Spiced Chicken With Rice Crisp Red Onions Food

CHICKEN WITH CARAMELIZED ONION AND CARDAMOM RICE

Steps:

• Put the sugar and scant 3 tablespoons water in a small saucepan and heat until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat, add the barberries, and set aside to soak. If using currants, you do not need to soak them in this way.
• Meanwhile, heat half the olive oil in a large sauté pan for which you have a lid over medium heat. Add the onion, and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion has turned a deep golden brown. Transfer the onion to a small bowl and wipe the pan clean.
• Place the chicken in a large mixing bowl and season with 1½ teaspoons each salt and black pepper. Add the remaining olive oil, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon and use your hands to mix everything together well. Heat the frying pan again and place the chicken and spices in it. Sear chicken for 5 minutes on each side and remove from the pan (this is important as it part-cooks the chicken). The spices can stay in the pan, but don't worry if they stick to the chicken. Remove most of the remaining oil as well, leaving just a thin film at the bottom. Add the rice, caramelized onion, 1 teaspoon salt and plenty of black pepper. Drain the barberries and add them as well. Stir well and return the seared chicken to the pan, pushing it into the rice.
• Pour the boiling water over the rice and chicken, cover the pan, and cook over very low heat for 30 minutes. Take the pan off the heat, remove the lid, quickly place a clean tea towel over the pan, and seal again with the lid. Leave the dish undisturbed for another 10 minutes. Finally, add the herbs and use a fork to stir them in and fluff up the rice. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. Serve hot or warm with yogurt mixture if you like.

SUNNY'S GRILLED SWEET AND SPICY CHICKEN THIGHS AND RICE

Steps:

• For the marinade: Place a chicken thigh on a cutting board, cover with plastic wrap, and gently pound to even out the thickness. Sprinkle with salt and pepper on both sides and place in a bowl or resealable bag. Repeat with remaining thighs. Add the Jamaican jerk sauce and mix to coat the chicken evenly. Let marinate at room temperature for 2 hours.
• For the rice: Add the rice, chicken stock, Jamaican jerk sauce, red pepper flakes, garlic, thyme, a pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper to a rice cooker. Cook rice according to rice cooker instructions.
• For the skewers: Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Thread 2 skewers on either edge of a chicken thigh, then add an onion followed by another thigh (so the chicken and onions lay flat, not stacked). Repeat with remaining chicken and onions. Place skewers on grill pan and cook 5 minutes, then flip, brush with Jamaican jerk sauce and dome with a large metal bowl. Cook on second side until chicken is cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove to a plate to cool slightly before removing skewers.
• To serve: Chop the onions. Fluff rice and stir in onions and chopped parsley. Serve with chicken.

SPICY CHICKEN AND RICE

Steps:

• Place chicken in a 4- or 5-qt. slow cooker. In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, green peppers, onion, garlic, paprika, salt, cumin and chipotle pepper; pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours or until chicken is tender., Remove chicken; cool slightly. Shred with two forks and return to the slow cooker. Stir in rice and beans; heat through. Garnish with cheese and sour cream.

SPICED ROAST CHICKEN WITH FRAGRANT JASMINE RICE

Steps:

• CHICKEN: Use kitchen scissors to cut down both sides of the back bone and remove.
• Open the chicken out like a book and snip through the wishbone to enable the chicken to lie flat.
• Slash the skin several times and place the chicken in a large dish.
• Pound the garlic, ginger, chilli and sugar to paste in a mortar and pestle or blend in a small food processor.
• Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.
• Pour the marinade over the chicken and rub into the meat.
• Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours if possible.
• Preheat the oven to 200°C.
• Heat a little oil in an over proof saute pan over a medium heat.
• Take the chicken out of the marinade, letting the excess drip back into the dish.
• Place the chicken in the pan, skin side down and allow to brown.
• Turn the chicken over and pour over the marinade.
• Roast the chicken in the over 50-60 minutes, basting a couple of times during cooking.
• Transfer the chicken to a plate and rest, lightly covered, for 5 minutes.
• Tip the pan juices into a small pot.
• Mix the cornflour with the water and stir into the juices.
• Simmer for 2 minutes then add a good squeeze of lime juice and pour into a serving jug.
• RICE: Heat the oil in an oven-proof saute pan or pot with a lid.
• Add the onion, garlic, ginger, cardamom pods and mustard seeds and gently fry until tender.
• Add the rice, stock and salt and bring to the boil.
• Cover and place back in the oven for 25 minutes.
• Stir the rice once during cooking.
• Remove from the oven and sit covered, for 5 minutes before serving.
• TO SERVE: Spoon the rice onto a platter.
• Cut the chicken into serving pieces and place on top.
• Scatter fresh herbs over the chicken and garnish with lime wedges.
• Bowls of thick plain yoghurt, roasted chopped peanuts and crispy shallots are nice accompaniments.

SPICY RED RICE WITH CHICKEN AND VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Add chicken, bell peppers, onion, garlic and oregano to pot. Sauté 5 minutes. Mix in paprika and cayenne pepper. Add rice and stir to coat. Mix in 2 cups broth and tomato sauce. Bring to boil. Cover pot; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until chicken and rice are tender and liquids are absorbed, adding more broth by 1/4 cupfuls if dry, about 25 minutes.
• Mix peas into chicken and rice. Cook until peas are heated through, about 2 minutes longer. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

SPICY CHICKEN, EGGPLANT AND RED ONION QUESADILLAS

Steps:

• Combine 1/4 cup water, cilantro, sliced jalapeño, lime juice and olive oil in blender. Blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Place chicken in shallow baking dish. Pour marinade over, coating completely. Cover and refrigerate 4 hours.
• Preheat broiler. Remove chicken from marinade; discard marinade. Broil chicken until cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Set chicken aside. Lightly brush both sides of onion and eggplant slices with vegetable oil. Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. Broil vegetables until tender and golden, about 2 minutes per side.
• Preheat oven to 450°F. Lightly brush 4 tortillas with vegetable oil. Place tortillas, oil side down, on baking sheet. Combine grated Monterey Jack and cheddar cheeses in small bowl. Sprinkle 1/4 cup cheese mixture over each tortilla. Place chicken atop cheese, dividing equally. Place 1 onion slice and 1 eggplant slice atop each. Top each eggplant slice with 1 tortilla. Lightly brush tops of tortillas with oil. (Can be prepared 6 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
• Bake quesadillas until tortillas are slightly crisp and cheese melts, about 10 minutes. Cut quesadillas into quarters. Serve with sour cream.