Saffron Rice

Happy late Turkey Day, everyone! Hope you all had a fun one! (Mr. Kim Chee spent his on the couch--the flu's going around, ouch!) My sister and I went shopping at 10 p.m. and got back at 2 a.m. My first experience at Black Friday shopping (if you can call going that early Black Friday shopping.) A midday nap seems like it's in the cards for today...!

If you're looking for interesting ways to use up your turkey, why not spice it up with some Indian flair? This quick and easy side dish will be ready with just a few minutes' prep. It's got a slightly unusual flavor, and is so good. For an extra easy entree, just add diced turkey at the end (and maybe some cranberry sauce--yum!)

Pour a can of vegetable (or chicken) broth into a pot or a rice cooker.

The thing that makes this saffron rice is, obviously, saffron.

A nice generous pinch will do it.

Saffron's a great spice. It's not an overwhelming flavor, but it does have a very distinctive taste. And it turns everything a pretty amber color.

It's also the world's most expensive spice. But don't be put off. It's sold by the ounce, and it's really light. And you won't need much in each recipe. It's a nice exotic spice to have on hand, and one that you can't substitute if it's asked for in a recipe.

A short cinnamon stick will give it a bit more spice and a slightly unusual (and festive!) flavor.

Add a pat of butter. Then turn your rice cooker (or pan) on warm and let the saffron steep for about half an hour.

When time's up, add a cup of basmati rice.

Cook your rice until it's done (or until your cooker tells you it's done.) Then fluff it up and serve!














The butter will cause some of the rice to get nice and crunchy. The saffron will infuse its flavor throughout, and the cinnamon will give it a hint of spice. It's a fabulous side dish that's a bit different than plain rice, and will add a little bit of exotic flavor to your dinner.

Recipe: Saffron Rice
1 can vegetable broth
1 generous pinch saffron threads
1 1" cinnamon stick
1 tbsp. butter

1 c. basmati rice

Combine broth, saffron, cinnamon stick, and butter. Heat on "warm" setting in rice cooker or very low on the stove, for around 30 minutes.

Add basmati rice; cook according to package directions or until rice cooker finishes cooking. Fluff and serve.

Chicken Breasts Stuffed With Cranberry-Apple Dressing

When you're too busy to stuff a whole turkey, stuffing chicken breasts is a great second option. It's easy to do and takes little effort (but looks super fancy.) If you want a more low-key meal on Turkey Day, give these stuffed chicken breasts a try.

The first thing I did was start the stuffing. I used a mix of bread cubes that included both white bread and cornbread.

For crunchiness, I chopped and added some pecans.

And for tartness and flavor, I did the same with some cranberries. This is what they look like on the inside--kind of neat, don't you think?

Now, in a pan, saute some onions and celery with some butter.

While the onion and celery are sauteing, you can peel an apple. I had a lot of Honeycrisp apples around, so I used one of them. For more tartness, a Granny Smith can be used.

Core the apple and dice into pieces.

Add the apples to the bread cubes and then spice things up with some dried thyme.

Dried sage is good, too. Sage and apples are good friends.

And, as always, never forget to salt and pepper.

When the celery and onions are softened, you can add them to the bowl too. Be sure to get all the little buttery bits!

Then moisten the dressing with a box of chicken broth. You'll need the whole box.

Mix until all the bread is moist and the herbs are evenly incorporated.

Now you can move on to the chicken. Lay a chicken breast flat on your cutting board, and, using a sharp knife, carefully cut a pocket into the breast.

Stuff the pocket with the dressing. Don't use too much, or it will just spill out and make a mess. If you can still seal the chicken, you've got the right amount.

Press the seams of the pocket together. And season the outsides of the breast with salt and pepper.

Melt some butter and olive oil in the same pan you sauteed the onions and celery in. Use medium heat.

Once the butter is melted and the pan is hot, carefully lay the chicken in the hot pan, seam-side down. Let cook for 4-5 minutes or until the chicken is golden brown.

Carefully flip the breasts over and cook the other side for another 4-5 minutes.

Pop the pan into a 350F oven (you did use an oven-safe pan, right?) for 12-15 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked completely through.

Put the rest of the stuffing in a baking dish and let that cook through, too.

The stuffing will plump up inside the chicken breasts, making a pretty picture.














If you feel so motivated, you could make a simple gravy with the pan drippings--just a bit of flour (and a little more butter, if the pan looks dry), and some chicken broth, and you've made yourself a mini Thanksgiving in a pan. Way easier than roasting a whole turkey, huh?

Recipe: Chicken Breasts Stuffed With Cranberry-Apple Dressing
 

6 c. bread cubes
1/4 c. coarsely chopped pecans
1/2 c. fresh cranberries, coarsely chopped
2 tbsp. butter
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
1 rib celery, diced
1 medium apple, peeled, cored, and diced
1 tsp. dried thyme
2 tsp. dried sage
salt and pepper, to taste
1 box chicken broth

two large chicken breasts
1 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. olive oil


In a large bowl, combine bread cubes, pecans, cranberries, and apple.

In a large, oven-safe pan, saute onions and celery in butter until softened. Add to bread cubes. Add thyme, sage, salt, and pepper.

Add chicken broth, stirring until all bread cubes are moistened and herbs are evenly distributed.

On a cutting board, carefully cut a pocket into the chicken breasts. Stuff with bread mixture. Salt and pepper the outside of the chicken.

Using the same pan as before, melt butter and olive oil over medium heat. Place chicken breasts in pan, seam-side down. Cook for 4-5 minutes, or until golden brown. Flip chicken over; repeat.

Place pan in a 350F oven for 12-15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Serve immediately.

Baked Sweet Potatoes

Thanksgiving is coming up, and you'll notice plenty of recipes popping up featuring poultry, stuffing, and cranberries. But my new favorite holiday side dish is a big spoonful of these baked sweet potatoes.

Culinary classes from online education colleges are available for those of you who also love baking yummy things like these sweet potatoes.

First, you'll need three big sweet potatoes. You won't need to do anything to them--just stick 'em on a baking sheet and roast them at 425F for about an hour, or until they're completely cooked.

If your oven is already filled with something, you could microwave them or peel and boil them, too. Roasting really helps bring out their sweetness, though.

Once the potatoes are cooked, let them cool a bit and then peel them. The skin should come right off.

Add some half-and-half. The liquid will help you once you're ready to mash them, and it will also give your side dish some richness.

Next is some melted (or mostly melted) butter. Because Thanksgiving sucks without butter.

Maple syrup will sweeten the side dish. Not too much, since the potatoes are already plenty sweet--just enough to add a bit of mapley goodness.

A couple of eggs will add some substance to your side dish.

Don't forget the salt! The salt will bring out all the flavors you've already added.

Vanilla will add a depth of flavor and enhance the sweetness of the potatoes.

And, just to kick things up a little, some cayenne pepper is the last ingredient to go in.

Now grab your handy-dandy potato masher (or electric beaters) and mash those potatoes to the chunky- or smoothness that you like.

Spread your potato mixture in a large, shallow baking dish and set it aside.

The thing that really makes this dish a killer is the topping. Sure, you've got the slightly-sweet orange concoction underneath, but on top is a crunchy, sweet topping that does nothing but enhance the sweet potatoes it tops.

Using a food processor (or a pastry cutter) makes the topping a cinch. Grab some cold butter.

Measure out some brown sugar.

Then cut the two together until they become like one ingredient.

If I had been doing it by hand, I don't think I would have made the bits of butter so small, to leave the topping more streusal-like. But since I used my food processor, I didn't have a choice. If you like a more rough, crumbly topping, I'd suggest doing this step by hand.

Now that the hard work is done, you can add some nuts. I picked pecans because I love pecans, especially in fall food.

A little flour will help bind your topping too, and ensure the sugar doesn't melt into a straight-up caramel.

Just a few whirrs will do it--you still want idenfiable bits of nuts in the topping. Once it's combined to your satisfaction, you can pour it over the top of the potatoes.

Spread the topping evenly over the potatoes and then pop the dish in a 350F oven for about 30-35 minutes.

Let it bake until the potatoes are bubbling hot and the topping is golden brown. (I mean, golden-browner than it was before ... )

Scoop yourself up a huge spoonful. It's addicting--I promise!

Recipe: Baked Sweet Potatoes

3 large sweet potatoes

1/3 c. half and half

1/4 c. butter, melted

1 tbsp. maple syrup

3 eggs
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper


Topping:
2 tbsp. cold butter
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. pecans
1/4 c. flour


Roast sweet potatoes in 425F oven for 1 hour or until completely cooked through. Let cool.

Peel sweet potatoes and place in large bowl. Add half and half, maple syrup, butter, eggs, salt, vanilla, and cayenne pepper. Mash or blend sweet potato mixture until smooth. Pour into a large, shallow baking dish.

Using a food processor or pastry cutter, combine brown sugar and butter until well incorporated. Add in pecans and flour until just combined. Sprinkle topping over sweet potatoes.

Bake at 350F for 30-35 minutes until potatoes are hot and topping is golden brown.