A few weeks ago, my friend underwent a kidney transplant. Her mother-in-law took care of their kids for a few weeks while her husband stayed with her near the hospital. A friend sent out an email organizing meals for the family (via Take Them a Meal) and it got me thinking about my favorite meal I bring to friends in need.
I found this dish years ago in The Quick Recipe (a fantastic cookbook) and I’ve been making it ever since. Usually a family needing meals is overwhelmed with lasagna and Italian food, so I like to bring something different. I got my oldest daughter involved in the preparation and we had a wonderful time talking and laughing and cooking – and serving others. I’m hopeful we can teach our children the importance of looking beyond ourselves and putting other people’s needs first. It’s not an easy task and one with which I constantly struggle, but it’s a goal. Not just for me, but for the entire family. In fact, whenever my kids are arguing, I ask them, “Are you putting your sister’s needs and desires above your own?” The answer is always “no,” but the argument usually ends and hugs get passed around.
Making a meal for someone takes a little time, and usually means you make two dinners in one day, but it’s always worth it to see the grateful look in the recipients’ eyes when dinner arrives. You can make Lemon Chicken with Rice with one pot and one baking dish so it cuts down on the mess and amount of work. I serve it with a mixed green salad – just cut open the top of the bag of greens and pour in lots of freshly chopped vegetables then close the bag up with a clip. The dressing is a simple squeeze of lemon, a few tablespoons of olive oil, some sea salt and freshly cracked pepper. Dessert is chocolate creams – a creamy and rich dessert prepared in the blender.
My friend returns home today and continues to recover from her surgery. Hopefully, we’ll have the opportunity to help with some more whole, unprocessed food, prepared with love.
Chicken and Rice with Lemon, Peas and Scallions
If you are taking this dish to some one’s home, put the scallions and lemon wedges in a small bowl to serve on the side. Pour the rice into a large baking dish and top with the chicken.
Serves 4. Adapted from The Quick Recipe.
4 split chicken breasts, bone-in, skin-on
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups brown rice
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest
3 cups chicken stock
1 cup frozen peas
5 scallions (green onions), sliced thin
1 lemon cut into wedges
Preheat oven to 350ºF and adjust rack to middle position. Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper. Heat a dutch oven over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add coconut oil and then place chicken in pan, skin-side down. Cook chicken until golden brown, about 6 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a casserole dish, skin-side up, and bake until it reaches 160ºF on a meat thermometer, about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, add the onion to the pot and cook until translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the rice and cook, stirring often, until the rice begins to turn a milky white. Stir in the garlic and zest and cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the stock, scraping any brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil, turn heat down to low, cover, and cook until all of the liquid is absorbed, about 45-90 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat. Sprinkle the peas over the rice and drape a clean towel over the pot and put the lid on. (The towel absorbs the moisture so the rice remains fluffy.) Allow the rice to stand for 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
When ready to serve, fold in the scallions. Serve rice with chicken and lemon wedges.
Posts may contain affiliate links. If you purchase a product through an affiliate link, your costs will be the same but Deliciously Organic will receive a small commission. This helps cover some of the costs for this site. We appreciate your support!
 |
I rave about myself every night at the dinner table, “Honey, can you believe I made this??” And it’s all thanks to you!! (and teaching me that organic butter is welcomed and embraced! No more fat free, yay!!
{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
I know they appreciate it. Especially after the surgery : ) This looks yummy. Can’t wait to try it!
A few years ago my good friend was hospitalized a few weeks after giving birth to her twins. She was struggling with her own health and having to take care of two newborns and two older children as well. When I asked what I could do to help she was gracious enough to give me the useful task of preparing some meals for her family. They are vegetarians and she needed iron.
I prepped vegetable pot pies, spinach baked ziti, lentil stew, and broccoli soup. All but one was wrapped for the freezer with the briefest of instructions taped to the tops. I don’t think I’ve ever been happier preparing meals than I was making those (and I remember I got up at 4 am on a work day to do it, and I was still happy!).
Good, healthful, nutritious food prepared with care can be a profound act of love. That’s kind of how I think of all the recipes on your blog.
I love cooking for others and do include my children in the process. It feels so good and I don’t even feel as though I need a thank you. In turn, I want to thank them for allowing me to give and do. The timing on this recipe could not be more perfect! I have three chicken breasts in the fridge for tomorrow night’s dinner. And although Isaac was hoping for enchilladas….it is going to have to be chicken and rice instead! x
Carrie, this is such a thoughtful meal you put together for your friend. I am sure her family will be so grateful to you and your daughter for preparing this. My mom used to make something similar when I was a kid. The house smelled so great as it cooked. Thanks for sharing this recipe with us
Another amazing recipe! I can’t wait to try it out.
Thanks for this. I’m always looking for recipes to bring to friends with new babies since I don’t cook with meat that often, but most of my friends are regular meat-eaters. This looks like a great recipe!
Being of service to others is an important daily goal for all of us. Thank you for your always thoughtful posts that remind us that its important to go beyond ourselves and do for others. There aren’t many people talking about such selfless thinking in our world and it’s refreshing to see it here on your pages (and acted out in your daily life). You are an inspiration. xoxoxo
Could you do this with regular boneless chicken breasts too?
You can, but instead of browning the chicken and then putting it in the oven, just fully cook the chicken in the pot and then put it on a plate and cover it tightly. You will also need to use a bit more coconut oil to saute the onions.
Great post. Love the idea of bringing something other than Italian food or a heavy casserole to friends in need.
I’ve been eyeing this since you posted it! Bought the fixins’ for it so i can finally make it for dinner tonight! Can’t wait!
I am in a cooking co-op where we prepare meals ahead of time, freeze them and distribute them to each other every 2 months. I love this recipe idea since we’re usually heavy on casseroles in the co-op. Do you have any recommendations for how I could prepare this dish and freeze it? We also have to use boneless chicken breasts in our co-op, so any recommendations on that would be helpful as well. Thank you!
You can prepare the entire dish minus the lemon juice and green onions and freeze it all together. At a later time, thaw completely and then reheat in the oven at about 300ºF for 30 minutes or so. (Make sure the casserole is covered when you reheat or the dish will dry out.)
You can use boneless chicken breasts in this recipe and cook them entirely in the large pot at the beginning of the recipe. You could also shred the cooked chicken and the fold it into the rice mixture right before freezing. This way the chicken won’t dry out and you’ll have a piece of chicken in every bite.