Middle Eastern Chicken and Rice

By mschweickert

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 1/4 cups basmati rice
• 1/4 cup dried apricots, roughly chopped
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Kosher salt
• 5 cups loosely packed baby spinach (3 ounces)
• 1 1/4 pounds thin-cut skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• Freshly ground pepper
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup fat-free plain Greek yogurt
• 3 tablespoons almonds, roughly chopped

Details

Servings 4
Preparation time 10mins
Cooking time 40mins
Adapted from foodnetwork.com

Preparation

Step 1

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until just softened, 3 minutes. Add the rice; cook, stirring, until slightly toasted, 2 minutes. Add 2 cups water, the apricots, cumin, cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Increase the heat to medium high; bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low; stir, then cover and simmer until the rice is tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add the spinach (do not stir). Let sit, covered, until wilted, about 7 minutes.

Meanwhile, season the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cookuntil golden, about 3 minutes per side. Drizzle with the lemon juice.

Fold the spinach into the rice and serve with the chicken. Divide the rice and chicken among plates. Thin the yogurt with 1 teaspoon water; drizzle over the chicken. Sprinkle with the almonds.

Per serving: Calories 445; Fat 8 g (Saturated 4 g); Cholesterol 97 mg; Sodium 503 mg; Carbohydrate 97 g; Fiber 4 g; Protein 38 g

Photograph by Justin Walker