The First Meal

Salutations,

Tonight I made a chicken with white wine sauce accompanied by rice and spinach. It took a total time of 50 minutes to make, but could definitely be done quicker on a second or third try. This dish is traditionally found in Italian and French restaurants.
 

I needed to pick up some groceries at the local #farmersmarket before beginning. There, I bought chicken stock, basil, spinach, rice, lemons, garlic, mushrooms, parmesan cheese and two chicken breasts. Not bad, it only cost me $12. The other ingredients I used could be found in my cupboards, they were: salt, black pepper, paprika, oregano, rosemary, flour and olive oil. Finally, I used a #Moscato I found in the fridge, but I'm sure you can use any white wine of your choosing. 

First things first, when I get ready to cook a meal, I like to fully prep the kitchen-area. The pots and pans are all in place on the stove, the oven is pre-heated at 350 and the knives are aligned and ready to work. I'd like my meal prepared sans surprises, please. 

So, take out that cutting board and your sharpest knife and get to chopping. I used 2 garlic cloves which I crushed and then chopped into very small pieces. Next up was spinach and basil; you don't need to do much to them, just measure it out and take away any undesirables. Then, with mushrooms, Portobello and Cremini to be precise, I cut thin slices vertically. Lastly, cut that lemon in half, you're going to need its juice. 

It would be smart to measure out 1 cup of rice now, so you don't have to do it later. Keep in mind, 1 cup of rice equals 2 cups of water. 

The last preparation you'll need to do is that of the chicken. Grab a ziplock bag of ample size and throw in enough flour to cover the chicken. Add in as much salt, pepper, and paprika as you'd like. I also put in rosemary and oregano; I thought the flavors would mix well. 

Now we're ready to cook. Heat up the stove and pour some olive oil into the pan. When it's hot enough, throw in your garlic. Drizzle in some lemon juice while you're at it.  When you get a slight sizzle on the garlic, go ahead and throw in the mushrooms. Don't wait too long before putting in 3/4 cup of chicken stock and 1/2 cup of white wine. When all the ingredients in the pan start to boil, you can put in your chicken. Cook the chicken for about a minute and a half on each side. 

Then, wrap the pan with foil and put it in the oven, which should be at 350, for 25 minutes. 

While your chicken is undergoing #theroast, it's the perfect time to get your rice started. Pretty simple strategy to cook rice: don't put too much, or too little, water, and don't overcook or undercook . I wanted to incorporate the spinach into the rice instead of having two separate pieces. So, using my #mathskillz, I understood that it takes rice about 12 minutes to cook and about 3 for spinach. When my rice was almost finished, I threw in the spinach and then waited for the two components to be ready together. Also, salt, pepper, and any other spices are up to your choosing for the rice. 

Lastly, take out your chicken and throw it back on the stove to get a light brown color on its outer layer. Then, throw in a pinch or two of parmesan. This helps bring the liquid together, making it a thicker sauce. 

That's it. You're ready to plate your chicken with white wine sauce together with rice and spinach. Just throw some of your   basil leaves on top to give a fresh feel, and you're ready to dig in. 

I hope these directions prove useful; my meal came out quite well and I hope yours does too. Until next time; I'm sure we could make it even better.