It's Snowing..... Smothered Chicken with Homemade Rice Pilaf!

What a wonderful way to wake up on a Saturday morning.....with snow coming down outside!  Everything looks so beautiful, we don't have that much, so far just a dusting, but it's so pretty!

I am reposting a great recipe, "Smothered Chicken", this recipe is one of our favorites here at my house.  My little boy Davey loves it, his whole dish is just about "licked clean" when he's finished.  I'm also posting a new recipe, "Homemade Rice Pilaf."  I've never made "Homemade Rice Pilaf" before, and it's so easy, so perhaps I won't buy those easy rice mixes anymore?  We'll see.....try these recipes, you will love them, so comforting, and of course so easy!  YUMMO!

         Smothered Chicken

6 -8 chicken cutlets sliced thin (or pounded whatever you prefer)

2 TBS canola oil

1 cup flour for dredging

2 cups water

2 TBS chicken bouillon

1 tsp. powdered garlic

2 tsp. fresh parsley or 1 tsp. dried

1 cup White Wine, or if you prefer Cooking Wine

1 TBS lemon juice

salt and pepper

1 small Jar with 2 tsp flour and 1/2 cup cold water (to thicken the GRAVY)

Slice the cutlets thin or pound them out, whatever you prefer. Heat a skillet, or if your lucky like me, a Cast Iron Skillet, with the 2 TBS Canola Oil. Dredge the chicken in the flour shake off any existing flour, put in the hot oiled pan, and cook for 2 minutes on each side until golden brown, do not let them burn....salt and pepper each side. Continue frying all the cutlets, you may have to do this in batches, and add more oil to the pan after each batch. You are just browning the cutlets, they will still be pink inside. Put the cutlets on a dish, and now make your GRAVY!!!!

GRAVY
To the hot pan add the 2 cups water with chicken bouillon, and whisk, add the WINE, and whisk really well, add the garlic powder and lemon juice. Bring to a boil, for 1 minute. Lower heat to med-low and put the chicken back into the pan making sure the gravy is covering each cutlet and cover, cook for 1/2 hour on med-low.

Now to thicken the GRAVY, just like I always thicken my gravy's, in a jar with a lid, put 2 tsp flour in the jar and 1/2 cup cold water, shake, and slowly add to the gravy, you may want to take the cutlets out to do this, to really whisk the gravy and get it all thick and delicious! You don't want it too thick, just thick enough to coat the chicken. Put the cutlets back in and simmer on low for about 10 minutes. Top with minced parsley, and SERVE over rice, egg noodles, or even mashed potatoes! YUMMO!!!

Homemade Rice Pilaf

So YUMMO!

1 small onion minced

2 tablespoons butter

1/3 cup Orzo Pasta

3/4 cup white rice

1 1/2 cups chicken broth or water

2 tsp. Fresh minced Parsley (optional but gives such a fresh taste)

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

ORZO....looks like RICE

In a medium saucepan melt the butter over medium heat add the minced onion, salt and pepper and saute until soft

Add Orzo and rice and brown for 3 to 5 minutes. Add broth or water, salt and pepper, and bring liquid to a full boil. Cover pot and reduce heat to simmer and cook rice 18 minutes. Fluff with a fork, add minced parsley, and serve.