Saffron Chicken over Creamy Rice

from Monday-to-Friday Chicken
by Michèle Urvater

The consistency of the rice in this recipe is similar to that of an Italian risotto, but the way I prepare it is a lot simpler. The creamy rice acts as a sponge to absorb the saffron-laden juices from the chicken. Use dark rather than white meat because it is moister, and be sure you use a short-grain rather than a long-grain rice, so that the texture is appropriately creamy.

Makes: 4 servings
Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients
4 cups chicken broth
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups short-grain rice, such as the imported Italian arborio
1 1/2 pounds boneless chicken thighs
1/2 teaspoon crushed saffron threads
1/4 cup dry white wine or dry white vermouth
2-ounce chunk of fresh Parmesan cheese
2 cloves garlic
1 package (10 ounces) frozen "petite" peas, thawed
1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes

Preparation

1. Combine the broth with salt and pepper to taste in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat. In a separate 3-quart saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil. Add the rice and cook for 1 minute over low heat, stirring, until the kernels are coated with oil and are beginning to turn translucent. Add 2 cups of the hot broth and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to a simmer and cook over low heat, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Give the rice a stir and continue to cook until the rice has absorbed the broth, 5 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, remove the skin and all fat from the chicken, and cut the meat into 1/2-inch dice. Dissolve the saffron in the white wine. Grate the cheese and chop the garlic.

3. Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook, stirring continuously, until it turns opaque around the edges, about 1 minute. Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is almost cooked through, 1 minute more. Add the peas and cook until they are warmed through, about 1 minute. Add the white wine and saffron and cook over medium heat until the chicken is just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes more. Season to taste with salt and red pepper flakes.

4. Add the remaining 2 cups broth to the rice, and bring back to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for another 10 minutes, stirring after 5 minutes. Cook until the rice is tender and creamy, and there are only a couple of spoonfuls of unabsorbed broth surrounding the grains, 3 to 4 minutes more.

5. Right before serving, stir the cheese into the rice and adjust the seasoning. Spoon some rice in the middle of shallow bowls and spoon a portion of chicken, peas, and liquid in the middle; the saffron liquid will pool around the rice in a gorgeous way.

Variations

Instead of Parmesan cheese, stir 1/4 cup crumbled soft goat's cheese into the rice just before serving.

For a more Latin version, in step 1, bring 3 cups chicken broth and 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk to a boil. Omit the cheese, and in step 3 add 1/4 cup golden raisins when you add the peas to the chicken.

Cinnamon Blueberry Crumble Bars

from The Cake Mix Doctor
by Anne Byrn

When blueberries come into season in your part of the country, turn them into these crumb-topped bars. What's nice about this recipe is that the fruit is the star — and you get an unmistakably blueberry taste when you take a bite. Plus, since blueberries are soft they are quick to cook, shaving the preparation time of this recipe.

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Baking time: 40 to 45 minutes

Makes 24 bars

Ingredients

1 package (18.25 ounces) plain yellow cake mix

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted

1 cup old-fashioned oatmeal

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 cups fresh blueberries, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup granulated sugar

Preparation

1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Set aside an ungreased 13- by 9-inch baking pan.

2. Place the cake mix, melted butter, oatmeal, brown sugar, eggs, and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. The mixture will be thick. Reserve 1 1/2 cups for the topping. Transfer the remaining crust mixture to the pan. Using your fingertips, press the mixture evenly over the bottom of the pan so that it reaches all sides.

3. For the filling, place the blueberries and granulated sugar in a small bowl and stir to combine. Pour the blueberries onto the crust, and spread with a spoon so that the berries are evenly distributed. Pinch off pieces of the reserved crust mixture and scatter them over the filling. Place the pan in the oven.

4. Bake the cake until it is light brown and bubbling, 40 to 45 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool, 30 minutes.

5. Cut the cake into 24 bars. Remove the bars from the pan with a metal spatula, and serve.

Store these bars, covered in plastic wrap, at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Or freeze them, wrapped in aluminum foil, for up to 6 months. Thaw the bars overnight in the refrigerator before serving.

Fresh Banana Bread

from Farmhouse Cookbook
by Susan Hermann Loomis

This recipe was inspired by a fresh bunch of small, sweet bananas that was handed to me by Wayne Boynton, a sugar cane farmer in Florida who also has a row of banana trees on his land.

This banana bread is hearty, not too sweet, and ideal for a bread pudding because it bakes up firm, slightly less moist than traditional banana bread. If you want to use this recipe for Banana Bread Pudding, omit the walnuts, nutmeg, and lemon zest, and increase the baking time to 1 hour.

6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon (1/3 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2/3 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 cup mashed banana (from 2 large bananas)

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 teaspoons minced lemon zest

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly oil a 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan.

2. Sift the flour, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together on a sheet of waxed paper, and set aside.

3. Cream the butter in a medium-size bowl until light. Add the sugar and beat until thoroughly mixed and light. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Add the mashed bananas, vanilla, and lemon zest. Mix well, then fold in the walnuts. Fold in the dry ingredients until thoroughly incorporated.

4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, run the blade of a knife lengthwise through the batter (to prevent the bread from cracking on top as it rises during baking), and bake until the bread is golden and springs back when lightly touched, 45 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, un-mold the bread onto a wire rack, and let it cool before serving.

Banana Bread

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Kids Baking
by Abigail Johnson Dodge (Oxmoor House, 2003)

Use very ripe bananas to make this easy banana bread.

Ingredients
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3 medium very ripe bananas, peeled
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preparation
Preheat an oven to 350°F. Grease an 8 1/2-by-4 1/2-inch metal loaf pan with butter.

Make the batter
In a bowl, using a wooden spoon, stir together the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda.

In a large bowl, smash the bananas with a fork. Add the sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla and beat with the wooden spoon until well blended.

Add the flour mixture to the banana mixture and stir just until blended.

Bake the bread
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, spreading it evenly with the wooden spoon. Put the pan in the oven and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out with just a few crumbs clinging to it, about 45 minutes.

Using oven mitts, remove the pan from the oven, set it on a wire cooling rack and let cool for 20 minutes.

Remove the bread from the pan
Gently run a table knife along the inside edge of the pan to loosen the bread from the sides.

Using oven mitts, turn the pan on its side and slip the loaf out onto the wire rack. Let the loaf cool for 15 minutes before serving. Makes 1 loaf.