Lean and lovin’ it: A splurge-worthy dish of old-fashioned chicken and rice

A few decades ago, chicken and rice casserole was a family dinner staple. The main reason was that chicken and rice were inexpensive, making this a cost-conscious meal.

Without verification, a soup company was probably responsible for this combination since the cream of chicken, celery or mushroom soup seemed to be the basis for this budget-friendly dinner.

Over the last few years, I have made a concerted effort to keep carbs low and avoid wheat. Cream-of-something soup is usually made with wheat.

A cup of raw white rice delivers 148 carbohydrate grams — 80% of the calories in that cup come from carbs.

That is why I switched to riced cauliflower as a rice substitute. The same weight of uncooked cauliflower delivers just 9 carbohydrate grams, which is big.

Since I could not figure out how to produce the same creamy results without turning riced cauliflower into mush, my hankering for some old-time chicken and rice casserole got me to give in, just this time, to use the real thing. But what kind of rice?

Decades ago, I first tried basmati rice with its popped-corn aroma. I decided if I was going to give in to real rice, it had to be basmati.

I wanted the rice to be organic and, if possible, be produced using regenerative farming practices.

If you are unfamiliar with regenerative farming, Regeneration International defines it as: “ … farming and grazing practices that, among other benefits, reverse climate change by rebuilding soil organic matter and restoring degraded soil biodiversity — resulting in both carbon drawdown and improving the water cycle.” Truly positive benefits.

I found a basmati rice from Lotus Foods that fit all those requirements.

Using organic chicken seemed like a good idea since I was already on a healthy and sustainable path.

The recipe as the basis for my casserole came from the esteemed Mark Bittman in his New York Times “Minimalist” 1998 column. Bittman used a whole cutup chicken for his casserole. It seemed to me that skinless, boneless chicken thighs, which I just happened to have, would work for dining ease.

Bittman didn’t use soup, instead using boiling water. Since I have an under-the-sink water filtration system, I, too, used water. I did give some thought to using organic chicken broth, but I believed that would add an unnecessary expense.

Bittman only sautéed onions for his casserole. I added a large, finely chopped garlic clove to the onions.

To keep this simple, I did not use Bittman’s suggested saffron, cilantro, lemon or lime, believing those would not play well with the basmati rice.

I sauteed the onions and garlic in olive oil, as Bittman did. Next, I added rice and sauteed it all together until it, as Bittman described, “glistened.” I added boiling water, stirred it together, then nestled the thighs into the rice and covered the skillet. A short 20 minutes later, it was ready to serve. I dusted everything with chopped, fresh parsley and served it.

Wow! The rice tasted and smelled great. This was the best chicken and rice I had ever had, and there was no cream-of-anything soup in sight. Thanks, Mark.

Give it a try.

• Don Mauer welcomes questions, comments and recipe makeover requests. Write to him at 1leanwizard@gmail.com.

Mark Bittman-Inspired Chicken with Rice Casserole

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 medium onions, about 8 ounces, peeled and sliced

1 large garlic clove, peeled and chopped fine

1 teaspoon sea salt, divided

Ground black pepper

1 1/2 cups organic, white basmati rice

1 1/4 pounds organic skinless, boneless chicken thighs

Freshly minced parsley

Add 3 cups of filtered or bottled water to a medium saucepan, place over medium-high heat, and bring to a boil.

While the water heats, place a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the onions, season with half the salt and some pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions become translucent, about 10 minutes.

Add the rice to the onions and stir until the rice “glistens.” Pour in the boiling water and stir together. Nestle the thighs into the rice, and season with the remaining salt and some pepper. Turn the heat to medium-low, and cover.

Cook for 20 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed, and the chicken reaches 160 degrees. Dust with the parsley and serve.

Serves 4

Nutrition values per serving: 532 calories (23% from fat), 13.7 g fat (2.5 g saturated fat), 67 g carbohydrates, 2.4 g sugars, 1 g fiber, 35 g protein, 114 mg cholesterol, 704 mg sodium.

Suggestion: Using just 50% more chicken thighs; this easily serves 6.

— Don Mauer