Chicken with Creamy Parmesan Sauce

What does one do if you have chicken tenders, spinach, mushrooms and a lot of rice?
You improvise!
From start to finish, including the rice cooker rice time, it took about an hour. A large part of that time was the prep work, especially cleaning the chicken yuckies.
As always, prep everything ahead of time. If you don't care about the tendon running down the chicken tender, then you saved time. You can also save time by buying pre-sliced mushrooms, a little jar of minced garlic, and grated Parmesan cheese.
The only reason I made rice, it because I have a lot of rice, and the only pasta I had was lasagna noodles, though this would be nummy on fettucine!
Enjoy!

Chicken in Creamy Parmesan Sauce

 

1.5 lb. chicken tenderloins

2 Tbls. olive oil

10 oz. mushrooms, sliced

4 cloves garlic, minced

4 Tbls. butter

1 Tbls. flour

1 cup chicken broth

1 cup cream

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2-3 cups baby spinach, rough chop

2-3 Tbls. sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil, julienne cut

Salt

Pepper

Garlic powder, optional

Heat oil in large skillet or wok over high heat. Salt and pepper both sides of the chicken. Add chicken to hot oil. Cook until brown and turn, about 3-4 minutes. Cook another 4 minutes and remove from pan. Add mushrooms to pan and cook until liquid evaporates and edges are caramelized, about 3-4 minutes. Remove mushrooms from pan.

Turn down heat to medium. Melt butter in pan. Add garlic, and sauté for a few minutes until light brown. Stir in flour, and cook for about a minute. Add chicken broth, cream and Parmesan cheese. Stir to blend for 3-4 minutes. Taste seasonings. Adjust with salt, pepper, or garlic powder, if needed.

Add spinach to sauce, allow to wilt. Add chicken, mushrooms, and sun-dried tomatoes. Stir to blend. Heat for a few minutes to bring the chicken and mushrooms up to temperature. Serve immediately.

Serve over rice or pasta, or if you want to be healthier…a bed of spinach. Yes, more spinach.

Tips & Tricks:

·         My family is particular about their chicken. I tend to clean it up by removing excess membrane and the tendon running down the center of the tenderloins.

·         Chicken broth—I used 1 cup of water and @ 2 tsp. of Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base.

·         I like the baby portobello mushrooms because they are meatier, but use white button mushrooms if you like.

·         “Rough chop” is exactly what it says. Grab a handful or two of spinach, chop it a few times one direction, then again, the other way. Makes it less stringy.

FOODIE FRIDAY--Rice Pilaf with Peas and Pine Nuts

Tired of the same old, same old white rice? I know I’m bored eating it. So the key is to find an easy recipe to punch it up.  Here’s another tried and true Bon Appetit recipe.

If you can’t find pine nuts, substitute almonds: slivered or sliced.

You can use mixed grain wild rice instead of white, but allow a slightly longer cooking time.

TO TOAST NUTS: place in skillet on stove top over medium heat, tossing occasionally until toasted and nutty smelling. WATCH THEM! They will seem to take forever, but then will burn when you turn your back . . . trust me on this.

Rice Pilaf with Peas and Pine Nuts

1 Tbls butter

½ onion, finely chopped
¾ cup long-grain white rice
½ tsp. ground turmeric
2 cups chicken broth
½ cup frozen peas
¼ cup toasted pine nuts

Melt butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped onion and sauté until tender, about 3 minutes. Add rice and turmeric and stir 1 minute. Mix in broth. Cover and simmer over low heat until rice is almost tender, about 15 minutes. Add peas, cover and continue simmering until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl and sprinkle with toasted pine nuts.

Enjoy!