Curry Chicken and Lebanese Rice

For dinner tonight Chad and I were in the mood for spice. I had 3 large chicken breasts defrosted in the fridge so we had to use that up. I started thinking curry spicy, rather than cajun spicy. With no recipe in mind I just started to throw things together. The chicken came out perfect. I mean, Chad was oooing and ahhhing as it was cooking. That is always a good thing.

For a starchy side I wanted something rather simple and full of flavor that would compliment the spiciness of the chicken. I decided to make a favorite of mine,nLebanese rice. Not sure if the origin of this rice dish is Lebanese, but I used to eat this growing up at family meals so I coined it "Lebanese Rice". Actually, all it is is rice with vermicelli. I had some pine nuts lying around so I decided to toast some up and throw them in there as well. They added a delicious nutty flavor and slight crunch.

The chicken had such a spicy kick to it, and the rice was also full of flavor, so for a veggie side I knew I needed to do something exceptionally simple. I just steamed some fresh green beans in the microwave (yes, the microwave!) and called it a night. The simplicity of beans complimented this spicy meal very nicely.

Curry Chicken

• 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 1 1/4 lb cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1 Tbs. curry powder
• 1 Tbs. Garham Masala
• 2 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. ground coriander
• 1 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp. coarse salt
• 1 tsp. fresh ground pepper
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. ground ginger
• 1 tsp. dried basil
• 1/4 cup lite sour cream (you could use yogurt, as I would but alas I did not have any and the sour cream worked the same)
• 1 Tbs. olive oil

Mix all spices together and add sour cream stir to combine. Add chicken coating thickly and marinate for an hour.

Heat skillet over med. heat and cook chicken for 15 minutes or until cooked through.

Lebanese Rice

• 1 1/4 cup short grain rice
• 1/4 cup vermicelli broken into small pieces
• 2 Tbs. unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup minced onions
• 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
• salt and pepper to taste

Heat med. sized saucepan over med. low heat and add pine nuts. Toast until lightly brown. Tansfer to a plate and raise the heat to medium. Add butter, when melted add onions and saute until soft. Add vermicelli and cook a couple minutes. Add rice and cook a couple more. Add the broth bring to a boil and lower to simmer. Cover and let simmer about 15 minutes. Uncover and add pine nuts. Remove from heat, return the lid and let heat through for 5 minutes more.