Slow Cooker: Mediterranean Chicken and Rice

I was recently struck with inspiration, which means I'm finally returning to making new foods. I've even decided to make a dinner menu for the week on Sundays with at least one new recipe each week. I've also decided that using the slow cooker is going to be my new favorite thing. Nearly a year ago I got a few cookbooks from my old neighbors, only of them focusing only on slow cooker recipes. We have 3 slow cookers, so it only makes sense to use one of them once a week. It'll be an adventure in cooking. And it'll be delicious. (I hope.)

This week's new recipe was for Mediterranean Chicken and Rice made in a slow cooker. I will rate the prep-time for this recipe as medium (prep-time meaning the amount of time it takes to prepare and throw everything into the pot). There isn't much you can do with this the night before, so everything will need to be assembled in the morning. It turned out good, tasted very Italian, and was a bit too oily. I will have to skim the oil off the top next time before stirring it.

Mediterranean Chicken and Rice

1 to 2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breast
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
1 cup wild rice blend
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes
1/2 cup capers, drained
10 cloves garlic, smashed
2 cups water
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

First, wipe down the inside of the slow cooker pot to get any dust off of it. Then spray it with olive oil cooking spray. (This isn't 100% necessary, but is a good idea in general to make the cleaning process easier!)

Lightly pound the chicken so that all pieces have an even thickness. Apply salt and pepper to the chicken, to taste. (Don't literally taste it at this point. That's just unhealthy.)
Once seasoned, place the chicken into the slow cooker.

Add the rice, sun-dried tomatoes, and capers. (I used a wild and brown rice blend. As seems typical with the wild rice, some of it didn't cook at all.)
Smash the garlic. (Smashing garlic means to dice it and then smush it with the side of a knife. I did not know this during my prep. Tossing in crushed whole garlic cloves also works fine, but most likely results in a weaker garlic flavor.)
Mix the ingredients up a bit.

In a bowl, stir together the water, lemon juice, and oil.

Pour the liquid over the chicken and rice mixture. Stir slightly to cover ensure the chicken is covered.

Cover with the lid and cook on low for 8 hours. Do not remove the lid. If you are curious about what's happening inside of the pot, use the flashlight on your cell phone to peek in.
After 8 hours, it should look something like this. (Feel free to check it with a meat thermometer at this point.)

Stir the ingredients together and then put some on a plate. (Recommendation: Skim off some of the oil before stirring things up.)

Enjoy!

Recipe modified from the Crock Pot Chicken Cookbook. In case anyone was wondering, you cannot copyright a list of ingredients, only the directions.

Spanish Rice

One of the most difficult parts of cutting dairy out of my diet is that most side dishes I like include cheese or milk. (Which means I can't eat them anymore.) I'm finding new foods to replace these, but it's a slow process. This rice is something I combined together after doing some internet searching and it goes very well with chicken.

The amounts listed below should work fine. The only things I don't measure are the peppers, onion, or taco seasoning. The amounts you use will depend on how much you like those flavors. I forgot to add the garlic while making the rice this last time. It is much better with the garlic, so don't forget the garlic. This recipe is also for one serving, which means you may need to adjust it accordingly. And finally, you can use white rice, but it's the same thing as brown rice, just naked.

Spanish Rice
1/4 C brown rice
3/4 C water (or go with what the bag of rice says)
2 T bell pepper, chopped
2 T onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 T salsa
1/4 t taco seasoning
1/2 T canola oil

Chop up the peppers, onion, and garlic.

(garlic not pictured due to forgetfulness. peppers icy looking due to being frozen.)

Measure out rice, salsa, and water. Set aside.

(thought you might like to see some salsa)

Saute the peppers, onion, and garlic in the oil over medium low heat until the onion starts to turn translucent. (not pictured because my phone decided to restart at this point.)

Add the rice and saute until browned.

Pour in the water and salsa along with the desired amount of taco seasoning. Stir it all together and then bring it to a boil.

Cover, reduce heat, and simmer according to directions on the rice bag. Rice should be cooked properly.

Caution, the rice will be very hot. I have not learned this yet and I keep burning my mouth.

Enjoy!