Quick Bites: Salsa Chicken and Mexican Rice

I have decided to dedicate my upcoming posts to the busy individual.  Anyone with a busy schedule should be able to appreciate these short cut meals.  Here's one to satisfy your craving for Mexican food without getting takeout and it only takes 20 minutes to make. The recipe is a combination of ready made items (salsa, quick rice) and items that require preparation(grilled chicken). Regarding the grilled chicken, you can purchase the chicken already grilled and portioned at the grocery story.  This will also help cut the time involved in making the entire dish.  You can also add a side of beans, green salad or tortilla chips to complete the meal.

Chicken Salsa with Mexican Rice (Serves 2 - multiply as needed)

2 8-10 oz skinless,boneless chicken cutlets
1/2 cup of salsa ( I used Jack's Special Medium Salsa)
1 bag of El Paso microwaveable Mexican Rice ( done in 60 seconds and comparable to restaurant style)

Directions
Thin out chicken breasts with a tenderizing mallet. Cook in heated grill pan, turning every 2-3 minutes. Cook instant rice in microwave; remove and vent to cool. Heat salsa in microwave for about 45 seconds or warm in small sauce pan. When chicken is done, top each breast evenly with salsa. Place on top of rice and enjoy!

Teriyaki Chicken and Fried Rice

So much for best laid plans. I thawed shrimp with every intention of making shrimp teriyaki tonight. When I unsealed the bag that held the shrimp, I was greeted by a surprisingly bad odor. In the (outside) garbage can it went and the plan turned to chicken. But wait, I had no fresh or defrosted chicken! So, what did I do? I used chicken nuggets. I had to - there were three hungry people in my kitchen. There were four, if you count me(can you count me? I am ALWAYS hungry). I threw the chicken nuggets in the oven and started in on the rice. Now, you can use regular rice, boil in bag rice, or even microwave rice. This will work with whatever you have in the house. It can be brown rice or white, whichever you prefer. Start to finish and depending which ingredients you use, this meal doesn't take more than twenty minutes. While I prefer to put more time and effort into my meals, this quick fix was just what I needed tonight. It was pretty tasty and enjoyed by all.

Jaime's Quick Fix Teriyaki Chicken and Fried Rice

10 chicken nuggets (you can also use 2 medium, boneless chicken breasts, breaded, fried and cut into pieces)
1 cup of white or brown rice (can be regular, boil in bag or microwave rice)
3 TBSP of teriyaki sauce (2 for the rice, 1 to add to chicken)

1 TSP of minced garlic
1 TBSP of olive oil
1 egg
1 TSP salt
1 TSP pepper


Prepare chicken nuggets according to box or bag, or prep and cook your breaded chicken cutlets. Prepare rice according to directions on box or bag. In a wok or medium pan, heat 1 TBSP of olive oil. Add rice when cooked. Stir in 1 TSP of minced garlic and 2 TBSP of teriyaki sauce. Stir intermittently for around three minutes then add salt and pepper. Finally, add egg to rice mixture and stir continuously until egg mixture is cooked and mixed into the rice. Then add cut up chicken to the rice mixture and add the last TBSP of teriyaki sauce. Keep stirring mixture for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and enjoy!