This is a quick and healthy weeknight dish I whipped up the other day with some fresh ingredients I had on hand in the fridge. It’s got some savory and slightly spicy sauteed chicken made with olive oil, garlic and cajun seasonings (I use Tony Chacere’s Creole seasoning which is awesome). I also added a secret ingredient that I absolutely love which gives it a boost of flavor – Sazon seasoning – a type of seasoned salt found in Spanish and Latin markets (you can also find it online or in the international food section of your grocery store.) The seasoning is used on meats, fish, poultry and to add savory flavor to soups and stews. Typical ingredients include coriander, cumin, paprika, cilantro, achiote, garlic, salt. Try the Sazon by Goya Foods or you can make your own seasoning following this recipe.
Now back to my recipe. I cut up some red, yellow and green peppers and broccoli, (you could also add some corn, peas and carrots into the mix if you like), which I then sauteed with minced garlic and olive oil and tossed into the chicken and garlic mixture, served over cooked rice. For leftovers, I heated up some more garlic infused oil back in the pan and reheated the rice, then added the chicken and veggies into the pan and stirred it all together to mix all the savory flavors together into one big yummy rice bowl. It’s healthy, full of flavor and color and has a little kick to it too. Who said cooking tasty food had to be difficult? This dish absolutely ROCKS. x
Savory Sauteed Chicken & Veggie Rice
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Yield: 4-6
This is a quick and easy and healthy weeknight dish made with sauteed chicken and veggies with Cajun seasonings served over cooked rice.
Ingredients
For the sauteed veggies:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small red pepper, diced
1 small yellow pepper, diced
1 small green pepper, diced
1/2 cup broccoli florets, chopped
1 teaspoon garlic salt
For the sauteed chicken:
2 tablespoons garlic-infused olive oil
2 lbs thin chicken cutlets, cut into strips or chunks
1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
1/2 packet Sazon season
fresh ground black pepper, to taste
White or saffron/yellow cooked rice, for serving
extra red yellow and green diced peppers for garnish
Instructions
Cook the white or yellow rice in a large pot of boiling water according to package directions and drain, set aside.
Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium and add minced garlic, cook for 1 minute.
Raise heat to medium high and add bell peppers, broccoli and garlic salt; saute for about 5-7 minutes until soft. Remove from heat and set aside in a mixing bowl.
Add an additional 2 tablespoons of garlic-infused olive oil and heat in same saute pan for another minute.
Add chicken (make sure to pat dry after rinsing to remove excess water or the chicken will steam instead of saute) to the pan, add Cajun and Sazon seasonings and saute for about 8 minutes until it starts to brown. Sprinkle with some freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Return sauteed veggies to the pan and turn the heat down to medium-low and saute the ingredients together for another few minutes.
Place rice into individual serving bowls and serve chicken and veggie mixture on top of the rice.
Add additional cajun seasoning or salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with additional red, yellow and green diced peppers if you wish (makes it prettier and more colorful!)
Notes
Chef's Note: this tastes better the next day and is awesome if you saute the chicken and veggies in a pan with the rice. Simply add a few tablespoon of oil and start reheating the rice over medium heat and then add the leftover chicken and veggie mixture, stir together and cover with a lid. Let it reheat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally and serve. YUM.
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