Chicken and Black Rice Recipe

I have been experimenting in my kitchen again. When I think about kitchen renovations, maybe we should set up beakers, a pot burner, a science lab table, the works for my "science" experiments. Hey, I entertain myself, what fun would life be without entertaining ourselves?

In all seriousness, this chicken and black rice recipe is visually a yummy delight with it's bright colored zucchini tossed with the black rice. The chicken is perfectly seasoned with the hint of smokiness from the paprika, and the vegetables add a bit of sweet to this dish. I will be making this one again, and again. So delicious!

Chicken and Black Rice Recipe

What you will need:

1. 4 chicken breasts
2. 2 c black rice, cooked per instructions on packaging
3. 1 onion, chopped
4. 1 green pepper, chopped
5. 1 package of mushrooms, sliced
6. 1 small zucchini
7. 2 T Worcestershire sauce
8. 2 t garlic powder
9. 1 t onion powder
10. 1 t smoked paprika
11. 1 t minced garlic

What you will need to do:

• Tenderize chicken, I have found this is what is working best for chicken these days (you can choose to skip this step, but this is my preferred method when making chicken)
• Place chicken breasts into skillet, lightly coated with olive oil
• Add onion, green pepper
• Cook pepper and onion down, while turning chicken every 3 minutes until fully cooked
• Add in mushrooms and zucchini and spices
• Add black rice
• Stir well
• Place splatter lid onto skillet and let simmer for 20 minutes letting all of the ingredients meld together
• Serve

I always make more than we need so I do not need to cook every night. We actually like leftovers around here... honestly cooking every night of the week does not excite me so I began this trick early on in our marriage.

If you have not yet tried black rice, I will tell you that it has quickly become my favorite rice. It has an earthy flavor all of it's own and has pared well with anything I have served with it.

Some things to know about black rice:

• Whatever you are making with black rice will pick up the natural coloring from the black rice.
• If you look closely at the chicken breasts, you will see they have an almost blackish brown coloring to them, this is due to the rice
• When you make black rice, your water will turn black, this is perfectly normal
• Since I added the mushrooms and zucchini last, they did not have time to absorb as much of the coloring of the black rice

Other info about black rice that I have found:

• Black rice is the healthiest variety of rice
• Black rice is grown in rice paddies like other types of rice
• Black rice has a high fiber content, meaning it is digested more slowly than white rice which also means it is great for us consuming a low glycemic diet
• It can be consumed by individuals who also have diabetes, it's glycemic index is 42.3, being low on the index
• Black rice is a good source of iron, protein and high in antioxidants

So the next time you're in the mood for a healthy and flavorful meal, give this chicken and black rice recipe a try. Your taste buds and body will thank you!

Ciao,

Cara

Don't forget to Pin Now!