Chicken With Cauliflower Rice

Making the most out of frozen foods.

Using fresh ingredients is always preferred, but unfortunately that isn’t always available to me. Especially with the current situation, having a storage of frozen vegetables and meat can be really useful when you know you won’t be able to get to the store in quite some time.

All of the main ingredients in this meal were previously frozen and the rest are all non-perishables. I highly recommend having these few ingredients on hand because they are all extremely versatile and work great when you’re in a time crunch.

Ingredients:

1. 1-2 lbs of boneless chicken breast
2. 1 – 16 oz bag of frozen broccoli florets
3. 2 – 12 oz bags of frozen cauliflower rice
4. 3 Tbs of Dijon mustard
5. 2 Tbs of smoked paprika
6. Pinch of salt
7. Cracked black pepper
8. Cumin
9. Minced garlic (fresh or dry)
10. Olive oil

How to Defrost:

The frozen vegetables defrost when you cook them, frozen chicken breast requires more attention to the defrosting process.

Defrosting Options:

1. The best way to defrost chicken breast would be to plan at least a day in advance by taking the chicken out of the freezer and placing it in the refrigerator to thaw out overnight.
2. If you missed the mark on placing the chicken in the refrigerator a day in advance, no worries. The next best thing you can do is to run the chicken under warm water to defrost it from the outside-in.
3. Another option is to leave it out on the counter the day of to defrost, and then place it back in the refrigerator a few hours later. If the chicken if well-sealed then letting it sit out on the counter for a few hours won’t be hurtful, but be mindful that if the chicken reaches between temperatures 40 to 140 degrees F, then it is within the optimal range for growing bacteria.

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, mixed together the Dijon mustard, paprika, salt, and pepper.
2. Chop the chicken into pieces, relatively bite-sized.
3. Pour the mustard-mixture over the chicken and coat the chicken thoroughly. Refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight.
4. After the chicken has finished marinading, place the chicken in a skillet over high heat.
5. Cover the chicken and let it cook while making the cauliflower rice.

1. In a saute or frying pan, add olive oil to the pan over high heat.
2. Add in the minced garlic and stir well.
3. Just before the garlic turns brown, add in the bags of cauliflower rice.
4. When the rice begins to soften (about 3 minutes), add in the frozen broccoli to the mix.

5. Cook the cauliflower rice and broccoli for about 10 minutes (they should be soft but not mushy).

6. Season with salt, pepper, coriander, and cumin.

Serve the chicken on top of the rice or mix it all in one. Enjoy!