Chicken with Chile-Cheese Rice

Tonight for dinner I tried a new recipe from this month's Sunset magazine -- Chicken with Chile-Cheese Rice.  The verdict?  Adrienne and Liam both didn't like it (though that doesn't surprise me -- they aren't much for casseroles) but the rest of us thought it was pretty good.  It really could have used more jalapeno flavor, but then again I only used 1 thinking maybe I could get Adrienne and Liam to eat it.  Uh, yeah, right.  :-)   Because of the peppers (both green chiles and jalapenos) I'm submitting this to Sweetnick's ARF/5-a-day Tuesdays - a great place to check out ideas for incorporating more antioxidants into your menu.

Chicken with Chile-Cheese Rice
(courtesy of Sunset Magazine, February 2007 issue)

• 2 tbsp olive oil (I used less)
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch wide strips
• 1 tsp coarse kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 jalapeno chiles, seeded and finely chopped
• 1 cup long grain white rice
• 2 cups chicken broth (I think mine took about 3 cups in all)
• 1 can (7 oz) whole green chiles, drained and chopped (I just used the already chopped kind)
• 1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 cup cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped

1. Heat olive oil in a large frying pan (with sides at least 2 in. high) over medium-high heat.  Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper and cook, stirring often, until lightly browned but not cooked through.  Remove chicken from pan and set aside.
2. Add onion, garlic, and jalapenos to pan, reduce heat to medium, and cook, stirring frequently, until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.  Add rice and cook, stirring, 1 minute more, then pour in broth and bring to a boil.  Boil rice 5 minutes, then reduce heat to a simmer, cover pan, and cook 15 minutes.
3. Return chicken to pan and cook until rice is tender, liquid is absorbed, and chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes.
4. Remove pan from heat and stir in chiles, cheese, and cilantro.  Serve immediately.

Serves 4