Red Chile Chicken with Rice and Black Beans

Again, Pink Parsley comes through for me :)  As I mentioned before, she’s been making some fabulous recipes lately, and this was another tasty one, for sure.  The sous chef and I paired this one with the wonderful Mexican Corn Salad.

Sadly, my sous chef was volunteering for an opportunity at work that had him working nights, so I had to savor this by myself for the first time, and he had to partake in it alone the first time while I was at work :/  It was hard for the two of us to operate in the same house but not at the same time.  However, making yummy dishes definitely made it not seem SO BAD since we weren’t resorting to eating out every meal just because we were alone.

All that to say that good, home-cooked, healthy food really can warm the soul…and doesn’t have to make you fat ;)

Source: Pink Parsley adapted from Elly Says Opa! originally from Rick Bayless, Mexican Everyday
Ingredients

2 Tbsp. canola oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (1.25-1.5 lbs. total)
2.5 Tbsp. ancho chili powder, divided
1 medium onion, large dice
1-2 jalapenos, diced
1 cup rice
4 cloves garlic, minced
1.5 cups chicken broth
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup chopped green onions, (OR 1/3 cup cilantro) OR a mixture of both (which is what I did)
1/2 to 1 cup salsa, for serving
lime wedges and sour cream, for serving (optional)

Directions

Season chicken with salt, pepper, and 1 Tablespoon of chile powder. Preheat a large skillet with oil until shimmering. Brown chicken on both sides, 2-3 minutes per side. Remove from skillet and place on a plate, leaving behind as much oil as possible. (As with other chicken recipes, Krista Kooks cooked this chicken in the crockpot with the oil, salt, pepper and chile powder.)

Sautee onion, rice, and jalapeno until the rice is toasted and is no longer translucent and turns opaque. Add the remaining chili powder, the garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt. Cook 1 minute, then stir in the broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and cover. Simmer 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Add the chicken and the black beans to the pot, stir, re-cover, and cook an additional 10-12 minutes.

Taste a grain of rice. If it is slightly chalky in the center, remove the pot from heat, stir in the green onion and cilantro, and let sit, covered, 5 additional minutes. If it is not cooked through, re-cover the pot, and cook an additional 5 minutes, or until done.

Fluff rice with a fork, and serve with salsa, sour cream, and lime wedges.