Happy Cinco!

I am in LOVE with Cinco de Mayo! Why? I'm not sure, but I really do get excited every year! I love the excuse of being able to get discounted Mexican food all day long, spend time with friends, and have a good time! In fact, tonight I am going to a fiesta and was in charge of bringing a couple items. I made Black Beans and Rice and Tres Leches. I've posted the Tres Leches recipe before right here. Here's the recipe for the Black Beans and Rice

Lime Black Beans and Rice

1 tbsp Olive Oil

1 finely chopped yellow onion

2 tsp cumin

2 tbsp thyme

2 tsp paprika

1 1/2c white rice

3 c chicken broth

1 can black beans

juice of 1 lime
salt to taste

chopped cilantro, for garnish

Heat a medium pot over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil and chopped onion. Saute 3 minutes, then season with 2 teaspoons cumin, thyme, and paprika. Pour in chicken broth and raise heat to bring to a boil. Add rice and lower heat to simmer when boil resumes. Cover pot tightly. After 12 minutes, stir in black beans and lime juice. Replace cover. Cook another 15 minutes. Turn off rice and beans, season with salt and stir to combine then let stand until ready to serve. Sprinkle cilantro as a garnish.

Mostly Green Curry Chicken over Coconut Jasmine Rice

So this recipe is from last night. Its called Mostly Green Curry Chicken over Coconut Jasmine Rice. I got it from my Rachael Ray cookbook called 365 No Repeats. Enjoy!

****Now I made some adjustments to it though. I used half of an onion instead of a whole one, I put in a dash of garlic salt instead of 3 cloves of garlic, I used about 1 tbsp of ground ginger instead of fresh ginger, and no scallions. I diced the chicken into about 1in. cubes. Also, I added about 1 tsp paprika and 1 tsp curry powder once all the ingredients were in.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 C chicken stock or broth
1 13.5oz can coconut milk
1 C jasmine rice
3 Tbsp vegetable or canola oil
4 6-8oz boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into bite-size pieces
1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded and thinly sliced
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
3 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 small jalapeno pepper, cut in half and seeded
3" piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
2 C broccoli florets
zest and juice of 1 lime
1/4 C fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
3 scallions, thinly sliced
1/2 C flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 C frozen peas
hot sauce, to taste

Directions:
In a sauce pot, combine 1 cup chicken stock, 1/4 cup coconut milk, and the jasmine rice. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for 15-18 minutes. Turn the heat off and keep the rice covered until ready to serve.

While the rice is cooking, preheat a large nonstick skillet over high heat with about 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Add the chicken pieces, spreading them evenly across the pan, and brown the chicken on all sides, about 3-4 minutes. Remove the chicken to a plate and reserve. Add the last tablespoon of vegetable oil to the pan. Add the green bell peppers, onions, garlic, jalapenos, ginger, and broccoli florets. Cook, stirring frequently, for 3-4 minutes, or until the veggies start to wilt.

To the skillet add the remaining coconut milk and 1/2 cup chicken stock. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer 4-5 minutes. Add the chicken back to the skillet, and return it to a simmer for about 2 more minutes. Add the lime juice, lime zest, cilantro, scallions, parsley, and frozen peas. Stir to thoroughly combine. Simmer a minute more to heat the peas, taste, and adjust the seasoning. Add more salt or some hot sauce, if you like heat. Serve over the coconut jasmine rice.