Chipotle Braised Chicken with Herbed Coriander Rice

Before starting this blog, I never realized how much I cycled through the same meals month after month. I tried new dishes now and then but for the most part I made the same few dishes over and over. In order to keep things fresh and new for my blog I am constantly looking at new recipes. I love trying new things and expanding my horizons. This week I found a recipe for Chipotle Braised Chicken with a side of Warm Herbed Coriander Rice Salad. Both recipes are unique with very flavorful ingredients. I have to say that as good as the chipotle chicken was, the herbed rice salad stole the show for me. The texture and mix of flavors was outstanding. Let's put this together for dinner tonight.
Chipotle Braised Chicken:
from gourmet.com
1 large onion
2 garlic cloves (minced)
1/2 bay leaf
1-1/8 tsp salt
1 Tbs unsalted butter
1-1/2 Tbs olive oil
3 pounds chicken breasts or parts
1 tsp chipotle chile powder
1 cup water
1 Tbs lime juice
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Start by cooking onion, garlic, salt, and bay leaf in butter and 1/2 Tbs oil over medium heat until onion begins to brown; about 10 minutes.
Next, remove onion mix from the pan and set it aside on a plate. Pat chicken dry and sprinkle with 1 tsp salt. I used a whole chicken, broken down, but chicken breasts would be great as well. Brown the chicken in 1 Tbs of oil over medium heat for 3-4 minutes per side. Set browned chicken aside on a plate.
Discard all but 2 Tbs of fat from the pan. Return the onion mixture to the pan and add 1 tsp of chipotle powder. Stir together for 1 minute. Next, stir in 1 cup of water and bring to a simmer. Lay browned chicken pieces on top of the chipotle/onion mix. Cover with a lid or foil and cook over low heat for 25-30 minutes, turning the chicken once. Finally, remove the cooked chicken and onions from the pan with a slotted spoon. Skim off and discard fat from the sauce. Turn up the heat and boil the sauce until slightly thickened. Stir in the lime juice and cilantro, then spoon sauce over the chicken before serving.
Warm Herbed Coriander Rice Salad:
from gourmet.com
1 cup long-grain brown basmati rice
1-3/4 cup water
3 Tbs vegetable oil -divided
1 tsp salt -divided
1/4 tsp pepper
1 Tbs coriander seeds (slightly crushed)
1/2 tsp cumin seeds (slightly crushed)
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 large or 2 medium zucchini (cubed in to 1/2 inch pieces)
1/2 cup chopped herbs such as cilantro, parsley, and mint
1 Tbs lemon juice
1/2 cup pecans (toasted and coarsely chopped)

Begin by toasting pecans on a cookie sheet in a 400 degree F oven for 5-8 minutes or until fragrant, set aside. Next, bring rice and water to a boil with 1 Tbs oil and 1/2 tsp salt in a 2 qt heavy saucepan. Cover and cook over low heat for about 50 minutes. Remove the rice from heat and let stand covered for 10 minutes, then transfer the rice to a shallow baking dish or bowl to cool slightly.
Prepare the zucchini and crush the coriander and cumin seeds while the rice is cooking. I placed the coriander and cumin in a zip lock bag and crushed them slightly with a rolling pin. Use powdered cumin and coriander if you don't have whole seeds. While the rice is standing off the heat for 10 minutes, cook coriander and cumin seeds in 2 Tbs of oil in a 12 inch skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly. Add garlic, zucchini, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until zucchini is tender yet still crisp, about 5-7 minutes.Finally, toss zucchini mixture with rice, herbs, lemon juice, and pecans. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Now you're ready to dig in to a hearty and delicious meal. Enjoy!!!