The Sweet Balsamic Vinaigrette that we bought at the Farm Show is so good that we’re making up recipes to use it. This recipe is one of those. I asked Joe what we had in the pantry, and he rattled off a few things. On the list was a 15 pound bag of basmati rice we’d purchased from Sam’s Club a while ago but never opened. Not knowing how to cook it or what to cook it with, I asked Joe to follow the instructions on the bag and make a cup. In the interest of time (and because Grace has been a very tired and very cranky small person today), Joe chopped up some fresh veggies and opened a can of shredded chicken to stir in with the rice. He measured one cup of the rice-veggies-chicken mixture for each of us, and he poured one ounce of balsamic vinaigrette over the top just before he put our plates on the table. No cheese. No cream. Nothing remotely rich at all. But, oh, the flavors. I wasn’t very hungry, but I really wanted a second helping. I abstained so that I could enjoy it again for lunch tomorrow. We’re going to be making basmati rice a lot, thanks to that 15 pound bag. I’m looking forward to every bite.
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- 1 cup basmati rice uncooked
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 large onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic pressed
- 1 cup chopped carrots
- 1 cup chopped broccoli
- 13 ounces shredded chicken drained
- Any sauce - vinaigrette salad dressing, BBQ, sweet and sour... whatever you like
Ingredients
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- Prepare basmati rice according to package directions.
- Saute onions and garlic in olive oil for 3-5 minutes. Add carrots, broccoli, and chicken. Cook until vegetables are crisp-tender and brightly colored.
- Serve immediately. At the table, pour 1 ounce of salad dressing over rice mixture.
- Try to eat just one serving.
Suggestions
- We really used just what we had in the house. I think this would be awesome with sugar snap peas and water chestnuts added in. Oh, and cauliflower. Maybe a handful of corn, too.
- The shredded chicken was nice because it blended in with the rice. I don’t like the texture of most meats, so that appealed to me. I would shred whatever meat went into this dish.
- If I calculated correctly, one cup of this mixture has 276 calories. That’s insanely low for such a hearty, filling meal.
© 2010 – 2018, Tara Ziegmont. All rights reserved.
brendaparaguay says
This looks so healthy and delicious. I've never tried basmati rice before, what is different about it?
[email protected] says
Basmati rice is my favorite, any recipe using it is a must have.
Come by and enter my giveaway.
Geri
FeelsLikeHomeBlog says
I used to know someone who grew up in Pakistan, and she was on me all the time about quitting the white rice/brown rice habit. She said that it was all starch and no rice. I've never been sure what she meant about that, but the basmati rice was more firm and had a nicer texture in my opinion. It wasn't sticky. And it had a nice flavor that was different from regular rice.
FeelsLikeHomeBlog says
I wrote out some of the difference above, to Geri. The main difference I saw was that its texture was less sticky, and it had a flavor of its own. I'm not a big rice fan, but I liked it a lot.
GoofyMamma says
Oh this sounds like one of my go to meals. I love the 15lb bag of Sam's Basmati rice and their canned chicken and I have them both! LOL. I never thought about the salad dressing for a little extra something.
Thanks for posting.
Blessings,
Kim
Household 6 Diva says
Oh this looks YUMMY!! I have LOTS of rice in my pantry too!! I rarely cook it because – yeah – I dont know WHAT to cook it with…. 🙂 I will definitely be trying this one out!! Thank you for sharing!
Happy Tackle and Tasty Tuesday! 🙂
ErinJeany says
I don't think my last comment commented…
Erin Pyle (@erinjeany) says
I am a total rice-a-holic! YUM! I will have to try this. Thanks for sharing and Happy Tuesday!
.-= Erin Pyle (@erinjeany)´s last blog ..Tackle it Tuesday – Dave’s computer covers =-.
Alexis AKA MOM says
Sounds yummy, now to get the kids and hubs to go for it :). thanks for sharing, stopping by from TMTT 🙂
susieshomemade says
What a yummy tackle!!
summur says
Thanks for the recipe. Healthy and tasty, sounds good to me!
Pam says
This sounds delicious! Basmati rice is my absolute favorite. I love how it smells like buttered popcorn while it’s cooking. Thanks for sharing.
Robyn's Online World says
I am always amazed when I try different varieties of rices – for years I thought rice was rice. I buy “Texmati” rice often http://www.riceselect.com/Products/scrollView.a…
Blessedwithgrace says
Sounds good and healthy!! Way to use those pantry items.
FeelsLikeHomeBlog says
I'm glad I'm not the only one! I feel like a big slacker when we break out the canned chicken, but… it works, and it's easy.
FeelsLikeHomeBlog says
It went through that time! 🙂 I'm not sure what happened the other times. Sorry, friend!
FeelsLikeHomeBlog says
Neat. I, too, thought rice was rice. And then we tried this, and it's so good!
9to5to9 says
Basmati rice is the bomb! My husband introduced me to it, and I've tried making other rices in the years since, but nothing else compares. I make it in a rice cooker, so it's super easy. Just load it up, stir a few times and forget it.
Your recipe sounds great, Tara. I'm going to give it a try next time I have leftovers – which probably will be the next time I make rice. I haven't mastered scaling down dinner yet since my husband deployed.
Louise says
I'm going to have to learn about rice not just being rice
Robyn's Online World says
I am always amazed when I try different varieties of rices – for years I thought rice was rice. I buy “Texmati” rice often http://www.riceselect.com/Products/scrollView.a…
Blessedwithgrace says
Sounds good and healthy!! Way to use those pantry items.
FeelsLikeHomeBlog says
I'm glad I'm not the only one! I feel like a big slacker when we break out the canned chicken, but… it works, and it's easy.
FeelsLikeHomeBlog says
It went through that time! 🙂 I'm not sure what happened the other times. Sorry, friend!
FeelsLikeHomeBlog says
Neat. I, too, thought rice was rice. And then we tried this, and it's so good!
9to5to9 says
Basmati rice is the bomb! My husband introduced me to it, and I've tried making other rices in the years since, but nothing else compares. I make it in a rice cooker, so it's super easy. Just load it up, stir a few times and forget it.
Your recipe sounds great, Tara. I'm going to give it a try next time I have leftovers – which probably will be the next time I make rice. I haven't mastered scaling down dinner yet since my husband deployed.
Louise says
I'm going to have to learn about rice not just being rice