Chicken and Rice with Leeks and Dried Cranberries

Like Carole, I've been trying to find creative ways to use up leftovers without repeating (or, sorry, reeating) a meal. Q arrived back from Whistler on Sunday and we had a great meal of Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Goat Cheese and Sun-Dried Tomatoes with Yukon-Gold Gruyere Galette and salad, leaving us with extra chicken to start the week. So on Monday I made up a big batch of brown rice and just before dinnertime rolled around, lightly sauteed some leeks and broccoli florets, and then added the rice and chicken. Threw on some dried cranberries for extra chewiness and some toasted almonds for crunch.

The meal worked especially well for a busy night since we ended up reheating and serving it at three different times because everyone was running here and there. Kudos to Austin for serving it all up because by 5:00 I had come down with food poisoning from eating scallops at lunchtime with my BFF and couldn't face the thought of even smelling food. He's my kitchen man and also even made cookies with his sister to keep her entertained and allow me to rest.

The highlight of the day was discovering two new cookbooks had arrived in the mail: Quinoa 365 and The Best of Clean Eating, and then my aunt Jo dropping by later in the afternoon with another one: 365 Meals (and an extra for Leap Years). Lots of great reading and tons of new inspiration. Loved the Quinoa book but it has a slightly misleading title... doesn't it make you think that it contains 365 recipes? Well, I did... but it only has 170, which is still probably enough quinoa options to last a lifetime, or at least the year that I have to fill, but kinda deceptive in my humble opinion. Won't hold a grudge, though, since I can't wait to try some of the dishes in the next little while.

Chicken Fried Rice with Leeks and Dried Cranberries

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/2 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 cups thinly sliced leek (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 1/2 cups cooked, chilled long-grain brown rice
1 cup dried cranberries
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
1/4 cup dry white wine

1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon

olive oil to pan, swirling to coat. Sprinkle 1/8 teaspoon salt over

chicken. Add chicken to pan, and sauté for 3 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. Remove the chicken from pan. Add leek, black pepper, and remaining 5/8 teaspoon salt to pan; sauté for 4 minutes or until leek is tender and golden. Add leek mixture to chicken.

(My chicken was already cooked so I just sauteed the leeks and

added some broccoli, then tossed in the chicken and rice to heat

through. I cut back on the oil because I didn't really want "fried

rice," just warmed through.)


2. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to pan, swirling to coat. Add rice, stirring well to coat rice with oil; cook, without stirring, 2 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Stir rice mixture; cook, without stirring, 2 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Stir in chicken mixture, cranberries, and sage. Add wine; cook for 2 minutes or until mixture is dry, stirring constantly.

(I skipped adding the wine because I figured the kids wouldn't be

thrilled about it.)

January 23 Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Goat Cheese and Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Yukon Gold Gruyere Galette and Salad with Caramelized Onions