refreshing summer lunch.
Cooked rice (however many servings needed)
Cooked, diced chicken and/or cooked beans – pinto, kidney, black, or garbanzo
Minced cilantro, to taste
Freshly squeezed lime juice, to taste
Salt, to taste
Layer ingredients in a bowl and mix. Add the cilantro and lime right before serving so as not to wilt the herbs and diminish the fresh flavors.
A secret to cooking rice is to rinse off the starch from the rice until the water runs clear. Can gauge this by tipping from the saucepot for cooking into a strainer and refilling – about three times, swirling the grains each time. Add water about one inch above rice and a splash of oil; stir. Heat on medium/low until boiling; stir occasionally. Upon boiling point, cover and reduce heat to low; cook 20 minutes or until water is evaporated. There is a small window between a soggy, sticky texture and the rice becoming too dry/scorched pan. Peeking during the 20 minutes can affect this outcome – it is better to wait until one is certain that the moisture is nearly gone. Cooking rice seems to be a bit of a learned art. Using broth for the liquid is a great secret for enhanced flavor and texture.
Bourbon Whiskey BBQ Sauce
Recipe and photo contributed by Jeff Moyer; he uses Jim Beam Red Stag cherry bourbon. https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/16115/bourbon-whiskey-bbq-sauce/
¾ c. bourbon whiskey
4 cloves garlic, minced
½ onion, minced
2 c. ketchup
½ c. packed brown sugar
⅓ c. cider vinegar
¼ c. tomato paste
¼ c. Worcestershire sauce
2 T. liquid smoke flavoring
½ T. (1 ½ t.) salt
½ t. ground black pepper
⅓ t. hot pepper sauce, or to taste
Combine bourbon, garlic, and onion in a large skillet over medium heat; simmer until onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Stir in ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, liquid smoke, salt, black pepper, and hot pepper sauce; bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 20 minutes. Run sauce through a strainer if you prefer a smooth sauce. Store in the refrigerator after cooled; wide mouth quart jars work well for this.
No-Bake Peaches and Cream Sensation
Learned about this from Donna Horst. It is GOOD!
For the crust:
3 c. (280 g) graham cracker crumbs
2-3 T. granulated sugar
¾ c. (170 g) butter, melted
For the filling:
1 ½ c. (171 g) powdered sugar
8 oz. (227 g) cream cheese, softened to room temperature
½ tsp. vanilla extract
2 c. cold heavy whipping cream (see note)
5-6 medium fresh peaches, peeled, pitted and sliced thinly (see note)
In a medium bowl, stir together the graham cracker crumbs and granulated sugar. Stir in the melted butter until the crumbs are evenly moistened. Remove 1/3 cup of the crumbs and set aside for later. Press the remaining crumb mixture on the bottom of a 9×13-inch pan. Refrigerate the crust while preparing the rest of the dessert. In a large bowl using an electric handheld mixer or in the bowl of an electric stand mixer, mix the powdered sugar and cream cheese together until light and smooth, 1-2 minutes. Mix in the vanilla. Pour in the cold heavy cream and mix on low (to avoid spatters) until the mixture starts to come together. Increase the speed to medium-high and mix until the mixture is thick and fluffy. Spread a little less than half of the cream filling over the chilled crust. Layer the sliced peaches over the top of the cream. Dollop the remaining cream over the top of the peaches in large spoonfuls and spread carefully to the edges of the pan cover the peaches completely. Sprinkle the reserved graham cracker mixture over the top. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours or up to 12 hours before serving.
Notes from Mel of Mel’s Kitchen Café:
Sweetness: if the peaches you are using are very ripe/very sweet, you may want to decrease the powdered sugar a bit in the filling.
Peaches: I haven’t made this with frozen or canned peaches but many others have (and left reviews). For frozen peaches, thaw and drain excess liquid. For canned peaches, drain and lightly pat dry.
Heavy Cream: Using a high fat heavy whipping cream is important because we aren’t whipping it separately before adding to the cream cheese. I use 40% heavy whipping cream (Darigold brand). If you are using a lighter/less milkfat heavy whipping cream, you might want to whip it to soft peaks before gradually mixing it in with the cream cheese mixture (otherwise, it may not thicken).
Yield: 12 servings
Prep time: 2 hrs 35 min
Total time: 2 hrs 20 min
