Orange Garlic Chicken, Brown Rice, and Green Beans

Nov 28 Dinner Blog:

Orange Garlic Chicken – 4 Servings

Orange Garlic Chicken

Tonight I was lucky to get home at 7:05.  I was even luckier that dinner was basically ready.  When I left the house at 2:45, I had the chicken in the slow cooker, brown rice in the rice cooker, leaving only the frozen green beans to warm in the microwave. Pre-prep earlier in the day paid off.

This afternoon I spent about 20 minutes, washing and preparing the chicken in the slow cooker and getting the brown rice in the rice cooker.  First I measured out the thyme, pressed the garlic cloves, and mixed them together. Next I washed all the chicken and rubbed the thyme garlic mixture on the chicken. Once in the slow cooker, I stirred orange juice concentrate and balsamic vinegar and the rest of the thyme-garlic mixture together.  Finally, I spooned the mixture over the chicken, and set the slow cooker to low for 5 hours.  Once the chicken was done, I put brown rice and water in the rice cooker and left.

When I returned at 7, I warmed the beans in the microwave and served the meal.

Orange Garlic Chicken For 4

The Verdict

The meal received 8’s and 9’s and everyone thought it had good flavor, but I didn’t think it was my best meal.  I don’t know if Melanie Barsuk’s negative comments about slow cookers are rubbing off on me, but I really think that chicken doesn’t do as well in a slow cooker as it does in the oven.  Perhaps I am being too harsh – everyone liked it – but the chicken didn’t stay together as well as I would have liked. It would have been very difficult to cube, for instance…

I would like to “Dare to Compare” and try my luck making the same recipe in the oven…

Nov 28-Dec 1 Menu and Master Shopping List

Aside


Miss me? I have been absent for a few weeks but now I am back!  While I didn’t write, we had many great menus which I promise to share.

This week, I am borrowing and modifying recipes from some cookbooks that I have had for a long time – some for more than 15 years!  As always, I am keeping it healthy, simple, easy and delicious!

This Week’s Menu

Monday: Orange Garlic Chicken (From Fix it and Forget it), Brown Rice, and Green Beans.

Tuesday: Dilled Vegetable-Barley Soup (from The Enchanted Broccoli Forest), and Oatmeal Muffins.

Wednesday:  Pastel de Papa with Mashed Cauliflower (An Argentinian recipe modified from One Bowl- One Dish Meals from around the World), and a side salad.

Thursday: Orzo with Peas, Saffron and Leftover Orange Garlic Chicken (Modified from “Vegetarian Entertaining”).

Shopping List

For 2 Adults and 2 Children

Entrees

3 lbs. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 3/4 lbs. Ground beef

Veggies

1/2 C Minced onion

1 Medium carrot

1 Medium stalk celery

1/4 lb. Chopped mushrooms

3 Large Idaho potatoes

26 Garlic cloves

2 Large red onions

5 Bell peppers – different colors if not too expensive

2 Large Tomatoes

12 Green Olives, pitted

4 shallots

Cauliflower

Fruit – Enough for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

1 Pineapple

8 Kiwi

8 Apples

5 Pears

Dry Goods

1/2 C Raw Barley

2/3 C Raisins

4 C Tomatoes, canned or in shelf stable container

1 T Saffron Threads

4 C Vegetable broth

1 1/2 lbs. Orzo

Brown rice

Muffin mix

Salt

Pepper

1 Bay leaf

6 T Dry White Wine

1.5 t Dried Dill Weed

1 t Tamari sauce

4 T Olive oil

1.5 t Dried Thyme

2 T Balsamic vinegar

1/3 C Dry White Wine

Dairy

4 T Butter

1/3 C Milk

1/2 C Plain yogurt

Parmesan or manchenga cheese

Frozen

1 C Orange Juice Concentrate

1 C Frozen Peas

Frozen green beans