Belly up to the stove

It's almost the end of the week and by now I'm sick of trying to think of what to cook!!! One pot meals are always appealing... the spice/mushroom blend has a lot of spices but it's worth making. I buy my spices in bulk, it's much cheaper and it stays fresher as you buy in smaller quantities.

Simple Chicken and Rice
Ingredients:
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (I use thighs)
¼ cup Spiced Tomato-Mushroom Blend (see recipe below)
2 T olive oil
1 cup long grain rice
1 ½ cups fresh sugar snap pea pods
Fresh parsley (optional)
Lemon wedges (optional)

Directions
1. Lightly coat chicken with 1 tablespoon of the spice blend.
2. In large skillet cook chicken in hot olive oil over medium heat for 2 minutes on each side; remove from skillet. Stir remaining spice blend and rice into skillet; cook 1 minute. Add 2-1/2 cups water (for a bit more flavor, use chicken broth); return chicken to skillet. Bring to boiling. Reduce heat. Simmer, covered, 15 minutes.
3. Add pea pods to skillet. Cover. Cook 5 minutes more or until rice is tender. Serve with parsley and lemon wedges. Makes 4 servings.


Spiced Tomato-Mushroom Blend
Yield: 2 cups
Ingredients:
1 cup dried tomatoes (not oil pack)
1 oz. dried mushrooms** (shiitake or morel)
½ cup dried minced onion
2 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon cumin seed
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
½ teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions
In large bowl combine all ingredients. Place the mixture, one-fourth at a time, in blender. Cover and blend 30 seconds or until tomatoes are finely chopped. Transfer to storage container. Refrigerate; use seasoning blend within 1 month. Makes 8 (1/4-cup) portions.

**To remove grit from dried mushrooms, place in sieve and rinse under cold running water. Drain and pat dry. Place on baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes or until dry and crisp.

Happy eating,
Elizabeth